POI Keywords: What do they mean?

 

I've been looking around and around, but haven't been able to figure out what the keywords in POI files mean or what they derive as defaults (at least not in all cases). "Redlight", "Speed", and "Camera" are all pretty obvious, but what the blue blazes is "GATSO" or "SPECS"? Isn't "mobile" just a little silly for something your defining as a stationary point?

Okay, I'm a newb... smile

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Tanga309 ~ nuvi 660

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatso

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPECS_(speed_camera)

GATSO and SPECS = UK Speed Cameras

you're lucky!

tanga309 wrote:

but what the blue blazes is "GATSO" or "SPECS"?

Just be grateful you're not familiar with these things :-)

Gatso is a type of speed camera containing a film camera and a radar. It takes two pictures (at 2 second intervals), when it detects a vehicle travelling at more than its set speed. Gatso is derived from the name of the Belgian bloke who designed the first one. (Maurice Gatsonide or something similar;-)

SPECS stands for something - but not sure what ;-). These are average speed cameras that use number plate (license plate) recognition. They scan an entire stream of traffic and track them between cameras, working out the average speed of each! (and checking for stolen vehicles, uninsured vehicles etc etc at the same time). The installation of these things has just reduced my favourite 100mph bend, to one that has to be taken at 50.0000mph instead :-(

Some more information:-
http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/speed-camera-types.htm

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »      

Re: keywords

tanga309 wrote:

I've been looking around and around, but haven't been able to figure out what the keywords in POI files mean or what they derive as defaults (at least not in all cases). "Redlight", "Speed", and "Camera" are all pretty obvious, but what the blue blazes is "GATSO" or "SPECS"? Isn't "mobile" just a little silly for something your defining as a stationary point?

Okay, I'm a newb... :)

Hi tanga309,

There's a site I find very useful, when it comes to finding the meaning of an acronym. Its...
Acronym Finder

Although there's no acronym for "GATSO" there is one for "SPECS".

HTH (hope that helps)

Regards,

tailspin

Nuvi 670

P.S. From Wikipedia...

Gatso is a brand of speed camera invented by Maurice Gatsonides and manufactured by the Dutch company Gatsometer BV.
The Gatso emits radar beams to measure the speed of the vehicle. If it is travelling above the preset trigger speed, photographs are taken, using a powerful flash, to show the rear of the vehicle, its registration plate, and the calibration lines on the road.
Gatso installations are characterised by a series of white lines painted on the road. The camera takes two photographs with a known time interval between them (typically 0.5 seconds). The vehicle's position, relative to the white road markings in the two photographs, can be used to calculate the vehicle speed and is, in the UK, the only evidence admissible in court. The speed indicated by the radar unit is too unreliable to be used as the sole means of evidence as it is prone to error due to multiple reflections etc. Further, it does not distinguish between multiple vehicles in shot.

--
Sullivan's Law: Murphy was an optimist!

I would love to take a crack at a Gatso installation

What if one was towing a trailer? Since the main vehicle triggered the speed trap but a camera needs to photograph it relative to some lines painted on the roadway, how would the pics come out if there was a trailer following very close to the bumper?

Things that make you go hmmmm.
dd

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Normally the fines are just spat out automatically and paid. Occasionally, you get some interesting challenges, where the photos are actually examined. They've been known to enhance the images and read all the stickers that get left on the back window....such as which dealer the car came from - enough to track you down, if determined enough!

I think the accepted way to defeat Gatso, is to pass it at 165mph+ ... so you're out of shot for at least the second photo. There are one or two practical problems associated with this approach though wink

--
------------------------ Phil Hornby, Stockport, England ----------------------               http://GeePeeEx.com - Garmin POI Creation made easy           »