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Cheetah c550 Speed Camera and Red Light Camera Detector
Cheetah c550 GPS speed camera detector provides advanced warnings to speed and red light cameras. Alerts are available for the UK and Europe, USA and Canada, and/or Australia and New Zealand - subscription charges apply.
Product summary:
Detection range: 300-900metres
Technology: GPS and optional external GPS
Installation: Dash or windscreen mounting
Buy accessories for the Cheetah c550.
Key Features:
‣LED display
‣Warnings when approaching a speed camera
‣Overspeed warning at speed camera locations
‣Optional external GPS Antenna
‣Adjustable alert choice
‣Choice of 3 brightness settings
‣Requires subscription £19.99 for 3 years or £34.99 for lifetime subscription.
‣MPH or KPH modes
‣Yellow digital GPS speedometer
‣Headphone socket
‣Dark mode; LED's light up only at speed camera locations
‣Windows based PC, not Apple MAC compatible
‣Dimensions: Width - 72mm, Height - 40mm, Depth - 26mm
The Speed Cheetah c550 speed camera and red light camera detector will provide a visual and audible countdown to every speed camera in the UK using GPS technology. The Cheetah has won the Auto Express Awards with a Best Buy Rating and 5 stars in 2016 and rated the 'best speed camera detector to buy in 2017′ by Carbuyer UK. You can change the alerts you receive when approaching a speed camera location using the simple to use menu.
As you approach a speed camera location you will receive three different alerts:
1. Receive up to four informative spoken voice descriptions when approaching each speed camera location making you aware you are approaching an accident black spot location where there is a speed camera located.
2. Overspeed tone if you are driving above the speed limit at the speed camera location.
3. A final chime will sound when you pass the speed camera.
Please note: the Cheetah c550 does not include a radar or laser detector. All speed camera alerts are via the GPS database only.
There is an optional external GPS Antenna that enables you to receive a GPS signal without having to locate the Cheetah c550 on the dashboard. The Cheetah c550 is the only speed camera detector that offers an optional external GPS antenna.
Cheetah C550 speed camera detector video
The video below shows the Speed Cheetah c550 on approach to various speed camera location with spoken voice alerts.
There is a yellow digital speedo on the Cheetah c550 display that is visible at all times even in bright sunlight. A clock and compass also feature on the easy to read display.
If you are driving over the speed limit at the speed camera location the current speed flashes and as you approach the speed camera location the clock changes to a numeric distance countdown. Furthermore there is an additional distance countdown progress bar to show you the alert site proximity.
There are numerous connections offered by the Cheetah c550 speed camera detector: External GPS antenna, car stereo mute facility, headphone socket, 2 mount options (windscreen or dashboard), hardwire kit compatible.
You can select custom alert distances to select different warning distances for different types of cameras.
Dark mode can be selected whereby the Cheetah will only light up during an alert so it will not dazzle you in normal driving conditions in the dark.
If you want to mute the alert chimes when approaching a particular speed camera there is an alert mute button that will stop the sounds for the current location. Furthermore you can cancel the alert completely if you want to. This may be useful when on familiar roads or at night when you want to turn of the alert and thus turn off the lit up display.
Whisper mode will make the alerts on the Speed Cheetah c550 quiet if you are driving on roads where you know the speed limit.
You can set personal locations too whereby you will be alerted to up to 64 of your own preset locations.
There is an optional silent start up. There is also an optional extra hard wire kit that will provide power to your vehicle using your car's battery.
Cheetah c550 accessories can be viewed and purchased here.
Cheetah c550: Auto Express - Best Buy 2016
"The latest generation of our previous favourite, the suction-mounted Cheetah c550, is our winner for its simple but effective approach. Camera and speed accuracy couldn't be faulted, and there were clear visual and audio alerts for distance and type of camera ahead. A countdown appears as you approach a camera and it'll beep if you're over the speed limit. The LED display is easy to understand and it's hard to go wrong with only a few buttons. The only improvement that could be made is if it showed the limit at all times. Subscription for updates is the best value here, too."
Reviewed by Auto Express on 16/3/2016.
Cheetah c550 display explained
Cheetah c550 Speed Camera Detector Features
‣LED display
‣Warnings when approaching a speed camera or red light camera
‣Overspeed warning at speed camera locations
‣Optional external GPS Antenna
‣Adjustable alert choice
‣Choice of 3 brightness settings
‣Requires subscription £39.99 for 3 years or £69.99 for lifetime subscription.
‣MPH or KPH modes
‣Adjustable volume
‣Yellow digital GPS speedometer
‣UK wide safety camera locations
‣Headphone socket
‣Dark mode; LED's light up only at speed camera locations
‣Windows based PC, not Apple MAC compatible
‣1 year guarantee
‣Dimensions: Width - 72mm, Height - 40mm, Depth - 26mm
Installation of the Cheetah C550 Speed Camera Detector
Install the Cheetah c550 speed camera detector on either the dashboard or the windscreen of your vehicle to be warned to all known speed cameras via GPS technology. Power is supplied by the car cigarette lighter adapter which is provided in the box. You can also buy an external GPS antenna as an optional additional Cheetah c550 accessory. Using the compatible external GPS antenna you can then mount the Cheetah c550 in a location away from the dashboard with the GPS antenna only on the dashboard.
Trinity 3.0 speed camera subscription costs
The Cheetah's Trinity 3.0 database includes speed camera locations and red light cameras too. You will need to pay to subscribe to the Cheetah Trinity 3.0 database. You can then update the Cheetah with the latest speed camera locations simply by connected to a PC computer running Windows Vista, XP, 7, 8 or 10. The updates can be downloaded as often as you like and you will receive a database update reminder if you forget to update for 6 weeks.
The subscription price is £34.99 or £69.99 depending on the subscription option chosen.
Option 1: £39.99
‣3 years updates for a single region (USA and Canada, UK and Europe or Australia and New Zealand)
Option 2: £69.99
‣Lifetime unlimited updates for all regions
‣Includes up to 3 family owned Cheetah speed camera detectors
Speed camera subscription which is required for the Cheetah c550 to provide alerts to both fixed and mobile speed camera locations via the Trinity 3.0 speed camera database costs either £39.99 for 3 years GOLD membership or £69.99 for PLATINUM lifetime subscription.
GOLD membership provides 3 years unlimited updates for a single region - choose from: 1. UK and Europe, 2. USA and Canada, or 3. Australia and New Zealand.
PLATINUM membership provides lifetime unlimited updates for all regions: 1. UK and Europe, 2. USA and Canada, or 3. Australia and New Zealand
Please note: GOLD and PLATINUM memberships are payable directly to the manufacturer once your Cheetah c550 has been delivered to you and your serial number known.
Trinity 3.0 database coverage
Region ONE - United Kingdom (UK) and Europe:
UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Please note: Republic of Ireland locations are included in both the UK and Europe datasets.
Europe: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.
Region TWO - North America: USA and Canada.
Region THREE - Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.
Speed cameras and other locations in the Speed Cheetah c550 Trinity Database
Custom alert distances and overspeed alerts are individually configurable for each type of alert stored in the Trinity 3.0 database. Alerts to these cameras are set in metres (m) and can be turned off or set to any preset distance warning - the options for which are explained below:
‣Speed cameras: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣Stored mobile cameras and mobile zones: OFF，300m，500m，700m，900m，1000m.
‣Average speed cameras and average speed zones: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣Average speed exits: OFF，100m，200m，300m，400m，500m, 600m.
‣Safety locations: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣School zones**: OFF，100m，200m，300m，400m，500m，600m.
‣Information locations: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣Red light cameras: OFF，100m，200m，300m，400m，500m，600m.
‣Non-ticketing cameras: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣Cameras in tunnel: OFF，300m，400m，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m.
‣Personal locations: OFF，100m，200m，300m，400m，500m，600m.
‣Opposite direction alerts: OFF，100m，200m，300m，400m，500m，600m.
‣Highway cameras: OFF，500m，600m，700m，800m，900m，1000m.
** School zones is a new feature currently in Beta testing. School zone warnings are not available for all regions.
Adjustable alert speed limit tolerance
You can increase the overspeed alert activation speed to suit your driving style. For example, if you set a 10% tolerance then you would not receive an overspeed warning in a 30MPH zone until you are doing 33%. The options for tolerances are:
‣0
‣5%
‣10%
‣15%
You will also get variable warning distances depending on the speed of your vehicle. For example, at slower speeds you will receive less distance of warning.
You may also choose to the use Personal Speed Limit function where you can set your own personal speed limit.
Cheetah c550 Manual
Looking for more information on the features of the Cheetah c550 or how it installs in your vehicle, etc? View the Cheetah c550 manual by clicking the PDF logo below. The manual opens in PDF format.
Cheetah c550 Questions and Answers
Question: I might be a bit thick here, but I want to buy a cheetah c550 and watched videos of these in action. None of videos show it approaching a mobile speed camera van or tripod, do they detect these before actually seeing them?
Answer: The Cheetah c550 does not detect mobile speed cameras, instead these locations are within the updateable GPS speed camera database. Named the Trinity database it includes fixed and mobile speed camera locations.
Question: Does the c550 work with a heated windscreen?
Answer: It would depend on your vehicle (make/model) and how the windscreen is heated. However, the great and unique thing about the Cheetah c550 is the fact that if your vehicles windscreen does block the GPS signal getting through you an plug in the optional external GPS antenna to remedy the situation. The Cheetah c550 exteranl GPS antenna can be purchased via the Cheetah c550 accessory webpage.
Question: Can the Cheetah c550 be hardwired so when you start your car it will come on?
Answer: Yes, you can use the Cheetah c550 2 metre Hardwire Power Cable accessory and connect it to an ignition switched supply.
Question: Can you please confirm whether the Cheetah 550 has a rechargeable battery and also let me know if it can be powered from the usb socket?
Answer: The C550 does not contain a battery. It requires 12v power from the car to operate. (It is not intended to be powered via a USB socket in the car). View Cheetah c550 accessories.
Cheetah c550 - What's in the box?
Cheetah speed camera detector includes the following products and accessories in the box:
‣Cheetah c550
‣Power cord
‣Windshield mount
‣Magnetic dash mount
‣PC download cable
‣Quick start guide
Further and replacement Cheetah c550 accessories can be viewed and purchased here.
Last updated: 1st August 2024
