Photo radar vans

[Cooked Rice]

Anyone know how the photo radar vans in this city work? Are they rear radar gunning w/ a camera in front, or they a front mount radar gun w/ a front camera?

I usually can spot them when coming up behind one on the road usually due to their odd placement, and the black sticker on the plate and slow down. Curious cause I got pinched a couple weeks ago doing 119 on deerfoot :banghead: on my way home from the beyond meet, so wondering if anyone knew how these vans were set up?

[Unknown303]

They catch you speeding and take a picture.:dunno:


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

But seriously I'm not sure but I thought all the equipment was set in a forward direction so they only catch you if you are speeding past and beyond them.

There's on in the school zone by my place almost every morning and in the winter when you uses the flash it wakes me up. :banghead:

[Troll-ol]

I thought they are facing forward so if you do spot it in time you can slow down

[BlackArcher101]

Photo has to catch you in the act I believe (may be wrong), so speed measurement is taken at the time of the photo, ie forward facing.

[tehwegz]

Idk but I've been running in to a van in my neighbourhood, possibly because its easy to catch people as it changes from 50 to 30 quite a bit and everyone just does 40-50.

It really pisses me off. I'm tempted to do a drive buy with a dozen eggs. or a mini uzi.

I could be mistaken though, it could be a pedophile. You never know with these tinted vans that have cameras in them. In that case I would gladly spray the ****er with shells.

/rage

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

I'm just curious how much a 19km/h photo radar ticket is.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by tehwegz

It really pisses me off. I'm tempted to do a drive buy with a dozen eggs. or a mini uzi.


Why? That's about as stupid as this one guy I saw - he slowed down beside a photoradar van on glenmore (by chinook), started blowing his horn and flipping the guy off, then took off. WTF?

Is it that hard to stick w/ doing no more than 9 over the limit? Or, if you see a van parked on the side of the road, slowing down to the speed limit?

[sr20s14zenki]

Originally posted by M.alex


Why? That's about as stupid as this one guy I saw - he slowed down beside a photoradar van on glenmore (by chinook), started blowing his horn and flipping the guy off, then took off. WTF?

Is it that hard to stick w/ doing no more than 9 over the limit? Or, if you see a van parked on the side of the road, slowing down to the speed limit?

QFT, when i see ANY vehicle pulled over on deerfoot i slow down. Those fuckers are sneaky. Saw a guy radaring from a 3.2 TL on macleod, far south by marquis of lorne.

:guns:

It would be nice to snipe the mounted cams for the speed on green and such tho... :D

[Cos]

Originally posted by tehwegz
Idk but I've been running in to a van in my neighbourhood, possibly because its easy to catch people as it changes from 50 to 30 quite a bit and everyone just does 40-50.

It really pisses me off. I'm tempted to do a drive buy with a dozen eggs. or a mini uzi.

I could be mistaken though, it could be a pedophile. You never know with these tinted vans that have cameras in them. In that case I would gladly spray the ****er with shells.

/rage boo freaking hooo you have to drive playground zone speed with fucking kids around. Grow up. What does it take you an extra 5 seconds?

I drive 20km to and from work. In my truck I usually drive the speed limit. When I ride my bike i am a bit more agressive. It takes 2 minutes less to drive like like a prick. Try it sometime.

[tehwegz]

Originally posted by M.alex


Why? That's about as stupid as this one guy I saw - he slowed down beside a photoradar van on glenmore (by chinook), started blowing his horn and flipping the guy off, then took off. WTF?

Is it that hard to stick w/ doing no more than 9 over the limit? Or, if you see a van parked on the side of the road, slowing down to the speed limit?

Well its not like people that operate those vans have any feelings. :nut:

This is like 2 blocks from my house. This is MY hood, I hu$tle these streets, not photoradar.

But seeing as im not a gangster furrealz, the real reason im mad is twice this guy slowed down to 10km/h while I was behind him, as if provoking me to speed past. He's hu$tling furrealz.

[tehwegz]

Originally posted by Cos
boo freaking hooo you have to drive playground zone speed with fucking kids around. Grow up. What does it take you an extra 5 seconds?

I drive 20km to and from work. In my truck I usually drive the speed limit. When I ride my bike i am a bit more agressive. It takes 2 minutes less to drive like like a prick. Try it sometime.

I have no problem with 30 zones, its how photoradar people take advantage of these zones. I have no idea whether to go 30 or 50 in this particular area so I go 40. Everyone just does this from what I observe.

playground zones are stupid any ways, kids play wherever they want to play. I see kids playing on the street, I go in to "super-careful mode". But even that is rare due to XBL.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Cos
boo freaking hooo you have to drive playground zone speed with fucking kids around. Grow up. What does it take you an extra 5 seconds?

I drive 20km to and from work. In my truck I usually drive the speed limit. When I ride my bike i am a bit more agressive. It takes 2 minutes less to drive like like a prick. Try it sometime.

^ this, if you take the time to do the math too:

say you have a 300m playground zone. at 30km/hr it would take you 36 seconds to get through the playground zone while at 50km/hr it would take you 22 seconds.

If you are fine with risking some kids life over 14 seconds out of your day then you my friend deserve a ticket. I don't care if it makes the guy in front of you do 10km/hr, its for the kids!!



Originally posted by tehwegz

playground zones are stupid any ways, kids play wherever they want to play. I see kids playing on the street, I go in to "super-careful mode". But even that is rare due to XBL.

it has to do with statistics. Statistically speaking you are more likely to hit a child near a school due to the higher concentration. Just like if you take macleod trail to work every day during the week, you are statistically more likely to get in an accident on macleod trail then any other street in the city. Makes perfect sense to me!

[Unknown303]

For some reason in Bridgeland people usually just go 30 the whole way along 1st Ave... Not the worst but my god sometimes I wonder if people even looks at the signs anymore.

[Cooked Rice]

thanks for the responses. yeah they got all sorts of vehicles with radar now. really grinds my gears, a cop would rarely pull you over for 120 on deerfoot, but a radar van on the deerfoot, nothing but a cash grab.

[roll_over]

keep in mind the mini van has factory tint, this factor makes me believe its front only. But this is not based on fact so I would like to her the real answer too if anyone knows.

[Cooked Rice]

I know in the states some of the vans have a rear radar gun plus a rear camera to capture the face of the driver, plus a front camera to catch the plate. :nut:

[Kloubek]

It's front-facing radar. Before my truck got broken into I had an Escort Passport which went nuts - but only *after* I passed the van.

[canadian_hustla]

while we are on the topic of photo radar vans... does anyone have an idea why my passport 8500 x50 only detects them AFTER I pass them? This has happened on multiple occasions

Thanks,

[adam c]

Originally posted by M.alex


Why? That's about as stupid as this one guy I saw - he slowed down beside a photoradar van on glenmore (by chinook), started blowing his horn and flipping the guy off, then took off. WTF?

Is it that hard to stick w/ doing no more than 9 over the limit? Or, if you see a van parked on the side of the road, slowing down to the speed limit?

I'm pretty sure I saw you the other day, stopped dead at an intersection and backed up traffic behind you even though there were no stops signs or traffic lights

[M.alex]

Originally posted by adam c


I'm pretty sure I saw you the other day, stopped dead at an intersection and backed up traffic behind you even though there were no stops signs or traffic lights

I didn't leave my house yesterday :dunno:

[black13]

Originally posted by canadian_hustla
while we are on the topic of photo radar vans... does anyone have an idea why my passport 8500 x50 only detects them AFTER I pass them? This has happened on multiple occasions

Thanks,

That would mean their radar guns are facing forward hence why your detector goes crazy when you pass them.

[Wannago]

Originally posted by canadian_hustla
while we are on the topic of photo radar vans... does anyone have an idea why my passport 8500 x50 only detects them AFTER I pass them? This has happened on multiple occasions

Thanks,

They are forward shooting, angled across the road at about 22.5 degrees, and are quite low powered. It is possible to detect them in advance, but it is dependent upon a reflection from another vehicle ahead of you. A very sensitive detector is essential in picking these up, but even at that you will not get a lot of advance warning.

My new Beltronics STI-R Plus picked one up in a school zone from about a block away, but there was a lot of traffic ahead of me. Had the road been empty, I doubt I would have had that much notice.

Gotta keep those eyes peeled...

[adam c]

Originally posted by M.alex


I didn't leave my house yesterday :dunno:

wasn't yesterday, it was last weekend or the one before, can't remember which

[slinkie]

Originally posted by Unknown303
For some reason in Bridgeland people usually just go 30 the whole way along 1st Ave... Not the worst but my god sometimes I wonder if people even looks at the signs anymore.

+1 used to live there so annoying


Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
I'm just curious how much a 19km/h photo radar ticket is.

$83 -____-

[M.alex]

Originally posted by adam c


wasn't yesterday, it was last weekend or the one before, can't remember which

Please don't be anymore descriptive like color/make of vehicle, location, etc... :nut:

[adam c]

Originally posted by M.alex


Please don't be anymore descriptive like color/make of vehicle, location, etc... :nut:

Man
Cobra
Somerset
Intersection

[bart]

v1 picks them up before you pass them, sometimes its late but always enough time to slow down. but ya i had a few close calls where it went off as i hit the back of the van ;)

[M.alex]

Originally posted by adam c


Man
Cobra
Somerset
Intersection

Maybe it was me? Hell, I don't know, lol :rofl:

[LONDAR]

it is annoying that epople do 30 through bridgeland on 1st, but if you try and do 50 you run the risk of hitting a bum with a shopping cart if you're between 4th and 7th, or a soccer mom between 7th to 10th as they just walk out into the street.

there's some idiot in a ricer honda that i see tearing up and down 1st though with a fart can exhaust. i almost want to throw a sacrifical hobo in front of him to teach him a lesson to slow down

[BokCh0y]

Front mount everything from my understanding.

9500ix picks it up when i get closer to the van, but yeah sometimes a little past.

I wonder if the technology changed or they just got smarter and turn it on and off instead. My old Beltronics would pick them up like a km away!!! Well exageration...but i'd have a good chance to slow down rather than break check. No fun stopping short on the wife.

[bspot]

They now have pickups for photo radar as well. I think it was a Ford I saw.

My V1 always gets them with plenty of notice.

[LONDAR]

its a blue ford F150 they are using.

They are front mounted, so without a good detector you're going to have little to no warning.
Even with a good detector you're relying on the bounce back as they are facing away from you as you approach them.
driving the opposite direction though i pick them up from about 500m away

[Wannago]

Originally posted by bspot
They now have pickups for photo radar as well. I think it was a Ford I saw.

My V1 always gets them with plenty of notice.

I wouldn't put too much faith in your V1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sn0nIwRovI

[bspot]

^ lol, right in the video description he says he figured out how to change a setting and it detects just fine now. Plus that van was hidden behind a building, so you don't stand a chance unless you get some scatter in that situation.

I've never gotten a photo radar ticket since having a detector.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by BokCh0y
Front mount everything from my understanding.

9500ix picks it up when i get closer to the van, but yeah sometimes a little past.

I wonder if the technology changed or they just got smarter and turn it on and off instead. My old Beltronics would pick them up like a km away!!! Well exageration...but i'd have a good chance to slow down rather than break check. No fun stopping short on the wife.

9500ix as well. Left the unit in the most sensitive setting and usually detect these about 7 car length before the van. If leave in auto, you have to almost be right next to the van before it goes off.

V1 would definitely better from what I heard. But I like the red light camera database of 9500ix better. You are more likely to get caught by one of those than vans or cops.

My 9500ix pick up cops and emergency vehicles from quite a distance away. Someone got pull over on Southbound Deerfoot between Beddington trail and 64th Ave yesterday and I picked up the signal right before McKnight going northbound.


Originally posted by Cooked Rice
I know in the states some of the vans have a rear radar gun plus a rear camera to capture the face of the driver, plus a front camera to catch the plate. :nut:

Since front plate isn't mandatory in AB, we won't see any of those here.

The only way to get out of a van photo radar ticket is when 2 plates shows up in the picture. If not, thanks for supporting CPS!

[r32skyline15]

the playground zones are bullshit during school hours... what kids are going to be playing at the park during school? (with the exception of the ones that are JUST playground zone signed and happen to have a school in that zone such as the school near northland mall heading east)ones who arent realy old enough to be playing on there own and should have parental supervision... and the other thing that really pisses me off is the idiots who do not pay attention to the posted limits/TIMES... people doing 30 in a school zone when its after 17:00 hours... like congrats for passing grade one... u can see the sign says 30km/h now read the rest :banghead:


ps. i love being the guy doing the PROPER speed limit through school zones and playground zones and having that asshole ride my ass... then he gets the 20km/h treatment or less if hes really close... and usually the bird :rofl:

[J-hop]

^ what about recess and lunch? not every school has the same recess and lunch times so they blanket school hours to cover there bases. Making every individual school zone for different times or trying to orchestrate all of calgary to have exactly the same recess, lunch and class change times would be stupid.

plus if you lived near a school you'd know there are kids coming and going all the time.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by r32skyline15
the playground zones are bullshit during school hours... what kids are going to be playing at the park during school?

:dunno: Home school kids? Kids only have 1/2 day like Kindergarteners?

The idea is, it's a playground, there's is light out, there may be kids playing. Better be safe than sorry.

On the other hand, playgrounds on major routes (14th St NW, Elbow drive etc) should be fenced better so the you don't have to zone it as playground and keep traffic moving.

[Wannago]

Originally posted by bspot
^ lol, right in the video description he says he figured out how to change a setting and it detects just fine now. Plus that van was hidden behind a building, so you don't stand a chance unless you get some scatter in that situation.

I've never gotten a photo radar ticket since having a detector.

You can scoff if you want...are you prepared to mount your V1 vertically? How about disabling Ka Guard? If you do, your already false alert-prone V1 will be even more annoying, and then (even more) you won't know whether to trust it or not.

I have seen photo radar here in town (Ogden Road) use the same tactic of backing in behind a building, a good distance away from the road...you wouldn't even notice it unless you were really looking.

Combine that strategy with the new low powered photo radar units, and if you think your V1 will protect you from a photo radar ticket....it's just a matter of time.

[bspot]

Originally posted by Wannago


You can scoff if you want...are you prepared to mount your V1 vertically? How about disabling Ka Guard? If you do, your already false alert-prone V1 will be even more annoying, and then (even more) you won't know whether to trust it or not.

I have seen photo radar here in town (Ogden Road) use the same tactic of backing in behind a building, a good distance away from the road...you wouldn't even notice it unless you were really looking.

Combine that strategy with the new low powered photo radar units, and if you think your V1 will protect you from a photo radar ticket....it's just a matter of time.

With a horizontal mount and disabling everything but Ka and Laser, I've picked up every single photo unit I've driven past. The only falses I ever get from Ka are from other detectors.

I fully admitted I'm likely screwed if they are behind a building like that, as you're relying on the luck of some scatter tipping you off. For the traditional on the street park job, I'm not worried at all.