USER GUIDE Blackspot Interactive Limited Unit 5, New Rookery Farm, Little London Silverstone, Northants NN12 8UP Email: info@blackspot.com Web: www.blackspot.
Thank you for buying your ROAD ANGEL Plus As our roads become busier, more congested and more regulated, staying alert to road and traffic conditions is a challenge to everyone. Even the most conscientious driver can have a momentary lapse of concentration that could easily lead to an accident or a fine and points. ROAD ANGEL Plus is specially designed to be a simple-to-use addition to any vehicle, to alert and warn you in advance of known danger areas.
Contents 1. Introduction....................................................................1 Front View ................................................................................ 2 Back View................................................................................. 3 The ROAD ANGEL Plus Database........................................... 4 Using ROAD ANGEL Plus Abroad........................................... 4 Subscriptions.....................................................................
7. Updating the Database ................................................21 System requirements ............................................................... 21 Updating .................................................................................. 22 8. Customising ROAD ANGEL Plus ...................................23 Changing Settings ................................................................. 23 Menu Settings ........................................................................
1. Introduction ROAD ANGEL Plus is a standalone, cable-free, GPS camera and accident black spot locator.
Front View Menu/On/Off Button Press to enter and navigate ROAD ANGEL Plus settings (see page 23). Press and hold down to turn unit on/off. Rear Laser Sensor Detects laser speed measurement devices targeting rear of vehicle (see page 31). Display Shows speed, time, heading, satellite reception, battery level and hazard information (see page 17). Magnetic Base Magnet in base of unit secures ROAD ANGEL Plus to rubberised metallic disk on mounting bracket or dash pad.
Back View Visor-Locating Guides Used to attach anti-glare visor or additional motorbike mounting bracket. Earpiece Socket For earpiece supplied with Motorbike Accessory kit (see page 14). Front Laser Sensor Detects laser speed measurement devices targeting front of vehicle (see page 31). Serial Number (under laser sensor) Needed for product registration. External Antenna (ANT) Required for certain vehicles (see page 15). Auxiliary Port (AUX) Connection for additional laser sensor (see page 14).
The ROAD ANGEL Plus Database ROAD ANGEL Plus uses a database of Police, Local Authority and Ministry of Transport designated danger spots, including accident black spots and safety camera locations, primary schools and congestion charging zones. Your ROAD ANGEL Plus can store up to 50,000 unique danger locations.
Subscriptions Your ROAD ANGEL Plus comes with a free subscription for six months of database updates and product support. It is critical to the operation of your ROAD ANGEL Plus that you update the unit regularly and so continued subscription is essential. With constant additions to the ROAD ANGEL Plus database (1000+ sites per year), the benefit of your ROAD ANGEL Plus and the protection it provides will be dramatically reduced if you fail to maintain the database.
2. Unpacking the Box Empty all the parts out of the box and familiarise yourself with each item.
3. Registration If you're in a rush to get started, you can come back to this step later. However, it is important that you register your ROAD ANGEL Plus as soon as possible after purchase. You will need: 1. A PC with Internet access running Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP 2. Internet Explorer version 5.5 or above To register online: 1. Go to www.blackspot.com 2. Click on the Product Registration link. The Product Registration form is displayed. 3. Enter your ROAD ANGEL Plus's serial number.
Why should I register? Registration is important for two reasons: a) You cannot update the unit until it has been registered. Hazard and safety camera database information may be significantly out-of-date at the time of purchase and should be updated as soon as possible. b) Without registration, we cannot resolve warranty issues, log queries or solve problems with your ROAD ANGEL Plus.
4. Putting It All Together We recommend that you install your ROAD ANGEL Plus on the dashboard of your vehicle. ROAD ANGEL Plus has an internal high sensitivity GPS antenna and requires a clear view of the sky to communicate with GPS satellites. If you want to install ROAD ANGEL Plus anywhere else within your vehicle, you will require an external GPS antenna. Please visit www.blackspot.com for details.
Assembling the Windscreen Mounting Bracket 1. Locate the seven anti-vibration dampers; there are three pairs of round dampers and a long rectangular bar. 2. Select a pair of dampers according to the pitch of your vehicle's windscreen: Windscreen pitch Damper type Low, streamlined e.g. Sports car style short Standard e.g. Saloon style medium Upright e.g. 4X4 style long 3. Insert the selected pair of dampers into the two holes towards the back of the bracket, and slide towards the back.
4. Press the rectangular damper into the three holes along the front edge of the bracket. This damper stabilises the ROAD ANGEL Plus in the mounting bracket. (4) (5) 5. Attach the two clear suction cups. Push the cups into the large holes on the top of the bracket. Then, to lock them position, slide each cup across to the smaller hole at the outer edge of the bracket. Do not leave the bracket on the front windscreen without the product attached, for security reasons (see page 9).
Fitting the ROAD ANGEL Plus We strongly recommend that ROAD ANGEL Plus is positioned in the centre of the front windscreen low down, just above the dashboard. 1. Slide the ROAD ANGEL Plus unit into the mounting bracket. (1) (2) (3) 2. The new unit will need charging. Choose a power cable. ROAD ANGEL Plus is supplied with two types of power cable (see page 6). Use the cable that suits your vehicle according to the location of your vehicle's cigar socket (see page 15 for information about hardwiring).
Attaching the Visor ROAD ANGEL Plus comes with a visor that can be attached to shade the display from bright sunlight and stop reflections onto the windscreen at night. Attach the visor using the two locating notches on each side of the unit (see page 3). The visor cannot be used in conjunction with the Motorbike Accessory kit. Using the Dashboard Pad The mounting bracket allows you to put the unit in the best position for GPS reception, laser detection and general viewing.
Mounting ROAD ANGEL Plus on a Motorbike The windscreen mounting bracket can be used to mount ROAD ANGEL Plus under the screen of a sports bike. However, Blackspot Interactive Ltd also sells an additional Motorbike Accessory Kit for the ROAD ANGEL Plus. This includes a mounting bracket specially designed for motorbike windshields, a power lead, terminal connectors and an earpiece. The earpiece supplied with the Motorbike Accessory Kit can be used to provide audible warnings inside a helmet.
Where should I put my ROAD ANGEL Plus? ROAD ANGEL Plus has a high sensitivity GPS antenna and requires a clear view of the sky to receive information from GPS satellites. We highly recommend that ROAD ANGEL Plus is positioned in the centre of the front windscreen, low down, just above the dashboard. If screen glare is a problem in this position, try installing the unit beside the driver's “A-pillar”. Check that the GPS reception operates correctly in this position.
5. Getting Started 1. Find a location outside with a clear view of the sky (away from obstacles such as tall buildings and overhanging trees – these may delay or prevent satellite acquisition). 2. Switch the unit on by pressing and holding down the Menu button. ROAD ANGEL Plus flashes its blue and red backlights. 3. If you skipped registration (see page 7) and have not therefore updated your ROAD ANGEL Plus, the screen will show the registration prompt.
6. Hazard Warnings Understanding the Display Standby mode In its normal standby mode, ROAD ANGEL Plus's display shows your speed, compass heading or time, and satellite reception (indicated by a four-bar column – the more bars displayed, the greater the satellite reception).
In addition: The Proximity-to-hazard meter increases from 1 to 5 bars as you get closer to the danger zone. Speech warnings will tell you the type of zone followed by an audible tone that increases with your proximity to the hazard. When you have passed the danger, ROAD ANGEL Plus returns to Standby Mode. USE THE ADVISORY SPEED LIMIT FOR GUIDANCE ONLY. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW THE SPEED LIMIT AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF DRIVING CONDITIONS.
Alert Types Alert Type Icon Location Type Safety Camera You are approaching a fixed speed camera ahead. ROAD ANGEL Plus only alerts you if you are travelling in the direction that the camera enforces. Mobile Camera Temporary speed camera ahead, often seen in road works, or at a Speedmaster location. Average You are entering an average speed detection zone. The icon remains on screen whilst you are inside the enforcement zone.
How accurate is the speed measurement? ROAD ANGEL Plus calculates your vehicle speed from GPS data. The value is updated every second and, at a constant speed, is highly accurate. If you are accelerating or decelerating, the displayed value will lag behind the actual speed by a small margin. You may find a difference between the reading on your vehicle's speedometer and ROAD ANGEL Plus.
7. Updating the Database Your ROAD ANGEL Plus is capable of storing up to 50,000 unique danger zones (see page 4). As soon as possible after your purchase, you should: REGISTER the unit online at www.blackspot.com (see page 6). Download the latest version of the update software. Download the latest version of the database. You cannot update your ROAD ANGEL Plus until your registration has been processed – this can take up to 24 hours.
Updating 1. Switch on your ROAD ANGEL Plus (if the internal battery is flat, you will need to connect it to the PC first). 2. Connect your ROAD ANGEL Plus to the PC using the USB cable. ROAD ANGEL Plus will recognise that it is connected to the PC and display the message Connected to PC on an unlit background. If this message is not displayed, you will need to install the USB drivers – visit www.blackspot.com, click on Customer Support and select ROAD ANGEL Plus for further information. 3.
8. Customising ROAD ANGEL Plus You can change the way ROAD ANGEL Plus works by adjusting its menu settings. Press the MENU button repeatedly to view the menus and cycle through them. ROAD ANGEL Plus's properties are arranged in the following menus: Alerts How ROAD ANGEL Plus alerts you to road dangers with audio and visual prompts. Distances Set the distance at which ROAD ANGEL Plus commences its alerts. GPS GPS information: RescueLoc (see page 27).
Illustration of the procedure for changing ROAD ANGEL Plus’s settings: how to edit the Camera Alert Volume Setting. 1. Press MENU to enter ROAD ANGEL Plus's menu mode. The Alerts menu icon is displayed. You use the MENU, DELETE and STORE buttons to navigate through the menus and change settings. The exact function of the buttons at each stage of the procedure is shown on-screen. 7. ROAD ANGEL Plus confirms the change and then returns to its Standby display mode. 6.
PLEASE ONLY CHANGE MENU SETTINGS WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. If you want to access another menu, keep pressing the MENU button to cycle around the other menus. 2. To open a menu, press the DELETE button. The first property in the menu is displayed. In the Alerts menu, this is Voice Alert. 3. Press the MENU button to cycle through the properties in the menu. 4. When the property you want to change is displayed, press the DELETE button. The screen shows the options available for the property.
Menu Settings The following sections list all the editable properties in each of the menu categories. Alerts Settings in the Alerts menu determine how ROAD ANGEL Plus warns you about road hazards. No Property Details Options (factory setting in bold) 1-0 Voice Alert Switch voice alerts on or off. Off...On 1-1 Camera Alert volume Change the sound level of safety camera related warnings.
No Property 1-13 Startup Tune Details Choose whether unit starts up silently, with the ‘ROAD ANGEL’ announcement, or with a double-tone beep. Options (factory setting in bold) Off...Voice...Tone Distances With its factory setting, ROAD ANGEL Plus alerts you to a hazard when you are within 250m of it; you can change this to 500m or 1000m. In addition, ROAD ANGEL Plus has a feature to increase the warning distance when you are travelling over 50mph.
Unit Data This menu provides technical information about your ROAD ANGEL Plus: its serial number and firmware version. No Property Details Options (factory setting shown in bold) 4-0 Unit serial number Serial number of ROAD ANGEL Plus unit Read only; 8 digit number 4-1 Firmware version ROAD ANGEL Plus firmware version Read only, in format x.xx Display Using this menu, you can change the appearance of the display: its contrast and the speed units in use.
9. Adding and Deleting Danger Zones Blackspot Interactive Ltd is constantly updating the central database of danger zones. You can be of great value to all ROAD ANGEL Plus users by adding any new zones you encounter to your unit's own database. When you subsequently update your ROAD ANGEL Plus, this data can be verified by Blackspot Interactive Ltd before being added to the central file. PLEASE ONLY ADD OR DELETE DANGER ZONES WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.
Adding an Average Speed Monitoring Section (SPECS Zone) Store an average speed monitoring area only if you are absolutely sure of the start and finish points. When passing underneath the first ‘start’ SPECS camera carry out the following: 1. Press STORE once to store the first camera position. 2. Press DELETE to select the location type: AVERAGE. 3. Press STORE to confirm. 4. When you are underneath the finish camera, press any key to confirm the finish position.
10. Background Information About Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) Operational since 1990, 24 GPS satellites orbit the earth at a height of 11,000 miles. At any given point on the globe, at least 4 satellites are in view at any one time. Using sophisticated aerials and triangulation techniques, units such as ROAD ANGEL Plus are able to compute your exact position with great accuracy.
Targeting Explained Short range targeting Short range (<200m) – Normal Police target area ROAD ANGEL Plus only detects laser below 200m if it is targeted towards the unit At 200m the beam of the laser can be as little as 200mm across. If the Laser Gun is targeting your number plate, it is likely that your dashboard mounted ROAD ANGEL Plus will not detect the signal.
Following a vehicle being targeted Following a vehicle being targeted (200m – 1000m) – effectiveness dramatically reduced At short range it is difficult to detect, but if the vehicle in front is targeted from long to medium range it is possible to detect as long as the sensor is fitted to the front windscreen.
Speed Cameras and Black Spots This section describes the type of cameras and road hazards covered by ROAD ANGEL Plus: Gatso The most common type of speed camera – used in fixed positions mounted on poles at the roadside. Measures vehicle speed using radar and, if the speed limit has been exceeded, photographs the rear of the vehicle. Uses a flash unit inside the camera cabinet or mounted on a gantry to illuminate the offending vehicle's rear number plate.
Watchman Measures vehicle speed and, if the speed limit has been exceeded, takes a photograph of the rear of the vehicle. Can be accessed remotely allowing operators to download live video, stored images or data. ROAD ANGEL Plus relies on up-to-date database information for detection. Speedcurb Measures the speed of vehicles in the monitored section of road using pressure sensors in the road surface. If the speed limit has been exceeded, it takes a photograph of the rear of the vehicle.
Safety Camera Vans Mobile enforcement vehicles use Laser guns to measure vehicle speed and, normally, video equipment to record the evidence of any offence. Vehicles can be used in several locations on the same day. ROAD ANGEL Plus relies on its laser detection capability to alert you (see page 31). Mobile Laser Hand-held devices that record your speed in either direction. ROAD ANGEL Plus relies on its laser detection capability to alert you (see page 31).
11. Accessories The following table lists the accessories available for ROAD ANGEL Plus. Please visit the ROAD ANGEL Plus online shop at www.blackspot.com for more details. Item Details Bike Kit Mounting bracket and hard-wire kit for motorbikes. Dash Pad Adhesive pad for mounting ROAD ANGEL Plus directly onto dashboard. Dual Lock Two-piece, recloseable fastener. Windscreen Mounting Kit Includes mounting bracket, anti-vibration dampers and two clear suction cups. 12v Cigar Lead (Straight) 2.
