| Q: |
Are sat nav and speed camera detectors easy to install and are they transferable from vehicle to vehicle? |
| A: |
All Snooper sat nav and speed camera detectors are very simple to fit. They come with a windscreen bracket to attach the unit to the inside of the screen and normally power or charge from the cigarette lighter socket. Snooper sat nav products can also be mounted on car specific air vent and consol brackets if you would prefer a more 'professional' installation. Even when mounted in this way though they can still be removed from your vehicle and transferred easily if necessary.
Both sat nav and speed camera detectors are completely portable and can be easily transferred between vehicles. |
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| Q: |
Do Snooper sat nav systems detect laser? |
| A: |
Unfortunately due to impending changes in the law our sat nav systems do NOT have
the ability to detect laser, however Snooper sat nav systems will include many mobile sites within
the database. These sites will be where the Police often user mobile laser guns or vans and although
there may not always be a laser trap at this point the alert informs you that there is a high risk
that one could be there. |
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| Q: |
How up to date are the maps? |
| A: |
We ensure that whatever unit you buy it has the latest map version available so
that you are not faced with the prospect of having to update it shortly after making your purchase. |
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| Q: |
What accessories are included? |
| A: |
All units come with a suction cup bracket to mount the unit to the windscreen and
a power cable to connect it to your vehicles cigarette lighter socket. There is also normally a
USB cable to enable you to connect it to a PC to update it and most sat nav systems will come with
a carry case to protect it when not in use. |
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| Q: |
Do I have to put the maps on to the device myself? |
| A: |
No, the maps are normally preloaded on to the device itself or on to a small SD
card that comes with the unit. |
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| Q: |
How long does the battery last on a sat nav system? |
| A: |
The battery on most sat nav systems normally lasts around 3-4 hrs during normal
use. |
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| Q: |
Do sat nav units have voice prompts and alerts?? |
| A: |
All sat nav systems now have voice alerts and prompts as well as on screen instructions
to direct you to your destination. |
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| Q: |
Where is the best position to mount my Snooper? |
| A: |
The best position to mount your Snooper is about 10cm up from the base of the windscreen
at the centre of the dashboard, using the suction cup bracket provided. However bear in mind that
there is probably only about 10% difference between the best position in the windscreen and the
worst. No matter what mounting method you use simply ensure that your Snooper is in as horizontal
position as possible and has a clear view through the window of the road ahead. Pay particular attention
to ensuring that the unit is not sitting directly behind the windscreen wipers. |
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| Q: |
Are Snooper GPS Alert Systems easy to install? |
| A: |
GPS Safety Camera Alert Systems are designed for quick and easy installation. All
devices can be plugged simply into the cigar lighter but can also be connected directly to the vehicle
with the hard wire lead provided.
The unit itself can then normally be velcroed into position on the dashboard or attached to the windscreen
with the suction cup bracket provided. No professional installation is required and the unit can be
moved easily from car to car. |
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| Q: |
Are Snoopers Legal? |
| A: |
SNOOPER Legality Confirmed... Due to recent Press coverage of the proposed 'Road
Safety Bill' many customers are Concerned about the current legal situation as well as any proposed
legislation seeking to ban Snoopers.
We can confirm however that GPS Camera locators are not under
review in the proposed bill and have written evidence from the Department for Transport to that
effect.
The Government understand and fully accept the safety benefits of GPS based safety systems. Products
like the Snooper S4 and S3 warn of danger areas, advising users to reduce speed and be aware of the
potential hazard ahead, supporting perfectly what safety cameras aim to achieve.
Direct from the Department
for Transport (dft.gov.uk) There is no difficulty with drivers carrying in their vehicles devices that
inform them of the location of fixed safety cameras and cameras operating from mobile units.
These have
the same intention as the signing, visibility and conspicuity rules that form part of the financial
scheme under which most cameras are placed. These devices operate currently under Global Positional
Systems (GPS). They work by keeping the position of cameras up to date on a computer and identifying
where they are in relation to a vehicle by use of a satellite.
There is no intention to ban these. |
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| Q: |
How do GPS and Laser detectors work? |
| A: |
The GPS Safety Camera Alert System locks on to satellites orbiting the globe.
Via a GPS receiver the Safety Camera Alert System compares the exact position of the device and compares
it with a database of GPS co-ordinates for speed camera locations and accident black spots.
The
device checks the vehicles exact position every second. This state of the art technology also
offers the user many additional features, including the exact camera type, range and even the
road speed limit.
Most systems offer an array of other features to allow the user to customise
their unit. Further to this all Snooper GPS camera detection systems include built-in laser
sensors so can detect mobile laser speed traps as well. |
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| Q: |
Instead of 'beeping' my Snooper now makes a 'clicking' noise when it detects
radar? |
| A: |
This means that you have turned the Auto Mute function on. When this setting is
on your Snooper will beep 3 or 4 times when it first detects a radar source and will then emit a
muted clicking sound.
Use the Mute button to turn this function on and off whilst the Snooper is
not detecting any radar. For further information review the Auto Mute section in your owners manual. |
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| Q: |
How does Radar Work? |
| A: |
How does radar work? Police radar transceivers, including Gatso cameras and Radar
guns, operate by sending out radio signals at a set frequency which are reflected by the target
vehicle.
The reflected signal's frequency is shifted in direct proportion to the vehicle's speed
and this shift is used by the transceiver to calculate the vehicles exact speed. How do detectors
detect radar? A radar signal is conical in shape much like a torch beam. At 200 yards, the normal
operating range of a radar gun, the signal can be as wide as a dual carriageway. most of the signal
therefore, goes past the target and on up the road reflecting off trees and houses etc eventually
becoming 'radar scatter'.
Snoopers are extremely sensitive radio receivers tuned to these frequencies
and can detect very small particles of 'radar scatter' at up to 2 miles in some cases. Are Radar
Detectors Legal? Following an Appeal Court ruling in January 1998 we have been advised that it is
completely legal to own and use a Snooper Safety Alert System in the UK. It is illegal in France
and Belgium and we strongly recommend that you check local legislation before using this product
outside of the UK.
How can you detect a Gatso camera? Although Gatso cameras face away from the traffic
and operate at very low power they still emit 'radar scatter' which can be detected by a Snooper,
albeit at a much reduced range. As Gatso cameras are positioned in known accident 'Hotspots' advanced
warning from a radar detector can ensure that you are concentrating fully through a potentially
hazardous area. How effective are radar detectors?
Our range of radar detectors can be highly effective
as they have been designed specifically for use in the UK and Europe to detect most speed monitoring
systems currently using a radar or laser beam to determine your speed, effectively ensuring that
you are fully aware of both your speed and your surroundings. And now the introduction of GPS technology
on some of the more sophisticated safety warning systems ensures that you can be made alert of more
police speed monitoring systems than ever before. |
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| Q: |
Is there a subscription fee for downloading the speed camera database? |
| A: |
Some sat nav systems offer free camera databases and updates, but the content of
these databases is not as accurate. The data provided is not professionally managed or verified.
This means that it will not be accurate and will miss some cameras, it will also mean that it is
not updated on a regular basis.
At Snooper we are fanatical about the accuracy of our database and
as a result it is has become the most comprehensive database with cover stretching across all of
Western Europe. We charge a small subscriptio fee our camera updates, but our databases are far
more comprehensive, include mobile sites as well as fixed sites and are updated daily to ensure
they are always up to date. If you really value your license though you will realise it is a small
price to pay for total protection. Anything less than 100% is simply not enough. |
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| Q: |
Where do sat navs power from? |
| A: |
Speed camera detectors and sat nav systems will power straight from the cigarette
lighter socket or can be wired directly to the carÕs electrical system if you donÕt
want to have them plugged in. Most sat navs have an in-built rechargeable battery so do not need
to be connected to the vehicle at all, although they can be charged from the cigarette lighter socket
when necessary. |
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| Q: |
What is the
best protection I can get? |
| A: |
The Snooper LYNX is our top of the range system, Snooper 3ZERO and MY-SPEED models are all equally as good. The best detector would depend on whether you want a speaking portable unit which updates via a PC (3ZERO and MY-SPEED Aura models) or a speaking portable unit with live updates on the move (LYNX). Or for all round Speedtrap protection together with Satellite Navigation we recommend our Snooper S7000 Range, Snooper S2000N Range, Snooper Proline 2000N, Snooper Syrius S600 Plus, Snooper Syrius, Snooper Indago or Snooper Strabo as the answer. |
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| Q: |
Which Detector do you recommend? |
| A: |
The ultimate detection system in our range is currently the Snooper 3ZERO, it has 3 in 1 all round protection. This model is state-of-the-art and excellent value. With built in direct Laser and Radar detection, Fixed or Mobile you won't miss a camera. |
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| Q: |
What are Laser Diffusers? |
| A: |
These units are installed
behind the front grille, they emit a constant transmission
that will diffuse any laser beam directed at you
making it impossible to get a speed reading on any
laser gun. The unit gives an audible warning so
you know when you are being targeted. These can
be considered to be perverting the course of justice
and although nobody has yet been prosecuted for
using one of these the legality of these units is
a grey area. |
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| Q: |
Are radar detectors and
GPS systems easy to fit? |
| A: |
Yes it's simply a matter
of fitting to the windscreen or dashboard using
the mounting kit provided (No drilling required).
Then simply plug the power cord into the cigarette
lighter and away you go. As the devices are portable
they can be stored in the glove box out of sight
when not in use. |
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| Q: |
Is there anything radar
detectors don't detect? |
| A: |
Radar detectors are not able to detect Specs/Truvelo systems. These systems use two cameras around 250 metres apart that photograph your number plate. Their numbers are few and as long as you are aware they shouldn't cause a major problem. They are detectable by the GPS Systems such as the Snooper Sapphire, Snooper Lynx and Snooper combined sat nav systems. |
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| Q: |
What is a mini Gatso? |
| A: |
They are the mobile cameras
you often find at roadwork's. These cameras are
tripod mounted. They operate on the 5th KU Band
these are not very common. |
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| Q: |
What is the Truvelo system? |
| A: |
This is easy to spot because
it's a forward facing camera with pressure strips
across the road in front of it. The time and distance
of a vehicle's wheels passing over these strips
are measured to calculate speed and a photo is then
taken if you are considered to be over the speed
limit. Like the SPECS system the photo is taken
using infra red so you do not see a flash. These
are only detected by GPS Systems. |
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| Q: |
What is laser? |
| A: |
Laser guns project an infrared
beam which again is reflected by the target vehicle.
By timing those reflections the laser can determine
the target's speed. Laser beams although smaller
than radar, are also conical and scatter in the
same way. Laser scatter can travel many miles and
can still be detected by a radar detector's infrared
system. Both Radar detectors and GPS System have
a laser detector built in. |
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| Q: |
What is SPECS - SVDD? |
| A: |
A SPECS is a system based
on state of the art digital cameras with number
plate recognition. Its referred to as a Speed Violation
Detection Deterrent, SVDD. The SPECS system comprises
of 2 digital cameras that are at a set distance
apart, your numberplate is photographed as you pass
each one and your speed between the 2 is calculated.
Each of the cameras has infra red beams either side
so you don't see the traditional flash as you are
caught. These cameras are set at least 200 metres
giving you some chance to slow down as long as you
see one of them. As you pass they both take a picture
and are digitally time stamped. The system calculates
the time between these 2 photographs against the
distance they are programmed apart and if your photos
are timed too close together it knows you were speeding
between the two points. These can be detected by
the S3, S4 and S6 GPS detectors only. |
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| Q: |
How effective are radar
detectors? |
| A: |
Radar detectors are highly
effective. But don't believe us! They have been
independently tested and here are some quotes. GPS
Systems however are more advanced and offer better
all round protection.
"SD7I5i. Able to detect
radar at 3741 feet, very similar to SD815iS. Very
capable with guns. Gatso cameras. more range than
others in its stable. SD81Si. Radar picked up at
beyond visible range point. Excellent"
Fast Car
"Snooper picked up the
radar and beeped it's alert as soon as we'd rounded
the bend. The results off the laser were exactly
the same."
Revs |
