Monitron with a difference (M55)

[mikealder]

Two of these have recently been installed on the M55 (Preston to Blackpool motorway) there is one in each direction approx half a mile prior to the Kirkham exit slip roads.
What is unusual is the electrical power is from a standby generator set and on the roof is a satellite dish, I can only assume this is for data transmission of pictures - or does anyone else know why the camera might need this? - it doesn't appear to be for satellite TV! - the LNB is the wrong type for a start, couldn't legally get any closer to take the photo though. - Mike

[Skippy]

I thought these cameras used strips in the road - a lot of trouble to go to for a temp installation, surely? Very odd.

[mikealder]

There are white stripes on both open lanes of the motorway similar to the Gatso markings employed elsewhere.

The East bound dish is still there, the West bound dish appears to have "gone missing" since yesterday! Unless they have removed it for a reason - Mike

[peecee]

I'll be driving past here tomorrow so will keep my eye open for these, thanks mike.

Also I note they have closed off the Hard Shoulder. If this is purely to stop people pulling in near the camera then I think this is compeltely outrageous.

What if you suddenly break down or get a flat tyre, and need to pull in?

Of course if they are doing roadworks here then that's different but if the shoulder is coned off for camera only reasons then surely this should not be allowed?

Last January I had to pull into the very same stretch of hard shoulder when my engine decided it wanted to seize up..

[Tim Buxton]

Skippy, have you 'gone West'?
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Tim

[MaFt]

thing is... do we stick it in the database as a temporary or a mobile... i presume you've submitted it mike?

MaFt

[swing]

It looks more like what I would expect from a temporary camera than a mobile camera, but as long as it goes into the database, I'm not going to complain about the classification

[mikealder]

Only just submitted them as I wanted to verify the positions prior to sending them, which involved a quick run to Preston and back. They both have satellite dishes attached today.
I would agree that this is a temp camera, the roadworks are till March next year, the problem I have with Temp cameras is the lack of Speed related warning, unless you carve up the temp camera file download yourself - Mike

[highwayman212]

The cones are probably there to show there is a hazard not to stop people in need from stopping. The position of the barrier is related to ADS Advance Direction Sign to stop it being hit in an emergency. This is a standard distance in front of the ADS with a standard flare to the ground. The position of the generator cabin compromises this so the cones will prob stay on to show the hazard a bit like they do when any contractor is leaving holes or equipment on the verge during repair.

What I don't understand is why the generator container is not placed after the sign, but within the length of barrier, with a small cable to just in front where the camera could be sat in relative safety. This would have obscured less of the sign and increased all our safety.

I suppose this is one of the down sides to them having to be visible as the safest place to be is for them to be after bridge abutments, road signs, telephone poles etc as this does not increase the hazard. Most councils are now trying to decrease the street furniture and reduce hazards.
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Nokia 5800 XM
Navmii

[swing]

[mikealder]

I know the information is there, it just takes longer to update the unit, splitting the file and assigning warnings etc. Where files are no longer in use you have to remember to delete the categories from the the device - Mike

[BunnyBallerina]

[Skippy]

[swing]

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