OT (a bit) Speed Trap Detectors

I am thinking about buying a radar speed trap detector, can anyone give any
guidance?

Thanks in advance

Nick

 

Use your eyes - the're much more reliable.

 

I am thinking about buying a radar speed trap detector, can anyone give
any

Good pair of glasses and a watchful eye on yer speedo.
HTH
HAND

--
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Robbo
1500GL 1988 Goldwing (Rebuild in process)
BotaFOF #19
E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003
B.O.S.M 2003
FURSWB#1 KotL
YTC449
PM#7

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\ \= / /=
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\\\//, / //,
\_-//' / / /<,
\ /// <//`
/ >> \\\`__/
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(/ \\ //\\
// _//\\\\
(( ((

 

I am thinking about buying a radar speed trap detector, can anyone give
any

HEH !
U woz thinkin wot I woz !


--
-
-

Robbo
1500GL 1988 Goldwing (Rebuild in process)
BotaFOF #19
E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003
B.O.S.M 2003
FURSWB#1 KotL
YTC449
PM#7

\= /=
\= / /=
\ \= / /=
\\\' , / //
\\\//, / //,
\_-//' / / /<,
\ /// <//`
/ >> \\\`__/
/,)-^>> _\` \\\
(/ \\ //\\
// _//\\\\
(( ((

 

Nick Aird wrote

The best ones for that sort of thing these days are generally over a
litre.

 

Ride did a piece on them a couple of months ago. Get searching for a back
issue.

My sprogs ripped mine up, so can't do a praisee of it.

 

I use a BEL980 in the car, it's not bad, but a bit of a pain in town as it
picks up traffic lights and automatic doors.

--
Oldbloke

2000 Honda CB500
BOTAFOT #140
"He's like Robbo's chubby kid brother"

 

Geodesy is good for fixed speed cameras, but not for mobile ones. I don't
think the other types give enough warning when approaching a mobile speed
trap, by the time its gone off and you've reacted, you'll have already had
your speed recorded.

 

This argument's a bit like the GPS one, innit?

I mean, yes, the ol' Mk1 eyeball is still the best in the daytime,
however, for instance, on an unlit road at night you want a bit of help.

Likewise for the times you're in an unfamiliar area; good to be be
forewarned, eh?

Not all /mobile/ speedtraps will be good enough to park themselves on
motorway overbridges and the like. There was one I happened across
recently near Ongar; just around a blind bend on a NSL road. I'm sure he
made a pretty packet for Essex Constabulary. Not from me, mind.

They /do/ have their uses.

Certainly worked for me on the M40 a year or so ago coming back from the
NEC: 10pm-ish, unlit stretch of Warwickshire, Suze and I motoring along at
a little over a ton. Detector goes off with "LASER!" warning; off gas,
apply brakes, 68mph in an instant.

"WTF was that for?" we wonder.

30 seconds later, a copper on "perch" in unlit T5, about a mile away from
the initial warning, hoves into view.

Anyhoo, what I /really/ need is a "sneaking up behind in an unmarked car"
detector.


--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2000 ZX12R-A1 -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

I'll assume we're talking for the bike, here?

For starters, very few of them are waterproof and only one /detector/ is
marketed specifically for bike use, the Bel 966R, IIRC.

Note I highlighted "detector"; that's 'cause some people don't know the
difference between a device that actively seeks certain electromagnetic
radiation (a detector, i.e. Snooper, Bel, Valentine) and a device which
uses GPS and a look-up database to warn of known, fixed traps (Geodesy
Morpheus, earlier Road Angel, Blue-I, etc.)

Check these out, first (Google is your friend...) http://tinyurl.com/qrkb

and then later, when I'd unearthed a clue or two:

http://tinyurl.com/qrjo


Don't buy a cheap shit £150 thing; they're wank. For bike-only use, /the/
device to consider is the aforementioned Bel 966R; it's a very small,
compact, simple head unit with a remote sensor pack mounted on the front
of the bike. It also has a very large, very obvious LED repeater on a
"gooseneck" arm which can be positioned so as to be good and obvious.
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/bel966.htm

*cough* entirely coincidental that they used a silver -12R for the test...

Of the /other/ flavour of device (GPS based), the original Geodesy from
Morpheous is probably the best bet for bike use:
http://www.geodesygps.co.uk/index.htm

They're cheaper to buy than a good detector, but there's a subscription
required to keep them updated (modem download/upload of database info).

The Geodesy has clear, bright LEDs that are visible even in quite strong
sunlight. Not waterproof, but water resistant.

I notice now they're doing a "bundle" which combines a GPS Geodesy and an
ol' fashioned detector (of unspecified make) for a gnats under £600...

Personally, I've currently got a Snooper S5 which is *the business* in the
c*r, but is a pain in the arse on the bike as the warnings are primarily
audio ones and there's no output for headsets on it.

HTH.
--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2000 ZX12R-A1 -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

The Snooper S6 has an optional ear piece if memory serves.

 

<snip>

Just as an aside, relevant as many of you come to these blessèd shores at
regular intervals. Radar detectors are illegal in France, and could cost
you 1,500 EUR (~£1000) in fines, rising to 3,500 EUR (~£2500) for
subsequent offences.

{ snip }

Not to mention the fact that French plod use a different band radar anyway
IIRC...

 

Does it? Fury muff. Mined ewe, it's a "hybrid" unit -- a GPS unit with a
laser/radar detector supplied as a separate module -- hardly compact and
has an LCD display. Not ideal for sprots-bike mounting I'd have thought...
--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2000 ZX12R-A1 -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

It tells you about the optional ear piece in the PDF manual here...
http://www.snooper.co.uk/snooper-s6-r-gatso-and-radar-detector.htm
....although it doesn't go into much more detail than to "hear audible alerts". Been thinking about
one of these for the car for a while. I'm yet to be convined they're very practical on a bike
though.

 

The human eye doesn't normally perceive electromagnetic radiation in that
part of the spectrum [1], though.

[1] 3x10E8 Hz, IIRC ...[/QUOTE]

Sewerly about 5x10E14 for the average Gatso?

 

5x10E14 is bright yellow. Honestly, you should be ble to spot one

Inneresting the Frogs use a different frequency though. I wonder how
many detectors it would take to drive from England to Turkey?

 

le Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:42:37 +0100, dans l'article

I didn't know that.

S'ok. It's not like anyone would slag you off for that... ;-)

 

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 19:20:24 +0100, Wik

We call that a "mirror", Wik. You know, you look in it - and it
reflects what is behind you, magically, to being right in front of
your eyes ...

Having thought about it a bit; travelling at the speeds I habitually
do - which will be largely similar to yours, I expect (as fast as the
road/traffic conditions will allow in reasonable safety) then an
approaching car is uncommon except on Friday nights going North on the
M1.

If I spot a car closing, the little alarm bells always go off and I
can't help but to lift off and hide in the traffic. 9 times out of
10, the closer turns out to be a repmobile or the Home Sec in a hurry,
and they whizz past in the outside lane and disappear. If the car
appears to match my speed, we get legal in as subtle a manner as
possible (this has included a little drag of handbrake or a sneaky
downchange, on occasion ;-)) and then the fun starts.

You've got to flush the bugger, haven't you? So you mentally check
that tax, MoT and inswearance are up to date - and edge up the speed a
bit. Fixing your head in the "straight-ahead" position, one eye
_firmly_ on the mirror, squeeze the gas. Out a lane and pass the car
in front, nip back in and assess the situation.

If the suspect car moves out and back in too, keeping station, then
the prickle of sweat starts down the ribs ...

Happy Motoring.

 

That feeling. Almost nice. but nasty all at the same time. the sweet and
sour of emotions perhaps. well said.

 

It's rather nice to discover I'm not alone in this paranoid and bizarre
behaviour