Radar Detectors

you need to get to a cobbler and get him to loosen up on those lead weights in the sole of your right shoe if you can't maintain a constant speed in between the checks of the speedo in your regular mirror checks and instrument scans that you should be doing as a rule when you drive....

<~~ pedantic devils advocate

ive got a s3 neo for fixed camaras with the srd100 behind the front grille for mobile camaras cost me brand new for the pair of ebay £160.

ady   

525i24v wrote: I have no real sense of speed in the car

thats what your speedometer is for....

if you're going down the radar detector route (and i wouldn't necessarily advise this because of the much-publicised changes to the Road Safety Bill if/when it finally comes into play) don't buy a cheap one - the £90 Snoopers and Bels are next to useless

I've owned a Bel Euro 550 for many years and I wouldn't be without it, it consisently scored highest in group tests but you would expect so given the price it cost (RRP was £500, I got mine via a site called "radargirl" for £300 at the time)

I also use the pocketgpsworld.com speed camera POI database on my TomTom Navigator satnav

I would like a radar jammer, sorry automated garage door opener , but these are highly illegal and probably not worth the risk

525i24v wrote: Does this mean that the radar detector works with the handheld speed guns but not with the fixed ones?

Dave

Basically yes, but remember, the greater threat from Gatso's comes from the mobile ones than the fixed ones.  The Gatso van's, the newer Galaxy's with Gatso on board and the tripod based camera's are your main concern.

I agree, even though ive only been driving a year i know most of the speed traps locally (hopefully!) and its not like i condone speeding or anything but i dont think a few km over on a dual carriageway is doing harm its unfortunately the most likely place to be caught, near me anyway as i use the shannon to limerick road a couple of times daily,

I too like yourself have thought long and hard about buying a detector/jammer and it seems as though a lot of bucks need to be spent to get one that is 100% risk free or thereabouts, plus it brought to mind maybe with this it would cause me to drive faster in general thinking "ah sure they cant catch me" and thats not really a road i want to go down if you excuse the pun.

"Secondly, gatso camera's are passive devices and don't give off a signal until you activate them (by speeding).  For that reason the detectors are of limited use.  They work very well for the radar type equipment because it gives off a signal that can be picked up in good time, but generally the first you'll know about the laser kit is when you have activated it."

Does this mean that the radar detector works with the handheld speed guns but not with the fixed ones?

Dave

Two issues that I'm aware of.

First, the use of a detector is illegal in this country (and I think mere possesion is too) and now that the Gardai have the power to do random stops I'd say the chances of getting caught with one have increased.  Any cases of using them that have come before the courts have been dealt with harshly.

Secondly, gatso camera's are passive devices and don't give off a signal until you activate them (by speeding).  For that reason the detectors are of limited use.  They work very well for the radar type equipment because it gives off a signal that can be picked up in good time, but generally the first you'll know about the laser kit is when you have activated it.

I do know a guy that had one some years ago and also kept a dummy one in the car (a shell with no working parts.  If he was pulled over he'd slip the real one in to his pocket and if they wanted to find the dummy one they could, but he seemed to think that as long as the real one was on his person that they couldn't search him for it.  Don't know if that would hold up legally.