Over recent months, there have been numerous threads regarding the effectiveness of Road Angel. As somebody who has had a clean driving licence for the last 12 years and have now amassed 6 points in the last 6 months, I have decided that now is the time to purchase such a device.
Just before I release my hard-earned cash, can somebody confirm for me the Road Angel's effectiveness for the laser guns and mobile cameras ?? I know that it is very good on picking up the fixed-site devices.
Any updates from members of the BR will be much appreciated.
Thank You :)
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I had a similar device for a month or so earlier this year.
The GPS won't give warning of mobile cameras. It MAY give warning of long term temporary cameras (some motorway ones).
Although mine had it, I understand laser detection is pointless as by the time you have registered the thing beeping and done something about it, plod already have enough information to do you anyway.
I also had radar detection (as opposed to GPS camera location) but as it was always detecting K Band (even when standing on my drive) I had to disable it. But I understand that few forces use radar these days anyway, and it won't help you against speed cameras anyway.
As I've posted previously, I have instead bought the SmartNav satellite navigation system with the optional speed camera location. It is a wonderful system and does most of what the other device did, but with the considerable benefit of navigation and a 24 call centre. It costs about £625 fitted IIRC and there is a subscription (or per incident) charge for routing, with a supplement for scamera location warning.
If you want to get that instead, mail me as if I recommend you I will get a £25 M&S voucher...already have 1 from them, and my friend is also v pleased with it...
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A colleague of mine is in a similar position (recently acquired points) and researched the market. I recall that he said that Road Angel had a rather small screen which was hard to read in bright sunlight and he finished up buying something else.
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Just remembered the name of the device I had - a Snooper Neo.
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Although mine had it, I understand laser detection is pointless as by the time you have registered the thing beeping and done something about it, plod already have enough information to do you anyway.
With regards laser detectors, if you do have a detector and it registers that you have been 'designated', then can you not just stop, turn around and go the other way, before passing the camera, unless on a motorway of course.
Am sure that the laser range is a lot further than the optical range of the camera, and plods eyes.
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Miktu,
I've got a Road Angel and it works well. I currently drive around 40K a year and despite my best efforts to keep a clean license I got 3 points a year ago for doing 58mph in 50 zone on a clear road, no hazards, excellent conditions, and I've never had an accident where I was at fault in 12 years of driving ; SAY NO MORE! So I got myself a Road Angel.
You are right that it is very good with fixed sights, not so good with mobile. However the other day I was doing 70mph on the motorway and could see a police car lurking. A faster car shot past me. When the car was about 150 meters in front of me, unaware of the police car, the Laser Alert warned me of a Laser Speed trap. The point I'm making is that the Laser Alert warned me even though I don't believe my car was targeted.
I try to keep within the speed limits, and this device is useful for helping me comply and not make stupid mistakes with fixed cameras. It doesn't really help with mobile sites. If you want help with mobile sites, you'll need a laser jammer.
Another consideration is that I'm not happy with leaving £400 pounds worth is mobile kit on the dashboard for the local drug addicted scum to steal out of my car (after all the police are too busy crinimalising generally law abiding citizens who exceed speed limits by 8 mph). It's a bit of a pain unplugging and locking the thing up every time you park the car, plugging it back in again when you return. Of course Murphy's law states that the one time you don't plug it, you'll find an active speed camera!
The easiest way, frustrating as it is, to keep you license clear is just to slow down. Road Angel has helped me become more speed aware and is a good protecting against fixed sights which is the majority of speed cameras.
Regards WipeOut
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I've had a Morpheous Geodesy GPS locator for about 18 months now. Generally, I'm very pleased with it. I don't have the add-on laser detection but I am thinking about either that or switching to the Road Angel.
I update it weekly with the modem they supply. The only criticism I've got is that whilst it does have long-term roadwork cameras on the database, including specs, they are a bit slow removing them from the database after the works have gone. For example, I'm still being screamed at on the M20 around the tunnel sliproads and I think it's at least 8 months since the roadworks and specs cameras there were removed.
Like WipeOut I do try to stay within the limits and use it as a tool to avoid silly mistakes and, as has already been said, it does make you more speed aware.
Terry
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I have just installed an Origin B2 in a friends car. It works very well, and the cable management is excelent. It just unclips from its cradle so the kit is not left in view to be knicked....
This one came with the laser detector, and the GPS database is very easy to update via the net. The B2 is directional (so you dont get false alerts for cameras the wrong way round (reversable cameras are bleeped tho as they should) It only goes off if you are approaching a camera above the posted limit. Its loud enough to drown the car stereo as well.
All in all an excelent piece of kit. Was voted as best by 5th gear.
www.originblueidirect.co.uk/origin-b2-gps-speed-ca...m
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Hello all - yesterday I posted a thread about the LASER JAMMER by itself and was directed (rightly so) here. I'm not going to blab on about how I don't speed and everything like that as I did that all yesterday! I am interested in purchasing a Bel Laser Jammer for £99 and I have a few questions. 1) £99 is a little cheap for something like that although I am fully aware that it will detect laser and mobile sites ONLY
2) How would it work? I understand laser guns would take 0.3 seconds to take a reading. Now even I'm not THAT good :-) so how would a warning in less than a second be beneficial? Or does the laser gun emit a signal even when you are not targetted? I am only interested in laser and mobile site detection as there are NO scameras where I live (fixed) which you may all be praising but I'd rather see the enemy rather than be caught by it hiding behind a tree and even UP one! (Which has happened)
Many thanks
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Adski, Not sure which product you are thinking of here? perhaps you could clarify. Whatever you do, don't spend any money until you understand the full facts. Most products on the market are near to useless and the others all have limitations. You really need to know exactly what you are getting for your money and what it will and won't do.
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Sorry...should have been more clear but the model is actually called Laser Alert (Original)
Here is the link
www.beldirect.co.uk/laser-alert.htm
And to clarify, I only want to be alerted to laser guns and mobile camera vans. Many thanks
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Bel-Air have a very good reputation amongst their users for their radar detection equipment.
However, I personally am a little sceptical about the claims that laser "scatters" in the way described, or that even if it did, that you would have sufficient chance to react.
Also, you mention laser jammers (although the device you link to is not a jammer, is it?). They work by firing back a beam at the sender thus confusing the display. Word is that plod take a very dim view when they get a false reading, so I would say these are best avoided.
There was a recent thread regarding a remote garage door opener which can confuse laser guns too.
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The Laser Alert is not a jammer and is quite limited.
I bought a Snooper about fifteen years ago, after I was caught by a hand held radar gun. I'm quite alert to potential speed traps, but with these small hand held devices the cops can hide anywhere, and the next thing a plod jumps out of a bus shelter and stops you. It is not quite so useful now, but it has saved me innumerable times. I recall travelling along a very wide, straight, empty, road, with a colleague who was rather sceptical about my Snooper. Suddenly, it started beeping which gradually got louder and faster. No sign of anybody ahead, but I slowed down to forty. About half a mile later there was a plod car, concealed in a narrow entrance, with its driver crouching behind a wall aiming his gun at the road ahead. My colleague was very impressed.
I shall change my Snooper for the Bel Euro 550, which looks to be about the best of the detectors. I wouldn't waste £99.00 on something which has such limited capabilities.
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I agree completely with the above replies. The Laser Alert is a very limited detector and I would not consider paying money for it. I have detected laser scatter before but you need to be directly in line with the target vehicle at the moment plod pulls the trigger - I can assure you this doesn't happen very often. The chances of ever being saved by this detector are so small you might as well call it nil.
Cheap detectors are also a waste of money. They will constantly pick up K band radar which is everywhere around us. You will quickly learn to ignore the detector - and then it is useless. K band radar is not used by any speed detectors in this country so you don't need it. If you buy a detector you must make sure K band can be switched off.
GPS based systems are good but only for fixed cameras.
I have a Bel Euro 550 which is very good - costs about £300 on the net. This is no good against laser though for the same reason as above - once you detect the laser it is too late.
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Er, Gatsos use K-Band, and so do hand-held radar guns - I think you mean X-Band...
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Typo - k and x are miles away on the keyboard.
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Talking of radar/laser detectors, anyone ever had a laser alert and in what circumstances. Mine's only ever gone off when pointing the TV remote at it. My understanding is that 90% of alerts mean your nicked, if over the limit obviously...
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