Camera Detectors

[zoso]

Recently i've been doing more and more motorway miles.

I've been to snetterton twice this month, and I live in Carlisle!

Now I don't make a habit of speeding, but as a mate recently got 3 points for doing 80 at Tebay in Cumbria, and me needing my license alot i'd like to have a little more asurance.

I've been on Ebay.  The Road angel system interests me as I reckon it looks the most comprehensive especially when coupled to the laser detector thing.

The one they call the "classic" seems very reasonably priced second hand at between 80 and a 140 squid.

Does anyone have any experience of these doohickies.  Are they worth it? Do they work? Opinions please.

Thanks in advance.

[Buzz Billsberry]

Angel is pretty good I have the mark 2 which is expensive @£350 but what price on your licence. I tend to drive  at shall we say a tad above the speed limit and they are a god send. The main areas foem me is dual caraiage ways and and back roads where cameras a sprouting up all over the place. In leeds another 24 cameras went live last tuesday

When I'm in town centres etc I do stick to the 20or30mph limit or less depending on the conditions around that area

[Martin Keene]

I just bought a brand new Road Angel Classic, and they really are superb.

Couple of points that swayed me against buying secondhand. Most won't have a sub, so you'll need to factor in £50 to get one, a new one comes with a years sub. And secondly most of the secondhand ones will be serial connection to the PC not the USB of the latest one, only a minor point, but it makes connecting and playing simpler...

[shaun]

Got done on the M6 through Cumbria at 81mph.  I presume it was a laser trap and the Road failed to spot it.  Normally when you get a laser alert it is too late anyway.  So far have received 2 laser alerts with the RA, luckily both times was under the speed limit.

As for normal cameras and also known mobile sites the RA works extremely well.

[PeterOz]

Friend of mine has a Road Angel in his car - infuriating, distracting, dangerous and not infallible, I'd have thrown it out the window! It's a new install, and he keeps it updated, but on a recent trip it failed to recognise 2 fixed cameras, and it won't tell you about cameravans, man with a laser gun, or an unmarked car.

Cameras are big enough, and they paint lines on the road, if you get caught by one you're probably guilty of driving without due care and attention......

[Martin Keene]

There is a lot of different ways to set one up. Mine is set up to beep once everytime a 'bar' appears on the display, instead of beeping all the time. Mine is also set to give 250 yards warning, automatically doubling above 50mph. They need to be updated regularly, and there will always be a delay between the camera appearing in reality and it appearing on the the database. So far mine has been faultless.

The laser detector that plugs in will detect camera vans and a man with a gun, although the manual states if it is aimed directly at you, you have about 0.5 seconds to react. It is more useful for picking up laser scatter as it is aimed at cars infront of you.

Edited to add: It is obviously not a last line of defence, but it is a very useful reminder if you forget about a particular camera. It also highlights accident blackspots, of which the 2 I have ound so far don't have cameras...

[S8ight]

It also highlights accident blackspots, of which the 2 I have ound so far don't have cameras...

do any have cameras ??

[Guest]

Origin B2 ... detects everything except radar.

minimal false alerts , database is ace and updated daily ,so they had every cammera even when moved on the m25 roadworks , had it for 2 years now and for my job its a lifesaver.

alerts of accident blackspots too which is useful, as thats what they are for.

[Crash Override]

I thought Origin B2 did radar guns as they have two different sensors in the window? Calling Barry Ashcroft, come on let us know after all you sell them.

[Chris.B]

Origin B2 "can" do Radar but it's not standard, you can buy it as an optional extra. See here.

[Barry Ashcroft]

Origin radar detectors detect gatso cameras but as they are all on the database it is not required the radar guns are now actually laser guns and the b2 will detect those with the sensor on the window which can also look behind you.

There is alot of argument that by the time the laser detector goes off they have allready got you. Mine has only gone off once in about two years when I was on the M5 overtaking a lorry I am convinced they where zapping the truck and my system detected stray laser rays as the coppers gave me now attention and is was doing aleast 90.

[PhilH]

£75 will by you an advanced driving course.

Cameras then no longer an issue as you become far more aware of the limits and develop better concentration.

[zoso]

£75 will by you an advanced driving course.

Cameras then no longer an issue as you become far more aware of the limits and develop better concentration.

Thats lovely and all, i've done an advanced driving course.

But that's not really the issue.  

The speed limits that are popping up around the country are more and more pathetic.

They can now be put in an area without scientific backup, so where the conditions are fine for say 60mph, you have a limit of 30...

I am a very cautious driver, allways have been.  But it's far to easy to slip from 75 to 80 and get nabbed.  3 points might not effect the older guys too much, but i'm 21 and it'd cost me a fourtune.

This is my thinking.

[Martin Keene]

Edited to add: It is obviously not a last line of defence, but it is a very useful reminder if you forget about a particular camera. It also highlights accident blackspots, of which the 2 I have ound so far don't have cameras...

Thinking about that some more. It will never warn you of an accident blackspot where theres a camera, because if theres a camera there, then its a camera site, not a blackspot site...