1 Are sat nav and speed camera detectors easy to install and are they transferable from vehicle to vehicle?

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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2 Do Snooper sat nav systems detect laser?

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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3 How up to date are the maps?

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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4 What accessories are included?

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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5 Do I have to put the maps on to the device myself?

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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6 How long does the battery last on a sat nav system?

The battery on most sat nav systems normally lasts around 3-4 hrs during normal use.

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7 Do sat nav units have voice prompts and alerts?

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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8 Where is the best position to mount my Snooper?

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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9 Are Snooper GPS Alert Systems easy to install?

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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10 Are Snoopers Legal?

ARE SNOOPERS LEGAL? 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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11 Do GPS Alert Systems work in vehicles with 'Heat Reflective' windscreens?

Vehicles with 'Heat Reflective' screens, such as some newer Renault, Citroen and Peugeot cars, can prevent the GPS receiver from receiving GPS signal.

If your vehicle has this type of windscreen you may need to purchase an extension re-radiating antenna to enable your detector to pick up GPS signal.

Please note that 'Heated' screens as found on the Ford Mondeo will not prevent GPS signal. On many vehicles you may also find that the UV covering does not completely cover the screen.

Sometimes the area immediately in front of the rear view mirror is suitable, whilst some Renault cars have a clear area 4 or 5 inches above the dashboard in the centre of the screen.

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12 How do GPS and Laser detectors work?

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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13 Instead of 'beeping' my Snooper now makes a 'clicking' noise when it detects radar?

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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14 How does Radar Work?

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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15 Is there a subscription fee for downloading the speed camera database?

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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16 Where do sat navs power from?

Speed camera detectors and sat nav systems will power straight from the cigarette lighter socket or can be wired directly to the car’s electrical system if you don’t 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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