Percentage of live Gatso's

[softtop]

Speaking hypothetically, what is your percentage chance of being caught if flashed?

Thanks

S

[Puddenchucker]

softtop said:

Speaking hypothetically, what is your percentage chance of being caught if flashed?

If you've been flashed by a Gatso then almost certain you've been caught.

This assumes that:
1) You were travelling away from the Gatso (they're not type-approved for forward facing, unlees it was a Truvelo).
2) It wasn't faulty or triggered by someone else.
3) It hadn't run out of film.
4) It didn't just have a 'dummy' unit inside it with no camera. (Not sure if these are still used).

[Medic-one]

I also thought they either don't work at all, or they flash and you're actually caught.

I drive past them almost on a daily basis above the limit (nee naa) and 80% of them flashes and i assume actually takes a picture, and the other 20% just doesn't do anything.

[softtop]

interesting, the 80/20 rule may apply

[dougc]

Medic - have you ever been had up by a SPECS system?

[anotherbrummie]

AFAIK, there is a 'dummy mode', whereby they have the flash and radar installed but not an actual camera. Many camera housings are set up this way.
I've also heard (but I doubt it's true) that if they flash you going the wrong way (eg towards the camera) then they're in dummy mode and not actually active. I wouldn't like to test this though...

[softtop]

anotherbrummie said:

AFAIK, there is a 'dummy mode', whereby they have the flash and radar installed but not an actual camera. Many camera housings are set up this way.
I've also heard (but I doubt it's true) that if they flash you going the wrong way (eg towards the camera) then they're in dummy mode and not actually active. I wouldn't like to test this though...

In response to the first point, I thought that.

In response to the second point, a specific camera does appear to change its method of operation. Sometimes it will flash in forward facing mode and then sometimes it won't, assuming a constant speed of approach there has to be differing settings to cause this?? I wait to be enlightened..

Edited by softtop on Friday 28th August 21:24

[MartinQ]

I've been flashed twice by rear facing Gatsos in my 12 years of driving and heard nothing from either.

So from my experience 100% of them are inoperative.

[Dizeee]

Very unlikely to receive anything if flashd by a gatso. Around 20% contain film.

They all flash and there is no correlation with the flash and film, they will flash regardless. Some are set to dummy flash when nobody goes through them.

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

[Puddenchucker]

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

[cs02rm0]

Only ever set one off accidentally and got 3 points for it. Set quite a few off last weekend (driving the 'wrong' direction). Never known one not flash that I thought should have.

Edited by cs02rm0 on Friday 28th August 22:24

[Dizeee]

Puddenchucker said:

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

As far as I know they do work in the dark.

Anyway, it is 100% true.

[Puddenchucker]

Dizeee said:

Puddenchucker said:

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

As far as I know they do work in the dark.

Anyway, it is 100% true.

This is the inside of a Gatso.
Where does the shutter fit in?

[Dizeee]

No idea.

[bryan35]

you can tell if the thing is live by looking at the top aperture. You can see if there is a camera unit fairly easily, though this doesn't help if you've already passed it of course.

Have a ride back and a look at it. If the top glass just looks vacant, then you're very prob ok, but if you see something behind the glass - hmmm not good.


Not many actually have a live camera in them, but all of them flash.

[bluepolarbear]

Dizeee said:

Puddenchucker said:

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

As far as I know they do work in the dark.

Anyway, it is 100% true.

Correct it is 100% true they work in the dark but is 100% wrong the holes are for light for the camera

[bryan35]

Dizeee said:

Puddenchucker said:

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

As far as I know they do work in the dark.

Anyway, it is 100% true.

??? eh?

These are the 2 locks and sliding lock covers.
Sometimes the lock covers are down, sometimes up.

Nothing to do with the whats inside.

[Puddenchucker]

bryan35 said:

Dizeee said:

Puddenchucker said:

Dizeee said:

You can always tell when a gatso has film in it as the pin on the rear of the yellow box housing is down and 2 circles open either side, this allows light via a shutter enabling pictures to be taken with film. Look at them all on the A3 and you will see that most of not all of the pins are up and the circles are closed, hence no film.

If this is true how would Gatsos work in the dark?

As far as I know they do work in the dark.

Anyway, it is 100% true.

??? eh?

These are the 2 locks and sliding lock covers.
Sometimes the lock covers are down, sometimes up.

Nothing to do with the whats inside.

Exactly, (I knew the holes were for the locks BTW, having on occasion seen a camera having it's film removed), but it's amazing and depressing what's posted on the internet, especially in this forum, as 'fact' when it is just rumour, myth, pub banter or personal opinion.

[Dizeee]

The simple fact is when the apetures are open, the camera is live. You don't know me or what I do, and you can believe what you want to, but you are wrong.

You go on about what is posted on the internet and how it is just rubbish and people's personal opinion, and that is exactly what you have done, post your opinion. Mine is not an opinion, it is information I know to be fact through my course of work.

[Mattt]

Yeah come on... Dizee has never been wrong before