PhotoBlocker Spray?

techguy · 19-05-2005 5:58pm #1

Has anyone ever used the spray that is supposed to block your license plates to speed camera's by over exposure?

I saw it here at www.carstores.biz for €35 ex. p&p
The old man is considering buying it. And I was wondering if it was any good?
Yes, No?

Thanks,
Hakko

pauln · 19-05-2005 7:24pm

Forget it, it's a joke. As far as I could make out it's simply cans of hi-shine spray varnish with a "photoblocker" label put on the outside.
It's not even worth the postage they'll charge you if you ask me.

techguy · 19-05-2005 11:02pm

OK thanks for that, will some hi shine varnish do the job?
or,
will one just have to find another way around the speed cameras e.g. keep to the limit?

pauln · 19-05-2005 11:34pm

I'd say the varnish is a dead end, I've yet to see solid proof. There are plenty of these so called tests on the net but i don't put much credit in them now.

I'd say keep it under the limit is your best bet.

JohnCleary · 20-05-2005 2:42am

Do what a mate of mine did.....
Nick the plates off a Gatso Van, attatch them to your own car and speed past the van about 10 times

Our man in Havana · 20-05-2005 5:22am

JohnCleary wrote:

Do what a mate of mine did.....
Nick the plates off a Gatso Van, attatch them to your own car and speed past the van about 10 times

What happened then?

Blitzkrieger · 20-05-2005 6:47am

JohnCleary wrote:

Do what a mate of mine did.....
Nick the plates off a Gatso Van, attatch them to your own car and speed past the van about 10 times

Isn't that an urban legend from Austrailia.

magpie · 20-05-2005 10:44am

On my way home past a building site yesterday I noticed a funny sheen from the reg plates on 2 cars (Both DL Reg, wouldn't you know it?).

One must have been sprayed, and from any angle other than dead on it did look pretty hard to read/glarey.

The other guy had his plates in a special holder with a plastic cover that produced more or less the same effect.

Given that these knacks from Donegal are using it, there must be something to it.

Apparently one can does 6 cars, so why don't we have a whiparound? What have we got to lose?

prospect · 20-05-2005 10:47am

I have heard that rubbing the plate with a clear candle does the job aswell.

I haven't seen evidence though!

Seth Brundle · 20-05-2005 1:41pm

magpie wrote:

On my way home past a building site yesterday I noticed a funny sheen from the reg plates on 2 cars (Both DL Reg, wouldn't you know it?).

One must have been sprayed, and from any angle other than dead on it did look pretty hard to read/glarey.

The other guy had his plates in a special holder with a plastic cover that produced more or less the same effect.

Given that these knacks from Donegal are using it, there must be something to it.

Are you referring to the blueish tinted plates?

magpie wrote:

Apparently one can does 6 cars, so why don't we have a whiparound? What have we got to lose?

How are you going to test it to see if it works? :rolleyes:

BrianD · 20-05-2005 2:17pm

I have noticed the blue tint on the plates on a number of cars as well.

Seth Brundle · 20-05-2005 2:32pm

Presumably the plates with a blue tint are illegal as Irish reg plates are meant to be white

MercMad · 20-05-2005 2:41pm

The blue tint is only a protective film which is on the plastic whilst they are being manfactured. It should be removed before fitting !

I really think all of these products are pure "Snake Oil" stories and I cant see any of them working. Possibly placing a thick clear sheet in front making the it opaque from an angle might work but it would have to be quite thick IMO !

Another thing I heard recently from a Copper was that the cameras dont have to flash to take a photo, why should they in daylight anyway !!

prospect · 20-05-2005 2:43pm

BrianD wrote:

I have noticed the blue tint on the plates on a number of cars as well.

A friend bought a new car last year. It arrived with blue (kinda pale blue) plates from the dealer. He called over one day and I was out having a look at his purchase.
I asked him what the deal is with the plates, (they are perfectly standard except for this blue tint), and he shruggs his shoulders, "I dunno".
So on closer inspection, i discovered it is just a temporary film over the plate, like on the face of a new watch. It just peeled right off.

Balfa · 20-05-2005 4:26pm

There's a waxy coating with crystally things in it available here that results in the plate looking just like a reflector when a light's shined on it. Cops will pull you over if they're driving behind you and can't read your plate at night with their headlamps shining on it, though. In ireland the cops probably aren't nearly that useful.

techguy · 20-05-2005 10:46pm

thanks,
guys,my dad is goin to buy it anyway to see what it works like.when he puts it on i will test it with a digi camera with and without the flash in day and night...
€42 isnt too bad anyway,its a once off!

Hakko

chicken_food · 20-05-2005 11:25pm

A program on discovery did a show on these so called 'gatso beaters'. They tested,cd on the dash,the spray on film tin foil on the dash etc. None of them worked. All the police needed was three consecutive digits or numbers to narrow it down enough to issue a ticket. Id say staying under the limit is your best bet (and 40 odd euro cheaper!)

techguy · 21-05-2005 2:09pm

Ok the gatso will tell your speed but with the spray will it be able to read your number plate..?

The_Bullman · 21-05-2005 2:14pm

I've heard that using cheap hairspray does as good a job in beating the gatsos

Spraying it on the number plate I mean, not looking good for court :P

techguy · 21-05-2005 2:18pm

sounds like anything that is very reflective will do the job..it is a well known fact that the gatso's use flashes so when they do flash a plate wit anything over reflective on it will cause it to over expose on the photo. I am going to carry out some tests with a digi camera..

Hakko

Turner · 21-05-2005 3:59pm

Everybody knows where the fixed gatsos that use a flash are so why would you want this stuff.

Ernie Ball · 21-05-2005 4:02pm

Wouldn't it be easier to just start a list of where all the gatsos are?

techguy · 21-05-2005 7:29pm

I was thinking the same thing,is there any online database?I once heard of a site but i cant remember it..

Our man in Havana · 21-05-2005 7:42pm

hakko1872003 wrote:

I was thinking the same thing,is there any online database?I once heard of a site but i cant remember it..

http://www.irishlimits.com/

techguy · 21-05-2005 7:54pm

Sound good must check it out,thanks...

CJhaughey · 21-05-2005 10:03pm

Plate sprays are no good.
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/platespray.htm

Ratchet · 22-05-2005 10:44am

hakko1872003 wrote:

thanks,
guys,my dad is goin to buy it anyway to see what it works like.when he puts it on i will test it with a digi camera with and without the flash in day and night...
€42 isnt too bad anyway,its a once off!

Hakko

taking pictures from close distance with digital camera doesn't prove anything.
my camera flash will make plates unreadable up to 12 feet without any spray.
I seen demo of this spray on one of the motor shows and guy was taking pictures from 5feet, cheap Chinese cameras will set things on fire up to 7 feet, dont mind reflecting light from the plates

waste of money. spray is a lots of poo. Think about vans fitted with infrared(no flash) cameras .

Running Bing · 23-05-2005 5:13pm

hakko1872003 wrote:

thanks,
guys,my dad is goin to buy it anyway to see what it works like.when he puts it on i will test it with a digi camera with and without the flash in day and night...
€42 isnt too bad anyway,its a once off!

Hakko

Let us know how you got on Hakko.

Cathy · 23-05-2005 5:36pm

magpie wrote:

Both DL Reg, wouldn't you know it? ... knacks from Donegal

:rolleyes:

vector · 23-05-2005 5:46pm

I suppose that whatever you are doing you would need plastic number plates and not metal

a solid uniform plastic surface

techguy · 23-05-2005 6:25pm

Actually, I wont be ordering it because since the start of this thread I dont recall anybody having positive feedback on the spray and it it would be stupid of me to go and buy it after all..
Also, it only "Protects" you from gatso's there are still laser,radar,gatso vans etc so I think one should just stick to the limit or get the points..
Hakko

Capt'n Midnight · 07-06-2005 5:24pm

hakko1872003 wrote:

sounds like anything that is very reflective will do the job..it is a well known fact that the gatso's use flashes so when they do flash a plate wit anything over reflective on it will cause it to over expose on the photo.

It's a well known fact that license plates are reflective. All that stuff might have worked 15 years ago when speed cameras first came out.

also since someone posted that they don't need flash in daylight then having a slave flash near your numberplate ain't gonna work either.

Maybe give people double points if caught with speed evasion equipment ?

Our man in Havana · 07-06-2005 7:00pm

Maybe give people double points if caught with speed evasion equipment ?

Severe penalties already exist for such people.

Del2005 · 07-06-2005 10:28pm

Heard about a person in the UK who bought one of those GASTO defeater kits, got caught and was given points. Sued the company who sold him the kit under the trade descriptions act in the UK and won, got his fine paid but still had the points.

vector · 07-06-2005 11:04pm

Bond-007 wrote:

Severe penalties already exist for such people.

perhaps a litigious member could elaborate

PhotoBlocker Spray?

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