RedRobin Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 I thought it might be useful for anyone considering fitting a 'New Road Angel' in their GTI if I wrote my first impressions: Firstly, in spite of the manufacturer Blackspot stating in their downloadable pdf manual that Apple Macs are not supported this is only because they are being lazy about writing software drivers for the Mac OS X platform. The workaround for Mac users, as I have reported elsewhere on TSN, is to either use a friend's Windows PC to update Road Angel or buy a special modem costing £39 from Blackspot to then be able to download their latest database without any computer and directly into your Angel. Purchase prices appear to be the same wherever you shop - £399. When first buying an Angel (I met her on the internet!) you should allow a couple of days for registration and subsequent activation and latest database download. The box does not include any printed instruction or info handbook which is a pain if you aren't near a computer. The best position for mounting in a Mk5 GTI is centred and at very bottom of windscreen. You will need to remove the back seats' central head support of the three so that the Angel's sensor can additionally keep a rear guard against handheld devices. Although, for road safety reasons, I totally support the 20-50 speed limits and their enforcement and encouragement with speed cameras clearly signed and honestly displayed, I do NOT support the use of sneaky methods or the 70 limit when road and traffic conditions are clearly safe. When in Central London this weekend I had no reason to exceed 40 anywhere and DSG D-mode was soooo smooooth and easy going leaving me to concentrate on finding my way through the London traffic. I am having my unit hardwired tomorrow so meanwhile I used the sprung cable supplied but it hardly reaches to the 12v socket and so I had to do a "Captain Incredible" to pull and streeeetch the cable. The cable is inclined to rattle against the dashboard on certain road surfaces so I would strongly recommend hardwiring in the GTI - Much tidier too. Once installed the Angel is excellent so far. Tiff Needell's voice is just right for all the prerecorded vocal alerts - His voice and manner really makes you think that you have someone with authority on your side instead of against you and who sounds as if they are actually with you in the car. He doesn't command you or tell you off like some schoolmasters might - I would really rebel at any hint of such! I hate being told what I can or can't do!! (Too much of that at Public School!) There is plenty of scope for individual user settings on things like volume, distance, display etc. By setting up the display contrast to suit you individually, you can see the display in all light conditions. At night the blue screen looks very cool indeed and the red warning screen and bleeping tones are also just the right level to both warn but not be over intrusive. I drove a 360 mile round trip to London and home in both bright sunshine and night and including north and south and central London areas and felt very supported and confident due to having my blue angel with me. 'She' saved me from two fixed cameras I missed the signs for and one mobile I saw no signs for in the dark!! Also got a warning on a fixed camera which didn't exist but I haven't got the latest update yet. There were a couple of accident blackspot warnings I got where there was no road junctions at all nor tricky bends and I couldn't understand why they would be black spots. For anyone who wants SatNav as well (I definitely do NOT!) then it's a good idea to consider TomTom as an alternative. Snoopy(?) has a good reputation too but I have no experience of it. Obviously you should always rely on your own focus when driving and never solely on Road Angel but it very definitely works as a backup and you feel seriously good on those occasions when you know it has 'saved' you. It's very much a safety aid and not an aid to irresponsible or dangerous driving. Robin aka RedRobin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Ah! Something I inevitably forgot to mention: The GPS gives a much more accurate (I'm told) speed readout than the car's speedometer clock. There is only a few mph difference at lower speeds but it gets progressively worse at higher speeds. At 100 on the clock for example, the Angel reads 88 - That's quite a significant difference. So anyone who tells you they got 153 out of their GTI, didn't!! No wonder I felt she had plenty more in her and was still eager for it! And one more point: At night when the red screen is flashing it's quite difficult to decipher the speed readout. On a more positive note (Get Millteks!!!! - No, I'm joking): Any delay in readout of actual speed is totally academic because you can only drive according to what info you see at the time and it doesn't match the inaccuracy of the car's speedo anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ucjtckc Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 I've found the same thing with my road angel - if the GPS speed is to be believed then it would appear that the speedo on the MKV GTi over reads by about 5% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 At higher speeds the difference is very much more than 5%! The car speedo's inaccuracy is progressively worse as speed increases. I understand that the GPS system of actual speed assessment is much more accurate because the car's speedo reading is influenced by a number of factors such as tyre pressures and load. I suppose that the only good thing about driving to the car speedo is that you'll always be going slower than you believe and therefore within the legal limits you choose but what's the point of a speedo for non-GPS users unless it's merely useable as a very very rough guide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mu71rd Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 car speedos are commonly known to be about 10% innacurate (over actual speed) - so obviously at 33 you're probably only doing 30, but at 90 you're only really doing about 80. GPS is accurate, because of the laws of physics. Given that it does know where you are, and speed = distance/time, then there's no way it could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks3 Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Am I right in thinking that the Gold dash is blue......if it is I would imagine the road angel matches in well as its normal display is also blue. Does the road angle look big on the dash and cause a distraction? I currently have a geodesy which is very small and only has a small blue light when not reacting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Hi nicks3 - I think you are referring to my previously posted pic in the 'Sweet Black Angel' thread where the Golf (not Gold dash?)'s dashboard looked blue in the photo but isn't blue! It's more charcoal grey/light black as in my pic of the bracket. I'll post new pics later this week after hardwiring the Road Angel. No, as my rather 'blue' photo shows, the Angel is very compact and there is an even smaller Road Angel model called "Compact" but it has less features. I chose Road Angel partly because of it not being too big on the dash but I personally like the size of its blue display rather than being too small. Obviously when you first fit it you'll look at it more often but after 100 miles or so you forget it....Until you get a sudden camera or blackspot warning!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Hi mu - Thanks for confirming the GPS accuracy - I was ignorant of how inaccurate car speedo clocks are until fitting a Road Angel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Given that the US military invested billions of dollars in the GPS satellite system before it was opened up to the free world, I'm inclined to trust GPS over a VW speedo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Given that the US military invested billions of dollars in the GPS satellite system before it was opened up to the free world, I'm inclined to trust GPS over a VW speedo [/ QUOTE ] Because their missiles are always spot on right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted September 26, 2005 Report Share Posted September 26, 2005 Sorry, of course I meant to say that I'd trust a VW speedo over GPS anytime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2005 As promised here are pics of New Road Angel hardwired. It's immediately far more convenient and tidier and frees the front 12v socket. Angel is activated/deactivated with car ignition Tip: Don't angle the unit directly at you but directly towards back of car - This avoids your clothing such as white T-shirt reflecting in and hence destroying Angel's display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2005 ....And detail pic: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted September 27, 2005 Report Share Posted September 27, 2005 The display on the Roadangel is a little too small for me, I prefer the Roadpilot's instantly visible messages. I also prefer to have it out of the way on the right hand side by the A pillar but different things work for different people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankit Posted September 27, 2005 Report Share Posted September 27, 2005 Wed Wobin when are you putting a mini recording studio in the back? Saw Bez's (Happy Mondays) Taxi he's got one in the rear, with a smoke machine too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2005 Aswell - Your Roadpilot's speed display is excellent and you have positioned it in the only sensible place for such a large unit. I hope you won't take this personally or as any insult but to me the Roadpilot looks a bit like a kitchen timer. TomToms are equally big and look like a child's toy. I considered the same position for my Road Angel but rejected it for several reasons. Having given my frank opinion about the appearances of other devices I should add that I do realise that what they do is more important than how they look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfc1912 Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 Both look very nice. Unfortunately have had to pospone spending any money on the car as the plumber has just been round to my new house. Along with the new kitchen & bathroom, rewiring (£2800) and general decorating, he's quoted about £5k for a new central heating system . All in all about £30k's worth of work. How simple are the units to disconnect if your going abroad? Robin as your's is hardwired in is disconnection a problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 [ QUOTE ] How simple are the units to disconnect if your going abroad? Robin as your's is hardwired in is disconnection a problem? [/ QUOTE ] ....Re New Road Angel: If going to Europe where I have heard such devices are illegal (Let's hope the Common Market bureaucrats don't get over zealous or efficient), just remove the windscreen bracket (on suckers) and leave it with the Angel at home. If hardwired about 4" of cable with plug will be left exposed but they can't do you for that - it could be for any device and it's not functional. You could say it's for a navigator. Although mine is hardwired in my GTI I could easily stick the bracket to the windscreen on another car and use the supplied springy cable to connect directly to the other car's cig/12v socket. Am meeting up with a good friend at lunchtime to show off our new cars to each other - He's got a new Porsche - I wonder if he would let me..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted September 28, 2005 Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 The Roadpilot base is hard wired but the unit just lifts out. There would be no point in taking a GPS cmera locator to continental Europe anyway (apart from Benelux and Scandinavian countries) as the database doesn't cover it. What they'll really hammer you for is a radar detector. They have been known to fine you and then make you run over it to crush it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2005 That's very tidy and a good idea (Roadpilot lift out) Duh, Robin, Duh! - I should have realised about database coverage. Crushing it?!! That's HEAVY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mu71rd Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 you can download databases for all of Europe with things like CheckPoint for Tomtom. I think i'd be fairly annoyed if they made me run over my device in Europe, as it's also my PDA, SatNav and phone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mu71rd Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 here's an interesting article to read if you have a spare few minutes. makes you think doesn't it. Accident blackspots my arse! read this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lagrian Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 Today only aria.co.uk are sellign Road Angel 2 for £339.58 Aria.co.uk If anyone is interested I think this is a tenner of most places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted September 29, 2005 Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I think i'd be fairly annoyed if they made me run over my device in Europe, as it's also my PDA, SatNav and phone! [/ QUOTE ] No you're alright, it's not a radar detector Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted September 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2005 So, am I right in thinking that none of the following are "radar detectors" and therefore illegal in EUR?: 1) New Road Angel 2) Roadpilot 3) TomTom Any others to add to the list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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