Stinger VIP User manual

1. Keeping your Stinger up-to-date
Tooptimally benefit from your Stinger wesuggest you use the
Stinger Desktop application to check for updates regularly.
1. If you have not yet installed the Stinger Desktop application
on your Mac (or PC if need be), it can be downloaded
from www.stinger.com/downloads.
2. Connect the Stinger USB key of your Stinger VIP to your
Mac (or PC).
3. The Stinger Desktop application will automatically check
for and show any available updates.
4. Follow the steps shown on the screen of your Stinger
Desktop.
1. Keeping your Stinger up-to-date
2. Contact and help
3. Using your Stinger VIP
4. SafetySignals
5. PoliceCheck
6. MileageLogging
7. Alert types
7a. Spot
7b. Section
7c. Laser
7d. Radar
8. Suppressing false alerts
Copyright 2012Stinger. A ll rights reser ved. No part of this m anual may be reproduc ed, nor in whole, nor i n part, without
the express pri or permission of Stinger. Sting er, the Stinger logo, the Sting er ‘S’,‘ De luxe van relaxed rijden’ a nd VIP
Computer are regis tered trademark s of Stinger. All other t rademarks belon g to their registere d owners. All spec ifications
and functional ities in this manual a nd of the produc ts described t here in are subjec t to change.
StingerV IP User Manual - VI P-INT-V2.0 © 2012 Stinger
2. Contact and help
If, at any point, you have questions regarding your Stinger,
more information and answers can be found in the
following ways:
Head Office
Phone: +31 (0)252 - 41 80 95
Website: www.stinger.com
Email: [e-mail]
Online manuals: www.stinger.com/manuals Side buttons
‘Hidden’ keys for which you can select the
functionality in the Settings menu
3. Using your Stinger VIP
Using your Stinger VIP is extremely simple. Make sure your
Stinger USB key is connected to the Stinger USB cable in
your car. Your VIP will automatically start up each time you
turn on the ignition of your car and shut down when you
turn the ignition off again. Clear, color-coded alerts make
driving with the VIP pleasurable and straightforward: Green
means ‘relax’, yellow ‘suppressed alert’ and red ‘full alert’.
S-key
Key to main menu
Your current speed
SpeedSense
See:
8. Suppressing of false alerts
Function active
Function not active
After start-up the VIP will always take you to the Pilot screen
(the standard operating screen).
For any further interaction with the VIP you can use the
pressure sensitive touch display. At any time, pressing the
Stinger S-key will take you directly to the main menu.
In the main menu you can proceed to the Settings-menu
where you can change settings such as volume, brightness,
time, language, kilometer/miles and SpeedSense. From the
main menu simply press the ‘Pilot’ icon to return to the
Pilot screen.
4. SafetySignals
The Stinger VIP incorporates an advanced safety system.
At great distances it picks up SafetySignals that can be
transmitted around work zones, school zones and emergency
vehicles. These signals will be transcoded in real-time and
shown as the appropriate alert. This way your VIP can alert
you up to a kilometer ahead of a special traffic situation.
Depending on the application, there are several ways a
SafetySignal can be generated.
Cars equipped with Stinger Laser can even automatically
and instantly alert other - Stinger Laser equipped - cars to
dangerous situations such as heavily braking traffic.
5. PoliceCheck
This unique Stinger feature enables you to dispute unjust
or incorrect traffic citations. With PoliceCheck switched
on (Main Menu > Settings > PoliceCheck), your VIP will
automatically log the instances you encountered radar,
laser and other types of speed traps. Of those moments it
will also log other data including your speed and essential
details such as radar frequencies. That latter enabling you
to check if the radar in question has been operating within
legal bandwidths.
In the Stinger Desktop application you can retroactively look
up, store and print all the collected data.
6. MileageLog
To assist with someone’s hourly billing or travel cost
administration, and in some countries even to help avoid
extra state taxes, your Stinger VIP can keep detailed track of
all your business and private car travel.
At the start of any trip you simply choose the trip type
(Business, Personal or Commute) or automatically let it
default. To register trip ‘interruptions’ like petrol and food
stops you just choose ‘pit stop’ when resuming your ride.
With the supplied Stinger USBkey it is a cinch to transfer your
RouteLogging information to the Stinger Desktop application
on your Mac (or PC) and further manage the data.
Legality
Many countries in the world have their own, unique regulations regarding drivers
being alerted to, and protected from, speed traps. Depending on the country,
citizens may or may not have the freedom to receive information concerning speed
traps and to be alerted accordingly. In some countries citizens have the liberty to
freely pick up radar signals, while in others that is made illegal. Also the freedom to
receive the information from laser speed trap guns often differs per country.
In order to offer its productsto car drivers throughout the world (like in the so called
“common market” of the E.U., where the laws vary widely per country, as well as
in many other countries and states on our planet), Stinger in certain markets only
supplies versions of the Stinger VIP that are incapable of certain functionalities.
Radar Alerting, Laser Alerting, LaserShield, and SpotList may not be available on
those versions. When powered up, this version of the Stinger VIP can be easily
recognized in the Pilot screen by means of the text “Safety Signals Scanning”.
Please remember that it is and always will be your personal responsibility to
be aware of and abide by the locally applicable laws. Therefore, please always
thoroughly check local legislation before first using your Stinger VIP If you are
driving in a country where you do have the freedom to use Radar Alerting and/or
Laser Alerting and/or LaserShielding and/or SpotList Alerting, you can download
and install the software appropriate for that country.
Of course you can later delete this (new) functionality with the touch of a button,
in order to easily and completely stay in compliance with local legislation whenever
entering a country/state/province that does not allow one or more of the above
mentioned functionalities. Erasing is achieved by first pressing the ‘S’ key. In the
subsequent screen simplychoose the ERASE button. This will turn your Stinger VIP
into a version that is incapable of Radar Alerting, Laser Alerting, LaserShielding,
and SpotList Alerting. A new softwaredownload and installation (available where
allowed) is required in order to once again change the version of your Stinger VIP
Please be aware that all features and functionalities discribed in this manual are
subject to the presence of the corresponding hardware modules.
Note: Under no circumstance does your Stinger constitute a license to exceed the
posted speed limits. Alerts from your Stinger serve as an effective reminderto mind
your speed. Always drive responsibly and pay full attention to traffic.
Green
No special
circumstances
Yellow
Perceived threat likely unimportant
Red
Direct attention
requested Main menuPilot screen

Spectrum Analyse
7a. Spot
The VIP will alert you, with the help of GPS technology, to
fixed speed trap installations (such as posts with induction
loops and radar installations) or simply ‘Spots’. Stinger has
mapped the vast majority of fixed speed trap installations in
the world (which by definition are located in fixed spots) and
distributes these in the form of a so-called ‘SpotList’. Just use
the Stinger Desktop application on your Mac (or PC) to keep
your SpotList up-to-date.
Wheneveryou approacha locationthat’sin the StingerSpotList,
the VIP will show you the following type of alert screen:
7b. Section
Section Alertingwill warn you for,and guide you through, the
Section Controls (a.k.a. SPECS or ‘automated VASCAR’). With
Section Control cameras (regardless of your speed) register
your vehicle at a point ‘A’ and then again at point ‘B’ (often at
least a mile down the road). A computer then automatically
calculates youraverage speed between points ‘A’ and ‘B’ and
arranges for your ticket in case of speeding.
With the clear information of the VIP you will effortlessly be
guided through Section Control.
7d. Radar
Radar based speed traps determine your speed with the
help of reflected radio waves. Those radars may be set up
temporarily in a car or on a tripod next to the road, or be part
of a fixed installation such as in a cabinet next to or above
the road. The SpotList Alerting feature (described in 7a.) can
only alert you to the fixed locations. Radar Alerting, however,
7c. Laser
If you have equipped your VIP with Stinger Laser, it can
provide you with protection against laser speed traps*. In
such traps a device will fire laser light towards your car and
use the reflections to determine your speed.
Laser Alerting*
The Laser Alerting functionality allows your Stinger to
instantly see that laser is being fired, often even already
when cars ahead of you are being targeted. In your car you
will be alerted with clear visual and audible warnings.
8. Suppression of false alerts
SpeedSense
This function offers an easy way to eliminate many unwanted
alerts. Simply activate a threshold speed under which your
VIP will automatically mute all alerts. Go to ‘Main Menu >
Settings > SpeedSense’ to change the chosen threshold or
just press the Display where it shows your current speed.
FalseList*
Whenever you receive a false alert, simply hit the ‘Add to
FalseList’ button to store that specific signal at that specific
location in the FalseList of your Stinger. Next time you drive
past, your VIP will stay pleasantly quiet.
Your current speed
Your GPS speed,usually much more accurate
than that on a car’s speedometer.
The Spot alert
TheVIP will start
alerting ca. 15 seconds
ahead of the spot.
Alert
You will get an
initial alert when
approaching Section.
Section length
Your position within the Section
shown graphically and in numbers.
Average speed
Your final averagespeed over the completed Section. If exceeding the limit a
‘sad face’ will be shown and the sound of a camera shutter played.
Average speed
Your real-time averagespeed in the
Section so far.
Limit
The set speed limit
for the Section.
Change limit
You can change the limit set
by the VIP by pressing the
[+] and [-] keys. 3D Graph
Analysis of the X, K and Ka bands is shown simultaneously.The horizontal axis
indicates the relative frequency, the vertical axis the relative signal strength.
SpeedSense
You are driving 65 km/h and
therefore below the SpeedSense
threshold of 80 km/h.The Radar
Alart will therefore stay muted.
FalseList
If you prefer for this specific alert to
stay muted subsequent times you drive
by (irrespective of the speed you will
be going), press this button.
Signal Strength
Signal strength indication displayed on a scale of 1 to 10.The higher
the strength, the closer the approximate vicinity of the radar source.
Band and Frequency
Scientific name of the frequency band (X, K, Ka) as
well as the frequency, exact to the fourth decimal.
Visual
A visual representation
of the radar trap.
Shield-up time
The LaserShield will stay up for a pre-set time of 2 to 9 seconds after the initial
alert.After that Shield-up time the shield will automatically go down, allowing
a laser a ‘second shot’ at measuring your speed.At speeds below ca 30 km/h
the shield will always be down.
Alerts
The moment your Stinger identifies laser light it will
display an alert like below.Even the type of laser
device can be shown.
* Optional: available where allowed¹ Stored limit might not always correspond with the actual speed limit * Optional: available where allowed * Optional: available where allowed
Limit
The stored speed limit
for that location.¹
VIP
User manual
English
7. Types of speed traps
Alerts of the VIP distinguish between the types of speed traps:
a. Spot
b. Section
c. Laser
d. Radar
In car
Gun
Post with
induction loops
Radar installation
Radar installation
(active)
Sidelaser
On tripod
Approaching Section
During Section
LaserShield
End of Section
Laser Alerting
LaserShield*
When being fired at with laser, your Stinger can instantly
deploy a shield of invisible light: the LaserShield®. It will
(temporarily) make it nearly impossible for laser guns to
measure your speed.
The LaserShield is so advanced that even modern side-lasers
(positioned next to the road, for instance installed into the
guard rail) can be effectively blocked. Radar Alerting
can recognize the radio waves emitted by the radars and
therefore not just alert to the (active) fixed radars, but also
to the temporary and mobile ones. As a result of its unique
Multi Polarity HD antenna the Stinger VIP can even timely
recognize speed radars where radar detectors fall short.
The extreme accuracy of the Stinger VIP is also evident in the
Spectrum Analysis screen. Go to settings to select it as your
default screen or to define it as a toggle key.
Visual
A visual representation
of the fixed installation.
Visual
A visual representation
of the laser device.