[Alscoob]

Anyone recommend a good one?

Seem to be doing more miles on unfamiliar roads and have spotted many more mobile units. Used to have a small Road Angel which was OK and feel that I need something else now.

Ideally looking for something discrete on the dash and not worried about gps speed display. Someone mentioned that snooper used to be good, any thoughts?

Thanks

[Watsey]

I use a Road Angel Gem+. The database updates over the air and there's only been an occasional camera that it didn't know about.

Also has options for accident blackspots, schools, congestion charge zone perimeters, average speed zone monitoring etc. Good unit.

[F30Andy]

I use the Snooper 3Zero myself.

[x-m4n]

I have used iPhone apps for many years, specifically CamerAlert - free trial but is a subscription service and from experience they have a great database.

Cyclops is another app that has good reviews but I haven't personally tried it - free trial but also subscription service.

Finally, I sometimes use Waze which is free and has inbuilt alerts, my car has a nav so only really use this app when renting a car for example.

[xenon]

Look no further than Cyclops. Amazing value and with over a million users and instant alerting if there's a temporary camera up ahead the chances are someone before you has pressed the alert button and you'll know about it. It's the modern equivalent of flashing your headlights to oncoming drivers and all the static cameras are in the database too. If only the audio alerts would come through Bluetooth whilst listening to a different source it would be perfect.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Watsey

I use a Road Angel Gem+. The database updates over the air and there's only been an occasional camera that it didn't know about.

Also has options for accident blackspots, schools, congestion charge zone perimeters, average speed zone monitoring etc. Good unit.

+1 for the RA GEM+

I've tried a few alternatives and a stand alone dedicated device has worked best by far for me.

[Alscoob]

Thanks for the replies guys. On the basis that I've had a Road Angel before & it was good, I'll go and check this out first. I would prefer a dedicated unit rather than an app for the phone.

Have you got them hardwired or do you have to get the deluxe version to enable this?

[Sullym6]

Just ordered the 4zero elite cones with free lifetime updates and also has radar and laser detector.
Used the snooper S2 now for years and even though it is 12yrs old it still does a good job.

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by Alscoob

Thanks for the replies guys. On the basis that I've had a Road Angel before & it was good, I'll go and check this out first. I would prefer a dedicated unit rather than an app for the phone.

Have you got them hardwired or do you have to get the deluxe version to enable this?

My one is hardwired in.

[Alscoob]

Sorry, another question.. with a road angel is this a subscription based unit? Did I read correctly that the snooper is non subscription? As the units are similar price what would be the benefit of one over the other?

Thanks

[Sullym6]

The 4zero elite is the one that comes with free lifetime subscriptions, the non elite version is £30 per year.
The databases they both use is different but I would say they are both good but not sure of the finer details

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by F30Andy

My one is hardwired in.

I've also hardwired in to my 335d and Boxster, but not the 330e as it's a company car.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I've also hardwired in to my 335d and Boxster, but not the 330e as it's a company car.

I'm semi-hard.

Concealed the wiring behind the centre console air vents trim, down to the cigarette lighter socket where it's powered from a USB adapter.

[Cilonen]

Cheetah C550.

Had a RoadPilot until RoadAngel bought them out and ended their subscription life. Was offered a Gem+ (at no discount) and massively hiked subs compared to the Pilot, so walked away.

The Cheetah is brilliant, finds GPS rapidly, can be setup for the types of alerts YOU want to receive, and gives all alerts audibly, eg "Red light camera", "Speed camera on overhead gantry, limit 60", etc... so you never have to look at the device to see what it's alerting you to.
It will also notify you if your average speed creeps over the limit in average speed camera areas, and beeps to let you know when you've passed the camera zone (for all types of camera, school zones, etc).

It also reminds you to update it - you do have to plug it into a PC every so often and open the website.

Subs (£34.99 for LIFE) are a fraction of the RoadAngel (£99.99 a YEAR), and you can download databases for other countries.
It can be hardwired if you want.

It's also AutoExpress Best Buy 2016.

https://www.speedcamerasuk.com/cheetah-c550.htm

I got mine from here:
http://www.cheetahgps.co.uk/Cheetah_C550-Black.php

Video of it in action:

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Cilonen

Cheetah C550.

Had a RoadPilot until RoadAngel bought them out and ended their subscription life. Was offered a Gem+ (at no discount) and massively hiked subs compared to the Pilot, so walked away.

The Cheetah is brilliant, finds GPS rapidly, can be setup for the types of alerts YOU want to receive, and gives all alerts audibly, eg "Red light camera", "Speed camera on overhead gantry, limit 60", etc... so you never have to look at the device to see what it's alerting you to.
It will also notify you if your average speed creeps over the limit in average speed camera areas, and beeps to let you know when you've passed the camera zone (for all types of camera, school zones, etc).

It also reminds you to update it - you do have to plug it into a PC every so often and open the website.

Subs (£34.99 for LIFE) are a fraction of the RoadAngel (£99.99 a YEAR), and you can download databases for other countries.
It can be hardwired if you want.

It's also AutoExpress Best Buy 2016.

https://www.speedcamerasuk.com/cheetah-c550.htm

I got mine from here:
http://www.cheetahgps.co.uk/Cheetah_C550-Black.php

Video of it in action:

Looks like a good update from the previous models which had a horrible LCD display.

[JNW1]

Are any of these devices any good for detecting the sort of mobile cameras used in vans? The impression I have is that those cameras have a fairly long range and need only a very short time to get a reading so by the time your detector has bleeped couldn't you have been done already?

I suppose if someone travelling in front of you has been "pinged" your detector might pick-up that signal before you're in range of the camera but that's not much use if the van is on a relatively quiet stretch of road. Where I live that's becoming increasingly common as the approach seems to be one of enforcement on all types of roads and locations rather than just those where there's a safety issue...

[F30Andy]

Originally Posted by JNW1

Are any of these devices any good for detecting the sort of mobile cameras used in vans? The impression I have is that those cameras have a fairly long range and need only a very short time to get a reading so by the time your detector has bleeped couldn't you have been done already?

I suppose if someone travelling in front of you has been "pinged" your detector might pick-up that signal before you're in range of the camera but that's not much use if the van is on a relatively quiet stretch of road. Where I live that's becoming increasingly common as the approach seems to be one of enforcement on all types of roads and locations rather than just those where there's a safety issue...

No.

For those pesky vans you need something that picks up the Tetra signal.

For that I recommend they Python or Blue Eye.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by JNW1

Are any of these devices any good for detecting the sort of mobile cameras used in vans? The impression I have is that those cameras have a fairly long range and need only a very short time to get a reading so by the time your detector has bleeped couldn't you have been done already?

I suppose if someone travelling in front of you has been "pinged" your detector might pick-up that signal before you're in range of the camera but that's not much use if the van is on a relatively quiet stretch of road. Where I live that's becoming increasingly common as the approach seems to be one of enforcement on all types of roads and locations rather than just those where there's a safety issue...

Yes, it tells you about these zones but you can amend the distance away from it that it warns you, which if you set right ensures you're warned sufficiently far in advance. That's saved me a few times no doubt.

[Alscoob]

Cheers all for the help off out shopping this weekend, need to see these things in the flesh so to speak.

[225]

tomtom speed camera app seems to work well and is free

[Watsey]

Been using Cyclops for a few days in free subscription mode., simultaneously with Road Angel Gem.

Quick summary :

Cyclops has the wrong speed limits in several roads. This is poor. Gem only has one error so far.

Cyclops doesn't generally warn of registered mobile camera sites. Gem warns of loads of them.

Cyclops warnings for exceeding the limit in a camera area, even by 1mph, are really annoying therefore distracting. Gem is more subtle.

Both units allow the user to flag live camera sites but it would be much easier to do on the Cyclops if it was legal to touch one's phone (which if course it isn't).

Being an App Cyclops uses the phone screen as a display; very clear. The Gem screen is poor in comparison.

Switching between Apps is not viable nor legal when driving (i.e. if you want to run Google Maps or Waze at the same time), unless it can be done via Siri linked to the voice command button. Gem is a dedicated unit, which I prefer.

On the basis of a few days use, and just this head to head comparison, Gem wins IMO.

[xenon]

I wouldn't expect it to compete with a dedicated unit full-time that costs several hundred quid: Cyclops is only £2.99! Not noticed speed limit errors personally, I'll look out for that. Can't see why you'd want to run navigation simultaneously when the car does that anyway?