scamera van range?

[Mad Dave]

Hey all,

Just wondering how far away Scamera vans 'take a picture'? The reason i ask is that yesterday i was driving down a loooong hill and in the distance (coupla hundred yards away) i spotted a white van pointed downhill (ie the back pointed uphill). Being a cautious chap i slowed from my initial trajectory of 70mph to the 60mph posted speed limit. I was in a line of traffic and i imagine i slowed a long way before the camera - so my question is this - how close do you need to be before the van actually focuses on your car and detects your speed? Its quite a flat hill so presumably it would be possible to see quite a long way up it if the operator so wished.

Cheers chaps

Dave

[rude girl]

Can't be bothered to look where it is but I'm fairly certain that either Madcop or Tonyrec has posted something in the last week or two that said most are set at about 200m.

[planetdave]

IIRC 300Mish for a solo vehicle

Reducing according to traffic conditions

But deffo easily over 100M

[Mad Dave]

Hmmm, not sounding good then. Basically when i spotted it, i could just about make out something on the rear doors which i guessed was probably chevrons - so i wasnt exactly close to the thing!

Oh well, just have to wait and see. It infuriates me tho - its a main road, right next to a small village where people fly thru, right past the school - yet they stick the van on the main road down a hill, where theres good visibility and it was a hot sunny day.

[rude girl]

I don't understand. Unless your eyesight is buggered, then you'd have spotted chevrons on the doors from quite a bit more than 2 or 300m, and probably scrubbed enough speed off from 70 to be within the set limits of the camera by the time you got to their target area?

They reckon that they look at the posted limit +10% + 2mph don't they? So if you had got down to mid to high 60s you'd be safeish?

I'm no expert, I've only got this from reading posts here, but in any case, Madcop will turn up shortly and either or

[Mad Dave]

Im not sure how far away i was, was quite a long way back. I spotted a white van in the layby, started to slow and saw chevrons - it was a bright sunny day and they didnt stand out that far. Maybe i was further away than i thought - ill find out soon enough i suppose!

[deltaf]

You wouldnt have spotted the one i was taking pics of on sunday night. They were well hidden with NO hi vis stripes at all! Revenue raiser? nah! Surely not!

[gixxer1000]

rude girl said:

I don't understand. Unless your eyesight is buggered, then you'd have spotted chevrons on the doors from quite a bit more than 2 or 300m,

Don't be so sure! I have may have been nabbed by one of these critters last weekend and the van was parked up on the verge, around the corner of a bend - so not ideal for spotting from a distance in the first place.

Also, the chevrons on the back were most certainly not of the POLICE CHEVRONS - HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY MISS THEM type, but more of the Halfords DIY sticker-kit type.

And finally, only one door was closed (the other open to zap people with the camera), and so it was not that easily recognisable.

Oh, and finally finally, this is the first scamera van I have ever seen (in the flesh) so my immediate thought when I saw it was not BRAKE, but poor bugger has broken down!

So - it's not all about eyesight!

[Web Watcher]

I have used an LTI 20.20 laser gun, and hand held I can pick up a car at a max of about 1000 ft (300 meters) but mount it on a tripod and you can get speeds from around 1800 feet (550 meters) to 2000 feet (610 meters) depending on how reflective/cross sectional area of the target. A mat black Westfield is harder to pick up than say a white gloss HGV.

However the video image distance I am not sure, (have no experience of). But say you had a road 1 mile long, and you are the only car coming at the "safety (tax) Van" and they get your speed at 2000 ft/610 meters, but can't see your plate, I am sure they will keep filming until they can.

So.....

Out of focus = 100 mph
In focus = 60 mph

you will get done for doing 100 mph.

Hope this helps.

Web Watcher.

[jmorgan]

Just wondering where I got the impression (speed web site I think) 800mtrs?

[hertsbiker]

...best you tailgate someone then!!!!!!!! ironic really that to "get away with speeding" you need to do something that is genuinely dangerous.

[Mad Dave]

Yeah, i always leave a huge distance in front, so theyd be able to get the plate. Ironic really, but i was in the company car - had i been in my MR2 id have been doing 60 - im more conscious of my speed in an open top MR2 than in a nice cosy new Laguna!

Oh well, just have to wait and see i guess!

[lucozade]

Interesting point really.

I suppose you could ask the Home Office when it Type Approved the device and at what distances under what conditions.

Might help your defence if you need one!