Alright,

Just got done for speeding, so I was looking to buy a radar/camera detector. Does anyone own one of these and can anyone recomend a decent one. I was looking to spend no more than about £300 ish. I want something that will cloak my car as I pass the barstewards.

The cops that pulled me were actually pretty nice people, we ended up talking about the locost for about 20 mins, in a vain attempt by me to try and get off with it. Oh well, recomendations please, apart from slow down.


Cheers

Stuart

In the slightly 'grey' area of the law....

there was something on telly recently (possibly top gear)

if you get a certain type of automatic garage door opener mounted under the front of your car it will respond to any laser gun with a return burst that stops their camera getting a 'fix' on you. You just need to be able to prove you have a legitimate reason for having it fitted.... hmmm

Dave

Im not an expert, but having been done twice and living in northants, the no 2 nicking county for speeding, here is what I know.....


These things cost about 400 quid - halfords sell them. Im talking of the ones that detect fixed cameras by GPS locations. But to me, there is no 'catch all' - see the following :


1. vascar. measured between two points visually. nothing to detect. the big white squares painted in dual carriageways and roads are ref points. there isnt any signal - its plod and a switch.

2. hand held radar guns. cops lurk behind something like a corner - once the alarm sounds, you have probably been nicked. Also, the things I have seen in the states false trigger loads by other things like traffic lights traffic sensors. the false triggering will dull your reactions and make the cop with a gun more likely to get you.

3. a lot of cameras (truvelo i think) dont use radar - they use an inductive loop in the ground. again, nowt to detect.

4. gatsos with radar - you might have a chance with thos, but all new cams here are truvelo.

5. laser vans. In northants they can get you from 1,000 metres, and shine a laser at the car and measure speed in a fraction of a second. I dont see how a detector can see a tiny spot of light from that distance.

6. plod behind you in a police car with a speedo. nothing to detect. I got stopped by one 6 months back - 65 in a 40 - and he let me off with a warning


The gps things at least would warn of cams in fixed locations. However, they are easy to avoid anyway. In northants, they have 7 laser vans. The only 'safe' way is not to speed unless you can see ahead, and there isnt anything that looks remotely like a van at the side of the road. they put these vans in laybys just round corners, peeking thro a bush, on my route home.


I dont think there is any universal way of avoiding detection.


atb

steve

[Edited on 21/1/04 by stephen_gusterson]

Theres nothing to jam a camera Stuart unless you have a transmittr on the same frequency as the radar,but as most mobile speed traps use laser this is a waste of time.
We sell radar detectors in our shop if you want u2u me and I'll give you some trade prices. Some of these have a laser detector as well but they work off of scatter from the laser, thats to say if they fire the laser at a car in front of you you'll get a warning, but if they dont fire it before hand and they aim it at you and fire its all over bar the shouting theyve got ya.
Cheers,
Bob

[Edited on 21/1/04 by splitrivet]

other options:

false plate - bad news if they do get you.
unregistered motor - cant get tax
slow down - works for some...!

any other options?

So when's someone going to design a stealth locost then? I don't think it will be long !!

Jason

I have one

send me a big bag of cash - about 8 grand will do it. Will deliver same day. Its so stealth you might have difficulty finding it

atb

steve

Steve,
Will you take a cheque? I'll have 2!

Mr Gullable

I reckon the best defense you've got is one of those GPS units to warn you of the fixed traps and a laser/radar jammer for the guys with the guns. These are the units that jam the signal giving the copper an 'error' reading and granting you a few seconds to slow down while he resets the gun. Of course, none of these will warn you of the 'talivan' mobile camera units or the 'by chance' copper but at least you'll get some protection.

I have a radar detector I bought in about 1998. At the time it was the recommended one to get (Bel E series) and cost me about £300. It was great against the mobile guys with radar, ok with laser (enough warning to slow down) but Gatsos are a different story. The radar fires down the road (ie not straight at you) so it needs something to bounce off to get to the detector. Fine when there are other cars around but useless when the road is clear - precisely when you are likely to have your foot down! I don't use it any more so feel free to make me an offer on it.

Chris