Coyote Systems Mini Coyote [printer-friendly] • reghardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.com/2009/05/08/review_gps_satnav_speed_camera_detector_coyote_systems_mini_coyote/

Coyote Systems Mini Coyote

Speed camera show and tell

8th May 2009 08:02 GMT

Review Whether you want regular reminders to keep your speed down or simply love breaking the speed limit, the Mini Coyote is here to help. And with a built-in GPRS module, you’ll get regular updates without the need for a PC, as well as real-time information on nearby mobile speed traps submitted by fellow users.

Coyote Systems' Mini Coyote: compact and easy to use

Speed cameras always provoke lively debates. Some believe they’re simply a revenue stream for the government and do little for road safety, others say they help catch dangerous drivers and that those who stick to the speed limits have nothing to worry about. It’s therefore no surprise that devices such as the Mini Coyote are both loved and loathed in equal measure.

Coyote Systems says it promotes safer driving by serving as a regular reminder of speed limits, but you can’t get away from the fact that it also allows drivers who regularly speed to reduce their chances of being collared. Morality aside, the fact is that the Mini Coyote is, at present, totally legal in the UK.

The device itself is reasonably compact (88mm wide, 25mm deep and 50mm tall) and features a small OLED screen accompanied by just two buttons. Unlike most satnavs, it doesn’t use a sucker-based cradle to attach itself to your windscreen. Instead, you need to stick the plastic clasp to the windscreen and then slip the Mini Coyote in and out of it.

A small but strong magnet keeps the Mini Coyote secured on the dashboard

If you don’t fancy the thought of an ugly bit of plastic on your windscreen, a separate magnetic support can be stuck to your dashboard. Either way, you’ll need to permanently stick something to the inside of your car, which isn’t ideal – we’d prefer a sucker-based attachment. With a battery life of up to 10 hours you’ll be able to go on long journeys without having the charging cable attached. It’s charged by USB and a 12v car adapter is included.

Things are kept very simple in terms of features. The settings menu is home to just three options: Volume (four levels, including silent), Language and Info (the number of satellites in view, ID number etc).

The bar along the bottom extends the closer you get to the danger zone

Switch the unit on and it will immediately start searching for satellites – a couple of beeps indicate your location has been pinpointed. Your current speed is then displayed on screen, along with a clock and battery level indicator.The Mini Coyote will warn you of a number of speed traps, including fixed, red light, and mobile cameras. When you approach a camera, the unit will flash an LED and beep at you. The current speed limit is then shown and a small bar along the bottom of the screen indicates how near you are to the danger zone.

Should you notice a copper with a laser gun while on a trip, you can alert other Mini Coyote users by pressing either the left or right button (the left button indicates the speed trap is catching traffic traveling in your direction, the right button is to warn traffic in the opposite direction). The Mini Coyote will then give you a few seconds to cancel the warning, before distributing it to other users.

The warning lasts for three hours and, should other Mini Coyote users report warnings in the same area, it may be included in the next database update as a hotspot for mobile cameras – these updates are sent out each month. Based on the number of warnings submitted, the LED will flash green (low number), orange or red (high number) when you approach a mobile camera hotspot.

Depending on the angle of your windscreen, it can be difficult to see the display

Any community-based system such as this is open to abuse, but it’s unlikely those who spend good money on the Mini Coyote will then go around flagging up false speed traps. That said, should the system believe you’re simply having fun bashing the buttons, future warnings sent by your Mini Coyote will be ignored.

Perhaps more of a concern is that this live spotting service will only be effective if there are a decent number of Mini Coyote users on the road. Coyote Systems told us that, at present, there are less than 1,000 users in the UK – not a huge surprise since it’s fairly new to these parts. It is, of course, up to you whether you want to be an early adopter or wait and see if the Mini Coyote becomes popular in the UK before purchasing.

Illegal site? Customise your lawless driving alerts on-line

Although the device itself is very limited in terms of features, you can tweak various settings by heading to the Mini Coyote website and tapping in your unit’s ID and serial number. Options include setting the warning distances and changing the audible and visual alerts.

So how does it cope out on the open road? We gave the Mini Coyote an extended test and, on the whole, were impressed. On more than one occasion, we were warned of possible mobile speed traps that had been flagged up by fellow Mini Coyote owners. When we tried declaring a couple ourselves, it warned us as to their possible presence the next time we drove past that spot.

Warnings from other users are displayed along with the time the camera was spotted

If you want to keep the camera database up-to-date, you’ll need to sign up to a subscription, which is by no means cheap. You get three months included when you purchase the Mini Coyote – after that, monthly subscriptions are charged at £10, which is double that of the similar Professional Connected from Road Angel. However, savings can be made by opting for a one- or two-year subscriptions at £100 and £170 respectively.

Considering the price of the Mini Coyote, we were hoping for extras such as voice alerts to avoid glancing at the screen. Furthermore, its ‘safer driving’ credentials could have been boosted if it could constantly display the current speed limit, as opposed to only when a camera is lurking ahead. It’s also missing a feature offered by the Road Angel Professional Connected, which enables friends to track where you are on the road. This rival device is, however, almost £100 more than the Mini Coyote.

Charged via USB, the battery lasts up to 10 hours on the road

Coyote Systems told us that it will soon be possible to use the device across the whole of Europe and, another forthcoming feature, called Scout, will reveal how many Mini Coyote users are in the vicinity. Release dates on these new functions are currently vague.

Verdict

The most impressive thing about the Mini Coyote is its sheer ease of use. There are no confusing menus to navigate and, as long as you pay the subscription fees, it will update itself automatically. Add in the ability to get warnings from other Mini Coyote users and you’ve got yourself a pretty decent piece of kit. It is, however, darned expensive – 15 months’ usage will set you back a minimum of £300. But if you’ve been racking up penalty points and are teetering on the edge of a ban, it could be a price worth paying. ®