Technology Driven Solutions. TR 30 GPS Warning System

Above: Main TR30 unit

Produced by Technology Driven Solutions the TR30 is one of the latest in car GPS warning systems. Packed with a whole host of features this unit is probably one of the best fitted systems you can have at the moment. I say fitted because it has a wires coming out of every corner and to get the best out of this unit it will have to be hard wired in. It is however the most customisable GPS Speed Camera warning system on the market.

Some of the features include; Always on GPS, for fast getaways, no waiting for the system to lock onto satellites. Radio mute so when you are having a blast with your stereo system you wont miss that warning. Laser and radar input, laser included. Fully programmable multi-colour back light so you can match it to your car instrumentation colour. Interchangeable custom panel to match your interior. Downloadable male, female and specialty voices. Speed limit at speedtrap site. Easily set the customisable options via your PC (USB)

In the box is everything you need to get going.

Above:There are lots of parts to this system, requiring
good electrical knowledge when it comes to fitting.

The system will benefit from being professionally installed, as there are separate parts to link together and some wiring to connect to a constant live and if required the radio mute to benefit from all the features. Someone with good knowledge of auto electrics will have no problem fitting this system.

Everything connects to the interface unit and a single wire goes to the main units mounting bracket to keep it neat. The mounting bracket can be screwed to the dash, stuck to the dash or fitted to a mobile phone bracket as the holes in the mount line up with the standard fitting holes on a mobile phone mount. The bracket does not feel that strong but I flexed it about quite a bit to see if it would snap, it survived no problem. The flex in the bracket however does show in the car when you are driving as the unit will vibrate on bumpy roads. (Most roads in the UK are quite poor so it does show).

Fitting took me about an hour. The antenna was placed in the centre of the dash with the cable running round the dash between the screen and dash, nice place to hide cable. The main unit was fitted by the side pillar for easy reach. The laser alert was fitted in the centre of the screen just above the antenna for best effect.

The interface unit was fitted under the dash and wired to the fuse box. All the cables meet at this box.

Next is to test it all and then take it indoors to update and program it. Install the software first as you would do with all USB driven systems. It was dead easy to do, just follow the instructions. Once you have registered the unit you can do the download for the latest updates. This is all done via USB.

Then it is time to play with the user programmable software. You can set a whole host of things and it is very easy to do. Sound levels and type of beep, voice types, screen colour and warning range or time. Just slide the sliders to the position you want and test the setting with the test button, it could not be any easier.

One of the best features is the screen colour. This is the first ever unit to have a RGB colour setting, in other words you can create any colour you want for the display in normal mode and also in the warning mode. It is rather cool and you will play with it for hours deciding what you want.

Above: Just some of the colours you can have, but there are hundreds to choose from.

The voice can be male or female and you can even have a custom voice. The voice is clear and gives the information you need.

Overall the programmable features are just what you want, very easy to use and very easy to customise.

In use.

The TR30 is simple to use once you have set up your preferences. Your warnings can be based on time or distance to the hazard .

As you approach a hazard you are warned by a voice telling you the type of hazard ahead. The display will change to your chosen warning colours depending on your speed and the speed limit. The display will tell you the speed limit, your speed and the type of hazard. On some occasions the road name is shown.

A proximity bar shows you your distance to the hazard.

A warning beep is sounded and the warning beep will be low if you are below the speed limit the screen will be one colour. If you are over or go over the speed limit and the screen will change colour again and depending on your setting the volume will increase. The nuts setting, as I call it, will revert back to the calm setting once you re-adjust your speed to below the limit. The warnings will continue until you have passed the hazard, at that point the unit will revert back to normal mode.

Above: Typical Warning Screen. Left Circle is the Speed Limit, Centre Circle is your speed.
Right Circle is the type of Speedtrap. Other information may be displayed such as the road name.
You also get a proximity bar to show you your approach to the hazard.

The laser head works well and will in some cases give you enough warning and in other cases it may not. This is the same for any laser detector. (see Laser FAQ.here for more info on laser detectors and how they work).

The TR 30 gets top marks and is a worthy unit. If you are after a fitted unit then this unit must be on your shopping list.

What do we like.	What don't we like.
It's performance The RGB Colour setting on the screen Very Loud Clear beeps, customisable voice alerts Quick start up (if wired for this feature) User functions Concise Instructions Mounting bracket and wiring loom making it easy to hide the cables Laser detector module Software upgradeable Internet updating for new Speedtraps	Too much flex in the mounting bracket, it suffers vibration The almost impossible to change fascia, well not quite but it is hard.

Review June 2005

Please note. The TR30 is a software driven system. This review was accurate at the time of publishing
it is well worth looking at the TDS site and reading the latest user guide to see what has changed.