Origin blue i or b2?
Author
Discussion

SGirl

Original Poster:

7,922 posts

279 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
I've just received an e-mail offering me the opportunity to upgrade from the blue i to the b2 for not-a-lot-of-money-really.

Has anyone tried both? Which is best? Any concerns about future illegality of radar detectors?

Tafia

2,658 posts

266 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
SGirl said:
I've just received an e-mail offering me the opportunity to upgrade from the blue i to the b2 for not-a-lot-of-money-really.

Has anyone tried both? Which is best? Any concerns about future illegality of radar detectors?


I guess you know the B1 and the B2 are not radar detectors, they are GPS systems, so a ban is unlikely.

For a review of both and a comparison guide see here:

www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/frames.htm

Roll down the index on the left of the page until you reach GPS systems and also see Comparison guide.

You may find the B2 has to be hard wired into your car so is difficult to move between vehicles.

I hope you have sent the Talivan picture on the A5 around the country :-)

SGirl

Original Poster:

7,922 posts

279 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Tafia said:

I guess you know the B1 and the B2 are not radar detectors, they are GPS systems, so a ban is unlikely.

Sure, it was just a train-of-thought type question because if I don't switch to the b2 I might look at the new Snooper.

Tafia said:

You may find the B2 has to be hard wired into your car so is difficult to move between vehicles.

Boo. That's bad. I don't want to have to buy several units!!

Tafia said:

I hope you have sent the Talivan picture on the A5 around the country :-)



Thanks for your help, Tafia! Still trying to identify that laybye in the photo, my Dad was no use whatsoever so I'll just have to go up there and have a look round myself until I find it.

Tafia

2,658 posts

266 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
SGirl said:

Tafia said:

I guess you know the B1 and the B2 are not radar detectors, they are GPS systems, so a ban is unlikely.


Sure, it was just a train-of-thought type question because if I don't switch to the b2 I might look at the new Snooper.


Tafia said:

You may find the B2 has to be hard wired into your car so is difficult to move between vehicles.


Boo. That's bad. I don't want to have to buy several units!!


Tafia said:

I hope you have sent the Talivan picture on the A5 around the country :-)




Thanks for your help, Tafia! Still trying to identify that laybye in the photo, my Dad was no use whatsoever so I'll just have to go up there and have a look round myself until I find it.


Don't fergit to check out the Speedtrap GPS reviews. Radar Detectors too.

streaky

19,311 posts

267 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Tafia said:
You may find the B2 has to be hard wired into your car so is difficult to move between vehicles.
It does not have to be hard wired and there is a 2nd car kit available which makes it easily portable (I have one kit in the Jeep and one in the Wedge) - Streaky

daern

23 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
streaky said:

Tafia said:
You may find the B2 has to be hard wired into your car so is difficult to move between vehicles.

It does not have to be hard wired and there is a 2nd car kit available which makes it easily portable (I have one kit in the Jeep and one in the Wedge) - Streaky

Strictly, that is true, but the B2 has a lot of wires with it and really does need to be hardwired to not look like a dog's dinner. Origin sell second kits (cradle, GPS antenna, laser thingy) for around £100 which would do the job nicely.

My B2 has worked (nearly) faultlessly and, with its regular updates, is an excellent piece of kit. The only problem I had had is with it losing its power sometimes, which I think is to do with the connection to the cradle, but most of the time it works perfectly.

daern

23 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Oh and I never mentioned that you should avoid the Road Angel like the plague, as the database seems to be *very* poorly updated. Have a look here for some opinion on this:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181414

Cooperman

4,428 posts

268 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Surely the biggest risk is the mobile talivans, which the GPS locators may not have identified.
Surely a laser-jammer is better - legal or not. They seem to work well and it will be difficult to do anything about it as it's the same technology used to open garage doors. They are unlikely to stop you and they won't photo you as the laser gun will just give an 'error' warning to the (mainly civilian) talivan operators.
What do those who have jammers feel?

daern

23 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Cooperman said:
Surely the biggest risk is the mobile talivans, which the GPS locators may not have identified.
Surely a laser-jammer is better - legal or not. They seem to work well and it will be difficult to do anything about it as it's the same technology used to open garage doors. They are unlikely to stop you and they won't photo you as the laser gun will just give an 'error' warning to the (mainly civilian) talivan operators.
What do those who have jammers feel?

I don't have a jammer (too much dosh) but the B2 does have an interface to popular jammers to allow them to integrate with the B2's laser detector alerts. Pretty cool.

homer

38 posts

302 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
sgirl, The Origin b2 is by far the best I've seen.
Unlike my Geodesy, it powers up quickly and seem very accurate.The kit includes a laser detector, so you can have the best of both worlds. £360 from Radar Girl (a company in Swansea).

Cooperman

4,428 posts

268 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
But be aware, a laser detector is just that. The laser gun can clock you in 0.3 seconds and it is difficult to alter your speed in that time span.
So, by the time you get the warning, you've been clocked and photographed. The only answer is a jammer.
Laser detectors only give a false sense of security.

luca brazzi

3,982 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Had the blue i, then upgraded to the B2. Fantastic little piece of kit. Much, much better.

Also got the Target LRC100 laser jammer, integrated into the b2. Works well. Good pairing.





Mr E

22,550 posts

277 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Have a B2. Once initial quality issues were sorted it's a great bit of kit.

Plug-ins exist for Radar detection and laser jamming. It'll also output GPS co-ords to your IPaq for cheap sat-nav.

As mentioned, a few quid (well, quite a few quid) buys a second car kit.....

SGirl

Original Poster:

7,922 posts

279 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Great, thanks for the info chaps! Sounds like the b2 is quite a step up from the blue i. Hope it's louder as well - haven't tried the Origin in the Cerb yet (got a Snooper in there at the moment), but in the Griff you couldn't hear it at all.

Don't think I'll be investing in a jammer, though. I'd rather take my chances and stay legal on that front.

daern

23 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
SGirl said:
Great, thanks for the info chaps! Sounds like the b2 is quite a step up from the blue i. Hope it's louder as well - haven't tried the Origin in the Cerb yet (got a Snooper in there at the moment), but in the Griff you couldn't hear it at all.

Don't think I'll be investing in a jammer, though. I'd rather take my chances and stay legal on that front.

It's bloody loud. Too loud, in fact...even in a convertible!

luca brazzi

3,982 posts

283 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
Its plenty loud, can hear it with loud pedal depressed and roof off and stereo on.

ledfoot

777 posts

270 months

Friday 13th February 2004
quotequote all
My mate at work has a B2, and I have a Road Angel.

The Road Angel database seems more up to date than the B2, and has a much easier to read display.

The B2 is difficult and confusing to read, not very good display.

The Road Angel is easily swapped between many vehicles, which is very good if you use rental or pool cars a lot.

I would go for the Road Angel.

Kinky

39,877 posts

287 months

Saturday 14th February 2004
quotequote all
Following on from what Ledfoot says above - I've had both the RA and the B2. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and I think at the end of the day it's personal preference - as they're much of a muchness.

Me personally - I'd go for B2 everytime - but only because the RA is too bulky - and the B2 is more informative.

I'm about to buy another B2 - which I can get for a total of £335 - which INCLUDES P&P and next day delivery (to me). They are brand new - full complete warranty and you get a VAT receipt too. The price will probably come down £5 or £10 more per unit if I bought more.

I can also get the RA at a similar price.

K

streaky

19,311 posts

267 months

Saturday 14th February 2004
quotequote all
luca brazzi said:
Its plenty loud, can hear it with loud pedal depressed and roof off and stereo on.
Agreed ... in a Wedge too! The laser detector is somewhat prone to be triggered by certain types of headlights though (IME) - Streaky

madou

366 posts

269 months

Monday 16th February 2004
quotequote all
"The only problem I had had is with it losing its power sometimes, which I think is to do with the connection to the cradle, but most of the time it works perfectly."

Connection to cradle is poor, mine is hardwired, but drops satellite lock when you go over a pothole, need to keep leaning forward to press it into the cradle

"B2 does have an interface to popular jammers to allow them to integrate with the B2's laser detector alerts. Pretty cool"

After my installer had three B2 units fail when integrated in this way, he called Origin, who advised him not to integrate. Problem relates to the trigger signal sent from the LRC100 to the B2