Member Since: 12 May 2014
Location: England
Posts: 69
You don't have to have a destination set for the warnings, they just appear on the screen as a camera logo and you get the audible "bong" warning. I've switched the audible warning off to be honest as it drove me nuts there's so many fixed cameras, traffic light cameras, mobile camera sites etc.
I'm sure dedicated hardware adds some advantages but for me this works well enough though, reasonably cheap, based on community contributions so pretty accurate and easy to keep up to date.
4th May 2015 12:37 pm
747_JK
Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
Thanks Skully - I'm going to give this a go when the new car arrives.
If Road Angel sold a better quality unit I wouldn't be so tempted to move away, but the current Gem / Gem Plus model is so cheaply made and the screen so hard to see in the sun, I'm not inclined to want to buy another.747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
2019 Land Rover Discovery 5 HSE
2015 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - SOLD
2010 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE with a serious smoking habit - SOLD
I have a pogo alert in my glovebox which works reasonably well - it is about 7 years old probably. However the signal strength seems a bit flaky since changing to a D4 from a D3.
I have though added the POI onto my sat nav (MY14) and have to say I find them pretty useful for cameras. I put on the europe ones as well and they were pretty accurate.
I have mine set with two different tones of gong, one for fixed and one for mobile. I may turn off the mobile ones though and just leave the fixed ones on.
There are only three downsides -
1. probably not enough warning for a mobile one
2. you need the sat nav voice turned on to get the warnings, which means you will get voice directions. This is only an issue if you enter a familiar journey so you can get an ETA and progress but you dont need directions.
3. it isnt directional or speed sensitive, so my pogo alert would only tell me about warnings if I was over the limit and going in the right direction.
However, for a very small amount of money it is a very useful thiing to have.TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
5th May 2015 12:16 pm
Matts3
Member Since: 02 Jan 2015
Location: North Norfolk
Posts: 162
I've got a Snooper 3 Zero which sits out of the way on top of the drivers side dash. (Pic attached)
Hard wired in so no trailing wires.
It just uses an led display and voice commands. Efficient, compact and reasonably cheap to buy.
Click image to enlarge
23rd May 2015 6:58 am
xcentric
Member Since: 01 Apr 2015
Location: Shropshire, UK
Posts: 1081
just note that in at least France, it's an offence to have even the POI camera sites enabled on your satnav.....
23rd May 2015 12:20 pm
Popelka
Member Since: 31 May 2008
Location: Praha (Prague)
Posts: 2430
I use Waze on Android which is updated by other users of the same, so police with camera's etc can be alerted (if already added) so depending on users on the same routes and IF they have spotted/added
it is free, but again it's all down to user input (also roadworks / accidents)Experience is a difficult teacher, because she gives the test first and then the lesson afterwards!!!!
23rd May 2015 4:45 pm
RDR
Member Since: 24 Mar 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 2260
Ive used road angel for many years and found them to be really good but do tend to sudenly go down hill and i have to by another. Currently got the GEM which I'm happy with. OCD will not allow all the wires so plumbed it into an ignition feed above the mirror. Fits neat and out of the way up there and easy to glance at.
MY06 S - Gone but not forgotten
MY12 HSE - Gone
MY16 HSE Luxury - Sold
MY20 D5 HSE - Sold
Current RR L460 PHEV
23rd May 2015 5:10 pm
747_JK
Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
I contacted road angel the other day to say I was cancelling my sub as the unit was playing up and the quality of the gem was such that I didn't want another... It is just so cheap and flimsy compared to other road Angels. They acknowledged the build quality and said it was because they had designed the gem for a lower price point in the market.
I was going to go with adding the POIs into the gps, but didn't like the idea of having to have voice enabled all the time on the nav and the camera sites being non directional.
So instead I have spent 40 quid on an Inforad from Amazon, it's USB stick sized and gets a signal whilst plugged into the cigar lighter, so wire free. Even has a 5hr battery too. So far working well...747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
2019 Land Rover Discovery 5 HSE
2015 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - SOLD
2010 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE with a serious smoking habit - SOLD
25th May 2015 10:28 pm
NellyD5
Member Since: 01 Apr 2013
Location: Newton Mearns
Posts: 740
I ve just sent my gem back to RoadAngel for a new screen! £45/£50 approx plus the fear of it not being on the dash protecting meD3 2005 TDV6 7 Seat Zambezi Silver
Tints
19" HSE Alloys
Clear side repeaters
Xenons
LED Everywhere
3 Flash Indicators and clock on dash
Cruise
Roof Rails
Audi A6 S line Black Edition Daytona Grey
But.....
It isn't on the motorway youre going to get "done" (unless your unlucky or daft enough to be going far more than the usual eighty plus normal speed that seems to be "normal"
It's side roads with 20,30 & 40 mph limits that you will get caught or maybe at places where the limit goes from 60 to 40 in ten yards (one notorious spot on the Leeds ring road where dozens get caught)
Around here the motor cycle cop with a hair dryer is becoming a reality.......usually in 30 mph zones they are very keen.
Marked safety camera vans are plonked at places you wouldn't expect them...like on the centre reservation of a dual carriageway limited to 40mph (A652 from junction 28. - M62)....
There are other places that are out to get you...
Gretna to Stranraer road all the way 60mph despite stretches of dual carriageway out of town, no street lights, no signs at 60mph.......with the addition of a surly, aggressive set of policemen that literally stalk & menace motorists in mainly unmarked cars.
The A65 from Skipton right up to the M6......all patrolled with unmarked cars.....lots of cars caught....they seem to miss the daft feelers with bikes that collect at the Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale...then terrorise other cars with lunatic overtaking on narrow roads.
So if a detector (fuzz buster) device would see:
The portable ones, unmarked police cars...which I guess first detect then follow you using the calibrated speedo method...or the cameras placed where you would need to have formula one grade brakes to slow...I would buy one.BREXIT - done properly.
Right now ...We need Government - not Politics
Save the Dipstick Flagbearer-keep it simple, less likely to fail campaign-agenda items:Starting Handles, Acetylene Lamps.
Founder: Dipsticks-R-Us Inc
D3 HSE-perfectly formed, passenger friendly...has real DIPSTICK
Jag XK-but sadly no DIPSTICK...HUGE design fault
FL2 has DIPSTICK..."real comfort in rear seats"
VW Golf wondermobile (?)..has real DIPSTICK
Morris Minor..original DIPSTICK technology..and a real KEY.
In the end I spent much more on a Garmin, but don't like it as much as my old TomTom.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
forgot about the inforad. I have one in my wife's mini and one in my TVR. They work quite well. While they do make some chattering noises, at the end of the day they do shout out at the important times at the speed cameras. I just leave them plugged into the ciggie socket all the time. Cheap option.TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
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