Origin b2 Reviews

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Origin b2
★★★☆☆
2.9
50.0% of users recommend this
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Latest Reviews

“Been using Origin B2 unit for years and years. Refuse...”

★★★★☆

written by on 31/10/2010

Been using Origin B2 unit for years and years. Refuse to upgrade until I really have too, it's that good. On my second unit. Original was fine but some light fingered gypsy decided to nick it. Changing subscription over to new one couldn't have been easier. Like another reviewer found out the laser attachment didn't work quick enough for me - though the cop did get me from some distance on the motorway.

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“I've had my Origin B2 for 7 years now and apart from a...”

★★★★☆

written by on 07/10/2010

I've had my Origin B2 for 7 years now and apart from a few niggles i'm very happy with it. Yes, the cradle is not the most secure and it does take a bit of time to lock onto the sats after updating but, if you want a device to inform you of the Gatsos and Truvelos then it works perfectly. I think the laser detector is a bit of a waste of time because it only alerts you once you've been caught...as i found out! I've since bought another 2 B2's, one for my wife and one for my daughter and neither has had any of the problems that some of the others have experienced. Perhaps we're just lucky!

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“Very poor unit failed within 2 months, unit replaced,...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 28/02/2010

Very poor unit failed within 2 months, unit replaced, failed again 19 months unit replaced now out of Warranty, next failure in the bin and it will be goodbye Origin, never to return to this household

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“Owned for 2.5 years At times slow to locate satellites...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by on 13/10/2008

Owned for 2.5 years At times slow to locate satellites but my big gripe is that within weeks of the warranty expiring the B2 started to fail. First the back light, then the speech followed by warning bleeps. It is almost as if it had a programmed shut-down. With the subscription it has been an expensive unit.

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“I have used all the leading camera detectors, this is...”

★★★☆☆

written by GRH on 30/03/2007

I have used all the leading camera detectors, this is just OK and not as good as the road angel and the micro pilot products, the quality of the hardware is very poor indeed, with the cradle failing very quickly (very weak pins).

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“It was a waste of money - where is the customer...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by fraggle6183 on 28/11/2006

It was a waste of money - where is the customer service department?

My Origin b2 speed camera detector has never picked up a mobile camera van, which was why I bought it! I was assured by the man in the shop on about 5 occasions that it would pick up mobile camera vans.

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“If there was good back up regarding this Origin b2...”

★★★☆☆

written by gw0jcb on 15/05/2006

If there was good back up regarding this Origin b2 electrical connection loss
Maybe I would keep mine but they do not reply to emails and when they do they apologise cause there emails been down.

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“I bought 6 Origin B2 Solo units for myself and a group...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by k9orbs on 22/04/2006

I bought 6 Origin B2 Solo units for myself and a group of work colleagues about a year ago. We had to return every single unit in the first batch within a month because of cradle connectivity faults. Of the replacement units, 4 had to go back again!! We are all still dogged with intermittent connection problems and a year on we are now starting to see software lockups and two of the units have developed problems with the control buttons. On our sample of 6 units the reliability is appalling, especially when you consider the £300 + price tag.

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“I'm really happy with my Origin b2 despite some niggles. ”

★★★★★

written by lmfletcher on 27/11/2005

I'm really happy with my Origin b2 despite some niggles.

I'll get those out of the way first: the cradle connections are a bit dodgy. Cleaning helps for the power/laser/diffuser row of contacts, but the GPS antenna connector between the cradle and unit needs intermittent attention (the centre pin of the GPS connector on the unit can be re-centred with a fine needle to improve friction and reduce those.

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“Superbly accurate and comprehensive database. I do not...”

★★★☆☆

written by wilsan on 25/09/2005

Superbly accurate and comprehensive database. I do not reccommend hard wiring as the unit (or part of) will have to be returned or replaced at some stage. This is a remarkable unit when it is new and working properly. Sadly after a few months I needed a new comms lead then sometime after a new cradle - then after 12/15 months a new head unit. More recently a fuse blew and I replaced with only one available which was rated slightly higher. My stupid mistake - flames started to shoot out of cradle at 70mph. New cradle sent and worked for one day then another worked for an hour - which leads me to believe that my little inferno must have damaged the connector to GPS unit. Origin need to re-think connection methods and warn people not to use any other fuse than the rating supplied or add additional fused circuit to cradle to make it idiot proof for users like myself. I do not use laser detector on this unit but Valentine One after receiving three points trusting Road Angels offering - their unit much better made but grossly inaccurate database.

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“When this Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector works it...”

★★☆☆☆

written by lmhobbs on 21/07/2005

When this Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector works it functions extremely well. What I find extremely annoying and the manufacturers will not acknowledge this as a problem is that the slightest bump can make it jump out of the cradle and hence it stops working. If you are unlucky, it then takes many minutes, often 4 miles in my case, to get a satellite lock. Again Origin will not acknolwedge this as a problem. It will show 6+ satellites for many miles and still refuse to lock so you have to stay stationery until it gets a lock.

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“I have used one these Origin B2 GPS Speed Camera...”

★☆☆☆☆

written by JRHTowers on 11/06/2005

I have used one these Origin B2 GPS Speed Camera Detectors for about a year. Its most infuriating fault is its frequent loss of electrical connection with the mounting stand (in all but the smoothest of cars), which one often doesn't notice unless constantly checking that the display is still actually showing. Such rank sloppy design all but negates its actual features and it seems astonishing that the same brains who went to all the trouble of incorporating those features have poured all their work down the toilet again with such a simple and fundamental design flaw. Also, small displays are fine in themselves, but they are infinitely better if they provide the facility to cycle through the available pieces of information individually (and thus display them larger) rather than trying to show every bit of infornmation at once by cramming it all into one small screen. They should take a lesson from the way Nokia design some of their latest mobile phone displays. If I were forced to buy this again, I'd sacrifice its portability for the benefit of firmly securing it in one vehicle. But it really needs a complete re-think I feel.

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“I loved this Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector, it...”

★★★★★

written by helfinger on 13/10/2004

I loved this Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector, it was easy to install, it could be fitted either on the dash or in the centre console area. This unit performed far better than I had expected. Previously I had the classic road angel unit which was good but a bit on the large side. In the 5 months of owning this unit and am happy to report the Origin b2 has alerted me to every camera with a 100% success rate. I have also got this unit working with a Lidatek LE-30 laser diffuser which now gives me total protection. I'm also particularly impressed with the information that is displayed on the unit. I would recomend this unit to anyone its the best in my opinion. If you are thinking of buying a Origin B2 I would really recomend you go and look at www.speed-detectors.co.uk or call them the guy I spoke to was called Tom I think, he was very helpful and gave me a very honest opinion. Hope this helps some of you decide.

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Bigaudio's Response to helfinger's Review

Written on: 09/11/2004

Helfinger, in your review you mention that you have the lidatek le 30 connected to the B2, how did you manage this...was it a cable connection? I am interested in purchasing both units. Did you install them yourself?

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“The Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector is not a unit...”

★★☆☆☆

written by budfox786 on 03/09/2004

The Origin b2 GPS Speed Camera Detector is not a unit you would want unless you want to spend the cash to get it hard wired into your car! 3 cables and a docking station were not easy to hide on the dash. Fixed camera warnings worked well BUT laser gave a FALSE WARNING nearly every half an hour - after numerous calls to Orgin, the problem was still UNRESOLVED so sent the unit back and got myself a Road Angel 2 - which worked a treat, gave no false warnings, did not require hard wiring, had only one lead and was a genuine "plug & play" unit. Also, Orgin technical team were NOT the most helpful bunch - much of the time giving conflicting advice!

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Pigmeat2000's Response to budfox786's Review

Written on: 20/04/2005

The reviewer must have got a dud one. My B2 has NEVER given a false laser warning.

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Moayad's Response to budfox786's Review

Written on: 26/05/2005

i 100% agree with this review. My B2 gives so many false laser alerts and worst of all the Origin team are not very reliable, they tell so many lies. Unfortunately i have bought the B2 and stuck with it. i do strongly recommend Road Angel 2.

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“The Origin b2 Driver Safety and Information System the...”

★★★★★

written by richard978 on 03/06/2004

The Origin b2 Driver Safety and Information System the most technologically advanced product on the market and provides the driver with a comprehensive range of speed management information in a user friendly format, the breadth and depth of which no other single system can provide.

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Richard40's Response to richard978's Review

Written on: 23/11/2004

Would it be unfair to suggest that this reads less like a review and more like an advertisement ?

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Cobra9733's Response to richard978's Review

Written on: 16/04/2005

I think you hit the nail on the head there richard40, thats no review!

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“Origin b2 Can find the speed camera at a good range. ...”

★★★★☆

written by lachielachie on 12/03/2004

Origin b2 Can find the speed camera at a good range. Fuel stations and other emitting place get confused and mixed up. Definatley good but not best GPS Speed Camera detector.

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“The Origin b2 is ok and quite good value for money. ...”

★★★★☆

written by pdhr on 09/03/2004

The Origin b2 is ok and quite good value for money. It can track the gatso cameras. But can't track the CCTV camras which will book you if it catches you going slower for the gatso cam and then speeding up.

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Daisysdad's Response to 146915_pdhr's Review

Written on: 03/06/2004

I think you may have your b2 set up incorrectly, it does know where the SPECS cameras are, and you should understand that it doesnt track anything, because it uses gps it knows your location the ob2 has a camera database in it that is how it knows where the cameras are. I have had mine for over six months my road angel went in the bin because of its flaky camera database, it kept showing cameras that wern't there!, the ob2 does have a laser detector and it is exactly that a DETECTOR it will only warn you that your speed has been measured, the licenced highway robbers can measure your speed in 0.3, I drive 30k + a year, I need my licence and I am fed up with these, taking the micky out of the majority of us, in fact I would say my b2 has slowed me down and it was worth every penny, it truly does do exactly what it says on the tin I would recommend it to anyone.

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“The neatest option I found was the Origin b2 and it...”

★★★★★

written by pigmeat2000 on 25/12/2003

The neatest option I found was the Origin b2 and it was given very good reports by those who properly tested it. In one weekend I was flashed by two different speed cameras. The first of the intended prosecution notices duely arrived for doing 36 in a 30 limit. I am expecting the other notice this week (another 36 mph ticket I believe). Another bad weekend like this and I can say goodbye to my license. I decided to get some protection and studied the available kit on the market to detect cameras.
The Origin b2 requires quite a bit of installation wiring to deal with particularly if you want a permanent but descrete installation as I did, so I had a professional installation rather than doing it myself. To be honest there wasn't anything I couldn't have dealt with but initial setting up was tricky and I was glad that somebody else was dealing with it.

If you have a car with a reflective front windscreen or a Ford (I have a Mondeo) with a heated front screen than you will need to locate the GPS antenna on the rear parcel shelf. This is no problem since the lead supplied is long enough. Other than that the installation went reasonably smoothly but even a professional installer took about 2 to 3 hrs. Just a note, after installation check that you have positioned the GPS antenna in a good place and that the satellite signals are being received, before you make the installation permanent, you might want to move the antenna round a little to ensure good satellite lock.

After installation I tried to download the latest camera location info from the Origin website. I then discovered that the power supply you need to power the b2 unit when removed from the car had a dodgy lead. The detector supplier changed the power supply with no quible, the downloads worked just fine after that.

The Origin b2 works exactly as they claim it does and I'm very impressed with it's accuracy and response. It has even more features than I expected and I'm amazed at what info it can give you. I've checked it with all my local speed cameras and it responds to every one in good time.

One thing I haven't been able to verify yet is how well the laser gun detector works because I haven't actually been zapped by one. If this feature works as well as the others I will be very pleased.

The b2 can be slow to lock on to the satellites when first setting off and the alarm which advises of this is both loud and persistant. Fortunately you can mute this alarm until satellite lock has been achieved and you can be confident that the detector is fully functioning.

When in the immediate vicinity of a traffic camera etc. the alarm is highly visible and the sounds attention grabbing. A sythisised woman's voice also advises of the camera type and the correct road speed for the road you are on so you have plenty of time to check your actual speed before the camera location is reached. Note that all settings, including the distance or travelling time to reach the camera site are adjustable by the user, a very handy feature.

I can't say if this b2 is any better than the other products on the market but I'm highly impressed by how well it functions and how neatly it can be fitted. I also like the way the display can be slid out of it's docking station in the car and put into your pocket when you leave.

Thoroughly recommended, money well spent.

Note that buying one of these doesn't incite me to drive faster. In fact I probably drive more carefully now because I've become very much more aware of the speeds I ought to be doing.

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Pigmeat2000's Response to pigmeat2000's Review

Written on: 05/01/2004

UPDATE TO THE ORIGINAL REVIEW
<br>
<br>I've used the Origin b2 for 2 weeks now. I've noticed the quick connect/disconnect electrical contacts between the display unit and the mounting module can be a little iffy. This occasionally results in the display believing it has lost contact with the satellites and an alarm sounds to let you know. Squeezing the display onto the mounting module usually restores the connections and all is well again.
<br>
<br>Positioning of the GPS satellite antenna is critical. Mine is located on the rear parcel shelf of my Mondeo and now that I've fiddled with it to find the best location it now normally locks onto at least 6 satellites all the time. This gives great reliability and I never lose reception of the signals from them.
<br>
<br>This idea of using an separate antenna gives the b2 a great advantage over other units like the Road Angel where the re-radiating antenna costs an extra £70 or so, and would definitely be needed in a car like the Mondeo or others with a heated front screen.
<br>
<br>One gripe though - the Origin only comes with 6 months updates of the camera trap database and it costs a futher £50 per year after that. This is similar to the update costs from other manufacturers but is still a rip off.

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Pigmeat2000's Response to pigmeat2000's Review

Written on: 17/07/2004

Re bidaudio's query - the installer tried to get the gps receiving antenna to work on the front dash. It wouldn't unfortunately, it never picked up more than 2 satellites from the front. In practice, the receiver needs good signals from at least 4 satellites. So he had to install the antenna on the rear parcel shelf. To be honest, this makes for a neater installation. Incidentally, I've discovered that if you are forced to drive with the parcel shelf removed you can attach the antenna (it has a velcro pad attached to the underside of it) to the furry material which lines the boot and the b2 works just fine. Didn't expect that !

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Bigaudio's Response to pigmeat2000's Review

Written on: 01/07/2004

Excellent review pigmeat, very informative indeed.
<br>I too have a mondeo and I have installed satellite navigation and my gps antenna sits on the front dashboard and works no problem whatsoever, I usually pick up around 8 satellite's.
<br>The point I'm trying to make here is will the unit work with the GPS antenna located on the front windscreen? I am considering buying the origin b2 solo model which has the antenna built into the docking unit and I would like to sit it on my dashboard, could you possibly try and see if your unit will work with the antenna on the front shelf?

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Pigmeat2000's Response to pigmeat2000's Review

Written on: 06/04/2004

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL REVIEW (3 MONTHS ON)
<br>
<br>Was zapped by a police laser speed gun last weekend. On a dead straight road with unhindered visibility I got more than a 1 kilometre warning that the gun was in use. I actually wasn't speeding but it was reassuring to know that the b2 can work so well. I now understand that the police don't turn on the laser gun until they are confident that an offending motorist will register on their equipment. This way the laser doesn't give us detector users too much advance warning of the trap's presence. OK, the performance of the detector is amazing when in direct sight of the gun but is likely to be considerably less effective in busy suburban environments or when situated round corners etc.
<br>The message is - don't rely too heavily on advance warnings, keep your speed down instead.

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