[MattRobertson]

Remember the PhotoBlocker thread from a week ago? I thought I would test a can. For the record I don't run red lights but I'm not fond of any aspect of automated enforcement, which I view as a revenue extraction tool. We can disagree if you don't feel the same way.

Anyway I bought a can. It got here today. Here it is. It even has a pic of a CA plate on it so we know it will work and we have a baseline for comparison:

Awesome. its a fairly small but heavy can loaded with this magical goo. It even says one can will handle up to FOUR plates! Magnifico!

As seen on TV! Speaking of which, if you go to their web site there is a plethora of independent local and national news reports showing you without a doubt how great this stuff is. Complete with cops saying how screwed they are now that this miracle has hit the market (lets give special kudos to the suit driving a desk at Bakersfield PD who rolls over like a harpooned walrus when confronted with this stuff).

So my can of goo arrived, and its time to apply it and test it. You can guess by my tone so far how well it worked. I will spare you the interim photos after one, two and three applications. I will skip the pics after I decided to heck with it and started loading the plate up with as much goop as it could hold without puddling, only to come back and do it again, and again. And again. The pic you see below is taken after about 7/8 of a can has been plastered on the plate.

Now, to be fair... it is indeed effectively impossible for a LEO to detect. It is basically a resin or polymer of some sort that hardens into a quite strong and modestly glossy covering. Its almost noticeable, but not quite. The perfect stealthy defense. Lets test it with a flash pic like the ones they use on the tests at their site:

Wow! What an improvement! Incredible! Big Brother takes it in the shorts!

or not. Maybe its *my* pants that got filled.

I am reminded of an old axiom that comes down to us from ancient Rome:

Caveat Emptor.

For those of you who Told Me So, I can only say...

Mea Culpa

 

[rhymemaze]

guess I'll scratch that purchase off the list.

 

[Super T]

sorry you got hosed :-(

 

[mcinfantry]

looks good, i ALMOST cant read what state its from!

 

[mikeyb]

Wow!

Wonder if a can of Krylon clear would be better?opcorn:

MikeyB

 

[1MRMOPAR]

Look at it this way, at least your plate is clean now and has a protective film on it. Great Mod! Thanks for saving the rest of us some cash, thats what we are here for right?

 

[wbornio]

Does it at least ofer some form of SPF protection?

(although a faded plate might be nore difficult to photograph, so this might be counter productive!)

 

[Fondy]

souded like a god idea.

did you put 100 coats on like it says on the can LOL j/k

 

[quarky42]

How long does it take to dry? You left it long enough to "cure"? Is that angle as steep as a camera from a light? I wonder if having the license plate leaning back instead of vertically mounted makes any difference at all.

I'm not expecting this crap to work either, but just wanted to check on some of the variables. Thanks for testing it out. Are you going to complain to the company and show them the photos as proof of their faulty product and demand your money back?

 

[formerice]

Sprayed on a Tornado should be good for 25 more hp and 5 more mpg. Works even better with exhaust spinners. Spray the whole car, wow invisibility! Great for bank robbers, unless police wear xray glasses. Thanks for checking that out, and for having the cajones to admit it.lol:wink:

 

[Rev.Hammer]

Look on the ingredients list.
It is made with 100% pure virgin snake oil!

 

[BigRedRT]

You can see in the picture on the can the shots are dead straight on.
Any photo taken with a flash dead on at a reflective surface will overexpose the shot.

I will try later to shoot a photo with flash at my plate without spray to see if I get the same results.

 

[Darthvader]

Looks like the picture is even clearer.Perhaps it's really distributed by the camera manufacture to cut down glare and thus increase sales.

 

[desquirrel]

To paraphrase the Silverstar commandos:

"I don't care about your test, I saw it on the Internet! It works."

I'm trying to find someone who has tested the covers from redlineauto.com.

 

[BUTWEET]

Thanks for bending over for us Matt. Here's some beans.

 

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

well I like my plate covers best, and they have always served me well, been on 3 cars. Yes there is a plate under there, and the plate is perfectly visible to the human eye, just not to a camera lens set faster than 1/15th shutter speed.

 

[RobAGD]

ok more info on that please !

-R

 

[Darthvader]

Plate covers like that are illegal in most states

 

[MattRobertson]

How long does it take to dry? You left it long enough to "cure"? Is that angle as steep as a camera from a light? I wonder if having the license plate leaning back instead of vertically mounted makes any difference at all.

It takes maybe 20 minutes to dry. I was maybe 10 feet away and holding the camera high above my head. It was pretty close to the angle we get here in town (although the City of Fresno took those cameras out awhile back and only bare poles remain).

Thinking you might be onto something, I went out and lit up the garage. I have 4 80-watt flourescent fixtures in a square, and a 250-watt incandescent in the center of the ceiling, so its bright. Then I set the plate on a shelf and snapped. PLUS I have now used a full can of the stuff on the plate and its had much of the night to dry (I quit at about 1am or so).

EDIT: I mention all the lighting cuz thats 570 watts in a small space. Its *bright* and the flash still makes the rroom look dark. An uber-bright flash should enhance the effect I'm thinking. I'll try it in broad daylight just for laughs. Digital film is free. But at this point I think we all know what the results are going to be.

Are you going to complain to the company and show them the photos as proof of their faulty product and demand your money back?

Nah. I knew it was a $30 crapshoot when I signed up. But I will see if I can post a perhaps less whimsical version on a consumer-oriented auto test website I know of. BTW if you look on their site and read the teeny print on the back of the can they disclaim all warranty and responsibility :blah:. Again I knew that going in. Just wanted to try it.

 

[CoolVanilla]

Matt, oh my dear friend Matt...