Drivesmart updates

Not an Alpine topic - but I know a few people on here have drivesmart, cough, speedometers.

it seems the support and database updates for these speedometers/road safety devices may be returning...(the company providing the updates evaporated earlier in the year - maybe it's starting up again ?)

http://www.drivesmartsupport.com/

there appears to be a september update

Well spotted Dave, the forum and site has been down for months.

Yes well spotted as it seems the company have a bad reputation for keeping up the promised 'lifetime' updates. I wonder if this one is accurate? I heard the past ones sometimes are not very good. Anyway will test this one and see.
Oh, can anyone help, my Drivesmart seems to have no backlight at night and I can't see it properly. I looked in the manual but I am not sure if you have to switch it on or not, didn't see anything. Damn thing only seems to light up when it detects something, which is little use when I cannot see the speed at night.
Well, I guess it is kind of an Alpine subject, as so many owners speedoes seem to fail. Glad I got my reliable old left hooker, the speedo I think has been working for 22years without probs! I heard the LHD speedoes were much better.

Simons your man - i'm sure he knows the menu options off the top of his head...

I had this problem - but managed to sort it - probably by luck. fairly sure it is a menu option.

failing that then re-load/upgrade the flash image for the device as I'm sure that will restore all defaults ! (fairly sure the default setting has the backlight on).

it seems the database has been updated again - maybe they are starting to maintain it - (whether it is accurate - another matter).

Yes thanks for the info. Anyone tested the 'New' database out?
I just downloaded it into mine and will start testing it tomorrow.

Can't really see that it will be particularly accurate as I think 'recent' past database's were not and the company seemed to get a bad reputation over this. Can't really see why they are suddenly making an effort with an accurate one? I expect they just added a couple of new locations and called it upto date! Well, I hope not and I guess testing will tell.

you can see from the databse menu in the DS how many locations are stored.

Also, I have some "inside" information about drivesmartsupport, cant say much, but it is a person who was closely connected with drive-smart who has created this new site. There may be a forum in the future too. We will just have to wait and see.

yes thanks for info, if 'they' do get the database upto date then why buy more modern stuff when this old unit may do the trick?
Credit maybe to the man who has updated it all? Well, I know it's not a proper test but I used it for a day and it all seemed so far accurate, more than maybe the past 'updates'.....
Any other info/ acurracy tests welcome on this subject.