Snooper advice?

[jeegnesh]

OK time to start a new tale, close shave with a mobile speed gun today am thinking of installing a snooper in the car, because those speed limits were put in place without considering me and my vechicles reaction times (joke before anyone starts on this one).

Wondered if anyone has any experience on snooper models and whats good? Personally with my usual budget in mind thinking a second hand job would work.

[pvr]

They use laser mostly. By the time you get warned by your detector, you have already been done and the fine is halfway down the postoffice.

The only thing that works is something that prevents them from getting a reading, but don't use the line in court that you did not know your mechanic (Sanj ) had fitted it for you.

[jeegnesh]

[quote=""pvr""]They use laser mostly. By the time you get warned by your detector, you have already been done and the fine is halfway down the postoffice.

The only thing that works is something that prevents them from getting a reading, but don't use the line in court that you did not know your mechanic (Sanj ) had fitted it for you.[/quote]
So I take it they know your jamming the signal?

Hmmm so its only useful for the fixed camera's then, which on regular routes you know about but sometimes forget when your daydreaming. Is it worth it?

PS - They would never believe my mechanic could do such a thing.

[pvr]

They would not necessarily know you are jamming, but there is a risk that they could be very interested in your car if it happens more than once. I think there are only a couple of cases where in both instances, people have taken the p*ss big time and drove like nutters all the time.

The interesting part of the traffic act 1988 has not been retified which strictly forbids the use of the above. It states something like "a device which function, or one of the functions is to interfere with speed assessment equipment". In other words, jammers.

Once / if that is retified, you are done for. In the meantime, you just have to be careful when using equipment which have "side effects" as it could be interpreted as PCOJ.

[X5Sport]

I have a Road Angel 'Vantage' in mine. The model has just been replaced by the 'Gem', more details here. The GEM has just won the Auto Express award for 2012. They cover fixed, mobile, average speed, schools/20mph zones, black spots etc, and you can add your own so if you find they have a 'favourite spot' on you route to work then you get a reminder to wake you up - and you set the distance from that point.

The units do work well providing you don't have a Climate Comfort Windscreen on your car. These block the GPS signal so you also need a separately available GPS aerial (which they also provide) which you simply attach with a bit of double sided sticky tape on one or other side of the rear view mirror mount, close to the top. BMW helpfully added a pair of 'zones' there for the purpose...

With regards to the laser guns, they have an 'approved' range of up to 1,000m and a usual 'operating' range of 100-300m, so as pvr says, by the time you've seen it you've had it in a lot of cases. It depends on where the operator sets the beam for the van mounted ones. The usual 'aiming point' is a headlight or front number plate. The reading takes 1/10sec on average.

There are 'countermeasures' BUT, every gun in use by the UK Police Forces now has a detection system and will instantly tell the operator if it is being 'countered'. That in most cases gets you stopped and the offence is 'Obstructing an Officer in the course of his/her Duties' or 'Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice' - my brother is a retired Chief Super (can you tell.. ). If convicted you could lose your car and liberty, and will at least have to remove the 'garage door opener'. If you 'counter' a mobile Scamera they take your piccie anyway and then might pay you a wee visit! Given the cost of said devices it's not worth it. As usual the offence is not buying, owning or installing them, it is using them. As pvr said, there is no specific motoring offence, hence using these two listed above. Norfolk are very hot on them!

I've used Road Angel hardware for many years (after getting caught) and found that unless you put the laser pickup by the number plate etc, they rarely trigger. More and more devices no longer bother with that part now.

These things are not cheap, and if you have one with a 'data over mobile network update' capability then there is an annual fee of about £60. These devices have saved me more than once, not for doing silly speeds, but when
I've been in 'auto-drive' mode..

The old radar guns were easily 'countered' and in a 'former existence' I was involved in a few successful prosecutions under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, where the offence was 'deliberate interference' and use of 'unlicensed equipment'. Both got you a fine and slap on the wrist. Oh and we took the toys away too...

[pvr]

Radar was protected wave length, laser that the police use is on the 904 Nm wavelength so you can not be done for that part at least now

I tested a LT2020 "dodgy scope" a few years back and was amazed that there were a lot of cars / vans I could not get a reading off (something like an E4 message). From say 20 cars, I would get an error of about 5 or more. The good jammers would not throw up a code, but would cause the machine an identical E4 message which should not worry the operator or make them suspect anything.

The good jammers would switch off after a few seconds as well, allowing a reading to be obtained. Of course, you have to slow down during that time that the machine has bought you.

Use with caution of course as the useful life span of these won't be great I would imagine.

[X5Sport]

It's the latest gen guns that actually detect the jammer signal for what it is. The earlier ones just threw an non-specific code up which (as you found) would not raise anyone's suspicions. I was told it was because the laser beam is now encoded and the jammer could not replicate it.....or something along those lines. I have no idea how true that it though. Like all these things it's a game of measure/counter measure....and some are seriously clever..

And 904nm is a little far up the electromagnetic spectrum for my former colleagues to worry about. We used to cover up to 30GHz in the field, and just over 300GHz in the test lab. No funny light rays in our facilities..

[pvr]

How do you encode light? I thought they are issuing pulses and the jammer just threw a load of light back to confuse the unit?

I would imagine that the GPS device with telecom connection to other users is the way to go forward. Assuming the traps are on the same locations, and also praying that someone else has updated the GPS device with a trap location before you get there.

Seems that more and more countries (Switzerland and now France) are making a big deal out of the contra measures now, so I would not be suprised if we get the same sort of ban at some stage.

Although it is all supposed to be about "safety" here, so it might be a little more difficult that you can not be warned about a dangerous road location, which is obvisouly where they have their checkpoints as well ...

[X5Sport]

Easy......Pulse Code Modulation, or any of the other simple modulation systems used in radio (it's all part of the same EM Spectrum). If the laser receiver doesn't get the same code back, but sees a lot of light then it assumes it's being jammed. The military have been using modulated lasers for years with guided munitions so one aircraft can drop several bombs each of which look for a separate target marked with the right code on the ground.

I can see why some folks get hot under their political collars with regard to the active devices, but to me a GPS Safety Device is just that. No doubt the PC brigade will win out though... The next Local Authority west of me is putting average speed systems all around Bedford...

[535dboy]

Interesting thread as I need to buy one !

Have had 'New' Road Angel for approx 6-7 years now and I let the last one go with the TT

Obviously been looking at the Gem but also have been referred to this by Mogs who has the smaller version in his 911 http://www.novus-gps.co.uk/Novus_Rider_700.php

I just think it is a little more subtle than the Gem but doesn't have live updates or laser detector.

I am not sure how useful the live updates are because it does rely on people doing it and if I am honest I am not sure I would so why would they ! As long as know where the spots were then that is enough to slow down

As mentioned above I think the laser bits are a bit useless tbh. Both the Mrs and I have been stopped as a result of laser detection. Yes it warned us but it was too late !

Any thought on the Novus vs Gem then chaps

[X5Sport]

The Novus got knocked for not being easy to decipher (in AE's opinion) as the Gem, and the devices' buttons were seen as 'confusing'. They gave the Gem 5*, the Cheetah C50 4* and the Novus 3*.

The C50 and Rider 700 are very similar with the Novus having a better battery and lifetime updates (but £32 more expensive to buy).

[535dboy]

[quote=""X5Sport""]The Novus got knocked for not being easy to decipher (in AE's opinion) as the Gem, and the devices' buttons were seen as 'confusing'. They gave the Gem 5*, the Cheetah C50 4* and the Novus 3*.

The C50 and Rider 700 are very similar with the Novus having a better battery and lifetime updates (but £32 more expensive to buy).[/quote]

Interesting, thanks

Just thougt novus looked less baulky and a lot cheaper to run!

[jeegnesh]

At the moment I'm considering the Infograd V2, very simple and small device no bells and whistles but that would do the job for me. Reviews on Amazon are positive http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003JBJFPS

Need to do some more research, anyone have any first hand experience?

[jeegnesh]

Whoops I forgot the great price part, the fact I'll probably buy 2 makes that important, can't e bothered moving one around I want it hard wired permanent.

[scooby1doo1]

I had a jammer on the first Scoob, this is like 7 yrs ago now. I had to go court paid £200 fine and 3 point.

A copper came to my door asking if I'd owned a blar di blar on the blar di blar reg di blar.
I said that's like 4 months back, but yes I did have a Scoob then. In the end had to go down the station and watched the vid, the jammer could clearly be seen and it like glowed up.
He told me that hi new that I was jamming because it gave this blar di blar error.
The coper Evan went 80miles one way to check the car out, I had removed it and sold it on eBay.
I did not fit it it was already on the car. But there not legal anyway, unless you have a leki garage door that it can be used to open that is.


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