What radar detector do I get?
Discussion
I got a snooper S5-R and its pretty good , just need a GPS system like a geodesy to back it up ..... Oh and a diffuser 
try www.radar-warehouse.co.uk
try www.radar-warehouse.co.ukRadar detectors are a waste of money now, as most police forces use laserguns and mobile lasers, and the newer cameras like truvelo and specs are not detectable with radar.
Radar detectors are good for finding petrol stations and shopping malls
It's best to use a GPS device such as a Road Angel.
Radar detectors are good for finding petrol stations and shopping malls
It's best to use a GPS device such as a Road Angel.
Mark, not sure how much research you have done into these things, but you don't "obviously" need to get a radar one!
The first question you need to ask yourself relates to fixed cameras (Gatso, Truvelo, etc), and it's this - Do you just want to know where the cameras are, or do you want to know if they are actually operational. A GPS based detector (e.g. Road Angel, Geodesy etc) will warn you in advance of ALL fixed camera positions. A radar detector (e.g. Snooper S5, Bel etc) will detect radar signals from operational cameras only.
You're probably thinking that radar sounds best as you get to know when the camera is working. Fine, but then ask yourself this - do you have the balls to fly past a speed camera just because your detector hasn't beeped, and therefore because you assume the camera is not actually operating?
Then you need to consider mobile cameras. Pretty much all of these are laser based, as opposed to radar based. Mobile radar cameras tend to be things like mobile gatsos at roadworks etc, but these very quickly (i.e. the first time a user reports one) become part of the fixed camera base for GPS detectors, so are not strictly mobile. Mobile laser guns however are a different story. Some detectors can sense laser too, but in essence, unless you are lucky and the device warns you of a laser hit that has occured from picking up scatter from a vehicle in front of you, it pretty much beeps once the boys in blue have gained a reading already - so pretty pointless perhaps, unless you also fit a laser jammer (e.g. Target LRC100). Good laser jammers work on the basis of buying you time by stopping the mobile laser gun from getting a lock on your car for a short period of time (e.g. 5 seconds) and thus allowing you enough time to slow down before the jammer switches off and the mobile laser locks on. Jammers are however illegal (or at least that's a pretty grey area in the law). GPS and Radar detector based devices are 100% legal (at the moment at least).
There are quite a few out there and plenty of help available to choose. I recently went through the buying process myself and initially had no idea what to buy (nor of the choices out there) so called www.radar-detectors-uk.com who were excellent help.
One further consideration you need think about is will you use the detector in only one vehicle. If yes, then it's less important how easy it is to fit (as you only have to do it once). Some detectors require wiring and others don't (often depending on whether it has an internal or external ariel).
I decided that I prefered to know where all the fixed camera are so went for a GPS based device. I also wanted something that I could take from car to car, and also that worked on my motorbike - which ruled out many of them. I also decided not to go for a jammer as I wanted to stay legal. All that considered, I went for a "Road Angel", which has an internal ariel and plugs straight into the cigarette lighter (so no wiring required), and also works on motorbikes (with the additional bracket).
So far I am very happy. I have never driven past a camera without it warning me.
Finally - be wary of anyone who says "XYZ detector is the only one to get" or "ABC is the best on the market". Anyone offering this advice is talking crap as there are plenty of decent detectors out there and many variables to consider before selecting, so it's horses for courses and NOT one size fits all. I went for the Road Angel, your thought process could take you elsewhere.
A bit long winded
, but I hope this helps.
>> Edited by gixxer1000 on Friday 23 May 22:30
The first question you need to ask yourself relates to fixed cameras (Gatso, Truvelo, etc), and it's this - Do you just want to know where the cameras are, or do you want to know if they are actually operational. A GPS based detector (e.g. Road Angel, Geodesy etc) will warn you in advance of ALL fixed camera positions. A radar detector (e.g. Snooper S5, Bel etc) will detect radar signals from operational cameras only.
You're probably thinking that radar sounds best as you get to know when the camera is working. Fine, but then ask yourself this - do you have the balls to fly past a speed camera just because your detector hasn't beeped, and therefore because you assume the camera is not actually operating?
Then you need to consider mobile cameras. Pretty much all of these are laser based, as opposed to radar based. Mobile radar cameras tend to be things like mobile gatsos at roadworks etc, but these very quickly (i.e. the first time a user reports one) become part of the fixed camera base for GPS detectors, so are not strictly mobile. Mobile laser guns however are a different story. Some detectors can sense laser too, but in essence, unless you are lucky and the device warns you of a laser hit that has occured from picking up scatter from a vehicle in front of you, it pretty much beeps once the boys in blue have gained a reading already - so pretty pointless perhaps, unless you also fit a laser jammer (e.g. Target LRC100). Good laser jammers work on the basis of buying you time by stopping the mobile laser gun from getting a lock on your car for a short period of time (e.g. 5 seconds) and thus allowing you enough time to slow down before the jammer switches off and the mobile laser locks on. Jammers are however illegal (or at least that's a pretty grey area in the law). GPS and Radar detector based devices are 100% legal (at the moment at least).
There are quite a few out there and plenty of help available to choose. I recently went through the buying process myself and initially had no idea what to buy (nor of the choices out there) so called www.radar-detectors-uk.com who were excellent help.
One further consideration you need think about is will you use the detector in only one vehicle. If yes, then it's less important how easy it is to fit (as you only have to do it once). Some detectors require wiring and others don't (often depending on whether it has an internal or external ariel).
I decided that I prefered to know where all the fixed camera are so went for a GPS based device. I also wanted something that I could take from car to car, and also that worked on my motorbike - which ruled out many of them. I also decided not to go for a jammer as I wanted to stay legal. All that considered, I went for a "Road Angel", which has an internal ariel and plugs straight into the cigarette lighter (so no wiring required), and also works on motorbikes (with the additional bracket).
So far I am very happy. I have never driven past a camera without it warning me.
Finally - be wary of anyone who says "XYZ detector is the only one to get" or "ABC is the best on the market". Anyone offering this advice is talking crap as there are plenty of decent detectors out there and many variables to consider before selecting, so it's horses for courses and NOT one size fits all. I went for the Road Angel, your thought process could take you elsewhere.
A bit long winded
, but I hope this helps. >> Edited by gixxer1000 on Friday 23 May 22:30
gixxer1000 said: but then ask yourself this - do you have the balls to fly past a speed camera just because your detector hasn't beeped, and therefore because you assume the camera is not actually operating?
100+ past the scamera on telegraph hill on the A38 before it merges into the M5 where can i get a basic road angel ? on there website they do it with laser detcetor which i dont need as i have the snoop for that ? 
icamm said: Has anyone used one of these in France? I know radar detectors are illegal but I recon you can get away with a GPS based one. Especially if you can show it's other features
Some facts....a UK GPS device will only have a database containing UK camera sites.
You could use the Road Angel just as a GPS device while connected to mapping software on a PC or Ipaq etc. But if you have it on the dashboard, French cops may think it's a radar detector, and you could be fined on the spot, and have your valuable Road Angel confiscated or destroyed.
I purchsed a Snooper S6R via www.canuktech.co.uk they beat all the other sites I tried.
The unit works really well you do get a few false alerts
Saved me a few times :¬}
The unit works really well you do get a few false alerts
Saved me a few times :¬}
Regarding laser diffusers ....
Whilst they are currently illegal - lot of people here have one fitted.
What has the reaction been by the BiB when they got the duff 5-second reading? Do they just ignore and move onto the next car? Or are they now at the point that they think it's possibly a diffuser - so let's pull him and strip the front of his car ... ?
I'm really all for getting a diffuser - but to be honest I don't fancy being a landmark case in being the first to be done for having and using one.
K
Whilst they are currently illegal - lot of people here have one fitted.
What has the reaction been by the BiB when they got the duff 5-second reading? Do they just ignore and move onto the next car? Or are they now at the point that they think it's possibly a diffuser - so let's pull him and strip the front of his car ... ?
I'm really all for getting a diffuser - but to be honest I don't fancy being a landmark case in being the first to be done for having and using one.
K
Some facts back at you
ledfoot said:
icamm said: Has anyone used one of these in France? I know radar detectors are illegal but I recon you can get away with a GPS based one. Especially if you can show it's other features
Some facts....a UK GPS device will only have a database containing UK camera sites.
You could use the Road Angel just as a GPS device while connected to mapping software on a PC or Ipaq etc. But if you have it on the dashboard, French cops may think it's a radar detector, and you could be fined on the spot, and have your valuable Road Angel confiscated or destroyed.
. Some of the ones mentioned here and on ukspeedtraps.co.uk claim to have Benelux maps (The Road Angel has UK Australia and New Zealand 
). So I was wondering if anyone had tried them. I assume if you can prove to the cops it's a GPS unit and doesn't detect Radar then you wont get fined. Not sure how easy this would be with anything other than the Road Pilot (and maybe the Blue i) though.
I think the best way to decide what to buy is to ask yourself where do you do your driving. If most of your driving is in urban, motorway or such like then you need to identify Spec, truvelo etc, which all the GPS's types do. However if like me you do most of your driving in rural A+B roads then your likeliest foe will be mobile talivans or traffic cops in laybys and I reckon in those circumstances then a RLD is the best bet. I do most of my driving in that environment and I have a Euro 550.
However if you live in Northamptonshire then a RLD, GPS and Laser Diffuser are all required
However if you live in Northamptonshire then a RLD, GPS and Laser Diffuser are all required
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