keithg Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Thinking of getting some form of radar/laser detector for use in the 7. I went to a specialist car hi fi etc dealer (Not chain store!) who said: 1. Don't bother with a subscription charging manufacturer (e.g. Roadangel) as non subscription (e.g.Road Pilot) are just as good. 2. Don't bother with a laser detector to pick up hand held radar guns on the basis that by the time the unit warns you that you are being zapped, its too late anyway! Are either of these true?? Any advice on best unit to buy? KeithG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Point 2. is pretty-much accepted. You can hope to pick up scatter from other vehicles that have been hit, but there's no guarantee. I gave up using the laser detector with my original Road Angel - more false positives than genuine ones (plenty of laser sources - and water ingress - managed to set it off over the years...) 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7's Equipe™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normans_Ghost Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 I put one under the RH side of the dash. Couldn't see for reflections and couldn't hear it. Removed it. Had a RA in the Elise and it was worth having. Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davef Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 I used to run a Road Angel Classic with laser detector - the only time the laser detector went off was when I sounded the horn 😳. TBH by the time the laser detector has detected a source, you're more than likely to have been targetted. I know have a Sat Nav with downloaded scamera database. The TomTom subs service is cheaper than the Road Angel one. There are also thrid party scamera databases that are even cheaper (e.g. the Pocket GPS World one which is available for £2) One question that comes to mind is the quality/accuracy of the various camera databases - not something that seems easy to determine? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted September 14, 2006 Support Team Share Posted September 14, 2006 Radar and laser detectors are likely to soon become illegal see here about half way down. The bill failed last year but has been reintroduced. GPS based systems will still be legal. On that basis better to get one of those. I have a NavMan sat nav onto which I download the Pocket GPS World database so that is another alternative (TomTom, etc. all have the same facility). Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_C Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Tomtom kit will also link by bluetooth to your phone and get traffic and camera updates without having to connect it to a PC. Cheers Tom FH54WLX - only the car supports ManU, honest! see here - UPDATED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWoodham Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 As has been said, point 2 is generally accepted as true. Most laser detectors are sensitive to infra-red, which means they get set off by all sorts of things anyway. IIRC you have about 0.1 sec to respond to a laser alert, since that's the time frame over which your speed is measured. If there's a significant change of speed in this time (5% ?) then the gun shows an error code. Way too quick for me. In any case, the EU is set to rule this month on section 172, the bit where the registered keeper of a vehicle has to identify the driver at any particular time, on pain of fine and penalty points. It's widely expected that the Govt will lose this, and hence any traffic offence that does not identify the driver as part of the evidence will not be prosecuteable in future. I'd seriously recommend delaying any purchase until this case is heard, within a month speed camera prosecutions could well be history. (the really interesting bit is what happens to the accident rate after section 172 is outlawed - betcha anything it stays the same - thus proving that excess speed is not a significant factor in RTAs. Whether any of our lords and masters will admit it is another matter...) Martin Roadsports B with upgradeitis edited to add linkl Edited by - mwoodham on 14 Sep 2006 10:30:53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K12 KAR Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 For what its worth there is a laser jammer that works well. I think it gives about 5 seconds delay before the police laser can obtain a reading, and gives you an audible alert in the cockpit. It is also legal - when used as a garage door opener, and is only illegal if used 'expressly for the purpose' of jamming the laser signal. In this case i believe that the laser jamming is a byproduct of its natural function as a door opener. See below: www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/lrc100.htm ************************** Prisoner No. 5 2.0 l Vauxhall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin S. Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Keith, Detectors are a waste of time as they've nabbed you by the time the warning has gone off. The "Garage door opener" type work well, I have a Lidatec LRC100 (I think) and it has never given any false alams when I accidentally forget to turn it off after it's opened my garage door ........expensive though, try ebay. Cheers, M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richards 7 Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 I have a roadpilot in my 7 and a snooper S4 which I cart from car to car when not in the 7. Both work well and i can hear it in the 7. Problem of the mobile scamera is that as mentioned earlier it does not get picked up in time. However........I was reading a thread on the Atom Club website about front number plates. As you are probably aware there is little room on the front of an atom for the plate, certainly no mounting point. It appears that very few therefore bother....if they do its a sticky one pointing heavenwards on the only bit of bodywork they have . There was long discussion about the legality of this and whilst some have been stopped by plod, none mentioned the lack of front plate. Obviously if one is trying to pervert the course of justice then that is bad, but if your low hanging plate was caught on a kerb and fell off, what would you do?? Put it in the passenger footwell probably and remember to refix when you got home. Now what then happens if you forget to refix.....a fine? maybe but no points!!!! I await your response with interest (My 7 does have 2 plates ...at the moment) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted September 14, 2006 Support Team Share Posted September 14, 2006 Fine for no number plate is, I believe, normally £30 and no points. One other thing to think about is that a number of the speedcamera databases have regular mobile site locations on them giving you the chance to drive a bit more carefully and/or keep your eyes peeled. Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_C Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 As per pictures on the link below I have a stick on plate, as the original bent in the airflow and delaminated from the back sheet (stuck to nosecone by CC Midlands with Sikaflex) allowing mud and water to obscure it. Cheers Tom FH54WLX - only the car supports ManU, honest! see here - UPDATED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithg Posted September 14, 2006 Author Share Posted September 14, 2006 Does anyone use those really tiny front number plates. Always fancied one of those and they look quite cool. I assume they are not legal though? KeithG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom_C Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Even the size of plate on mine is only 3/4 legal size. Only motorbikes are allowed smaller plates. Cheers Tom FH54WLX - only the car supports ManU, honest! see here - UPDATED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Does anyone use those really tiny front number plates. Always fancied one of those and they look quite cool. I assume they are not legal though? I'm currently running without a plate as I'm borrowing a nosecone. This here is what I generally run with though... 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7's Equipe™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 The mouse stares the copper down and they daren't take a pot-shot with the laser... 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7's Equipe™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopQ1967 Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I drive normaly in Stealth mode Q. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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