Dox

Hi all,

Appologies to the mods if this should have been in NSR, but as the group buys had been in here I thought it worth the wider audience.

I bought a B2 recently, and whilst working out fitting options in the car had stuff strewn everywhere. Early one morning, with nothing else around, I overtook a bus and the Laser detector went off!!! Now if West Yorkshire police are siting 'mobile' speed traps on buses, that's gotta be meaner than Wales...

Anyway, after a couple of other pretty obvious false alarms, I emailed Origin, who, to their credit replied very promptly... Here's what they said...

"Dear Mr Dockar,
Many thanks for your mail, we have had a number of issues with same sypmtoms as you and false laser alerts. We find this happens with a few makes of car Subaru and TVR. It is caused by a voltage spike which sets of the laser head. Our technical team are working on a system to stop this and have built working prototypes which are been tested by existing customers. When the design has been formalised we will be sending out the modified part."

The voltage spike seems to happen during, erm... spirited acceleration. I've got the detector above the rear-view mirror and the cable fed across to the passenger side, down the A-pillar and (temporarily) across the footwell (and ECU, loom etc). The spike could be picked up from other wiring or introduced into the 12v itself, I don't know which.

I'm sure false positives are better than missing out on real alerts, but just thought it worth a mention here...

This has been a public information message

Regards
Dox


[Edited by Dox - 1/4/2004 11:57:27 PM]

stevie_b

Not had the same problem whilst driving, which is lucky, since the laser alert is pretty damn loud! However, noticed that the laser alert does go off if I have the unit switched on and fold in or out the electric mirrors, so there does definitely seem to be some connection with voltage moving around somewhere! They mentioned in their letter to you that there might be a 'part' to fix it later so would be grateful if you can let us know on here when it is available and then I will give them a call to ask them to send me one too ;-)

Thanks

Steve

Dox

My last mail to them (admittedly on Xmas eve) was to ask how I'd find out about the new part. When they let me know I'll BTTT this thread with the details.

Regards
Dox

Nick100

Santa brought me a B2, which I have now fitted.

First outing, I had two alarms, which I thought must be false, but not having any experience of detectors, I couldn't be sure. Both were just as I was overtaking something doing about 40, first time in a 60 limit and then second time in a 50 limit.

Quite embarrasing to be accelerating past something, then suddenly have to lift off, whilst checking what's going on. Both times, I was within the limit so carried on past.

Thanks for the info - very useful. I'll also contact Origin to request the mod when available.

Nick

Edited to add : I didn't see a group buy - when was it and for how much please ? - Probably just to depress me. I bought mine from In Car Express which was excellent service - arrived in two working days (over xmas holiday)

[Edited by Nick100 - 1/5/2004 1:10:54 PM]

jwallis

I've had the laser detecter go off when using the window washer squirter thingy in bright sunlight. I'd assumed that it was the sunlight being defracted through the water droplets, but maybe it was a spike. (Never happens in the dark though).

Taylor.m

I have origin B2 never had a false alarm Yet Everything ok .
My laser detector is in front windscreen next to rear view mirrow

Dox

The second group buy was in this thread from somebody on eBay I think. They were £355 I believe.

I got mine from www.radargirl.com. Their prices have varied between £349 and £399 via a few points in between, but do go up and down on a regular basis, so worth waiting for another £349 day

I've got mine mounted on a bracket I made which runs sideways from my dash-mount mobile bracket and sits the B2 in front of the bottom left corner of the instruments right inside my left hand at 9 o'clock on the steering wheel. I forgot to take pictures as I built it, but it's a smidge too close to the phone cradle so I'll call it the prototype and post pictures of v2.0 when I get 5mins to build that

Regards
Dox

Gatso Busters

Hi Guys

Interesting views on the the Laser Detector on the b2. Am slightly confused as to why you guys use it ? The moment you recieve a legitimate warning the Police will have read your speed ! Origin appreciate this which is why they sell the integration lead to work with a Target LRC 100 Laser Jammer. The LRC 100 will give you a 5 second reaction time to a laser working at the speed of light !

The Origin b2 is a very good product nevertheless.

Cheers

Robert

stevie_b

I use the laser detector since it came in the box with the B2! If they came separately then I probably would have bought the main unit and not bothered getting the laser part.

I know that by the time it sounds the alarm it is too late to rub any speed off but I don't have the detector as some sort of "licence to speed" so am not overly bothered by that failing. To me there is still some value since sometimes I look down at the speedo and notice maybe I have let my speed creep up over the limit - there is a peace of mind knowing that you don't need to overly worry for the next two weeks that a NIP might appear in the post as the B2 should give you reasonable confidence that you have not gone through a Gatso or been zapped by a laser during that period. To me that is useful enough that I bother putting the laser detector in the car.

Gatso Busters

Hi Stevie_b

Fair point well made - thanks for the feedback. If you are ever in the market for a Jammer then send me a mail or have a look at my banner.

Drive carefully

Cheers

Robert
www.mobilecentre.co.uk