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Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: SteveP on 16 August 2008, 21:54

Title: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: SteveP on 16 August 2008, 21:54
After trying the speed camera POI's on my RNS-510 navi for the last month or so and not being fully happy with the results I decided to buy a new toy: -

(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk207/Stevep_010/NewPics/IMG_0530.jpg)

It's the new Road Angel Pro Connected. It's a clever bit of kit which has an orange sim built-in to allow it to self update (good for a mac user like me as most these don't seam to support anything other than PC's) plus it receives details on live mobile camera sites in near real time from other connected users. Also has support of an option laser add-on (either windscreen or front number plate mounted).

I have hardwired an accessory socket near the fuse box, which leads me to my question, for anyone else with a hardwired detector in the MK5, where have you mounted it and where is the power cable routed?
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: CocoPops on 16 August 2008, 21:58
Looks good  :cool:

Was considering one myself.. let us know how you get on with over the next few weeks?
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 16 August 2008, 22:33
....That new RA looks very good! I got fed up with my older Road Angel and it not being Mac-friendly. I've now got the PogoAlert and am very happy with it. It's hardwired in the same place - Directly in line of sight. I rely on it for accurate GPS peed readout as my VW speedo is 13% out at all speeds!

I've posted a review here : - http://biali.ritey.com/forum/index.php?topic=41.0 (http://biali.ritey.com/forum/index.php?topic=41.0)

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/PogoAlert1.jpg)

I had my Road angel in the same position too : -

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/FastAutobahn.jpg)
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: Top Cat on 16 August 2008, 23:32
....That new RA looks very good! I got fed up with my older Road Angel and it not being Mac-friendly. I've now got the PogoAlert and am very happy with it. It's hardwired in the same place - Directly in line of sight. I rely on it for accurate GPS peed readout as my VW speedo is 13% out at all speeds!

I've posted a review here : - http://biali.ritey.com/forum/index.php?topic=41.0 (http://biali.ritey.com/forum/index.php?topic=41.0)

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/PogoAlert1.jpg)

I had my Road angel in the same position too : -

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/FastAutobahn.jpg)


RR you will need a different type of angel if you keep driving the wrong way down a motorway thank christ it was not busy.  :wink:
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 16 August 2008, 23:41
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/FastAutobahn.jpg)

RR you will need a different type of angel if you keep driving the wrong way down a motorway thank christ it was not busy.  :wink:

....Can I have this angel please? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/tomashandmilly/1woman.jpg)
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: Top Cat on 16 August 2008, 23:47
I thought of you the second i sore it, the funny thing is the mrs caught me loading it onto photo bucket and she had only just started talking to me after 2 days of cold shoulder. Never mind good thing's never last  :smug:
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: NewGolf on 17 August 2008, 09:43
I thought of you the second i sore it, the funny thing is the mrs caught me loading it onto photo bucket and she had only just started talking to me after 2 days of cold shoulder. Never mind good thing's never last  :smug:

I nearly peed myself laughing. That was funny! :laugh: You are mad as a box of frogs TC!  :wink:
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: SteveP on 17 August 2008, 19:38
Anyway back to topic please.  :laugh:

Thanks for the details RR, I think the way your one's power cable is routed makes most sense.  :smiley:
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: SteveP on 17 August 2008, 19:41
Looks good  :cool:

Was considering one myself.. let us know how you get on with over the next few weeks?
:smiley:

Will do.

Only negative point I have so far is sometimes on the voice alert it's gets a bit of a stutter when saying the speed limit, but at least they aren't using Tiff Needle's slightly nerdy voice anymore.  :smiley:

Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 17 August 2008, 20:17
....Can I have this angel please? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/tomashandmilly/1woman.jpg)

.... :shocked: Bl00dy yanks have censored the pic! photobucket are such prudes! All it was was a chick baring her arse.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 17 August 2008, 20:18
Back on topic, the square block you see in my pic is the 'aerial' for my Alpine SatNavAudio system.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: p3eps on 18 August 2008, 20:08
Here is my hard wired Micro Road Pilot.  I have connected it to the back of the cig lighter so that theres minimal wiring / cabling.  Its handy for me having it in the ashtray area, as I can simply shut the lid to hide it.  For 'rougher' areas I can remove the detector from its harness.

(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z92/p3eps/IMG_0295.jpg)
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: NEWEY on 18 August 2008, 20:39
i really like the look/sound of this new road angel and am looking to get one myself when my gti comes spetember/october time. you will have to let us know how you get on with it
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 18 August 2008, 21:02
Here is my hard wired Micro Road Pilot.  I have connected it to the back of the cig lighter so that theres minimal wiring / cabling.  Its handy for me having it in the ashtray area, as I can simply shut the lid to hide it.  For 'rougher' areas I can remove the detector from its harness.


....^Sorry but I think that's a really bad place to have any device which you visually refer to.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: SteveP on 18 August 2008, 21:11
Here is my hard wired Micro Road Pilot.  I have connected it to the back of the cig lighter so that theres minimal wiring / cabling.  Its handy for me having it in the ashtray area, as I can simply shut the lid to hide it.  For 'rougher' areas I can remove the detector from its harness.


....^Sorry but I think that's a really bad place to have any device which you visually refer to.

It's a neat install and secure but agree with RR, I would find it distracting to look down at the unit if it was located there.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: p3eps on 19 August 2008, 20:33
....^Sorry but I think that's a really bad place to have any device which you visually refer to.

I don't ever need to look at it.  It does audible tones when there is a camera (if I'm going to fast) and then stops beeping when I'm on or below the speed limit.  If I approach the camera below the limit, it doesn't feel the need to tell me!  I can still hear it with the lid shut, so I don't even really need to open it. 

Personally I'd rather have it hidden down there than on my dash when I need to remove it every time I get out of the car.
Each to their own though....
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 19 August 2008, 21:24
....^Sorry but I think that's a really bad place to have any device which you visually refer to.

I don't ever need to look at it.  It does audible tones when there is a camera (if I'm going to fast) and then stops beeping when I'm on or below the speed limit.  If I approach the camera below the limit, it doesn't feel the need to tell me!  I can still hear it with the lid shut, so I don't even really need to open it. 

Personally I'd rather have it hidden down there than on my dash when I need to remove it every time I get out of the car.
Each to their own though....

....Fair point, p3eps :cool:. My VW speedo is so inaccurate (13%) at all speeds that I need to rely on GPS via my dash mounted PogoAlert in direct sight line (as pic I think I posted earlier).

Very much agree with 'each to their own' :cool:.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: wellzee on 19 August 2008, 23:49
....^Sorry but I think that's a really bad place to have any device which you visually refer to.

I don't ever need to look at it.  It does audible tones when there is a camera (if I'm going to fast) and then stops beeping when I'm on or below the speed limit.  If I approach the camera below the limit, it doesn't feel the need to tell me!  I can still hear it with the lid shut, so I don't even really need to open it. 

Personally I'd rather have it hidden down there than on my dash when I need to remove it every time I get out of the car.
Each to their own though....

....Fair point, p3eps :cool:. My VW speedo is so inaccurate (13%) at all speeds that I need to rely on GPS via my dash mounted PogoAlert in direct sight line (as pic I think I posted earlier).

Very much agree with 'each to their own' :cool:.

Really? 13% out? Is that a normal error margin or is yours just really bad?!
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 19 August 2008, 23:57

Really? 13% out? Is that a normal error margin or is yours just really bad?!

....Not normal at all. VW offered to swap it but it would mean a big job and I couldn't be bothered as they said they couldn't guarantee any accuracy better than 10% which is the legal requirement. When displaying 100 mph on the VW speedo I'm doing 87 mph according to both Road Angel and PgoAlert GPS systems. I much prefer the larger digital speed readout and accuracy anyway.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: wellzee on 20 August 2008, 00:10

....Not normal at all. VW offered to swap it but it would mean a big job and I couldn't be bothered as they said they couldn't guarantee any accuracy better than 10% which is the legal requirement. When displaying 100 mph on the VW speedo I'm doing 87 mph according to both Road Angel and PgoAlert GPS systems. I much prefer the larger digital speed readout and accuracy anyway.

Yeh that does sound like a ballache of a job! Oh well at least you have the digital read outs, need to invest in a road angel myself i think - is that the best one going? Obviously with budget considered...
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: lsc on 20 August 2008, 11:54
I have hard wired my Road Angel compact into the plastic trim on top of the dash just in front of where RR’s Pogo sits. I use a modified multi-pin connector normally used for microphones & PA equipment so that the Road Angel can be removed easily and doesn’t require any other wires to be plugged in. The connector is near invisible when the RA is not connected. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.

I set the Cruise control to a 'speed camera safe' 75mph (using the GPS display on the RA) which equates to a speedo reading of about 82mph, a 9% discrepancy.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: RedRobin on 20 August 2008, 12:04
I have hard wired my Road Angel compact into the plastic trim on top of the dash just in front of where RR’s Pogo sits. I use a modified multi-pin connector normally used for microphones & PA equipment so that the Road Angel can be removed easily and doesn’t require any other wires to be plugged in. The connector is near invisible when the RA is not connected. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.

I set the Cruise control to a 'speed camera safe' 75mph (using the GPS display on the RA) which equates to a speedo reading of about 82mph, a 9% discrepancy.

....Looking forward to the pics :cool:

Good idea to set the Cruise using the more accurate GPS reference. I'm afraid I hate Cruise - I never ever use it. I tried the Speed Warning beeper but it's very disconcerting if you goes off when you are midst an overtake! So now that never gets used either. My VW speedo is 13% inaccurate! - Thank goodness for Speed Camera Detectors and their feature of GPS accurate speed display!
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: lsc on 21 August 2008, 11:28
Here are the pics of my Road Angel Compact installation.

The first pic shows the male end of the multi-pin connector (from Maplins) poking through the plastic trim and bonded from the underside (this replaces the large and unsightly mounting bracket supplied with the Road Angel). A male USB lead is soldered to the back of this connector which then plugs into a 'cigarette lighter' USB power adapter hidden in the dashboard which is hard wired to the dashboard fuse box. Most electrical gadgets these days run off 5volts so this is why I have used the USB power adapter as this converts the cars 12v to 5v.

(http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9175/1-Road-Angel-connector.jpg)

This pic shows the female end of the multi-pin connector which I have fitted to the base of the Road Angel and is internally wired to the circuit board to provide the power.

(http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/681/2-Road-Angel-connector.jpg)

Pics of the Road Angel attached to the dashboard mount and ready to use:

(http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7453/3-Road-Angel.jpg)

 (http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/875/4roadangelqg4.jpg)

This has worked out a lot better than I expected, it’s very easy to attached/detach the RA and is the perfect location to use the GPS speed readout as a heads-up display without having to take your eyes off the road.
Title: Re: Speed Camera Detectors
Post by: SteveP on 21 August 2008, 14:01
Thanks for the pic's, it's a very smart looking install you have there lsc.  :cool: