Published: Sunday, July 18, 2010
GPS warns of red-light cameras, but database isn’t reliable
Product: GPS Angel, a red-light and speed camera detector.
Features: Using GPS satellites, this 2.5-inch dashboard disk alerts the driver when approaching a red-light camera or speed camera logged in its database. It gives the driver about 15 seconds to 20 seconds of warning before approaching the light, and will flash differently depending on what type of camera it is. It uses a car charger or can use a $30 wireless rechargeable battery case.
Price: $99, or $129 with rechargeable battery case.
Ups: The database of cameras is free to update, and it’s easy to use. The software allows you to customize how far in advance you get a warning about approaching a light. By default, it accounts for your current speed and gives about 15 seconds of warning, but that can be increased or decreased. Clicking a button on the device lets you mark a location for future alerts. It also can be set to go off when you exceed a set speed.
Downs: Because the data on where a camera is comes from users, it’s not reliable. It didn’t detect multiple red-light cameras in the greater Miami area. For two cameras that it did know about, it had the wrong information on file. For example, it would make the flash for a speed camera when it should have made the flash for a red-light camera, probably because some user entered in the data incorrectly.
Bottom line: Every city may be different. But it didn’t warn me for most of the red-light cameras in my area, and to me, the device isn’t worth the price if I can’t count on it to be useful. It will take dedicated users to take the time to submit correct data on red-light cameras they already know about. But until then, at least it could help you avoid getting a ticket for some of the time.
Features: Using GPS satellites, this 2.5-inch dashboard disk alerts the driver when approaching a red-light camera or speed camera logged in its database. It gives the driver about 15 seconds to 20 seconds of warning before approaching the light, and will flash differently depending on what type of camera it is. It uses a car charger or can use a $30 wireless rechargeable battery case.
Price: $99, or $129 with rechargeable battery case.
Ups: The database of cameras is free to update, and it’s easy to use. The software allows you to customize how far in advance you get a warning about approaching a light. By default, it accounts for your current speed and gives about 15 seconds of warning, but that can be increased or decreased. Clicking a button on the device lets you mark a location for future alerts. It also can be set to go off when you exceed a set speed.
Downs: Because the data on where a camera is comes from users, it’s not reliable. It didn’t detect multiple red-light cameras in the greater Miami area. For two cameras that it did know about, it had the wrong information on file. For example, it would make the flash for a speed camera when it should have made the flash for a red-light camera, probably because some user entered in the data incorrectly.
Bottom line: Every city may be different. But it didn’t warn me for most of the red-light cameras in my area, and to me, the device isn’t worth the price if I can’t count on it to be useful. It will take dedicated users to take the time to submit correct data on red-light cameras they already know about. But until then, at least it could help you avoid getting a ticket for some of the time.
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