Pocket GPS Speed Cam DB v. Road Angel & others

[caspartfg]

My current setup is TT3, Pocket GPS DB and Checkpoint on an IPAQ 2210.

How does the quality of the data and the functionallity compare to that of a dedicated unit such as road angel / Origin B2?

I've recently come across a few mobile camera sites that are not in the DB (I will get around to submitting them), but with a percieved increase cameras hidden in the back of white vans, I am wondering if it's worth buying a dedicated unit?

Is it really worth the £399 for a new unit (plus subscription)? - Apart from the Laser detector functionallity, how much more accurate is a commercial DB? Do you really get that much more for a subscription DB as opposed to the dedication and good will of this community??

That said, I think the effort and dedication that goes into the PGPS DB is to be appaluaded, so thank you and keep up the good work.......

[Privateer]

Hi caspartfg,

I’m obviously biased to wards the PGPSW camera database, however I believe that it’s on par if not superior to the commercial databases.

I’ll give you an example: In Lower Heyford (Oxfordshire) there is a replica camera in somebody’s garden, which is actually a dove house. I run a Morpheous Geodesy as well as the PGPSW camera database and last night the Morpheous gave me a false alert as I passed this “camera”. The camera can be seen on this map.

I was always under the impression that the commercial databases had people visit and confirm the sites before the new locations were added, but now I no longer think that!

I wouldn’t bother with the laser detection systems, by the time they alert you to a laser emission you have been targeted and processed.

Please submit new/moved/removed information as soon as you can. If every user of the database did that, then we’d have a very accurate database.

Also, please carry on submitting the speed limit of camera and mobile sites that we know the locations of, but that we don’t have the speed zone.

Regards,
_________________
Robert.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 14.0.1: iOS CamerAlert v2.0.7
TomTom GO Mobile iOS 2.3.1; TomTom (UK & ROI and Europe) iOS apps v1.29
Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D

[Dave]

It's all down to personal preference at the end of the day. Just because our database is free, doesn't necessarily mean it's less accurate compared to the subscription based models.

We do have a lot of cameras missing from our database, but likewise a lot of the hardware based GPS speed camera detectors also have these missing, but not necessarily the same ones.

At the end of the day, none of the systems are to be used for allowing you to speed safely and to avoid a speeding ticket, fine or license suspension, so if people really want to be 100% sure they're not going to get fined or banned, then the simple answer is don't speed.

Having said that, cameras are in strangest of places and still lots of roads are badly marked with regards to speed limits. If you want to be as close to 100% sure of knowing where cameras are, then run multiple systems.

Personally I run a Road Angel Classic and the Speed Camera Database. It notifies me of around 90% of the cameras that are fixed/visible including mobile camera hangouts and blackspots. I don't use this to allow me to speed, just to make sure that if I do stray into an area where the speed limit has been lowered and the sign is hidden behind a bush (which is often the case) then I can re-check my speed when approaching a speed camera.

Personally I'd much rather see the government invest in portable devices like Speed Camera Detectors that tell you the speed of the road no matter which road you travel on and alert you if you stray above the limit. That way you could always be sure of staying below the limit.

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