UK Radar Detectors

[Simon Enticknap]

I am considering purchasing a radar/camera detector and would be very interested in the combined forums advice. We have four cars in the family so it needs to be easily transferred from one to the other. I also have a motorbike so it will need to be able to be used on that as well. It can be sited behind a fairing but could still get some rain/condensation in adverse conditions (i.e. an element of weather proofing is necessary). Most of our driving is in the UK on and around the M25 and local roads in Essex but not a lot of London city driving.

So far we have managed to keep clean licences but with the massive increase in speed traps particularly in Essex I am sure that it is only a matter of time before one of us gets caught out. Obviously what I am looking for is the greatest coverage at the best price!!

I know that from time to time this subject gets coverage in the Forum and Valentine 1 seems to be one of the the favourites but that retails at £545 here in the UK. Current recommendations from the retailer are Bell Euro 330 or 550 (£330/£359 respectively) or Snooper S5 (£290). Does anyone either here in the UK have experience of any of these or any other recommendations ?

Cheers

Simon

 

[Guy]

I went with Bel and Origin Blue i, for complete cover; some traps do not use radar or laser now.

The best place for info is here -

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/frames.htm

Be safe!

 

[fuzzer]

don't buy the snooper , the bel units are better .

 

[Simon Enticknap]

Thanks

Guy, Thanks for the advice - a really useful site!
Fuzzer can you be more specific about your preference? I have been recommended the Snooper S5 R elsewhere (plus its quite a bit cheaper!)

 

[Gary430]

The Snoopers are cheap for a reason...no where near as good. The BEL 990/550 are the best out there. I have a 980 (forerunner to the 990/550 - 550 is the Euro version of the 990) and it is superb. Picks up GATSOs 200yds before (if live :roll: ) and gets 'bounced' laser signals a couple of miles away.

Not a license to speed, and there are mobile and non-laser/radar detection measures now (eg Truvelo) that they won't get, but as an extra pair of eyes against the uniformed tax collectors they are extremely useful.


<edit> Forgot to say.......Mine isn't a radar detector though...it's an 'Accident blackspot early warning device' :twisted: because cameras ARE only sited at Accident Blackspots orifice-r :wink:

 

[fuzzer]

Yeah , what gary said.

Get a bel euro 550 or a valentine 1 and they will not put a foot wrong.

For ultimate protection , use a GPS device too .

 

[kerryaston]

Have you looked at www.trafcam.com for a GPS solution

uses a palm pda & gps addon

not tried it personally, but the reviews look good.

 

[steve_bcs]

Radar/camera detectors

You might like to try the uk speedtrap guide website at www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk.

The have a section that has test reults from real field trials of almost every dector on the market. also try their forum, sometime have second hand units for sale or just post the same note you posted here - you should get a good and helpful response. I use a valentine 1 together with a geodessy. The V1 picks up live gatsos that use radar but not those that use strips in the road "truvello" . The geodessy is a GPS device that has every known speed trap in the UK including temporary motorway roadworks ones. The geodessy is the most portable, is waterproof & has been tested ok on bikes.

 

[GaryC]

Hello,

May be not relevent here, :wink: but I am trying to build a device (just my crazy idea :idea: ), to tackle the Gatso, are there any photographer here? :?:

well, the idea is using a SLAVE unit, to control the flash tube, which fitted inside the number plate light.

When the SLAVE unit detect the flash of the gatso, it will trigger the flash tube to flash within something around 1/500 to 1/1000 second, so, on both flash of the gatso, it will flash, and OVER EXPLOSE the gatso's film, hence no one could see anything on your number plate....


I think this might work.... but only for tackle the gatso.

someone in USA has produce a device which using a stupid idea, which is to preset the time period between two flash, so, when first come, it calculate the period for the second one, then flash... but everyone know that, all the gatso have different time period, so, it simply not work! Don't try to buy it... :wink:

 

[Gary430]

There are a few 'counter flash' devices out there, and many that (reportedly) do work - problem is that if plod is following you and sees it flash then you would be "in't ****".

Also - Gatso's are becoming the least of our worries (pretty easy to detect for a start off), with SPECS and TRUVELO becoming more prevalent (and both front facing and infa-red) and front facing hand held laser 'guns', there is becoming little way to avoid that which is becoming the enevitable :cry:

Add in the commencement of city centre charging through number plate recognition systems, false plates and car cloning is going to become an enormous issue :evil:

 

[GaryC]

yes, that realy ture, even the motorway start to have the number plate recognition systems.....