BTW, it is LEGAL to use a radar detector in DE.
YES IT IS.

Even some DE policemen don't know this, until they check with their station.

cunningly, the number of brackets on windshields with aftermarket satnav systems must be in the favour of those with detectors?

That was why I did not remove it....
I feel a little dumm...when I sat in the Customs office for 2 hours while they figure out how to fill in the forms to give me a ticket.

Apparently they could not, and they just forwarded this device and my details to the Schaufhausen polizei. They sent me a "bill" in under 1 week. Quick huh? Faster than a speeding bullet...pun intended.

Also, if the device is "not functioning" or you can prove it (by cutting the power cord or hidding it) they cannot prove it is a radar detector nor can they say you were intending to use it. You can say it is spare part of a bigger vehicle project you are doing in DE and that you are carrying it as a spare part or project part.

Then they will become confused and they cannot "punish" you, but only ask you to bring it out of switzerland, you can give it to a DE friend, for example.
LEGALLY.

I now have an Inforad V3 GPS-based "detector". Still apparently illegal here but I'd argue my corner (by hiding the little UFO when necessary ).

And yes, the fairly-new camera up the road from me was detected. It also works through my headed windscreen....so I'm happy (fixed cameras not mobile installations are in its database - better than nothing and thus very good for reminding me to not speed when I am somewhere new looking for where I am going)

Hi Rockster,

So now I should reply: Where did you get this nifty little gadget?
Got a photo?

Nowadays I drive so carefully, I DON'T NEED a detector.


HAT

PS: Still sore about paying 400chf fine last year!
to Thurgau polizei.

It IS legally ILLEGAL to possess any kind of radar detector or GPS-based detector.
Possession means having it in your car, your pocket or shoved under your undies...

Hi Folks, I'm new to this forum. I found it only last week and since then have installed my FTA satellite system as per recommendations from another thread. No more repeats of repeats (of....) from BBC Prime.
Anyway. I got a detector (Beltronics Euro 550) from eBay. The cheapest I found was actually in UK, 90 quid, and as I could pick it up during a visit this was no problem.
It maybe seems a lot of dosh to pay out, but I'm sure it's since paid for itself. My model covers 12 european countries' frequency bands AND laser detection (for which I am sure gives the driver more than 0.5 second warning). It uses a "shadow technology" also preventing the polizei from detecting the detector with their detector-detector.
Funny case in DE was driving from the autobahn into Freiburg this summer when the bleeps came thick and fast. We saw no fixed installation but this parked-up Opel under a bridge. Sure enough, there was a poor Polizistin crammed in the back with lots of hardware. What a way to spend Saturday afternoon!
I find the detector not the silver bullet but just a useful tool to have. I would never drive over the limit anyway in towns, but on the autobahn when its clear, then where actually IS the problem??
I always watch out personally for silver, white Opels, BMWs, Volvos esp. combis behind me and in front, and if they show the current kanton plate, have a couple of (normally) copper-looking guys in the front, no 'CH' or 'Save the Whale' stickers or Postman Pat kiddy sun-blinds on the back windows, then beware.
Regarding cameras, don't forget that its not all based around radars & lasers. The autobahn fixed ones very often have line markings in the road to detect speed, look at Oensingen (A1).

I was breathalized the first time in my life after 20 years of driving (18 in UK) on the west exit A1 at Rothrist (AG). It had to happen sometime in my life (luckily this time only after 2 pints of Bodds from Penny Farthing, Arrau)

HAT - www.inforad.com - it's the V3.

Munster-man - indeed look out for nondescript Opels Beemers etc. A3 has two ZH-tagged Opel Omegas, green, with privacy glass beyond the B-pillar. I've been chased by the estate version

How accurate are the induction-loop based ones?

Keeping an eye out for posh silver cars over here is a bit like playing "spot the tree" or "spot the mountain"...

An interesting report today in 20 Minutes:
www.20min.ch/news/schweiz/story/10935512

Now who would have such a GPS-based detector.....

I do have a gps based radar detector. It isn't illegal ( as far as I understand it ).
I'm waiting however for someone to tell me it is . . . ;-)

ok.

It is.

ok, cheers for that. . .

I understood that those gps devices as listed in the pdf doc from twenty minutes were suspect.
As mine isn't on that list.....
Also the retailer here was quite adamant the unit's legal, something about the way it updates and operates. . .

From www.radar.ch
Wie der Info-Pager ist der Amigo als Infosystem somit völlig legal.



Anyhow . . .
It works well and I'll do my best not to get caught with it

Those listed devices are GPS with "extra" functions.

My mate™ has an Inforad. Cost €99 from a service station in France....and works well

Interesting to read on radar.ch...have a read in their forums

yep very interesting, thanks, again for that

Although as I understand it, it's illegal for units to provide you information on "mobile or temporary radar installations " and doesn't apply to "fixed" installations. . .

Anyhow, I'll be keeping mine "well hidden" in future. . . . .

does anyone know where i can download the swiss speed camera database that works with tomtom (pda)? i would imagine they would have to be updated rather reguraly seeing as how these cameras seem to multiply daily. Thanks!

Since a few weeks ago this became illegal in Switzerland so Tom Tom have cancelled the service as far as I know. Daniel

http://www.scdb.info/en/software-tomtom/
charges for their speed camera database,

If you have a poke around on google though, I;m sure you can find a free one.

So how legal is this system (http://www.foxytag.com/en/presentation.html) ? "scientific researches leaded by Michel Deriaz at Geneva University."

So we now all know that there is radar, there is laser. There is fixed, there are mobile (more than expected especially in die pampa), plus the wonderful boys/girls in blue with or without devices.

I have experience in the last 9 years of all of these variants, and am now on a warning following an incident in Zurich (69KM in a 50 limit ). By the way there is something to think about, I got caught in ZH as said, this was in December then, last week (August) I have a nice letter from my home Kanton (AG) explaining that I have 2 years of being a good boy ahead of me, otherwise uhoh... plus I have to pay another 110- for this letter!

The best option until now is (as already suggested by somebody above)from http://amigo.radar.ch you buy a cheap and nasty looking GPS receiver, which contains a database of all of the fixed and, obviously only the fixed installations that they know about. This is updated monthly for a yearly subscription.

The squawking this thing makes is horrible and can be annoying when on the phone, but it is by far the best option I .

So why was I caught in ZH on a fixed installation??? No battery .

Anyway with the roadworks at the moment coming from AG to ZH there is no real danger of speeding.

Happy driving