Road Angel Gem+ - unimpressed – your thoughts?
Discussion
Got this a few days ago as thought it would be handy for my 2nd car with the pants OE SatNav and out of date POI's - also any help in maintaining my clean licence is worth a few quid! Its GPS and GPRS (phone data) connected device and warns of many hazards (inc speed cameras) and pings you if you exceed the limit. Handy! Sadly it goes off and cries wolf all the time though – indicates 30 limits on motorways from side roads and the camera van indications are too late at motorway speeds ('speed sense' ON, and warning distance seems NOT adjustable, unlike for fixed). It indicates camera vans where there absolutely could not possibly ever be any. For those that know the road, it went off 6 times on the 50mph Port Talbot M4 stretch where there is just one GATSO but didn't chime in for THE most notorious motorway camera van overhead spot by Bridgend until it was way way too late.
I'll be returning it but am so disappointed as it was almost £200 WITHOUT the £60 data sub, and the screen is invisible in daylight and the speaker/buzzer is annoyingly rattly and lo-fi.
Anyone got anything good to say about it or maybe an alternative? Ohh battery life is good mind so you dont need the ugly super stiff and thick USB computer cable to power it.
I'll be returning it but am so disappointed as it was almost £200 WITHOUT the £60 data sub, and the screen is invisible in daylight and the speaker/buzzer is annoyingly rattly and lo-fi.
Anyone got anything good to say about it or maybe an alternative? Ohh battery life is good mind so you dont need the ugly super stiff and thick USB computer cable to power it.
Yup, total garbage. Thinks the M6 toll road is a 50mph average.
When showing an alert, it locks out the menu. If its a long road like the M62 with shed loads of avg cameras then the menu is useless, including adding missing cameras. you cant.
the screen burns out in daylight within a year if its left in the car on the dash (we bought two, both knackered).
You can only set the alert distance on fixed cameras, laser scamera vans is default set - Your nicked before the warning.
Oh, and that battery loses its life to minutes before long.
The list goes on but its shoit. I've bought Snoopers (Myspeed Aura and Lynx), still not flawless but much better.
When showing an alert, it locks out the menu. If its a long road like the M62 with shed loads of avg cameras then the menu is useless, including adding missing cameras. you cant.
the screen burns out in daylight within a year if its left in the car on the dash (we bought two, both knackered).
You can only set the alert distance on fixed cameras, laser scamera vans is default set - Your nicked before the warning.
Oh, and that battery loses its life to minutes before long.
The list goes on but its shoit. I've bought Snoopers (Myspeed Aura and Lynx), still not flawless but much better.
Edited by divetheworld on Sunday 5th October 21:53
Problem with these devices are that it will ping for everything and the alert is lost through overkill.
The best RA devices were the Classic and the Plus. These and the Professional Connected were the best devices. The Gem uses the nastiest looking plastics in the world - 1970's looking Hong Kong plastic. The Classic and Plus were fantastic at locking onto GPS and maintaining it.
I won a RA Navigator 7000 at work and it was appalling. I set off once on holiday from Kent to North Wales and it finally got a GPS signal at the Welsh border.
The best RA devices were the Classic and the Plus. These and the Professional Connected were the best devices. The Gem uses the nastiest looking plastics in the world - 1970's looking Hong Kong plastic. The Classic and Plus were fantastic at locking onto GPS and maintaining it.
I won a RA Navigator 7000 at work and it was appalling. I set off once on holiday from Kent to North Wales and it finally got a GPS signal at the Welsh border.
vikingaero said:
Problem with these devices are that it will ping for everything and the alert is lost through overkill.
Beyond true mate. Halfords took it back although I did say it crashed several times as a reason (which it did). Worst £179 ever spent.Thanks for the pocketgps world tip - I believe I can load these on to my 5" (SIM GPRS live data connected) TomTom and am seriously starting to think about removing the existing Garmin/Volvo screen. I so do not want the beautiful intyerior ruined with trailing cables and suction cups on the windscreen etc
Use WAZE app, its free! It's also a Sat nav. It's constantly updated real time by millions of subscribers so get constant updates of problems on the road, police cars, hazards on side of the road, including speed cameras (mobile ones) etc etc.
You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
Edited by johnnnnnnyy on Tuesday 7th October 09:52
If you just want camera alerts use the Cyclops app on your phone, it is about £3 for a year's subscription and works well, far better and more accurate than the TomTom camera alerts, I've yet to find a camera it hasn't known about.
The best thing is if someone further up the road than you tags a mobile camera you get a warning as you approach.
The more people that we get using it the better it will be for all of us as more people will be in front tagging cameras.
I have my iPhone in a Brodit cradle attached to the centre console so it is in the corner of my view, and the alerts come through the car audio system over music playing from my phone.
The best thing is if someone further up the road than you tags a mobile camera you get a warning as you approach.
The more people that we get using it the better it will be for all of us as more people will be in front tagging cameras.
I have my iPhone in a Brodit cradle attached to the centre console so it is in the corner of my view, and the alerts come through the car audio system over music playing from my phone.
Disco_Biscuit said:
Tbh I don't think you can beat the pocket world gps app, bargin for £20
a year updates
Or submit an unknown (to their database) camera and you'll get several years of free updates. a year updates
I submitted a red light camera a few years back (c2010), which was verified by them in 24hrs. My account was updated upon verification and if I login today it says:
"Your subscription will expire in: 14 years, 161 days, 17 hours, 54 minutes, 42 seconds"
markmullen said:
If you just want camera alerts use the Cyclops app on your phone, it is about £3 for a year's subscription and works well, far better and more accurate than the TomTom camera alerts, I've yet to find a camera it hasn't known about.
Thanks Mark. Tom Tom took 12 months to register the new M4 Bristol managed speed cameras and still doesn't know about the one by Euston underpass! This therefore looks good. Sadly iPhone only at the mo.Ken Figenus said:
Thanks Mark. Tom Tom took 12 months to register the new M4 Bristol managed speed cameras and still doesn't know about the one by Euston underpass! This therefore looks good. Sadly iPhone only at the mo.
It's really strange, I pass a camera heading Northbound on the A697 in Northumberland and every time I pass it I tag it on TT (it never alerts) and still I don't get alerts for it.johnnnnnnyy said:
Use WAZE app, its free! It's also a Sat nav. It's constantly updated real time by millions of subscribers so get constant updates of problems on the road, police cars, hazards on side of the road, including speed cameras (mobile ones) etc etc.
You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
It also relies on 3G for the map content, which may not be practical in some areas, and especially so when you go abroad.You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
Edited by johnnnnnnyy on Tuesday 7th October 09:52
ebo48 said:
With regard to it sounding on the m4 port talbot stretch. The average speed cameras should have been active from the 1st maybe it's picking up an update thou they haven't been activatedf yet
Yes no cameras on the poles yet and it didnt have a clue - was a total mess of distracting inaccurate alerts. Every man and his wife knows of that speed camera ;-) Funny really as its a bottleneck not a drag strip. LOLjohnnnnnnyy said:
Use WAZE app, its free! It's also a Sat nav. It's constantly updated real time by millions of subscribers so get constant updates of problems on the road, police cars, hazards on side of the road, including speed cameras (mobile ones) etc etc.
You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
This was gunna be my suggestion, excellent bit of software! Google bought & support it after all.... You can ask questions to Waze users on the road about traffic conditions ahead if you see slow traffic, how quick its moving, where the problem is etc.
This works all around the world, no need to do map updates.
It's free!
Edited by johnnnnnnyy on Tuesday 7th October 09:52
Tried Waze. Declined to give it my bloodgroup, will details or mobile number! How many intrusive permissions do they b need!? But looks like a great sat nav. It missed one of THE most notorious M4 motorway bridge camera spots mind. Lots of great functionality and far far better 3D map than Tom Tom. Did you say free!?
Cheers
Cheers
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