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How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 11:46 am
by JHT
Guys,

Apologies if this should be in the ICE section, but it is targetted at fellow RS4 owners....!

Over the years I've used and tried lots of different detectors but I got fed up of having 'clutter' on my dash and stopped using anything a few cars back.

I'm now thinking that I really ought to get something in the RS4, given the number of average speed cameras etc out there and the ease at which you can find yourself 'north' of 70 mph.....

Am looking at a Origin Pogo Alert+

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/pogoalert.htm

as first choice and I see Road Angel have just brought out a new unit, the 'Vantage'....but from what I hear their last couple of offering have fallen short.

Just wondering what (if anything) you guys are using just now as I'm a bit out of touch!

Any thoughts appreciated.

Cheers

JT

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:14 pm
by R33
I use the previous Origin B2 which I actually prefer over the pogo alert as the alert is a fatter little unit than the B2 and it doesn't clip into a nice little power cradle(as far as I can see) as the B2 does. They are nice though as you don't have to have them cluttering the dash. The other reason I didn't upgrade is that the only feature the Alert offers over the B2 is the feature I suggest to Origin to put on their new product, and they didn't give me a bloody freebie! I suggested that the unit tells you your actual average speed through a specs zone so if you had to slow down you can see how much you can speed up by! I think the Alert also has a mobile sites database but as this is pretty much useless without knowing where the actual vans are then I can't see the point in this. If you slowed down at every mobile site used nationally you would be slowing down a lot!

There was a Novus device that has GSM built in so it knows where current traps are based on other users feedback but I think they stopped making it for the UK. The Road Angel Connected or whatever it's called does this too I think but it's windscreen mounted so it's not for me.

So bottom like I like my B2 and I'm sticking with it until a truly better device comes out (oh and you can buy them on eBay for peanuts and you can just call Origin to transfer or renew the subscription).

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:24 pm
by Steve_C
I got my device for free - my eyes!

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:27 pm
by Skaala
before the cops here stopped using radar (now they only use laser) I had a Valentine V1 in the car. Very happy with it, went off well ahead in time before the radar trap.

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:32 pm
by stoddie
i have the pogo alert, had the b2 also. cant fault it and its saved my ass so many times.

one thing only is that when the laser alert goes off - its just letting you know there will be a letter in the post. the only way you can block a laser gun is through a jammer, which could end you up in court if youre found with one on your car.

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:34 pm
by irvind
Didn't know they didn't use radar any more, but hardly surprising, old tech.
There's no point in having a laser detector is there really? It captures the speed almost instantly I think...
So that just leaves in-car units based on databases of known camera locations that might be worth having.

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:36 pm
by stoddie
yeah basically its just good for the database nothing else

RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:53 pm
by Ice_Coffee
ehhh I could have sworn that the police hand held guns were always Laser and that the only Radar devices were the Gatso and Gatso like road side camera's

Re: RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:55 pm
by victor2vt
stoddie wrote:i have the pogo alert, had the b2 also. cant fault it and its saved my ass so many times.

one thing only is that when the laser alert goes off - its just letting you know there will be a letter in the post. the only way you can block a laser gun is through a jammer, which could end you up in court if youre found with one on your car.

Sorry, disagree, when the laser detector goes off on the b2 it gives you time to slam the anchors on, checking your rear view first, of course, they use these a lot from jam sandwiches on motorways, it's saved me LOADS of times !!

Re: RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:37 pm
by caldy
victor2vt wrote: it's saved me LOADS of times !!
Come off it Victor, you only ever tootle up and down the Great North Road!

Re: RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:45 pm
by P_G
victor2vt wrote:
stoddie wrote:i have the pogo alert, had the b2 also. cant fault it and its saved my ass so many times.

one thing only is that when the laser alert goes off - its just letting you know there will be a letter in the post. the only way you can block a laser gun is through a jammer, which could end you up in court if youre found with one on your car.

Sorry, disagree, when the laser detector goes off on the b2 it gives you time to slam the anchors on, checking your rear view first, of course, they use these a lot from jam sandwiches on motorways, it's saved me LOADS of times !!
I have to say if you can't see a luminous Battenberg Area Car from 1/2 mile away and have the time to slow down if you are speeding then you deserve to be done for speeding. Even in some instances unmarked cars, you can spot them as well. It's called awareness.

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:34 pm
by JHT
Thanks for the reply guys, figured there would be some differing opinions!

:wink:

Steve_C, P_G - I do agree with what you're saying and that's part of the reason why I sold my Origin B2 (agree it was a great bit of kitR33/Stoddie) back in 2004 which was hard wired into my Golf R32 and haven't used anything since.....however, despite what appears to be a slight backtrack nationwide on the use of Gatso's, any help with avoiding points in unknown areas is worth it IMO.

I think I may well order one of the PA+ units over the weekend and will let you know what I think of it.....

Re: RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:41 pm
by stoddie
victor2vt wrote:
stoddie wrote:i have the pogo alert, had the b2 also. cant fault it and its saved my ass so many times.

one thing only is that when the laser alert goes off - its just letting you know there will be a letter in the post. the only way you can block a laser gun is through a jammer, which could end you up in court if youre found with one on your car.

Sorry, disagree, when the laser detector goes off on the b2 it gives you time to slam the anchors on, checking your rear view first, of course, they use these a lot from jam sandwiches on motorways, it's saved me LOADS of times !!
i beg to differ - unless you have a very fast reaction time you dont have time to think about hammering on the anchors. lasers capture your speed in under a second.

Re: RE: How many RS4 owners use radar detectors...?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:43 pm
by JHT
stoddie wrote:
victor2vt wrote:
stoddie wrote:i have the pogo alert, had the b2 also. cant fault it and its saved my ass so many times.

one thing only is that when the laser alert goes off - its just letting you know there will be a letter in the post. the only way you can block a laser gun is through a jammer, which could end you up in court if youre found with one on your car.

Sorry, disagree, when the laser detector goes off on the b2 it gives you time to slam the anchors on, checking your rear view first, of course, they use these a lot from jam sandwiches on motorways, it's saved me LOADS of times !!
i beg to differ - unless you have a very fast reaction time you dont have time to think about hammering on the anchors. lasers capture your speed in under a second.
That's certainly been my understanding..... :?

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:50 pm
by Steve_C
JHT wrote:Steve_C, P_G - I do agree with what you're saying and that's part of the reason why I sold my Origin B2 (agree it was a great bit of kitR33/Stoddie) back in 2004 which was hard wired into my Golf R32 and haven't used anything since.....however, despite what appears to be a slight backtrack nationwide on the use of Gatso's, any help with avoiding points in unknown areas is worth it IMO.

I think I may well order one of the PA+ units over the weekend and will let you know what I think of it.....
Will be interesting to hear what you think. I don't use such a device as 90% of my motoring is on roads I know well so if I get caught speeding its because I was half asleep!