Warning Light Location

[Fordhom]

OK, this isn't strictly flight-test, but I'd like to pick the brains of people who have knowledge in a closely related field. If Genghis decides that this is not suitable material for this forum then I will naturally accept that and get back in my box!

I have recently purchased a gizmo for my car that warns me when I'm approaching police speed cameras, by both audio and visual alerts. The legality and morality of speed cameras and these gizmos has been discussed to death on JetBlast, so it is not my intention to start that again here.

My question concerns the placement of the device within my car. As my car/phallic extension is a convertible and old (rattles and vibration!), ambient noise levels at motorway type speeds are very loud, even with the top up. I am not convinced that I would notice the audio alert over this noise, and I do not wish to wear one of the earpieces available for motorcycle users of the device. I am therefore reliant on the visual alert, where the pattern of green LED's changes from displaying the current GPS speed into the type of device being approached, then the speed limit at that location, then a countdown of the range to the 'hazard' in 50m increments. I have currently located the gizmo above the right side of the centre part of the dashboard, placing the display in a sort of 7:30/8 o'clock ish position from my normal view out of the front of the car. I was wondering whether there would be significant benefits in locating the device directly in front of me, thereby placing it in the 6 o'clock position of my view ahead and reducing the angle between my normal view and the display. While this is less pleasing aesthetically, I would be interested to hear of anyone's professional opinion on whether this would make the warnings more noticeable.

Sorry if anyone thinks this is too inane but I really would be interested to hear from people used to cockpit ergonomics and placement of warning lights!

[Shawn Coyle]

Depends on what sort of visual signal it gives - if it's a major change in colour, or a flash when it detects something, then placing it outside the immediate front of your field of view will not be a problem.
Hope it keeps you ticket free!
(and these things are useful for a lot more than just avoiding tickets)

[Genghis the Engineer]

I also have one that gives both audio and visual warnings (loud bleeps, series of coloured LEDs). In this case however it's built into a rear view mirror so the LEDs are along the bottom.

In theory then, they should point out to me any "threat" in a way that I'll quickly spot since I should regularly be looking in the rear view.

Does it? Frankly no, it needs to be much more in front and much more obtrusive. This isn't a problem since the thing is so loud you couldn't miss it even with all the windows open - but on the odd occasions I've turned the volume off (usually after driving through town where it gets set off by all the security lights) I've realised it hasn't been alerting me sufficiently.

So, my vote goes with "obtrusively in direct line of sight", but if you can do anything to make it much louder, that'll work even better. If there's an earpiece attachment - can you rig that to an amplified speaker such as one sold for use with a Walkman?

G

[Fordhom]

LED's do flash once but no colour change, although the pattern does obviously change. As it's a GPS/laser system I don't have Genghis's problem with radar alerts in town, and it has a 'mute' button with which I can cancel an individual alert, rather than having to turn down the volume for all subsequent alerts.

What I have been doing though is trying to build it into my 'scan' (sorry to bring in more aviation stuff but couldn't think of a better word), in the same way that Genghis has his mounted somewhere in his normal scan. As I've chosen to have it display my GPS speed this is actually quite handy as it's nearer my field of view than normal speedo, although the offset to the left is a slight problem.

Nice idea about the speaker, but not sure if that's within my technical capabilities, or indeed where I'd put such a speaker. What would be good though, would be a system connected to the stereo to give alerts through that, and turn the volume of the music down as necessary (my speakers are more powerful and can cut through the wind noise, it's quite scary realising how loud it's been playing as I slow down!). Maybe some form of bluetooth connectivity in the future? Any electronics firms reading this make the royalties cheques payable to Fordhom Enterprises Ltd!

My only real issue with mounting it in front of me is purely aesthetic I'm afraid - I think it looks 'cooler' to one side, being the hip young funkster that I am........

[Straight Up Again]

Many car stereos have a input that mutes the stereo when the phone rings (either a connected mobile phone car kit or a car phone), usually looks like a spare wiring hanging out of the back. Also some stereos have audio inputs available on the rear (in car nav / DVD etc).

It might be worth asking on some car forums about this, I'm sure there are some car stereo specific forums, but a lot of car club/type forums also have a car audio forum (the one I usually browse is Victoria WRX Club, http://www2.wrx.com.au/forum/ , that has a good audio section, with a couple of professional installers answering questions, even if you don't own a WRX they'll be happy to help).

[the_flying_cop]

at the risk of being criticised, u should not need a warning device if you were travelling within the speed limit!

big brother enforces me to write this.

[Genghis the Engineer]

At risk of getting political, I'm sure that your own force wouldn't possibly hide a speed limit sign next to a camera behind a blind bend then? Unlike, say, Kent or Northamptonshire where my trust detector has several times flagged up a sudden reduction without warning from 70 to 40.

G

[Fordhom]

This is indeed getting dangerously political now, and many of these topics have been done to death on JB before now, but........

I decided to buy the detector after being blinded by a speed camera facing me on a straight road one night, shortly before a bend. A combination of physical blinding and my annoyance at thinking of the consequences of the flashes almost caused me to come to a sticky end on the corner. This incident, whcih occured on a country road in the middle of nowhere, made me seriously doubt their desciption as 'safety' cameras.