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Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:38 am
by RSKiwi
As per my name I am from NZ and next year after 8 years living here I will be heading back there with the RS.
NZ is basically a police state when it comes to driving and you can get fined and points for going 3mph over the limit....yes as little as 3mph and in some cases 2mph if its in an urban area....I am not kidding! Urban areas I have no problems with but when cruising on the open road our cars easily drift up in speed and at home we have more police on the road than we do sheep on the farms.
In short I am after the best way to 'warn' me to check my speed should I happen to stray above NZ's 60mph speed limit.
I am looking for the best protection but the key thing is the warning of Laser guns and for this I dont mind paying.
What do you guys recommend?
Cheers for any advice.
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:36 am
by Steve_C
If the speed traps are that bad, stay in the UK! Or better still, move to the Isle of Man.
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:34 am
by victor2vt
I have the origin b2 speed camera detector which has a very discreet and reliable laser gun detector, sold seperately, and it has saved me many, many times.
I think they have changed their trading name to Pogo.
You also can download new camera sites that they upload onto their database, via your laptop, as often as you want for £50.00 per year.
An excellent piece of kit !
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:11 pm
by Ice_Coffee
Or cheapest of all, you can get the car to beep you when you reach 60MPH, infact you can select up to 2 speeds and it will beep you for both, one for urban one for suburban
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:14 pm
by RSKiwi
Cheers for that, its detection/cloaking that is the key as they are 95% mobile units in NZ with very few fixed camera locations. The Pogo I have looked at but not a huge amount of use in NZ as I doubt it has an NZ database as there are only 4 million of us it wouldnt be worth developing one!
I was under the impression that if you picked up a laser 'gun' you had basically been caught??
Cheers too Ice but its more for when I am undertaking 'spirited' driving on some of our windy roads that I need warning as I am likely to have turned off the warning.......
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:43 pm
by victor2vt
I may be wrong but i think they have to have your car 'locked on' by the laser gun for a certain distance/period of time before plod can do you. Can anyone confirm ??
When my laser alert goes of you have to really concentrate and NOT slam your anchors on, check your rear view mirror, then slow down as quickly and smoothly as possible, the laser alert sound stops as soon as plod locks off your car.
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:27 pm
by Ice_Coffee
Afaik the reading for plod with Lasers is damn near instant, your only saving grace is if they are doing other vehicles ahead of you as this will cause scatter of their laser, and should set off your detector giving you ample warning. If it is you they are doing, it is already too late.

Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:44 pm
by adsgreen
victor2vt wrote:I may be wrong but i think they have to have your car 'locked on' by the laser gun for a certain distance/period of time before plod can do you. Can anyone confirm ??
When my laser alert goes of you have to really concentrate and NOT slam your anchors on, check your rear view mirror, then slow down as quickly and smoothly as possible, the laser alert sound stops as soon as plod locks off your car.
Actually the other way round - the reading is nearly instant but it has limits on how long they can track and steady movement.
For example, can't tag one car and quickly move onto another and keep the speed.
This is what makes laser guns actually pretty hard to use properly - they are too accurate. Too much movement causing varied readings throws and error as does moving from the grill to the to windscreen and back. Over any real distance they are too sensitive. Radar guns are almost trivial to use by comparison.
I guess different detectors have different limits though.
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:28 pm
by victor2vt
Yes, i can remember reading about a barrister, could have been Mr Loophole, who had a laser gun in court and recorded the judge doing over 100mph !!
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 6:37 pm
by PetrolDave
RSKiwi wrote:I am looking for the best protection but the key thing is the warning of Laser guns and for this I dont mind paying.
Laser guns have a very narrow beam which is usually pointed at the front number plate (which gets recorded by the built-in camera), so detectors any distance away from the numberplate are pretty useless.
Laser guns take two speed readings and average them - if both fail then that's a clue that the car may be fitted with a laser "garage door opener" (and in the UK two incidents of that can lead to you car being confiscated and taken apart until they find the "garage door opener").
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:37 pm
by Terry1948
You could try a stinger DSI verry expensive made by a dutch company. i think it uses military technology and is supposed to be passive and therefore totally legal unless you buy the optional jammer
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:45 am
by RSKiwi
You are not wrong about the Stinger DSI, cringeworthy stuff....trip to MRC or Stinger......Ill take my chances!
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:07 am
by pisquano
I have bought the Pogo Alert+ which comes with a small detachable laser detector (not jammer!).
haven't tested yet but looks reliable.
the pogo is quite cool and very small. also covers average speed roads, as well as warns you of "known" laser spots where police usually waits for you, which is really helpful!!
Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:22 am
by bluenosewrx
You need the garage door opener one, it alerts you as soon as it picks up laser ans jams it for 5 sec enabling you to get back to legal speed it then switches itself of as the police gun would say error, he would then re laser you and hey presto you show up as doing legal speed.
It would also be handy if you did indeed have a automatic garage door,lol
Mac

Re: Speed trap, Laser guns etc. Best options?
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:19 pm
by DuncS3
My car has what I believe to be a Target LT400 fitted - has the sensor at the front under number plate but I have no idea how to work it
anyone got one of these who might shed some light?
I have a manual also and it says to test point any remote control at the device and listen for a beep, but i have no unit in the cars cabin so am assuming it was half disconnected at some stage?