Has anyone got one / used one?

Are they any good?

Got bloody caught on the M4 doing just 85mph by cameras on a bridge. Problem is, I do 3 - 4k miles a month, mostly motorway - so could really do with being aware of whats going on!

From what people have told me - as soon as the Road Angel alerts you it's too late, you've already been zapped.

I think your best bet maybe well be a Sat Nav with a Speed Camera subscription - something that gets updated daily/weekly with the new speed camera locations.

With temporary cameras just be alert - that really is the only way of not getting caught.

Stick to 80 (very rarely will you get stopped up to that speed) and you'll be fine.

From what people have told me - as soon as the Road Angel alerts you it's too late, you've already been zapped.

I think your best bet maybe well be a Sat Nav with a Speed Camera subscription - something that gets updated daily/weekly with the new speed camera locations.

With temporary cameras just be alert - that really is the only way of not getting caught.

Stick to 80 (very rarely will you get stopped up to that speed) and you'll be fine.

TBH I disagree.

The first statement is true of the RA units - with laser alert. When you receive such an alert, they've got a speed reading and it's too late.

Sat nav camera databases on the other hand, are less accurate when it comes to black spots and cameras, and they're updated less often.

So, IMHO, the best solution is to buy a dedicated camera locator (i.e. Road Angel or similar), keep it updated and add your own points of danger. You can't do this with a sat nav. The camera locator will have built in "black spot" areas which are the sites the safety camera teams tend to use; but of course every time you see/hear of a van there, simply add it to your custom database.

I've got a system like this in my car - all the laser sites between home and work are in my unit as custom locations.

Stick to 80 (very rarely will you get stopped up to that speed) and you'll be fine.

Unless it's in a 30...

From what people have told me - as soon as the Road Angel alerts you it's too late, you've already been zapped.

That's only when detecting lasers not fixed cameras. AFAIK that will be the same for almost all laser detecting devices.

I've got a Road Angel Compact which I've had for a few years now. Does the job quite well... I find it much better than the TomTom camera alerts on my stanav. Not sure how often updates come out, but it's never missed a camera so far, including the temporary average speed (SPECS) which seem to pop up whenever there are road works going on.

Quite a few people on here have the Talex units and seem to rate them highly. I've got no experience with them so can't comment.

Unless it's in a 30...

Well yer - obviously

Personally I still get amazed that people are caught by speed cameras.

I've been driving for 15 years now and so far in that time I have received:

Speeding Fines - 0

Other Fines (not parking) - 0

Parking in residents only bay fine - 1

Overstaying in public car park fine -1

Points on my licence - 0

No I don't drive like a pensioner.

Yes I do sometimes go a little fast in a 60 or 70 (but never in a 30 or 40).

It's just with all the warning signs, the large yellow cameras, the marks on the road and then generally being an observent driver I just don't get caught.

Well yer - obviously

Personally I still get amazed that people are caught by speed cameras.

I've been driving for 15 years now and so far in that time I have received:

Speeding Fines - 0

Other Fines (not parking) - 0

Parking in residents only bay fine - 1

Overstaying in public car park fine -1

Points on my licence - 0

No I don't drive like a pensioner.

Yes I do sometimes go a little fast in a 60 or 70 (but never in a 30 or 40).

It's just with all the warning signs, the large yellow cameras, the marks on the road and then generally being an observent driver I just don't get caught.

Thats a fair point, but when you come over the brow of a hill, to have cameras on top of a motorway bridge its difficult to notice them.

And to be honest - its even more difficult when your doing 4k miles a month.

But yes, I should have driven slower :P

Thats a fair point, but when you come over the brow of a hill, to have cameras on top of a motorway bridge its difficult to notice them.

I'm guessing that this is on the part of the M4 through Wiltshire? I regularly use the M4 from Bristol to London and more often than not there is a van on one of the bridges through Wiltshire. Just have to keep the speed down until you hit Berkshire

I'm guessing that this is on the part of the M4 through Wiltshire? I regularly use the M4 from Bristol to London and more often than not there is a van on one of the bridges through Wiltshire. Just have to keep the speed down until you hit Berkshire

Thats exactly it mate! They had 3 cameras set up over each lane with a guy on each. Harsh!

I bought a 'New Road Angel' after getting done in 2004. It was really good at warning you about all types of fixed cameras, but you've got no chance against mobile vans. Most detection devices are useless against the vans, and the only ones that do work are illegal. What RA will do is warn you of the sites that vans usually operate. I upgraded to a RA navigator, and TBH I wish I'd kept the normal RA and bought a suplimentary TomTom instead. the RA navigator is really buggy and not that good.

The only other pain is the monthly fee. They charge this as you can do as many updates as you want over the subscription period, but with older RA units, this involves downloading software for your computer (which doesn't work with Vista) and some Microsoft Synch software and updating the unit via USB.

There is an all singing all dancing shiney new RA device that updates on the fly using 3G technology I think,but I imagine the subscrption is gonna be quite high.

I've heard good things about Snooper devices though.

I have the New Road Angel Connected and it works very well. Updated to it from a Road Angel Plus and that was very good but had to be updated via your PC. It saved me a couple of times. If your looking for a Road Angel have alook at EBay as there are a number on sale there. If you do make sure the previous owner informs Road Angel as the subscription will have to be altered. No system is infallible though so always bear that in mind. :eek:

I bought a 'New Road Angel' after getting done in 2004. It was really good at warning you about all types of fixed cameras, but you've got no chance against mobile vans. Most detection devices are useless against the vans, and the only ones that do work are illegal. What RA will do is warn you of the sites that vans usually operate. I upgraded to a RA navigator, and TBH I wish I'd kept the normal RA and bought a suplimentary TomTom instead. the RA navigator is really buggy and not that good.

The only other pain is the monthly fee. They charge this as you can do as many updates as you want over the subscription period, but with older RA units, this involves downloading software for your computer (which doesn't work with Vista) and some Microsoft Synch software and updating the unit via USB.

There is an all singing all dancing shiney new RA device that updates on the fly using 3G technology I think,but I imagine the subscrption is gonna be quite high.

I've heard good things about Snooper devices though.

Cheers mate, Ill take a look at the Snooper devices. I thought it was law for Police to make the council aware of all speed detection spots they would be using at least 1 month in advance.

This information is freely available, and I thought thats where databases came from - interesting that there not quite as good as I thought.

Ive never been got by a stationary yellow camera - its only ever been when someone is out of sight on a dual carriageway / motorway.

This looks pretty good to me

Novus Alpha speed camera detector - Novus Alpha GPS detector

Tempted!

Cheers mate, Ill take a look at the Snooper devices. I thought it was law for Police to make the council aware of all speed detection spots they would be using at least 1 month in advance.

This information is freely available, and I thought thats where databases came from - interesting that there not quite as good as I thought.

Ive never been got by a stationary yellow camera - its only ever been when someone is out of sight on a dual carriageway / motorway.

This is true, the police are supposed to publish the locations of their detection spots, but the rules change when it comes to mobile vans. The sites that they use must display warning signs saying that speed cameras operate in that area, so I now slow down whenever I see the signs, even if some of the sites are never used.

The police are trying to change the policy on speed cameras just now. When speed cameras were first introduced, all the revenue went to the government, so they were just grey boxes usually hidden out of site. Then the police set up 'safety camera partnerships' and requested that the revenue be channelled to the police instead to develop these partnerships and install more cameras, and develop ANPR systems as well. The government agreed on the condition that the cameras were painted bright yellow and the police had to make sure signage was erected, and the locations of the cameras were published for the public.

The scheme was so successful that the police came under heavy fire for prosecuting mostly law abiding citizens whilst crime went through the roof. the Greedy government realised how much revenue they were missing out on, so they used the excuse of taking negative feeling away from the police by channelling all the revenue from speed cameras back to the government, allowing local authorities a fixed sum to maintain the cameras.

Now, because they no longer receive any revenue from the cameras, police forces around the country are lobbying for the cameras to be returned to grey, hidden away, and to abandon the publication of the camera locations, and the associated signage. They want proper stealth in order to detect more speeding offences. we have seen the beginnings of this in that some forces use old builders vans and wheely bins to hide their cameras in.

AFAIK road angel do have mobile camera warning on their devices these days, the device i had up to last year didnt have this feature on as they sold the idea of the laser will let you know and give you time to slow down idea at anyone questioning it. the device warns you at 500yds and this increases to 1000 yds at over i beleive 50mph. my RA did have mobile locations stored on it by me. but with how much you are charged these days for subscription there are better ones out there that are cheaper too. have a look around at other devices first.

Thats a fair point, but when you come over the brow of a hill, to have cameras on top of a motorway bridge its difficult to notice them.

And to be honest - its even more difficult when your doing 4k miles a month.

But yes, I should have driven slower :P

The thing is - and I don't want to come over all "preachy", although I probably already am.

You mention coming over the brow of a hill - obviously travelling over 80mph (or else you probably wouldn't have been clocked) and there were the cameras.

Now imagine for a second you were coming over the brow of that hill at 80mph and instead of a camera on a bridge you actually came accross a vehicle broadside in the road that had been involved in an accident just moments before.

Or as you came over the brow of the hill you came accross somebody in the road thrown from a vehicle.

If the brow of this hill offered such low visability then I'm guessing 80mph was probably not the right speed for that bit of road

Anyway - respect to the fact you've put your hands up, so many people will just attack the police when they get caught speeding.

You'll have learnt from the experience and add a detector in (which appear to work better than I've been informed) I'm sure you won't get caught doing it again.

This looks pretty good to me

Novus Alpha speed camera detector - Novus Alpha GPS detector

Tempted!

i have one for sale, nice device wasnt happy with the database. also have a talex lite for sale with novus database on and a talex full fat which im umming and uffing about selling.

The thing is - and I don't want to come over all "preachy", although I probably already am.

You mention coming over the brow of a hill - obviously travelling over 80mph (or else you probably wouldn't have been clocked) and there were the cameras.

Now imagine for a second you were coming over the brow of that hill at 80mph and instead of a camera on a bridge you actually came accross a vehicle broadside in the road that had been involved in an accident just moments before.

Or as you came over the brow of the hill you came accross somebody in the road thrown from a vehicle.

If the brow of this hill offered such low visability then I'm guessing 80mph was probably not the right speed for that bit of road

Anyway - respect to the fact you've put your hands up, so many people will just attack the police when they get caught speeding.

You'll have learnt from the experience and add a detector in (which appear to work better than I've been informed) I'm sure you won't get caught doing it again.

Good point well made. However, I was looking at the road ahead of me, and not up in the air. I did slow down hugely when I clocked them, but the range of those things Im sure it was too late.

I was more concerned with my misses in the car doing her nut at me telling me ' if I carry on speeding I will lose my job' - shes a scarier proposition then any police!

Had a road Angel compact with lazer alert and it worked fine. But gave it to my dad as bought an s2 snooper which seems to work great. Was about £40 from halfords. Using a garmin satnav and shows fixed safety cameras so pretty much covered.

Hows ur parking? If it is not really up to much the one of these might help.

Laser Pro park parking sensor and distance detector.

the laser detectors that road angel were selling are good (have a look on ebay) get a numberplate sensor and hide it away, but remember if it goes off its a good chance they nicked ya, just hope that they were aiming at another car at distance and you have managed to pick up the little scatter from it.

I started off with the original RA and it was very good, then got a Navigator. What a load of rubbish! Satellite lock was a joke and dowloading updates was hit and miss. Got a Snooper Syrius instead and only recently moved onto the Snooper Proline Plus. Way better than the RA Connected.

Hows ur parking? If it is not really up to much the one of these might help.

Laser Pro park parking sensor and distance detector.

An old thread now, perhaps.

The product listed above is a modern incarnation of what was previously called a laser diffuser.

Either way, it's a laser jammer disguised as a parking aid.

EDIT: lol, to underline my point, check out the disclaimer:

"Disclaimer :

It has come to our attention that some customers have been using this device as a laser jammer because it may interfere with other laser systems such as Police laser guns. The Laser Pro is sold as a parking sensor and should only be used for that purpose. If it detects that it is being 'hit' with a laser gun or other type of laser system it will assess the threat and warn you that this is happening and then shut itself down after a given period. It will re-arm itself after 60 seconds."

Fair do's Stu, apologies!

I've always fancied getting one of those rotating numberplate (tombola like things) that james bond has!! Just spin it round to some dutch plates and hey presto!!

The British public - a.k.a. the governments cash cow.