Snoopers.... Do they really work ?
Discussion
Morning everyone !
Before anyone complains, I know I've posted this on the PCGB Forum already but I thought I'd go for a wider audience.
After some opinions ( as the title suggests) on the following:
Coming into work this morning, approaching well known Gatsco camera site. Morpheous give a chirp about 1/2 a mile before and another a couple of hundred yards later as I'm still a bit over !! ( What a great piece of kit )
Snooper ( 815 model ) stays silent. Absolutely bu**er all on approach and as I pass the "big yellow box on a stick".
Now, just to give you the full story I had switched the Snooper on to City mode about 20 minutes earlier, to stop it constantly beeping at me. ( About every 30 seconds the band monitor would beep and it was driving me mad ! )
So.... is the Snooper rubbish / broken or was the Gatsco switched off ( which the Morpheous wouldn't know, as it is just a GPS system with no radar detection and "is not a detector" ( I know this coz it said so on the box !!!)).
I look forward to your replies ( However rude they might be).
Matthew
Before anyone complains, I know I've posted this on the PCGB Forum already but I thought I'd go for a wider audience.
After some opinions ( as the title suggests) on the following:
Coming into work this morning, approaching well known Gatsco camera site. Morpheous give a chirp about 1/2 a mile before and another a couple of hundred yards later as I'm still a bit over !! ( What a great piece of kit )
Snooper ( 815 model ) stays silent. Absolutely bu**er all on approach and as I pass the "big yellow box on a stick".
Now, just to give you the full story I had switched the Snooper on to City mode about 20 minutes earlier, to stop it constantly beeping at me. ( About every 30 seconds the band monitor would beep and it was driving me mad ! )
So.... is the Snooper rubbish / broken or was the Gatsco switched off ( which the Morpheous wouldn't know, as it is just a GPS system with no radar detection and "is not a detector" ( I know this coz it said so on the box !!!)).
I look forward to your replies ( However rude they might be).
Matthew
It may have been an empty box.
Remember that only about 20% of trad Gatsos are live.
The morpheous/origin systems alert you to speedBOX (not cam) positions.
Or your radar detector could be broken or a bit rubbish, of course. Some don't give much warning, especially with city filter on.
If it is normally reliable, I would guess at a dummy Gatso.
You shouldn't need radar detection with GPS speedtrap warnings. Most mobile traps are all laser these days. Laser jammer front and rear is only way to be sure, and very much a grey area.
Remember that only about 20% of trad Gatsos are live.
The morpheous/origin systems alert you to speedBOX (not cam) positions.
Or your radar detector could be broken or a bit rubbish, of course. Some don't give much warning, especially with city filter on.
If it is normally reliable, I would guess at a dummy Gatso.
You shouldn't need radar detection with GPS speedtrap warnings. Most mobile traps are all laser these days. Laser jammer front and rear is only way to be sure, and very much a grey area.
Irish boy is right, the latest Lidatek models are now sold with a garage/gate opening switch as an option. This makes the legal position far more positive for owners.
It is much easier to prove intent if there is no garage door you can open with your jammer
They are not specifically illegal, although there are unspecific catch alls, like 'preventing a policeman doing his duty' /'perverting the course of justice' which could lead to prosecution.
These are difficult to prove, especially with the Lidatek/Target devices that turn themselves off after 5 secs to allow police to get a speed reading.
I am not sure they are worth the investment unless you have a garage door anyway. The last laser trap I saw was on the M4 pointing at the rear of vehicles going away from the bridge the van was on. At 800 GBP to 'cloak' a car, it is expensive for something that could be made redundant/illegal.
It is much easier to prove intent if there is no garage door you can open with your jammer
They are not specifically illegal, although there are unspecific catch alls, like 'preventing a policeman doing his duty' /'perverting the course of justice' which could lead to prosecution.
These are difficult to prove, especially with the Lidatek/Target devices that turn themselves off after 5 secs to allow police to get a speed reading.
I am not sure they are worth the investment unless you have a garage door anyway. The last laser trap I saw was on the M4 pointing at the rear of vehicles going away from the bridge the van was on. At 800 GBP to 'cloak' a car, it is expensive for something that could be made redundant/illegal.
Had the Bell a few years ago....it's still in my bottom drawer. Kept in City mode and it was still a pain!! However, it cetainly confirmed Dom's % observation, so few Gatso's live!! It's easier to keep at the town limit +10% +2mph and I haven't tripped one yet!!
But with an 'instant on' laser reacting in 0.3 of a second, you haven't got a hope!! SP30, 14 day ban, £120 fine and nil point, since you asked....
Mel
But with an 'instant on' laser reacting in 0.3 of a second, you haven't got a hope!! SP30, 14 day ban, £120 fine and nil point, since you asked....
Mel
The guy at the PCGB festival selling Snoopers explained about the jammers. The ones he was selling had aN on/off switch, he said that after the warning sound/light alerts you, you should turn it off and drive at the speed limit. If the police pulled you over and it is off, nothing they can do but if on, it's stopping the police from carrying out their work etc.
So, it is a bit grey!
I got done recently which no detector would be of any use. Sat far enough away from me to be invisible but he could see me and did the distance travelled/time from shadow on car or white line thingy and worked it out on his etch-a-sketch coming up with 91mph.=£60+3pts.
And that was in a rented Ford Feista!!!
So, it is a bit grey!
I got done recently which no detector would be of any use. Sat far enough away from me to be invisible but he could see me and did the distance travelled/time from shadow on car or white line thingy and worked it out on his etch-a-sketch coming up with 91mph.=£60+3pts.
And that was in a rented Ford Feista!!!
flamingeye said:
The guy at the PCGB festival selling Snoopers explained about the jammers. The ones he was selling had aN on/off switch, he said that after the warning sound/light alerts you, you should turn it off and drive at the speed limit. If the police pulled you over and it is off, nothing they can do but if on, it's stopping the police from carrying out their work etc.
So, it is a bit grey!
I got done recently which no detector would be of any use. Sat far enough away from me to be invisible but he could see me and did the distance travelled/time from shadow on car or white line thingy and worked it out on his etch-a-sketch coming up with 91mph.=£60+3pts.
And that was in a rented Ford Feista!!!
Very true... VASCAR (the speed/time/distance machine they use) is undetectable...but you can watch out for the white block markings on the road, as they often use them as markers.
I have been out on patrol with tonyrec from the Speed, Plod, Law forum, and he let me have a go with the system. It is very accurate and quite fun to use
The worst thing is that the police can hide a little way off a motorway bridge as long as they can see the markings, so they can be almost invisible if they want. However, to book you, they need to chase after you and stop you. Tony was confident that he could catch even three-figure fugitives because of traffic congestion, but the biggest 'get out of jail free' card seemed to be a boring car in a boring colour. If there are five red mondeos on the same stretch of road, identifying the culprit is difficult. Invariably the police can't read your plate from the vantage point and they lose 'eyeball' when they join the motorway.
Unmarked cars are also about, and again, there are no speed detection device that work for them. Drive safely and don't take the p155 seems to be the best advice
Otherwise you will get caught at some point, no matter how many toys you have www.speedsafe.co.uk
The latest Lidatek is the LE-450 if I remember.
Cost is approx 350 GBP for just the jammer.
I would only ever advise a purchase with the garage door opener as well (another 150 GBP) as it should only be used to open garage doors, naturally
The latest Lidatek is the LE-450 if I remember.
Cost is approx 350 GBP for just the jammer.
I would only ever advise a purchase with the garage door opener as well (another 150 GBP) as it should only be used to open garage doors, naturally
thierry henry said:
i'm looking to get a snooper and a jammer! which two should i go for?
Surely you don't need both? The jammer technology has to contain a laser sensor and will alarm in the car anyway.
Everything you ever wanted to know is here:
www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk
Myself - I have a Navigation system which, apparently, is shortly to be software upgraded to do Point Of Interest alerts - and you can download speed camera POI databases off the net.
Since the upgrade is cheap I'll probably do it. Although I don't view GATSOs as much of a threat - generally they're easy to spot and if you aren't taking the piss anyway its not problem to check your speed.
More of an issue is temporary Laser crews.
As Dom says - the jammer is the cure - but there are serious legal implications if used.
I reckon a laser detector (totally legal in the UK) is you best bet. Its no defence against a direct reading of you but if someone else in front of you is targeted you should get a warning in time to do something about it.
Once you have a GPS GATSO system and a laser detector and you've done some Advanced Driving training and improved your Observation to the level you have eyes in the back of your head I think you've improved your chances as far as is reasonably possible.
After that its luck and cunning.
It is perfectly legal to use a laser jammer to operate a garage door.
However, if the same laser jammer prevented the police from carrying out their duties etc. then we are into the legal quagmire.
Remember, these devices are not illegal by nature. They are only illegal by use in certain situations. e.g. it is not illegal to own a baseball bat, but if you wrapped it around someone's head it would be.
To put Don's (sensible) advise into context, there have been very few examples of the police prosecuting motorists for laser jammer use. The excellent ukspeedtraps site mentions one, but the guy was taking the mickey. If used cautiously and respectfully (ie turned off after the initial alarm so that the police can get a speed reading, plus used in conjunction with a suitable electric garage door system) it would be virtually impossible for the CPS to build a case against you. They would have to prove your intent, and with your garage door system at home and the laser jammer in the off position when the police stopped you, this would be very difficult. Remember, the laser guns they use don't get a speed reading all the time: they can come up with error readings, and the best jammers replicate these. Policemen only get suspicious if they have an error on their second, third, fourth readings at much closer range etc.
The other thing to note is that cheaper jammers sometimes bring up a 'jammed' code on the more sophisticated laser guns. This wouldn't help your case.
So in summary, if you just fitted a jammer and went out on the roads and never turned it off and generally took the p155, the chances of prosecution are much higher than if you used a jammer circumspectly in conjunction with a garage door opener. The legal risk can be brought down to a low percentage of successful prosecution, but this doesn't make the use of a jammer in this way legal or ethical. You are still in effect being naughty... it is only because of legal loopholes, rules of evidence and the CPS's time and money that you can escape. I'm sure some legislation will get drafted within a year or so if jammer use becomes a big problem. They will probably allow for garage door systems by letting you operate the system within 100m of your registered address, as an exception to the general ban on use. There may also be a specific penalty for the use in relation to speed detection.
However, if the same laser jammer prevented the police from carrying out their duties etc. then we are into the legal quagmire.
Remember, these devices are not illegal by nature. They are only illegal by use in certain situations. e.g. it is not illegal to own a baseball bat, but if you wrapped it around someone's head it would be.
To put Don's (sensible) advise into context, there have been very few examples of the police prosecuting motorists for laser jammer use. The excellent ukspeedtraps site mentions one, but the guy was taking the mickey. If used cautiously and respectfully (ie turned off after the initial alarm so that the police can get a speed reading, plus used in conjunction with a suitable electric garage door system) it would be virtually impossible for the CPS to build a case against you. They would have to prove your intent, and with your garage door system at home and the laser jammer in the off position when the police stopped you, this would be very difficult. Remember, the laser guns they use don't get a speed reading all the time: they can come up with error readings, and the best jammers replicate these. Policemen only get suspicious if they have an error on their second, third, fourth readings at much closer range etc.
The other thing to note is that cheaper jammers sometimes bring up a 'jammed' code on the more sophisticated laser guns. This wouldn't help your case.
So in summary, if you just fitted a jammer and went out on the roads and never turned it off and generally took the p155, the chances of prosecution are much higher than if you used a jammer circumspectly in conjunction with a garage door opener. The legal risk can be brought down to a low percentage of successful prosecution, but this doesn't make the use of a jammer in this way legal or ethical. You are still in effect being naughty... it is only because of legal loopholes, rules of evidence and the CPS's time and money that you can escape. I'm sure some legislation will get drafted within a year or so if jammer use becomes a big problem. They will probably allow for garage door systems by letting you operate the system within 100m of your registered address, as an exception to the general ban on use. There may also be a specific penalty for the use in relation to speed detection.
thierry henry said:
i'm looking to get a snooper and a jammer! which two should i go for?
SLD 920X units work rather well in fact very well, much better than the LRC100's, the LRC's are not very sensitive. The SLD units will pick up the laser everytime & continually jam the signal until you turn it off. Ask Gh0st he has one, I've tested his & many others with my Prolaser gun.
I have a valentine 1, also very popular on the M5 board. Gives plenty of notice and works great. Wouldn't be without, especially for temporary roadworks (stacks of cameras now on the M11). Also detected a camera van on the way to snetterton on Sunday.
Until monitrons get more popular, I'm very happy with a good radar detector, truvelos are in your face and easy to spot, Specs is few and far between, plus know where they are.
Much cheaper too and no subscription.
Until monitrons get more popular, I'm very happy with a good radar detector, truvelos are in your face and easy to spot, Specs is few and far between, plus know where they are.
Much cheaper too and no subscription.
cptsideways said:
i'm looking to get a snooper and a jammer! which two should i go for?
SLD 920X units work rather well in fact very well, much better than the LRC100's, the LRC's are not very sensitive. The SLD units will pick up the laser everytime & continually jam the signal until you turn it off. Ask Gh0st he has one, I've tested his & many others with my Prolaser gun.
Aha, I may have to buy you some beer to test out my LRC sometime
Mine isn't set up properly yet, tho'.Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff