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Snooper S4, Origin B2 or Road Angel (New)

3K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  Golfgirl 
#1 ·
After my recent prize of 3 points, want to get one of these.

But which is best? All have laser detectors, digital aswell as fixed. But range from ?190 - ?299. Would rather just get the best for the job.

Any comments? Answers on a postcard (or just in a post on the forum) would be lovely!
 
#3 ·
road angel all the way every time.

i have had 2 snoopers and a road angel.

these days the snooper seems to take quite a while to find satalites, road angel is much faster.

also road angel is one wire, where as snooper has 3!!!

and the road angel has the rear detector, which saved my bacon once [:D]
 
#4 ·
I've had a New Road Angel and a B2 Solo. Actually had the road angel first and swapped it for the B2 because of the display. At night, the back light on the road angel overpowers the LCD and you have to look really hard to read all the info. B2 has adjustable contrast, but I understand the LCD issue on the road angel has been rectified on the wireless one (Road Angel Plus).

My B2 is fitted on top of the front console ashtray, so cannot be seen easily by passers by. I have a remote GPS antenna which sits in the middle of the dash behind the sunlight sensor. I've wired mine in as I don't plan on selling my car. I've never had any real problems, but if you do have a query, the Origin staff are a bunch of snotty buggers!

Updates are simple, and the B2 is much easier to hide away as it's pretty small. The B2 is also very user configurable, and if you take advantage of all these options, you'll be really happy with it in the long run cause it does exactly what you want it to.

Another good selling point - some busy bodies are trying to make detectors using laser detection illegal. If you buy a unit with integrated laser detection, this would render it illegal should the bill be passed. With the B2, just unplug it!!! You unit remains legal.

If you want a pic of my super neat installation just ask.

Hope this helps.
 
#5 ·
If you want a pic of my super neat installation just ask.
i bet my road angel install is better [:p] [;)] hehe

bytheway you can switch the laser detection off on the road angel also making it legal, so i read.
 
#6 ·
Like I said I use a Snooper Evolution and it's picked up everything fine so far. They use to have laser detection but mine is a newer one that doesn't. When I asked Snooper they said it's because it is/becoming illegal. What it does do instead is tell you of a lot of "High-Risk Zones" of where the police might sit to laser people. It has worked as it warned me of a zone and as I reached the zone a traffic cop was just parking up there for the afternoon.

I'm not too worried about laser detection as it would only tell you when you've been hit and that you can expect a letter.

As my Evo covers all fixed cameras (does Europe aswell) I really fancy one of these.

http://www.laserprotector.com/

And here's the review for it (http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/laserpropark.htm).

Good luck!
 
#7 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
 
#8 ·
Another good selling point - some busy bodies are trying to make detectors using laser detection illegal. If you buy a unit with integrated laser detection, this would render it illegal should the bill be passed. With the B2, just unplug it!!! You unit remains legal.
Road Angel say they will issue a software update that renders the laser detector portion inactive should the law change.
 
#9 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
This one is a "parking sensor" that actually functions as a parking sensor IIRC. When it detects another "random" laser signal, i.e. police it will jam it for 5 seconds then turn itself off so they can still get a reading, by which point if you have some sort of sense you will be doing the speed limit.
 
#10 ·
Sounds fair enough, although I understood that if it was integral it was illegal. how do you convince a plod at a routine stop that it doesn't pick up his mates laser gun.

I think the Road Angel and Snooper have released some really nice units lately. Much better than the early radar detectors.

If they can guarantee that they have a way of keeping the unit legal, and it works then great. [Y]
 
#11 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
This one is a "parking sensor" that actually functions as a parking sensor IIRC. When it detects another "random" laser signal, i.e. police it will jam it for 5 seconds then turn itself off so they can still get a reading, by which point if you have some sort of sense you will be doing the speed limit.
Sounds fair enough, although I understood that if it was integral it was illegal. how do you convince a plod at a routine stop that it doesn't pick up his mates laser gun.

I think the Road Angel and Snooper have released some really nice units lately. Much better than the early radar detectors.

If they can guarantee that they have a way of keeping the unit legal, and it works then great.
There is a difference between passive laser detection and jamming a laser signal. The main difference is 2 years in jail for the latter for perverting the course of justice.
 
#12 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
I didn't know that.

Am I right in thinking though that if you hear the laser warning and harshly brake (being dangerous but who gives two hoots, speeding is 10x worse) they wouldnt get a true reading? Don't they have to record your speed over a certain distance (which is why Im confused really over my NIP). I know police do, they have to follow you over a certain distance before they can do you. Suppose the scamera vans are exempt from this ruling too?
 
#13 ·
As far as i'm aware, a laser gun gives an instant reading. It measures the time that the beam takes to hit your car, then come back and calculates it that way. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

By the time you've heard the warning, you've been done anyway.
 
#14 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
This one is a "parking sensor" that actually functions as a parking sensor IIRC. When it detects another "random" laser signal, i.e. police it will jam it for 5 seconds then turn itself off so they can still get a reading, by which point if you have some sort of sense you will be doing the speed limit.
Sounds fair enough, although I understood that if it was integral it was illegal. how do you convince a plod at a routine stop that it doesn't pick up his mates laser gun.

I think the Road Angel and Snooper have released some really nice units lately. Much better than the early radar detectors.

If they can guarantee that they have a way of keeping the unit legal, and it works then great.
Yes
There is a difference between passive laser detection and jamming a laser signal. The main difference is 2 years in jail for the latter for perverting the course of justice.
But it's sold as a parking sensor aswell, so surely if you said it was there as a parking sensor and didn't realise it interefered then there is not a lot they could do? Besides it let's them take a reading after 5 seconds which is plenty time for both sides.
 
#15 ·
Laser protectors are a waste of time. If they pick up that the Police have a scamera pointed on you, all it will do is tell you to expect a notice of intended prosection.

I have a Road Angel, but if I was buying new now, I would probably go for some sort of satnav with scamera locations.
This one is a "parking sensor" that actually functions as a parking sensor IIRC. When it detects another "random" laser signal, i.e. police it will jam it for 5 seconds then turn itself off so they can still get a reading, by which point if you have some sort of sense you will be doing the speed limit.
Sounds fair enough, although I understood that if it was integral it was illegal. how do you convince a plod at a routine stop that it doesn't pick up his mates laser gun.

I think the Road Angel and Snooper have released some really nice units lately. Much better than the early radar detectors.

If they can guarantee that they have a way of keeping the unit legal, and it works then great.
There is a difference between passive laser detection and jamming a laser signal. The main difference is 2 years in jail for the latter for perverting the course of justice.
But it's sold as a parking sensor aswell, so surely if you said it was there as a parking sensor and didn't realise it interefered then there is not a lot they could do? Besides it let's them take a reading after 5 seconds which is plenty time for both sides.
Easy to convince me. Doubt it would be so easy to convince a judge in a court room.....
 
#17 ·
As far as i'm aware, a laser gun gives an instant reading. It measures the time that the beam takes to hit your car, then come back and calculates it that way. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

By the time you've heard the warning, you've been done anyway.
Exactly.. I say this every time this "ooh that'd be great" factor comes up. Unless you're going to jam the laser (highly dubious see above posts) it's pointless. By the time you've even REACTED to go for the brake, they're printing your NIP to send you. Laser is virtually instantaneous (speed of light, anyone?) so in my opinion laser detection is pointless.

I do have a Road Angel 2 though (not the cordless one) and I swear by it - good bit of kit, it's only ever misssed 2 cameras, one was brand new, and god knows why the other wasn't in it - although it was pointles anyway as it was physically impossible to go over 12mph [;)]

None of them are perfect - they're there to help you out, not to guarantee your licence [:)]

C
 
#18 ·
If i am right, they need to get 2 or more speed readings from you with the laser gun and take the average of the two. If this is the case a detector will give you more of a chance if you are quick enough to brake on the first warning.

I use a Snooper S6R and am well chuffed with it. The GPS side of it is great for all the fixed stuff and the separate laser and radar detector (mounted behind the centre grill on my bumper) gives you at least a slight chance in dodging the mobile stuff.

Soon after I first got it I think it saved me (in a works car). I was rounding a bend on the dual carriageway (at 90mph) and the laser alert went so I immediatey slowed up. As I rounded the bend there was a copper set up on top of a bridge with a laser gun. I wonder if he was trying to get me through the trees as I was coming around the bend before I could see him?
 
#19 ·
Yeah that's true, I'm not arguing just saying [:)]

http://www.nescamp.co.uk/sites.htm We get that for our area which does the job. I don't really speed but at least I'm more aware etc
Of course you know that those scum bags often sit in areas not noted on that website. I regularly see them sitting in and around Aberdeen and the shire in areas not on their web page, and often without the signs up to give some form of warning (which they normally place around about the point they will have caught you anyway).

For example, I can't ever recall having seen 1 accident on the dual carraigeway at the Bridge of Dee on the dual carraigeway heading south for Dundee just before the 70mph limit from the 40mph limit. However, the scamera van regularly sits on the northbound carraigeway illegally catching cars speeding up from 40mph to 70mph on the southbound carraigeway and there is never ever a sign up to warn people and the normal speed camera signs do not start until after that point.
 
#20 ·
If i am right, they need to get 2 or more speed readings from you with the laser gun and take the average of the two. If this is the case a detector will give you more of a chance if you are quick enough to brake on the first warning.

I use a Snooper S6R and am well chuffed with it. The GPS side of it is great for all the fixed stuff and the separate laser and radar detector (mounted behind the centre grill on my bumper) gives you at least a slight chance in dodging the mobile stuff.

Soon after I first got it I think it saved me (in a works car). I was rounding a bend on the dual carriageway (at 90mph) and the laser alert went so I immediatey slowed up. As I rounded the bend there was a copper set up on top of a bridge with a laser gun. I wonder if he was trying to get me through the trees as I was coming around the bend before I could see him?
correct about the 2 reading me thinks

and the S6R is what i have, works well, apart from takes a while to connect to satellites sometimes, do you have this problem ever?
 
#21 ·
Yeah that's true, I'm not arguing just saying [:)]

http://www.nescamp.co.uk/sites.htm We get that for our area which does the job. I don't really speed but at least I'm more aware etc
Of course you know that those scum bags often sit in areas not noted on that website. I regularly see them sitting in and around Aberdeen and the shire in areas not on their web page, and often without the signs up to give some form of warning (which they normally place around about the point they will have caught you anyway).

For example, I can't ever recall having seen 1 accident on the dual carraigeway at the Bridge of Dee on the dual carraigeway heading south for Dundee just before the 70mph limit from the 40mph limit. However, the scamera van regularly sits on the northbound carraigeway illegally catching cars speeding up from 40mph to 70mph on the southbound carraigeway and there is never ever a sign up to warn people and the normal speed camera signs do not start until after that point.
Yeah I know that aswell but as I said I don't speed that often so laser vans isn't something I worry about when I drive. I know exactly what you mean about the A90 though!
 
#22 ·
correct about the 2 reading me thinks

and the S6R is what i have, works well, apart from takes a while to connect to satellites sometimes, do you have this problem ever?
Yeah I find if its a 'cold' startup it can take a while and varies from day to day, maybe due to the weather?

Most of the time I am in a familiar area anyway so if the GPS takes a while to connect its not a problem as I know where all the fixed devices are. If I'm in an unfamiliar area then I just plug it in for a while with the car stationary so it can connect before I move off. Either way the laser and radar part still works from as soon as you turn it on.

When I park up at work I leave it plugged in but turned off and as its hard wired to a permanant live it stays connected to the satellites. This helps as when I turn it back on it has a full signal.

Apparantly the newer version of the S6R has a better GPS engine and doesn't suffer from this.
 
#26 ·
Got my B2 situated just above the heater vent in the right hand corner. Makes running the wires very easy and is also in clear view.
That's where I had mine. Now it's on the front ashtray with a remote antenna by the sunlight sensor on the dash. Really discreet. Golf dashs are a piece of cake to take to bits too which makes it easier.
 
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