Snooper 3Zero Review

Now this is a product finally launched in Autumn 2010 that had been a long time coming, the combination or radar/laser detection with a GPS camera database in one box. This has been available from several manufacturers in the post as two technologies plugged together and Snooper even did this themselves with the Snooper S6R and S4R but at last it’s available in one small portable unit the size of a pack of playing cards.

Now I know that makes this sound like the Holy Grail of camera detectors and to an extent it is but let me back track a little just to say that, certainly for the UK, radar detection itself these days doesn’t offer you much benefit. The Gatso cameras which use radar will be on the Aura database so you will get alerts to them anyway, only the 3Zero will be able to tell you if they are live and spewing out radar waves or not. Laser detection can offer you an advanced warning if you get signals bouncing off cars being targeted in-front of you, but again a database would give you a longer range warning of the mobile high risk zones and more time to adjust your driving accordingly.

Now I have to say (on the up again) I am amazed at the price of this unit really expected something circa the £250 mark when I first heard of it. This is essentially a combination of the Snooper Tigre and Snooper Pantera but you can get both combined into this one handy unit for less. You get a great range of options to adjust various settings to manage these two technologies such as Motorway Mode to only alert to traps on the motorway rather than road beneath or besides, Smart Mute to keep the unit quiet if you’re travelling under 20mph and Auto Ranging which automatically increasing the warning range as your speed increases. Logic modes also let you switch between getting alerts to all cameras or just alerts to those affecting your direction of travel. You can also turn off things like the Schools warnings and the various radar bands to reduce superfluous or false alerts.

The Snooper Aura database is about the most tried and tested on the market so as you would expect combined with physical radar and laser detection this is a very good all-rounder in terms of the breadth of coverage you get for your money. My only complaint really is that I would have liked to see a battery inbuilt to the unit but I am told that all three technologies are just to power intensive for this but at least a hardwire lead is an optional accessory.

What we like Breadth of coverage Size Price

What we don't like No battery option No colour LCD display

Snooper 3Zero

£139.99