TruVelo A339 near Basingstoke. Facts?

[Don]

Yesterday I saw the two new TruVelo (I think they are) speed cameras on the A339 just outside Basingstoke on the way to Newbury.

They both seem to be pointing towards the Newbury direction and, to be honest, cover a HGV layby just over a blind crest and a crossroads out of which numpties pull despite there being traffic.

I can believe that they are sited at an Accident Blackspot as the achievable speeds through there are high...

So. TruVelo (Blue with bright yellow high vis). Do they cover one side of the road or two? What is the range they work over? There aren't any lines painted on the road as yet - I presume they are unnecessary.

These cameras absolutely cannot be missed, BTW, - you'd have to have your head up your behind not to see them...but if they can nick you whilst they are still a tiny spec in the distance...

Can anyone tell me?

[Plotloss]

Truvelos (blue and yellow, taller than they are wide) only cover the lane they are facing (oncoming).

[Kurgis]

Operational range 10 - 600 metres.
Measurement time 0.5 second.
Speed range 20 - 180mph.
Lithium-ion battery in handle. Optional 12v car supply.
Data capture & download onto laptop for survey use.

www.truvelouk.com/

[icamm]

Thanks for the heads up Don.

[Kurgis]

Lines won't be painted on the road - the sensors will more than likely be embedded in the road surface. From the example pictures on their website its looks like they can cover 2 lanes.

I'd suggest checking their website out and taking the tour to understand fully.

[DustyC]

looks like it works without flash too.

[Don]

* Camera post can be mounted at nearside or central position.

* Two-way operation possible from one nearside post withadditional piezo sensors in opposite lane.

* Counter-balanced post for easy lowering of housing.

* Magenta flash filter for front photography.

* Simple swivel mechanism for turning camera.


Looks like on any particular day the cameras could be facing in either direction.

And they can get you up to 600 metres away. Given the elevation changes on that section of road that may be, quite literally, the very moment you see it.

Thanks for the link Kurgis! It certainly looks like one must be very sure to obey the letter of the law on that section...

[Don]

icamm said:

Thanks for the heads up Don.

No problems, mate. A couple of other Basingstokers spotted it over the weekend and there was a thread about it..so I'm not the first..

[Plotloss]

There is one on the Maidenhead Rd in Windsor but it seems to be activated by Piezo strips rather than radar.

I remember reading a while back that the lines (although different than Gatso lines) were introduced after a legal case.

Not sure though.

[icamm]

Don said:

icamm said: Thanks for the heads up Don. No problems, mate. A couple of other Basingstokers spotted it over the weekend and there was a thread about it..so I'm not the first..

Ah, I didn't really logon much this weekand and haven't had much time to catch up due to a rally bad start to the week at work. So I missed it.

[44dhr]

The above seems typical of the dis-information about speed cameras and their method of operation in general, but especially Truvelo cameras. You can tell if its a Truvelo because it faces towards you and has TRUVELO written on it !! I suggest you check out truvelouk.com which is the UK site, not the South African main site of truvelo.com as this UK site specialises in the Speed Cameras. The basic Truvelo is NOT a Radar camera with a range over many metres, so you don't have to slow down 500 metres before it as it measures speed at ONE FIXED Point in the road by use of two piezo electric sensors buried in the road. The sort used at Traffic Lights to detect a weight above. You can see the sealant once the sensors are installed. The white lines are painted 1.8 metres in front as a Secondary Speed Check and used for photographic evidence. Normally when these are installed they leave the cameras up to spread concern and only when the sensors are installed AND the white lines painted, (this can be several weeks later) do they become effecive and operational. I suggest PH prints a Fact sheet as a prime header to put people in the know as it is just this sort of lack of education which causes miles of conjestion while people drive at 25 miles an hour for miles before as Trulevo installation thinking they are going to be zapped over a wide range. I will caveat the above by stating this applies to the "normal" Truvelo" as commonly used, that is not to say a different versions may appear. Just look out for the two tale lines of sealant and the white lines to show an operational site.

>> Edited by 44dhr on Thursday 12th February 09:35

>> Edited by 44DHR on Thursday 12th February 14:24

[Don]

So. If the sensors under the road are 600M away they'd catch you there (if you were speeding, of course!) and if they're 30m away they'll catch you there. So the key local knowledge to have is where the sensors are buried?

So once you have passed over the sensors you can "relax"...as it were.

Correct?

Thanks for the link...

[44dhr]

Don said:

So. If the sensors under the road are 600M away they'd catch you there (if you were speeding, of course!) and if they're 30m away they'll catch you there. So the key local knowledge to have is where the sensors are buried? So once you have passed over the sensors you can "relax"...as it were. Correct? Thanks for the link...

Don, I think that assumption is incorrect as the sensors are normally right by the Truvelo, (within a few metres), due to the fixed camera position. Unless the camera has a long focus I do not see how this idea would work and you could have traffic in between. In essence Truvelos are simple machines, press down the two sensors in a sequence and if the time between the first and last pressing is too short, the camera is triggered. You are correct, in effect you could drive up to the sensor at an inappropriate speed, pass the sensors at the desired speed and then change speed after the sensors, which why these sensors are a joke as they only measure speed at one fixed point. Or you could be really stupid and weave a slalom betwen the sensors on both sides of the carriageway and avoid both sets !!!!

>> Edited by 44dhr on Thursday 12th February 11:24

[monkeyjunky]

Plotloss said:

There is one on the Maidenhead Rd in Windsor but it seems to be activated by Piezo strips rather than radar.

Theres some great piccies of me on that camera giving a variety of informational hand signals whilst riding my bike (motor driven) through the sensors. No front number plate, no issue.