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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Road Angel....Rubbish?


Scoboblio
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I've had my road angel version 2 for a fair few months now, and in that time it's not correctly warned me of ANY mobile / handheld speed cameras (and I've gone past a few).

 

Fixed camera alerts are 100% right, but I can't help but feel a bit ripped off that the super-duper version 2 can't do what it says on the tin.... anyone else got any opinions on this?

 

BTW it's correctly placed on the windscreen with no visible obstructions and it's facing the right way :)

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AFAIK the version 1 (black cheese wedge shaped thing) doesn't have a built in laser detector so won't... but the version 2 (rounded oval shaped thing) does.... except in my case it doesn't :conf:

 

According to the web site:

"LASER ALERT SYSTEM – mobile camera alert

A powerful front and rear Laser detection device, LASER ALERT SYSTEM detects mobile Laser traps and gives an audible and visual alert through the ROAD ANGEL display."

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I assume you realise that the handheld speed traps don't constantly emit a laser signal. The only transmit a laser if they are targeting someone.

 

Yup, been a bit strange tho, gone past several mobile speed traps in the last month or so, with traffic infront of me being targeted, but not a word from the road angel. There was a policeman on the A130 last night checking people 100 or so yards infront of me.... still nothing.

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Depends where you go really - are you sure they are laser traps you have been going by, they don't use it much in this part of the world.

 

I've only ever seen handheld laser twice around here, they are much keener on handheld radar or mini gatsos

 

To be honest I'm no expert on different types of mobile speed traps... but given the spec of the "new road angel" on http://www.blackspotinteractive.co.uk/ I thought it would at least have detected one mobile camera in the last few months

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I've got a Valentine One and I hardly ever hear the laser alert go off. As Matt rightly says, they have actually got to be using it to emit laser and as there is very little scatter they have got to be aiming it at you or a car very close to you to get an alert.

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Basically AIUI the laser alert is just a gimic. It needs to be mounted near enough where the laser beam is pointing to get reliable results, and thats the number plate usually which is not very helpful for an in car unit. The emitted beam from a laser is conical, ie it spreads out the further you are away, so you may get (false) alarms if you are a fair way from the laser gun on a straight road.

 

Anyway its a moot point, by the time you get the alert you've already been targetted and photographed anyway.

 

The only real defence against laser guns is a laser jammer, front and back, so 2 units to give you the best chance. They're not cheap, the still don't stop you from getting done from insane speeds if you can't slow down quick enough and their legality is a grey area at the very least.

 

I find the Road Angel invaluable in unfamiliar areas for telling me where the fixed cameras are. It would be nice if it could neutralise the laser cameras, but it would be nice if speed traps were abolished :D

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