Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: tapakeg on March 19, 2008, 08:08:49 PM
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I am looking to purchase a radar detector for around $120
Does anyone still use these anymore?
Do the laser detectors give you any advance warning of a speedtrap or do they pretty much tell you that you just got pinged.
Are any brands duds? worth the money? What should I look for when buying?
any advice appreciated, all except drive the speed limit.
Tap
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any advice appreciated, all except drive the speed limit. Tap
:lol :aok
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Ive never had one. But I do suggest you install a hidden kill switch close by to your drivers seat. Some states like VA its illegal to use a radar detector.
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I was a police officer in Oklahoma for a time. I was in a small town and we ran radar, A LOT.
I had both the moving radar on my front and rear dash and a hand held unit for stationary use. When I wasn't pinging a vehicle to see their speed, the radar unit was turned off or, not emitting any indication of it's presence. When I was pinging a vehicle to see their speed, the unit was on and could be detected. Ladar and Laser are used the same way. The only real benefit you may get from a radar/laser detector is if you move in a large pack of cars and you are not the first or last vehicle. In a pack, your radar detector will alert you to the presence of radar with less of a risk that radar signal is pointed at you.
Bottom line, save that 120 bucks to go towards traffic school -or- (you guessed it) stay close to the speed limit. :)
:aok
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I was a police officer in Oklahoma for a time. I was in a small town and we ran radar, A LOT.
I had both the moving radar on my front and rear dash and a hand held unit for stationary use. When I wasn't pinging a vehicle to see their speed, the radar unit was turned off or, not emitting any indication of it's presence. When I was pinging a vehicle to see their speed, the unit was on and could be detected. Ladar and Laser are used the same way. The only real benefit you may get from a radar/laser detector is if you move in a large pack of cars and you are not the first or last vehicle. In a pack, your radar detector will alert you to the presence of radar with less of a risk that radar signal is pointed at you.
Bottom line, save that 120 bucks to go towards traffic school -or- (you guessed it) stay close to the speed limit. :)
:aok
Is 5 over still a general safe mark?
I know 5 over dosnt apply here in Norfolk. If your not doing atleast 10 over on the highway your getting passed standing still and endanger yourself.
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Save more and get a Valentine 1. It has a bogey counter and arrows, Its a little RWR for your car. Though if you are expecting a detector to save you from laser you would have to be really lucky. Thats why I am getting laser countermeasures for my car. The counter on the v1 is a useful tool. a 120 buck detector will warn you of the store with door openers on the side of the freeway everytime, eventually you will tune that spot out. The V1 will tell you how many electronic sources there are, then one day some WSP thought he'd be cute and hide in the spot there. My counter was up by one, so no donut for him :t
Anyways dont be at the front nor the back, and you can go as fast as you want. The only time in the last 10 years I got a ticket was when I was running without one and it was laser.
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I always used 9-11 depending on the profile of the car. 1 over is probable cause to stop. If your 68 VW van has smoke coming from the windows, 1 over is all you get. :)
I think unless you are driving across rural areas and very small towns, under 10 will probably be safe.
:)
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I talked to quite a few folks with radar detectors while writing them a ticket. All it did was tell them they had already been clocked.
If you can't be adult enough to drive within the statutes perhaps you should let someone else drive. Otherwise man up and pay your tickets.
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I've used various Escort (Now Valentine) Models since getting my license at 16, about (gasp) 14 years ago. I drive about 15,000 miles a year, through city and country alike, speed pathologically, and have never gotten a speeding ticket while driving my own car.
They're so confident in their product that up to a certain speed above the limit, they'll even pay you the price of your ticket if you get one.
A new one will run about $400, but I'm sure you can get a slightly older model for much cheaper.
Just don't be like this guy:
"In May 2003, on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000 Rally, the first CCR in the United States received the biggest speeding ticket (in terms of speed) in the world; 242 mph (389 km/h) in a 75 mph (121 km/h) zone somewhere in west Texas."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg)
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I talked to quite a few folks with radar detectors while writing them a ticket. All it did was tell them they had already been clocked.
If you can't be adult enough to drive within the statutes perhaps you should let someone else drive. Otherwise man up and pay your tickets.
QFT :salute
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Find yourself a big rig.
Stay in pace with it but about 1/4 mile behind.
When he slows down. so do you.
Truckers tend to make great radar detectors.
Another trick is to let someone go speeding by you. them let them get ahead a ways and follow them.
Let them get the ticket..
Your only real danger is the cruiser that comes up behind you.
Or as someone else mentioned. get in the middle of a pack of cars.
On countless trips up and down the east coast. Twice I've had speeding tickets.
Both times I was the lone car
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If you can't be adult enough to drive within the statutes perhaps you should let someone else drive. Otherwise man up and pay your tickets.
:lol
Wow, cop attitude anyone?
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:lol
Wow, cop attitude anyone?
Don't take it personally, Keg, those speeding tickets paid for his mustache comb.
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Wow, cop attitude anyone?
Not cop attitude at all, it's basic common sense.
I am 45 years old. I haven't had so much as a parking ticket since I was 16.
I race, I drag, I build cars. I love to drive my new stang.
But, not in my neighborhood where my daughter and her friends play.
Get it?
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Your neighborhood's in the middle of an interstate--where radar detectors are generally most useful?
You should look into moving closer to a residential area.
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Get it?
Actually no, get what?
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I use a Bel radar detector and Bel LaserPro Laser jammer. I'd say go the Escort way, the have excellent pickup. If you're not using a laser jammer then all the detector is doing is telling you you're about to get a ticket.
For the cops in this thread, neither radar nor lidar (laser) are 100% accurate, and are prone to both technical error, human error, or sometimes even human deceipt. I don't speed much, at the most 120km/h in 100km/h areas, usually its with 5km/h of the speed limit though. However our police force are tasked with revenue gathering, and often their performance evaluations are based on ticket issuing, sometimes they need to make up their numbers. I see myself as defending myself against an inaccurate and dishonest system that deems the driver 'guilt until proven innocent'.
Take away the revenue gathering and put 100% honest cops out their and I'll man up.
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I think some people are taking a slipper slope here a bit.
Let me explain,
I am not drag racing, drifting, or the idiot who is 6 inches off your bumper or zinging through traffic (or yes residential areas) at a high rate of speed.
I have a 4 cylinder Altima.
I am in my car 5-8 hours a day on a sales route. Too many times lately I have rounded a turn and seen a motorcycle cop pointing a detector at me.
I have had one speeding ticket in my life and that was 10 years ago.
It is just too easy to be driving a bit over the speed limit and suddenly be zapped by a policeman. Who hasn't?
I don't need an adult driving me around, and If I do get a ticket, believe me I will pay it as I obviously was doing something wrong.
I just want to know if there is a speed trap around and not get caught off guard and spend the next quarter mile looking in my rear view mirror to see if I am the one to get pulled over.
Tap
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The best device I have found is a CB Radio. The Truckers never miss a Trooper hiding along the interstate and always let you know exactly were they are sitting. The only problem with the CB radio is that it is only useful on the interstates. This works great for me because the only time I drive more than 10 mph over the speed limit is when I am on the interstate. :aok
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The best way to avoid a speeding ticket is to NEVER drive more than 9 mph over the speed limit. Most states penalize towns & municipalities that write tickets for less than 10 over.
If you must be a speed demon, Whistler is still the industry leader, covering all the microwave radar bands including pulse.
You may end up paying more than your original $120....but well worth it over the cost of your insurance going up after a speeding ticket.
Radar is in the microwave radio spectrum. Radio waves "bend" and travel 30% further than line-of-sight, so depending on your speed, it should give you fair warning of any speedtrap.
Until you get used to the different alerts on the detector....it's a good idea to drive conservatively.
Good Luck!
ROX
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"Do you meow how fast you were going?"
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A retainer fee will serve you better than any detector.
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The detectors work great at least down here with the equipment the local police uses. The detectors are strictly illegal here too so usually people use portable models that can be hidden from the dash when necessary.
They'll warn about a police vehicle way before you have visual contact to it.
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Around the Houston area they tend to let you move with the traffic. If your a suspicious looking vehicle they might pull you over at any time. If your cutting traffic they peg you too. I see more of a dnger with the guy driving in the left lane at a much slower pace that other vehicles. Here in Texas the left lane is reserved for passing, even on the hiways. On I-10 18 wheelers are not allowed in the left lane at all.
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Ok my 2 cents. Been driving since 16 i'm 45 now and never been pulled over for speeding or received a ticket. I've been driving semi's for 13 years and have logged over a million miles. The best rule you can follow is to never go more than 5mph over the limit. If your in a car basically go with the average flow/speed of those around you and you'll never have a problem. If your using a big rig to stay behind make sure you stay back enough that you can see his mirrors! If you can't see his mirrors then he/I can't see you! Some area's really are cracking down for following to close behind a big rig and the fines are pretty hefty. I've had a radar detector and found it more of an annoyance than a helpful tool. The one feature that i did like on the model i had was with the new style traffic lights and railroad signals there was an alert that would go off when either the lights were actived for emergency vehicles or a train was coming and the gates were going to go down. That was really nice as you could slow down in plenty of time and be more alert to what was going on. There is a system out there that does the same thing but has none of the radar/laser detector features and to the best of my knowledge is perfectly legal.
AKsleepy
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I see myself as defending myself against an inaccurate and dishonest system that deems the driver 'guilt until proven innocent'.
Yeah, and I see myself as witty and good looking.
If the cop is dishonest and going to make up the numbers, why does it make any difference whether you have a detector or not?
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Yeah, and I see myself as witty and good looking.
If the cop is dishonest and going to make up the numbers, why does it make any difference whether you have a detector or not?
He not only has detectors, but he also has jammers. ;)
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Just don't be like this guy:
"In May 2003, on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000 Rally, the first CCR in the United States received the biggest speeding ticket (in terms of speed) in the world; 242 mph (389 km/h) in a 75 mph (121 km/h) zone somewhere in west Texas."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg)
lol it was 242 kph and it was a porshe turbo, 242 kph is 190mph
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It's like gambling- it's only exciting when you stand to lose money. Quit being fairies, throw your toys away, and take your chances.
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I think some people are taking a slipper slope here a bit.
Let me explain,
I am not drag racing, drifting, or the idiot who is 6 inches off your bumper or zinging through traffic (or yes residential areas) at a high rate of speed.
I have a 4 cylinder Altima.
I am in my car 5-8 hours a day on a sales route. Too many times lately I have rounded a turn and seen a motorcycle cop pointing a detector at me.
I have had one speeding ticket in my life and that was 10 years ago.
It is just too easy to be driving a bit over the speed limit and suddenly be zapped by a policeman. Who hasn't?
I don't need an adult driving me around, and If I do get a ticket, believe me I will pay it as I obviously was doing something wrong.
I just want to know if there is a speed trap around and not get caught off guard and spend the next quarter mile looking in my rear view mirror to see if I am the one to get pulled over.
Tap
Ok lets look at a couple things here.
You drive quite a bit, fine no big deal. Number of cylinders is irrelevant it's how far you push the throttle that counts.
You had one speeding ticket in 10 years, fine. Why do you need a radar detector then? If you are not speeding you don't need to worry about it do you.
It's not any easier to drive over the limit than it is to drive at the limit. Either is your personal choice.
In your scenario if you round a corner and get "zapped" the detector will just tell you one thing. You've already been clocked. The detector will not tell you if you are over or under the limit, just that you've been painted. You should already know what the limit is. If you are over it then the detector hasn't helped you a bit has it? Same thing for the ubiquitous speed trap.
Frankly speaking, you don't want a detector to warn you of a speed trap, you want it as a means of insurance to allow you to speed and not get caught.
Traffic regulations are not intended to gain "revenue". They are intended to allow people to drive and have many vehicles on the roadway in such a manner that they do not constantly crash into each other. While driving, each driver is supposed to have the reasonable expectation that the other drivers are operating their vehicles within certain parameters in a given area. How do you think it would work to drive where you have no reasonable expectation that other cars will stop at stop signs, red lights, stay on one side of the road or drive at an expected speed? Would you make that left turn if you were not reasonable sure the car a block ahead was not going 35 MPH vs 85? Would it make any difference to you if there was no speed limit at all? How about the car coming up behind you from around that curve, will he be able to stop in time to keep from hitting you if he's at 45 MPH vs 75? Keep in mind that all of the cars would then be going as fast as the driver wanted. Slow, fast or in between it's a crap shoot as to what speed any car would be traveling at. How would you like that situation? Add in multiple lanes going each direction with intersections and vehicles of all sizes like we have now. Maybe you can see all of them, maybe not and they all will drive in a manner that the individual driver wants to.
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"Traffic regulations are not intended to gain "revenue".
Regulations (laws/ordainances) no....how it's "enforced", yes.
The town of Rockport, Arkansas had been encouraging the police there to ticket drivers (especially out of town/out of state) for literally any traffic offence they could...even driving 2 to 5 miles over the speed limit.
A co-worker of mine (who was also their IT consultant) asked them about it and the cops laughed, and bragged that it was true, and the ticket money was what funded their latest round of raises and the new computer system.
Over the years the town police passed out thousands of these kinds of tickets.
The state received hundreds of complaints, and threatened to cut off state funds.
They kept doing it anyway.
Last year, a group of angry area citizens sued Rockport over the issue....and WON.
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Last year, a group of angry area citizens sued Rockport over the issue....and WON.
Did it stop the excessive ticket writing?
Regulations (laws/ordainances) no....how it's "enforced", yes.
A few years ago the Denver police wanted *something*, (I forget what it was exactly), but they got their way by NOT writing tickets for several weeks. After hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue the city of Denver caved in to the police demands and the police started writing tickets again.
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How do you think it would work to drive where you have no reasonable expectation that other cars will stop at stop signs, red lights, stay on one side of the road or drive at an expected speed?
If anyone wants to know what this is like, I suggest a quick trip to either Chicago or Indianapolis, where you can find out firsthand. ;)
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Mav, while the laws were not "intended" to be revenue tools, they most certainly have been turned into such. Take Dallas for example. They installed red light cameras to prevent accidents and improve safety. It did just that. Unfortunately it also cut the amount of revenue the city was getting. Now Dallas is turning off those cameras so it can make up the cash shortage.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html)
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Did it stop the excessive ticket writing?
A few years ago the Denver police wanted *something*, (I forget what it was exactly), but they got their way by NOT writing tickets for several weeks. After hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue the city of Denver caved in to the police demands and the police started writing tickets again.
For the most part, yes. That police department took a beating in the state & local press, and the state put even more pressure on them. That county's judge also took a beating in the press for upholding the ridiculus tickets in court.
Worst case scenerio, their just laying low until the smoke blows over.
It's the "live meet" horseracing season at Oaklawn now, the time of year when Rockport cops are most apt to be out hunting. We'll see what happens.
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Mav, while the laws were not "intended" to be revenue tools, they most certainly have been turned into such. Take Dallas for example. They installed red light cameras to prevent accidents and improve safety. It did just that. Unfortunately it also cut the amount of revenue the city was getting. Now Dallas is turning off those cameras so it can make up the cash shortage.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html)
That is just plain funny. Houston & Pasadena have gone the camera route too. Will be interesting to see where that leads.
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He not only has detectors, but he also has jammers. ;)
Jammer. Just the laser, but the cops doing ticket quota's always seem to be using lasers. And it works really well too :)
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Kinda gives new meaning to the term "Highway Robbery" now doesnt it.
And thats what sickens me.
Not the police themselves as most of the time they are just doing what they are told.
But the fact they are used more as glorified revenue collectors then as a police force.
Think about it.
They way they are used By townships with their unofficial quotas is really little more then having armed gunmen stop you and demand your money.
God bless em. cause ya know they didnt really sign up for that.
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Fight da man like I do. The smug scale maxes out as you get the evils driving past a cop with a laser who can't get a reading off you.
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RPM,
I find it a bit hard to believe that a camera equiped intersection results in fewer citations issued. The real cops can't be there 24/7 like the camera can.
I think the real problem with the camera situation is the 50% cut the state is raking off of the camera tickets. Nice scam there, I wonder how they did that one.
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RPM,
I find it a bit hard to believe that a camera equiped intersection results in fewer citations issued. The real cops can't be there 24/7 like the camera can.
I think the real problem with the camera situation is the 50% cut the state is raking off of the camera tickets. Nice scam there, I wonder how they did that one.
Time the lights so people are caught in the intersection when it turns red which triggers the camera
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RPM,
I find it a bit hard to believe that a camera equiped intersection results in fewer citations issued. The real cops can't be there 24/7 like the camera can.
I think the real problem with the camera situation is the 50% cut the state is raking off of the camera tickets. Nice scam there, I wonder how they did that one.
You might find it hard to believe, but it's a cold, hard fact.
You are right about Austin taking 1/2 the money in a scam. How did they do it? Republican legislature.
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Radar units or jammers won't detect Lidar. And like Maverick and Repo said, most cops don't leave the radar units on. They turn the unit on when a vehicle is within range. Save your money and slow down.
Oh and most cops that I know dont stop a vehicle unless it's traveling at least 10 mph over the speed limit (on a weekend, maybe 7 mph looking for drunk drivers). And they dont start writing tickets unless the speed is over 15 mph. But you always get that one driver that insists on "holding court" on the side of the roadway. They usually end up with a citation no matter what the speed is. Being polite goes a long way.
Obie
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Radar units or jammers won't detect Lidar.
Keh? The only legal jammers are LIDAR jammers, and they work very well (except the Rocky Mountain Radar 'passive' junk). Radar jammers are extremely rare not not legal (due to radio transmitting regulations).
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Radar units or jammers won't detect Lidar.
Yes they do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAbv6G7Rg9o and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0lPZIdClWc
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Radar units or jammers won't detect Lidar.
Here's just one model that detects all known police radar bands AND......lasers.
http://www.radarbusters.com/radar-detectors/escort-radar-detectors/escortpassport9500iradardetector.cfm
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Here's just one model that detects all known police radar bands AND......lasers.
http://www.radarbusters.com/radar-detectors/escort-radar-detectors/escortpassport9500iradardetector.cfm
And I have prime building land in southern Florida! Tell me how can a detector pick up radio waves and light waves. Lidar is target specific. That means the Lidar beam is approximately 2 feet wide. It's pointed directly at the front plate of a vehicle (usually) and it happens in a split second. That whole speed of light theory that some guy thought of. I can't quite remember his name.
How do you jam light? Reflect it, refract it, or absorb it, sure. But unless GM, Ford, and the imported cars are building "stealth" cars, I think somebody is selling you up the river.
Obie
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Tell me how can a detector pick up radio waves and light waves
The manufacturer can probably describe that better than I. In fact, I can't tell you *how* it works at all. I'll hazard a guess though that there is more than one type of sensor in the detector unit.
Speaking of Stealth......sorta.....
http://www.laserveil.com/cool_videos/
Videos showing Veil being applied to headlights and videos showing various tests against a police Laser. Laser jammers are used in some of the tests as well.
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:lol $99 bucks for that veil stuff! It looks like watered down black paint! Elfie, I don't pass myself off to being an expert at all of the internal working of a Radar or Lidar unit. I've worked with both and I can tell you this, a police officer first observes the vehicle, then activates the speed detection unit he/she is using at the time. Target distance, that depends on the lay of the roadway. Curves, dips, hills, etc, etc. Lidar speeds are measured within a fraction of a second (I forgot how quick, but its faster than you can blink). Radar takes a few seconds and it can be jammed. I've yet to see a detector that does consistently. All radar units dont operate on the same radio frequency. Makes sense right? So does the radar jammer have a random radio signal that it jams? How do you know that the radar detector/jammer will work on all radar units if they operate on differnet frequencies?
I will say this though, you have to give those guys credit. What a product they got there. What happens when it rains? Does the stuff wash off? I'm definately in the wrong business! (Oh and that radar detector they had looked like it was a dinosaur. Many newer models out there for the police.)
Still waiting for an answer on how a person can detect light from the supposed "Lidar Detectors".
Obie
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:lol $99 bucks for that veil stuff! It looks like watered down black paint! Elfie, I don't pass myself off to being an expert at all of the internal working of a Radar or Lidar unit. I've worked with both and I can tell you this, a police officer first observes the vehicle, then activates the speed detection unit he/she is using at the time. Target distance, that depends on the lay of the roadway. Curves, dips, hills, etc, etc. Lidar speeds are measured within a fraction of a second (I forgot how quick, but its faster than you can blink). Radar takes a few seconds and it can be jammed. I've yet to see a detector that does consistently. All radar units dont operate on the same radio frequency. Makes sense right? So does the radar jammer have a random radio signal that it jams? How do you know that the radar detector/jammer will work on all radar units if they operate on differnet frequencies?
I will say this though, you have to give those guys credit. What a product they got there. What happens when it rains? Does the stuff wash off? I'm definately in the wrong business! (Oh and that radar detector they had looked like it was a dinosaur. Many newer models out there for the police.)
Still waiting for an answer on how a person can detect light from the supposed "Lidar Detectors".
Obie
That Veil stuff is painted on, I have no idea how it works. Radar jammers are illegal and almost non existent, yet all modern radar detectors detect multiple bands of radar. Ask the manufacturers how that works. The $99 purchase cost of Veil includes enough of the product to treat your vehicle 8 - 10 times. It is recommended to retreat your vehicle every 6 months or so. So 99 bucks for 4 - 5 years worth of protection, not a bad price.
There was no radar detector in any of the videos I watched. They were testing the Veil system and Laser jammers vs a Lidar unit in the main video that I watched. Specifially, Veil Valentine One detector, Blinder Xtreme M20 (Laser jammer) vs the generation 3 Stalker LZ1 laser gun. (There were other videos, I just didn't watch them all.)
If you want to know how a detector can pick up a Laser beam, go look it up on the net. I'm sure that info is out there somewhere.
*edit* Vulcan uses a Laser jammer, ask him how well it works. :)
**edit** I'm no expert on this stuff either, I just look up the info's on the net.
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One honest question, as this happened to me years ago on a motorcycle.
Officer pinged my motorcycle as going 44 in a 35. Pulled me over and asked if I knew how fast I was going. I answered 35mph on the nose, as I know the area is patrolled thoroughly. He mentioned I probably had a faulty spedometer and that the "grace" for spedometer error is around 4-5 mph. That being said, he suggested I have the spedo checked out, be wary its reading low and let me go at a warning.
Sure enough, the cable was found to have a kink in it when I had the motorcycle serviced.
Generally, do they really have any sort of grey area for "spedometer error"?
As to the topic at hand...my days of flying along at 10 mph anywhere are over. Its just not worth the fines and punched up inusrance rate risk to me. If you get pulled over and have a dash full of LED lights blinking radar warnings, to me, that just tells the officer you were caught trying. Just me of course.
Edit: The biggest problem I have is that people ahead of my car think its a police undercover vehicle, since from the rear view, my car has that color/profile. So in most of my driving, I'm always driving 24 mph Doh! Dang paranoid bastids! :)
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Edit: The biggest problem I have is that people ahead of my car think its a police undercover vehicle, since from the rear view, my car has that color/profile. So in most of my driving, I'm always driving 24 mph Doh! Dang paranoid bastids!
:lol Thats pretty funny.
As far as the lazer jammers go, I think I'd actually have to see one in action before I take somebody's "testimonial". I'm with LePaul on this one. Your radar/lazer detector/jammer may stop you from getting a ticket 9 out of 10 times. But all it takes is that one time and there goes your insurance premiums through the roof. Is that really worth $99 bucks for a chance that it may work?
As far as the internet stuff. I don't trust it. Too many scams out there.
Obie
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:lol Thats pretty funny.
As far as the lazer jammers go, I think I'd actually have to see one in action before I take somebody's "testimonial". I'm with LePaul on this one. Your radar/lazer detector/jammer may stop you from getting a ticket 9 out of 10 times. But all it takes is that one time and there goes your insurance premiums through the roof. Is that really worth $99 bucks for a chance that it may work?
As far as the internet stuff. I don't trust it. Too many scams out there.
Obie
It's going to cost you far more than $99 to outfit a vehicle with a good detector, laser jammer and stealth for the lights. You can easily look up brand name stuff on the internet and find product reviews for it.
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LePaul,
There is no grace for speedo error per se. There is no way for the Officer to know which way the speedo is off. What is comes down to is this. The average Officer isn't all that keen on going to court that much so they typically do not write a ticket for 5 mph over. I have yet to see one for 2 mph btw. That would be an example of pretty extreme chicken feces. It's when the vehicle is doing a significant speed like at least 12 to 15 over (other than a school zone) in town. Doing almost 45 or more on a 30 zone is a pretty decent margin and that is what I looked at. When you start approaching half again the limit in town for the smaller speed limits I figured I was being more than fair.
On the other side of the speed issue, almost no one ever calibrates their speedometer. Few folks know how to pace the car on a measured distance and calculate the actual speed and compare it to the speedometer. Detroit has no clue on how to build accuracy into them. We found supposedly factory certified speedos in Police cars that were off by 5+ mph under 45 mph. We ended up having to put every darn one on a dyno and then post in each car the error corrected speed given an indicated speed. Example, when the speedo said 40 it was actually 43 or when indicated 30 was actually 26. Looking at your uncalibrated speedometer and trusting it to be accurate isn't a good plan. Since intent is not a part of speeding it's not a defense either. Deciding to go 10 over the limit based on the speedo may just have you doing about 15 over actually so you can't figure you'll be safe doing that.
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I went on a road trip for a week in the jeep.
I did the speed limit the whole way.
I used to speed a fair amount, rarely more then 5 over but still just about all the time.
The reason I started doing the speed limit is, well, the jeep gets MUCH better MPG at 65 then at 70 and any speed above 70 and the MPG really go down.
It was nice not having to watch for highway patrol or worry about getting a ticket. Made the whole trip more pleasant.
The best part is, I was never annoyed at some doofus in the fast lane going 69, when I wanted to to do 70 or 75. And amazingly it still took about the same time to get to all the places on the trip.
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Mav, while the laws were not "intended" to be revenue tools, they most certainly have been turned into such. Take Dallas for example. They installed red light cameras to prevent accidents and improve safety. It did just that. Unfortunately it also cut the amount of revenue the city was getting. Now Dallas is turning off those cameras so it can make up the cash shortage.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-cameras_20edi.ART.State.Edition1.45f8c23.html)
Well now,isn't that interesting.
It's different here in Columbus.It isn't about generating revenue...it's all about safety and reducing accidents.
:noid
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How do you jam light? Reflect it, refract it, or absorb it, sure. But unless GM, Ford, and the imported cars are building "stealth" cars, I think somebody is selling you up the river.
Obie
Fairly easily actually. LIDAR operates around 900nm (iirc). Laser jammers use an array of extremely bright LEDs on the same frequency, 'blinding' the LIDAR unit. LIDAR is also susceptable to interference from the sun (especially when it is low to the horizon), halogen lights (if they're near the target points usually used for speed measurement), and a few other light sources.
You sure are showing your ignorance obie, I've owned my Bel Laser Pro for 7 or 8 years now. The Laser Pro gives an error which translates too "Too Much Ambient Light" on the LIDAR units. My most extreme "test" was 140km/h in a 100km/h area at 2am in the morning (4 lane motorway with just me on it).
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For the cops in this thread, neither radar nor lidar (laser) are 100% accurate, and are prone to both technical error, human error, or sometimes even human deceipt. I don't speed much, at the most 120km/h in 100km/h areas, usually its with 5km/h of the speed limit though. However our police force are tasked with revenue gathering, and often their performance evaluations are based on ticket issuing, sometimes they need to make up their numbers. I see myself as defending myself against an inaccurate and dishonest system that deems the driver 'guilt until proven innocent'.
Take away the revenue gathering and put 100% honest cops out their and I'll man up.
QFT. When I was moving to Oregon from Florida, I passed thru a smallish town called Burns, OR. City had the police vehicle during the morning and early afternoon, then it was the county's. True story...
I was watching the speedometer closely, knowing that I was driving with Florida tags in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest. I was pegged at 25mph in a 25mph zone. On a side-street, 90 degrees off to my right sat the Ford Explorer that was used by the local law enforcement. They came out of there pretty quick, pulled me over, and cited me for doing 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. First, I was not going that fast, nor anywhere near it. Second, there was no way they could have gotten a Doppler reading from that angle.
I took it to court and won.
But it got me pretty fired up. I drive safely, and have never had a ticket or an accident. I'm actually now in the market for a good counter-measure system for my new Mazda :)
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I'm actually now in the market for a good counter-measure system for my new Mazda Smiley
From what I've read, Valentine One detector, Veil for the lights and a good Laser jammer such as Blinder for the rest.
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You might find it hard to believe, but it's a cold, hard fact.
You are right about Austin taking 1/2 the money in a scam. How did they do it? Republican legislature.
2/May/2007The Texas state House of Representatives today approved legislation banning speed cameras. State Representative Vicki Truitt (R-Southlake) introduced the measure to combat the cities of Marble Falls and Rhome which have begun using automated speed traps without the legislature's authorization.
hummm.
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There's two intersections I go by every day that are on a 35mph stretch of road. Daily, I get the green light and pause, look both ways...and there's some moron speeding thru who obviously floored it when the light was yellow. I wish there were automatic cameras for idiots like that (who no doubt are visiting from New Zealand with a Bel Laser Pro detector? :eek: )
But even worse than that is the truckers who use jake brakes in areas that are clearly signed as USE OF ENGINE BRAKES ARE PROHIBITED. They should have a system that just fires an anti-tank missile and leaves the carnage on the side of the road for other dense truckers to observe :devil Furthermore, the offenders should be subjected to 24 hours of sleep deprivation and sound bombardment. :lol
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Vulcan, check your PMs. :aok
Obie
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I drive about 50k a year in mostly rural areas, and have had 2 tickets in the last 5 years, both of which involved the leech setting up his gun at the bottom of a long DOWNgrade (LOTS of those in SW VA)--usually run about 5 over, by the time I realize Ive gone from 60 to 65-68, THERE is the 'gentleman' with the gun. F#$^#n leeches, there is NO safety for him to be improving on here, 2 lanes each way with a median, an exit/cross-street every 4-5 miles--only goal is revenue generation. if I saw one of those 'gentleman' drive off a bridge, I wouldn't even slow down to look at the bubbles.
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And I have prime building land in southern Florida! Tell me how can a detector pick up radio waves and light waves. Lidar is target specific. That means the Lidar beam is approximately 2 feet wide. It's pointed directly at the front plate of a vehicle (usually) and it happens in a split second. That whole speed of light theory that some guy thought of. I can't quite remember his name.
How do you jam light? Reflect it, refract it, or absorb it, sure. But unless GM, Ford, and the imported cars are building "stealth" cars, I think somebody is selling you up the river.
Obie
:rofl :rofl :rofl
You guys are the best.
Vulcans already answered but. One box usually has a buncha electrodoodads in it and an antenna for detecting radio waves, and a sensor for laser energy. Modern tech you know
It maybe target specific but occasionally it scatters.
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Valentine or PAssport 8500 300+$ only worth detectors worth buying
I have owned the passport for 4 years loved it...when i buy a replacement it will be a Valentine..Its nice to see what direction the Fuzz is at
Radar is wide beam....
Lazer/Lidar is narrow precise beam...You cannot react in time to slow down
Use of Laser is infrequent as the costs are much more then a Radar unit...but they are out there in small numbers..
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Lazer/Lidar is narrow precise beam...You cannot react in time to slow down
That is not entirely accurate. ;)
With Veil and a good laser jammer you should have plenty of time to slow down before the police can get a speed reading.
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See Rule #5
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See Rule #5
So, is Creamo headed down the Nuke PNG path? Heh.
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Furthermore, the offenders should be subjected to 24 hours of sleep deprivation and sound bombardment. :lol
Uh, they already are. Quit yer whining.
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are they any good for finding them in dips in the road there is one near my house and it is a perfect speed trap you have to slow down and everyone blows through there at about 45 when the speed limit is 30 after reducing from 40
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Can you put a special coating or paint on your car that would reflect or absorb the radar beam similar to stealth aircraft...?
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Time the lights so people are caught in the intersection when it turns red which triggers the camera
Which is what happened in San Diego a couple of years back when in a part of the city they had placed cameras. It ended up costing the city a few million in revenue as they had to refund all the paid fines and dismiss those open cases during the time the cameras were installed. It took a year to get the mess sorted out and working properly before San Diego started to use them again.
ack-ack
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Lazer/Lidar is narrow precise beam...You cannot react in time to slow down
Debatable. Lidar is actually a cone. I've heard numbers of 1 metre for every 100, too 1 metre for every 250 depending on the model. I got busted doing 118km/h in a 100km/h zone, I wasn't speeding though, the cop insisted I was the only vehicle on the road (and he was clearly lying as it was peak traffic time on an urban motorway), he pinged me at 475m. Later on I found out that this distance was considered dodgey for a handheld (at 475m a 1 degree offset can = as much as 8m off target) by the manufacterer. I'm fairly confident that in my case the beam picked up a vehicle coming up behind me.
So I wouldn't entirely call LIDAR a 'narrow... precise... beam'.
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Why waste money on a radar detector when most police departments are moving towards laser and of course more and more speed cameras. As for radar detectors, ever traveled with Highway Patrol? They just have a trigger on the steering wheel and just hit anyone they think is speeding. By the time you've realised and your box of cheap electronics has beeped it will be all over.
From riding Hayabusa's and GSXR's on the road for many years, the only good detector is common sense when and where to speed. Now with more and more speed cameras I'm spending more time going fast on dirt and back to track days/events.
<S>...-Gixer
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Why waste money on a radar detector when most police departments are moving towards laser and of course more and more speed cameras. As for radar detectors, ever traveled with Highway Patrol? They just have a trigger on the steering wheel and just hit anyone they think is speeding. By the time you've realised and your box of cheap electronics has beeped it will be all over.
In instant on mode Ka broadcasts a very strong signal, it goes for miles. So if you're driving the main roads it's not unusual to pick up an instant on 5 minutes away. As for speed camera's, they use a narrow Ka band beam that is constantly on - this is where you find the quality difference between detectors, a good detector will give you a 500m-1km warning of a mobile speed camera depending on how it is setup. Laser is easy enough to jam. So all the more reason to use a radar detector/laser jammer combo.
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Just because the cops not shooting doesn't mean the detector will not work. My cousin has a really nice one that does Radar,Laser, and LIDAR, as well as Jams LIDAR. He tested it by driving past some parked cruisers at Dunkin Donuts and it went off. He did the same with one of the baseball teams detectors, passing it while it was not shooting, the dectector still got a signal at a good distance away. Its great at finding fast foods places too because their microwaves set off the detector.
I never got one because I don't speed much, my truck stinks on gas as it is. The one time I did go well over I got caught. (i was late for thanksgiving dinner and was doin 77 in a 50.)But the cop was nice enough to only write me up for 10 over because it was my birthday. Fine would have been $350+ and maybe a loss of my liscence. Instead I think I paid $80.
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Dammit just do the dam speed limit or walk!!!
Next thread is gonna be some other Stupid Chit....
IN
Mac
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_____________________________ ___________
My son used to trust in radar detectors. But now, after so many tickets, his car insurance is $1,107.00 for six months.
He has instead now decided to start driving under the legal speed limit.
_____________________________ ___________
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How about this: Rocky Mountain RMRC450 Radar / Laser Detector & Jammer. World's only All Band Scrambler/Detector....
After Months of anticipation and it’s unveiling at the Worlds electronics show in Las Vegas. Rocky Mountain Radar has finally released its crown Jewel. Combining Micro Scan, Smart Scan, New Adaptive Laser Tracking System and the awesome new Intelli- Voice Bi-lingual Voice Alert System it is Simply Billed as the “Super Detector”. There is Not a Better Radar Detector/Scrambler Made. Why in the world would you buy just a radar detector? When you can get a radar detector with a built in Scrambler that works so well that if you get a ticket they will pay your fine?
The RMR-C450 has incredible range for both detection and jamming, the best we have ever seen. Rocky Mountain has pulled out all the stops and for the first time has taken their famous radar & laser scrambling technology and integrated it with a whole host of their trademark advancements. Never before has the industry taken this size of leap in technological achievements the RMR-C450 finally gives you a radar laser detector so advanced it doesn't need a scrambler, it’s just nice knowing it there . This is a long-range radar/laser detector with long-range radar/laser scrambling to truly make you invisible to police radar and laser. As with all of Rocky Mountain Radar's radar and laser scramblers there is a full 1 year ticket rebate. If you get a ticket using this product or any of their scramblers with-in the first year they (rocky mountain radar) will pay your fine.
Rocky Mountain Radar’s New RMR-C450 is a full-featured radar and laser detector combined with active laser and passive radar scrambling capabilities.
The radar jamming circuit mixes a Doppler FM chirp with the incoming police radar signal and reflects it back to the radar gun. The computer in the radar gun must receive eight identical, consecutive reading before it will display your speed. All the different speeds contained in the FM chirp confuse the computer in the radar gun so it does not display any speed. This effect duplicates the normal operation that the officer usually sees.
Since it is normal to occasionally lose the target speed, the officer is not suspicious. Reasonable care should be used as flagrant violators could still be caught with an estimated speed.
Lidar sends out laser pulses and measures how long it takes to hit your car and come back. From the speed of light it can determine your range. It sends out several more pulses and calculates your speed from the change in distance over time. The Rocky Mountain Radar scramblers only allow the lidar to see up to 100 feet so it is unable to calculate your speed.
So in effect making your car totally in visible to all police tactics.
You Can't Catch What You Can't See!
**Conditions of Ticket Rebate Program:
1) The ticket must clearly state "RADAR" or "LASER" and "Speeding"
2) Registered owner of a radar and laser jamming product does not exceed 15 MPH over the speed limit or 30% over the posted speed limit whichever is lower.
3) Registration form must be returned within 30 days of purchase.
4) Rebate Valid only in the USA.
5) Registered owner must be the driver of the vehicle when the ticket is issued 6)Registered owner is qualified for this program for one full year from date of purchase.
7) Does NOT APPLY where DWI or DUI is involved or in school or construction zones.
8) This rebate is not available in California.
NOTE: The manufacturer and its distributors of the Phantom and Phazer radar jammers do not advocate speeding. Police can and will stop you if they think you are exceeding the speed limit. If used discreetly, the Phantom and Phazer radar jammers can and will provide you, the driver, with that additional time needed to adjust your speed to help prevent tickets.
This interests me a bit...I wonder if it really works?
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How about this: Rocky Mountain RMRC450 Radar / Laser Detector & Jammer. World's only All Band Scrambler/Detector....
This interests me a bit...I wonder if it really works?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
RMR is a rip off, you may as well buy a plastic box with a rock in it. IIRC they've been banned from sale in some US states
Read here: http://www.radarroy.com/archives/category/radar-jammers
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I've used various Escort (Now Valentine) Models since getting my license at 16, about (gasp) 14 years ago. I drive about 15,000 miles a year, through city and country alike, speed pathologically, and have never gotten a speeding ticket while driving my own car.
They're so confident in their product that up to a certain speed above the limit, they'll even pay you the price of your ticket if you get one.
A new one will run about $400, but I'm sure you can get a slightly older model for much cheaper.
Just don't be like this guy:
"In May 2003, on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000 Rally, the first CCR in the United States received the biggest speeding ticket (in terms of speed) in the world; 242 mph (389 km/h) in a 75 mph (121 km/h) zone somewhere in west Texas."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg)
speed limit in west texas is 70mph
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
RMR is a rip off, you may as well buy a plastic box with a rock in it. IIRC they've been banned from sale in some US states
Read here: http://www.radarroy.com/archives/category/radar-jammers
Ah, thanks! What about something like the 'Blinder' system here: http://www.1stradardetectors.com/PROWLER-Remote-Systems/index.php ?
Here in Oregon we never had a speed "limit" before. Just a suggested safe speed. Now that there's a bunch of folks from KommieFornia moving up, laws are changing and places that used to be suggested 65mph, are suddenly "Limit" 45. Grr....
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Blinder is an excellent choice.