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Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 16v GLS

Road Angel GPS	Laser Blinder

Product Test of Edequip Speedtrap Detectors DT1

Test date, 6-6-2002. Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 GLS

The DT1 is a new development consisting of a Black Spot Road Angel and a Laser Blinder as a combined unit, the only supplier of this unique device is Edequip Speedtrap Detectors.

The dashboard part of the unit is black and lies flat on the dashboard with an LCD panel for the information display, there are 3 buttons, which provide access and control to the functions on the unit. These are marked Delete and Store, the third isn't marked but is the Menu button. A quick read of the instructions and a quick play with the buttons was really all that was needed to become familiar with the operation of the menu and the set-up procedure.

You are able to view or alter the following parameters for road use. Speed display (in MPH or KPH). Volume (mute, single beep alert or rising volume alert). Warning distance (can be set to 250m, 500m, or 1000m). SDS or speed distance setting (increases the advanced warning as the speed increases). SAT (this displays the amount of satellites in view by the device). Mute (pressing the menu button when in range of a danger zone will mute the device).

2 other functions are GPS, and DL9.
GPS is switchable between on or off and is used to allow the download of blackspot data or for the output of GPS data for Autoroute type programs. DL9 is to set the Road Angel to dial 9.

We set the following parameters, speed was set as MPH, volume set to rising alert, distance set to 500 metres.

This is the first device that contains actual accident blackspots as opposed to only speedtrap locations, which the Government tell us are erected only in accident blackspots.

The unit was first tested in the Runcorn and Warrington area from the M56 over to the M62 via the Weston Point Expressway (A557), this area is renowned as one of the worst blackspot areas in the UK and in the past has come high on the list, it is now fitted with Gatso cameras and safety barriers etc. to help to reduce the amount of accidents. Accidents in the past have included vehicles leaving the left carriageway and crashing into oncoming traffic head on. So the test included accident blackspots, radar operated Gatso cameras and a Laser 500 laser speed gun.
Within a few minutes of exiting the M56 at Junction 12 the Road Angel started to give a warning of an accident area with the "Blackspot" word lighting up and the display turning red and giving an increasing beeping tone. We exited the dual carriageway and the warning subsided. Coming back onto the dual carriageway in the other direction again we started to get the Blackspot warning, then while travelling further the "Fixed" warning symbol lit up and alternated between Blackspot and Fixed pretty soon the Gatso camera came into view. Nice to see this one painted fluorescent green. Clearly with the amount of accidents in this area these ones are meant as deterrents.

It was time now to test the laser detection/jamming ability of the DT1.
We found a quiet road where we had a good stretch of unobstructed view and set up the Laser gun, while the car drove away we tested the gun for a receding vehicle and it gave us a reading of 28mph. We then tested the laser speed gun reading for an oncoming vehicle with none of the devices powered up. This was done while travelling at a speedometer reading of 25mph and then again at 40mph. The gun had no problems acquiring 2 readings of 23mph and 38mph so the gun test we concluded was OK it also told us that the car speedo was within the manufacturers tolerance.
The car was again driven away a suitable distance and then the DT1 was switched on, the Road Angel went through it's start up test and within about a minute had acquired the satellites. The car was driven towards the laser gun at an indicated 25mph, the Mobile indicator on the display of the Road Angel lit up and the beeper started beeping, giving us an immediate warning of the mobile speedtrap. The laser gun could not get a reading, simply displaying dashes as the speed reading. The same results occurred at an indicated 40mph.

Laser warning/diffusing tested, the car was then driven over to the M62 for testing of the SPECS camera indication, in this area the M62 has road works with sets of SPECS cameras in both directions. The "Average" indicator on the LCD panel lit up with the accompanying beeps indicating that an average speed type speed trap was being approached and sure enough there was the first of the SPECS cameras, when we had gone past the camera the unit continued to give us intermittent warnings showing that we where still in the SPECS speedtrap, this lasted until the second camera came up and was passed then it promptly went quiet.

While travelling down the M1 the DT1 came into it's own again with numerous readings of accident blackspots, it tends to make you check the driving and road conditions a bit more when it is warning you of a blackspot so we are sure that it will help to reduce your risk of accidents. The unit has also been tested recently with an LTi 2020 laser gun with the same results as with the Laser 500, except the display was reading E. 01. On this same day we drove it past some Truvelo cameras and got a "Fixed" warning on the display.

A sobering thought. While travelling from the M1 over Snake Pass along the A628 the DT1 gave various warnings of blackspots as you might expect along this hazardous stretch of road. Somewhere between Tintwistle and Hollingworth we got a blackspot warning, as normal the warning built to a rapid set of beeps and then it went off, looking over to the right hand side of the road there where a number of wreaths and bouqets hung on a fence. The Road Angel really does it's job.

We have also tested the DT1 with a serving officer, here is the story from the officer.

"here are the results

OK. The unit is the Pro-laser mobile unit, currently used by West Yorkshire Police.

We tried a few runs, mainly on a long straight road, and used a Road Angel, connected up to the laser diffuser (which was mounted in the grill under the reg plate of the Vectra we used to test it).

Basically, we attempted to lock onto the car as soon as it came into view, however found difficulty until it reached within approximately 200-300 feet, when a lock was made, despite the diffuser.

"This is bad" I hear you cry!

No its not. Other cars could be locked onto in less than a second, even at distances approaching 1000 feet.

Here's a video showing the lock on another car. The intermittent beep is the unit trying to lock on. As soon as it turns into a continuous beep, the speed has been registered. (which is very, very quick in this case.)

The Vectra had about 8 seconds before a speed could be locked. Plenty of time to adjust accordingly.

As I have said. I've not cancelled my order

"One final note, it was apparent that it is crucial where these are sited on the car. We've come to the conclusion that they need to be slightly above the reg plate somehow, at a reasonable distance apart."