[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Radar Detectors (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 10/7/2010 2:43:54 AM EDT
| I've owned several throughout my lifetime, IMO they are worthless. So whats the hive think about police radar detectors? Do they really work or are they just a gimmick? |
. I never used it in the city because it had too many false positives but I would assume they are much better now.|
They're not idiot-proof. I was riding on patrol with a friend recently. We both observed a vehicle cutting through traffic ahead of us well over the 35 mph speed limit, pushing cars out of their lane, that sort of thing. You know, total asshole driving. We made our way up behind the vehicle and hit the blues and pulled it over. When my friend approached the door, a college-age female rolled down the window and asked, "Why did you pull me over? My radar detector didn't go off!" [facepalm] |
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In the city and suburbs they don't work very well. The cops out there like to use instant on a lot also which makes them pretty useless. That and every store alarm has them going crazy.
Out here in the country, it's a whole different story. Most cops drive around with their radar going and you can detect them for a mile or two before you get to them. The only time when they go crazy out here is during harvest. The newer farm equipment uses positioning systems that set them off. |
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Quoted: Depends on where you are driving and how you use them as to how effective they can be. They are still worthless if you drive stupid and buy a crappy detector. Agree with above. For the most part if you buy a good one and don't go nuts you will be fine. Instant on radar or fastest speed radar can also get you but if you use your radar detector long enough you'll pick up on when the cops (such as the PA State Police) are using their K band in the instant on mode ahead of you. Of course the best solution is to simply slow down and obey the law. Luckily my home state only allows the State Police to operate radar. In many other states of course radar/laser is common even to local police. |
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I've been using Trapster.
It's an iPhone app that works like truckers using CB radios. Works on Andriods and Blackberrys too. You drive by and report a speed trap. Others nearby see your alert. You even get a text message if you want. I haven't used it much, but there were cops on I-40 were it said there was. Not perfect I'm sure, especially if you are first. The more people who use it the better it will be. But better than radar detectors that just announce you're getting a ticket. |
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Years back when I used an Escort I got ticketed about every 6 months to a year. Threw it in the trash, just do 5 to 8 mph over when I'm in a hurry or cruising on interstate and have not got pulled since. It's really not worth it. Yea, I might be able to handle my car at 95 on the interstate, but what about that elderly person or inexperienced driver that is about to change lanes right in front of me because they cannot judge the speed of another driver coming up behind them?
Trust me, this car likes to go fast! Yes, red convertible, lowered, wide tires and no tickets. I just do the limit! (OK, the ocassional entrance ramp on the interstate gets a little out of hand, but not for too long  )
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| IMO, they work when an officer hits a vehicle in front of you. I found it funny when a person with a radar detector does not realize we can shoot radar backwards so they speed up after we pass. Also if you are pulled over for any other reason and an officer sees it more than likely you will receive a citation. |
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Mine has paid for itself. The Mark1 Mod1 eyeball is the best weapon, not speeding is ok too, but roads like I-285 around Atlanta are 55 MPH. 5 lane ring road, 55 MPH. It is bullshit and set to that speed purely for $$$$$$. The only time you can hit 55 on 285 is at two in the morning. 
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Been using one for years and I think they are worth it. You have to know how to read the signal just like knowing how to read the wind to adjust windage, but once you know what to expect they can be helpful!
ETA: I hate those message signs on the interstate that have a radar gun on them. It WORKS but it still pisses me off! |
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Not so useful. Almost worthless in urban/collar enviros, significantly better in the stix on the superslab. Cops are fully capable of utilizing counter-ECM. And those plate covers are a) worthelss and b) likely to get you dicked up in the wrong places. A laser does not need a friggin lic plate to get a bounce.
Active emitters are not required to determine speed. Timed intervals, VASCAR, simple trailing.... More likely is your radar detector will lull you into a false sense of security, you'll hang your dick out waaay there and officer firendly will microwave it for you. Stupid kid i work for supervise didn't listen to me, got a $385 ticket a week after i counseled him to fly right. hah! Instant on, who'd thunk? Follow the speed limit or at least run with the herd. eta: fixed editing goo |
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In the city and suburbs they don't work very well. The cops out there like to use instant on a lot also which makes them pretty useless. That and every store alarm has them going crazy. Out here in the country, it's a whole different story. Most cops drive around with their radar going and you can detect them for a mile or two before you get to them. The only time when they go crazy out here is during harvest. The newer farm equipment uses positioning systems that set them off. What "positioning systems" are you talking about, there are no radar emitting units on any farm equip that I'm aware of??????????? |
| I bought a Valentine One in 2008...what I discovered is that its very useful on the highway but pretty much useless everywhere else. Too many false alarms in town, and Police don't drive around with their radar on around here either..I thought this thing would let me know if a cop was following me...nope. Sold it to a highway commuter and got my money back. |
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In the city and suburbs they don't work very well. The cops out there like to use instant on a lot also which makes them pretty useless. That and every store alarm has them going crazy. Out here in the country, it's a whole different story. Most cops drive around with their radar going and you can detect them for a mile or two before you get to them. The only time when they go crazy out here is during harvest. The newer farm equipment uses positioning systems that set them off. What "positioning systems" are you talking about, there are no radar emitting units on any farm equip that I'm aware of??????????? GPS, on tractors and harvesters. John Deere began using it a while back to help with the science of farming, tracks location and yields for future usage/planting. |
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The CB gives me more warning for speed traps than the radar detector does, at least on the interstates. On the back roads we just do the flash headlights trick to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap. I did that here a couple years ago and road raged some asshole. He pulled a screeching U-turn rignt in front of the officer. oops. 
A thread from a few days ago has persuaded me to get a HAM license. Same reason. pretty soon my car is going to look like a porcupine. Soon, I will need a handle. (subject of a future thread) |
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I use a Bel GX65 Pro and its saved me on several occasions. Most of what we get around here is K or Ka band and it does a good job with those. Laser is tough, but I have avoided at least one case of that (probably lucky). With its GPS feature and nationwide database of redlight cameras, speed cameras, and known speedtraps it can alert you to those as well, which is nice especially in an unfamiliar area.
With that said, no detector is foolproof and if you think you're invincible or somehow take more risk because you have a detector then you're asking for trouble. In my view, the cost for a good detector is about what you'd get hit for one citation (or retaining a lawyer for the offense), so if you do a lot of driving then to me its a no-brainer (again assuming you don't raise your risk tolerance just because you have a detector). |
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Mine has paid for itself. The Mark1 Mod1 eyeball is the best weapon, not speeding is ok too, but roads like I-285 around Atlanta are 55 MPH. 5 lane ring road, 55 MPH. It is bullshit and set to that speed purely for $$$$$$. The only time you can hit 55 on 285 is at two in the morning. I routinely see a car exactly like mine, doing 80 on 285, still getting smoked. Unless there is a wreck or it is dead in rush hour, 55 will get you crushed. |
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Depends on where you are driving and how you use them as to how effective they can be. They are still worthless if you drive stupid and buy a crappy detector. Agree with above. For the most part if you buy a good one and don't go nuts you will be fine. Instant on radar or fastest speed radar can also get you but if you use your radar detector long enough you'll pick up on when the cops (such as the PA State Police) are using their K band in the instant on mode ahead of you. Of course the best solution is to simply slow down and obey the law. Luckily my home state only allows the State Police to operate radar. In many other states of course radar/laser is common even to local police. The PSP guys on this side of the state rarely use instant-on. Most of the time my V1 catches them running constant radar. I guess when you live around Philly you have a constant supply of speeders so they don't bother with instant-on. Must be all the drivers from Jersey.
PS ticket free for twelve years thanks to my V1. It works! |
I have a Radio Shack LADAR detector and it really only works well in flat areas. I used it a lot driving between Phoenix and Tucson, it worked pretty well. But then again, the speed limit was 75 and I rarely do over 80, so it was moot except for the DPS dude that used to sit about 2-3 miles outside of north Tucson on I-10 south (  )
Here in MO it's pretty much worthless in the stretches of highway I drive because it's so hilly. If you can see the cop when it goes off and you're speeding, HE HAS YOU. 
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Trapseter + V1 or Escort 9500 + Laser jammer + "use a rabbit" will keep most people safe. Even with a well trained officer using 'instant on', you have a good chance of catching a bounce on a good detector....unless of course you are the only one on the road, but then nothing will save you if that's the case. There are lots of ways to defeat radar detectors, but they may or may not be used in your area. I've said this before, but I don't speed and I run a V1 just for good old situational awareness. It works incredibly well though can give false positives in some instances since it is so sensitive. That is were the GPS in the 9500i comes in handy...but, for me, the arrows are better than the signal lockout. Once a manufacturer starts making one with both GPS and arrows then we will really see some good stuff coming out of the companies. From what I recall, Valentine's arrow patent expires this year. |
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I dont know what brand mine is, the wife bought it and she only buys the best of anything. It monitors 6 or 9 seperate bands and monitors 360 degrees. I drove home late last night from the airport running between 00 and 000 the whole 70 miles, no problems at all. It has saved me many times.
Edited because I decided not to post the real speed. |
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In the city and suburbs they don't work very well. The cops out there like to use instant on a lot also which makes them pretty useless. That and every store alarm has them going crazy. Out here in the country, it's a whole different story. Most cops drive around with their radar going and you can detect them for a mile or two before you get to them. The only time when they go crazy out here is during harvest. The newer farm equipment uses positioning systems that set them off. What "positioning systems" are you talking about, there are no radar emitting units on any farm equip that I'm aware of??????????? GPS, on tractors and harvesters. John Deere began using it a while back to help with the science of farming, tracks location and yields for future usage/planting. RF fail. |
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Anymore they are. Even the departments that use radar dont drive around with it on all the time like they used to. They just pop em on and off. Most of whats found along my commute are lasers.
Anymore mine just annoys the hell out of me picking up all the interference from stores lining the highway. |
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So is there any way to defeat lasers? I've been told there is a way to scramble laser rather then detect them, any truth to this? Laser is just infrared, not radio waves. It's not illegal to flood the front or back of your car with infrared light on the same wavelength so effectively "jamming" a laser is possible. However the good ones that work are cost prohibitive and it's really not worth it. Just because they can't get a laser lock doesn't mean they don't know you're speeding. Coatings don't work, license plate covers don't work. The only way to defeat laser is to flood the gun with so much infrared light it can't get a lock. Personally I drive pretty fast and use a V1 for information. But situational awareness is more important than a radar detector. I routinely do 90+, but I don't weave in and out of traffic or pass in an unsafe manner. Haven't had a ticket in 12 years. |
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Nearly 20 years old,,,way overdue for the Valentine two.
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They're not idiot-proof. V1 You can go on the V1 website, put your unit serial number in and they will tell you what upgrades have been made since then. You can send your unit in and they will perform the upgrades for a nominal charge. I was way overdue for an upgrade a while back and they sent me a new unit because so many upgrades had been done. It is a great company to do business with. Here is the link for the upgrade page Valentine One |
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So is there any way to defeat lasers? I've been told there is a way to scramble laser rather then detect them, any truth to this? Don't speed
I know radar scramblers, but haven't heard if a laser one. radar scramblers aren't legal here. In my highway Safety class, the one Laser unit we had, it was tough to find a reflective spot. Usually aimed for the license plate, but when it read, they were almost on top of us. It probably because we were on a curve so they weren't heading straight at us. I did a ride along with a Sheriffs Deputy and he kept his radar off until he saw a car ahead, then he turned it on and his radar read cars at over 1/2 mile+. |