Posted: 10/10/2009 6:42:44 PM EDT
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Im curious on how a radar detector can or does work. I did some google searches and see that some like the Valentine 1 are considered one of the "best" because they are sensitive and find radar far away from your vehicle.
My question is, if it is finding radar shooting at you, isnt it all ready too late? Or is the whole point to find the cruiser detecting you so far out that you can slow down? I would think that if a cruiser was driving with its radar always on in the vehicle that a detector would pick up the signal far away so when you do go by him you will already be slowed down, but i dont know. I know a lot of people hate these things and most people think they dont work, but there are a lot of these things on the market to be doing nothing. Im not trying to bash cops or anything i just really dont get how the detectors can help you. |
. It saved my ass on several occasions (7-8 times during the last 3 years). 
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They definitely work. My Passport Escort has paid for itself many times over in the 7 or so years I have had it.
They work by picking up the radar signals from the "radar gun." Some cops keep their radar's on all the time; those are easy to detect. Others do instant on to the cars in front of you. A good radar detector has the range to pick this up (comes on, then goes off and can repeat) as the radar waves bounce off the targeted car and objects around it. This will let you know there is a speed trap around you. |
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They definitely work. My Passport Escort has paid for itself many times over in the 7 or so years I have had it. They work by picking up the radar signals from the "radar gun." Some cops keep their radar's on all the time; those are easy to detect. Others do instant on to the cars in front of you. A good radar detector has the range to pick this up (comes on, then goes off and can repeat) as the radar waves bounce off the targeted car and objects around it. This will let you know there is a speed trap around you. My Passport detectors, 3 models in 10 years plus one that got stolen about 15 years ago, have all been well worth the cost. Passport does trade-ins/upgrades so you can keep up to date with the latest countermeasures. |
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I knew a guy who swore by his. I would ride in his truck sometimes and would hear the thing whistling and he would slam the breaks... Sure enough, just a little down the road was a cop with a radar gun.
The thing is though, a lot of stations are replacing radar with the lasers. Does anyone know if they will detect the lasers? |
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Passports new one:
http://www.escortradar.com/redline-details.php I have an older model and it has saved me a lot of money and time! Really to "beat" a ticket you need a detector and a jammer. Jammers are illegal for the most part though. Also, with laser by the time your detector goes off, they know your speed. |
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They definitely work. My Passport Escort has paid for itself many times over in the 7 or so years I have had it. They work by picking up the radar signals from the "radar gun." Some cops keep their radar's on all the time; those are easy to detect. Others do instant on to the cars in front of you. A good radar detector has the range to pick this up (comes on, then goes off and can repeat) as the radar waves bounce off the targeted car and objects around it. This will let you know there is a speed trap around you. My Passport detectors, 3 models in 10 years plus one that got stolen about 15 years ago, have all been well worth the cost. Passport does trade-ins/upgrades so you can keep up to date with the latest countermeasures. How do you go about doing that? I've had the same one for a looooong time. Might be worth upgrading if there is a significant savings. |
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Thanks for the replies.
Escorts and the V1 is what i keep hearing about. I have actually heard more positive things about the Escorts but you always see that the V1 is the "best". I see the V1 is 400$ and some of the Escorts are around there too, my driving is more on rural roads where you can see probably a half a mile ahead of you but there are small hills which means you cant always see vehicles coming at you. What would you guys suggest? |
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How about driving closer to the speed limit!!! In my neck of the woods, police won't even consider writing a ticket for speeds 1 to 5 mph over the limit (exception = school zones).
...my driving is more on rural roads where you can see probably a half a mile ahead of you but there are small hills which means you cant always see vehicles coming at you. What would you guys suggest? I used to be somewhat of a lead-foot myself... Then I got a GPS unit which dynamically calculates the ETA to the destination... Speeding (5 to 10 mph over the limit) does little to change your ETA appreciably... How fast do you want to go on 2 lane, hilly, winding country roads anyway?!?!? Having said that... I frequently drive 1 to 5 mph over the posted limit! I have had a Beltronics detector for 10+ years. It has laser capabilities. The laser portion is useful to tell you that laser is in the area - it will alert even if a laser gun is shooting someone in front of (and maybe to the side of) you. The target acquisition time is very short for a laser... if the gun is pointed at another car in front of you, you will become aware of its presence (and therefore have time to slow down) before it has a chance to change targets to you... if the initial primary target is you, you probably won't have time to reduce speed before the gun "gets a lock" on you... FWIW... |
| The Passport and Valentine are generally regarded as the best on the market. I had a Valentine One years back (which sadly was stolen) and have never bothered to replace it because I'm an idiot. But the year or so I had my V1 it saved my ass more times than I could count. I caught radars on that were up to a good mile or two down the road. Picked them up over hills, around corners, etc. If there was a radar gun on in the area it damn sure found it. Also, cops have developed methods over the years to trick people with detectors using more than one radar in a staggering formation. The V One will find them too. A radar puts out so much ambient signal that it makes them easy to find. Other posters are more or less right though about laser. FHP is using more and more laser lately. The V One will also pick that up but if it reads laser it most likely means your car was tagged and you might be cooked. They take a little time to learn the ins and outs of your detector. I can also give you some advice to stay away from hundred dollar Cobras and things like that as they cost a lot less but perform a lot less too. The V One is expensive but worth the price. I've been saying one of these days I'm going to replace it but never have. One reason is I don't like anything in my car to give someone a reason to break in. |
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Radar Detectors work when the Radar is on...
They do not detect Radar when the Radar is off... Some of the newer Detectors do not pick up the old X Band Radar... One of the last real heafty tickets I wrote (64 in a 40) was to an upclass gentleman with a Valentine Radar Detector in his BMW. |
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Radar Detectors work when the Radar is on... They do not detect Radar when the Radar is off... Some of the newer Detectors do not pick up the old X Band Radar... One of the last real heafty tickets I wrote (64 in a 40) was to an upclass gentleman with a Valentine Radar Detector in his BMW. I did read that the newer ones dont detect the x bands. I dont understand what you mean by getting someones speed with the radar off, unless you mean using a laser? |
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I got nailed last spring and had a cheap cobra, I threw it in the trash. I had good luck in the past with uniden unit and a different cobra
a coworker says +1 on the valentine unit, if you get the serial# before buying you can check online if its been upgraded and to what version. Cops on I4 get on overpasses and shoot you from behind, a detector would do little to no good for that. its no good for lasers either. It makes more sense to visually scan for motorcycle cops and police cars |
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Thanks for the replies. Escorts and the V1 is what i keep hearing about. I have actually heard more positive things about the Escorts but you always see that the V1 is the "best". I see the V1 is 400$ and some of the Escorts are around there too, my driving is more on rural roads where you can see probably a half a mile ahead of you but there are small hills which means you cant always see vehicles coming at you. What would you guys suggest? Here is their current offer. http://www.escortradar.com/clunkers/ If you buy directly from them you get more offers than if you buy from Best Buy or some other retailer. |
| I sell and install K40 hidden radar detectors gives you full front and rear detection with visual alert in the instrument cluster and audio alaert as well that system topped off with the Blinder laser jammer and you will be ticket free they gaurantee it and pay any tickets if you somehow get one. Laser jamming is legal here in florida. As these systems when installed properly are physically invisible they work great in radar unfriendly states too. I install them and used to be a NON believer until I watched a cop shoot the Benz I was roadtesting with laser, the look on his face as his gun locked was priceless.Ed |
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Driving the speed limit is an option. But, it's kinda like abstaining from sex. It just ain't gonna happen. I got a hefty one a couple years ago that led to an automatic court appearance. The judge was telling everybody there that appeared for excessive speed, "Do you know what could happen if you lose control of your car at that speed?" I was an inch away from saying, "That's why I drive a BMW. It was designed for highway travel that's completely devoid of speed limits outside of urban areas." If we had a system more like what's used in Europe we wouldn't have any need for bullshit laws that seem to have little impact on safety and act as a means of generating revenue.
Germany's casualty rate is WAAAAY lower than our roads are. However, you go through all kinds of driving school and shell out a few grand before you ever see a license. And these people also have no speed limits outside city areas on their Audobahn. If it works there then why can't it work here? If people here were actually trained to drive (and there weren't so many poorly maintained cars on the road) we wouldn't need speed limits on the highway. I've always driven a lot. I live in Jacksonville where you can't get anywhere without spending at least 15 minutes in a car. Any time I can save by taking a highway, avoiding traffic lights, and moving in a quick and efficient manner is worth it to me. |
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I'm a Valentine 1 guy, I own two of them.
They will detect all forms of radar as well as laser. LEO's are now using the binocular type of laser "guns" that are instant on and instant off. If you're being checked you won't know until the instance it happens. The detector will get the "wiff" of the laser signal and go nuts. |
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Driving the speed limit is an option. But, it's kinda like abstaining from sex. It just ain't gonna happen. I got a hefty one a couple years ago that led to an automatic court appearance. The judge was telling everybody there that appeared for excessive speed, "Do you know what could happen if you lose control of your car at that speed?" I was an inch away from saying, "That's why I drive a BMW. It was designed for highway travel that's completely devoid of speed limits outside of urban areas." If we had a system more like what's used in Europe we wouldn't have any need for bullshit laws that seem to have little impact on safety and act as a means of generating revenue. Germany's casualty rate is WAAAAY lower than our roads are. However, you go through all kinds of driving school and shell out a few grand before you ever see a license. And these people also have no speed limits outside city areas on their Audobahn. If it works there then why can't it work here? If people here were actually trained to drive (and there weren't so many poorly maintained cars on the road) we wouldn't need speed limits on the highway. I've always driven a lot. I live in Jacksonville where you can't get anywhere without spending at least 15 minutes in a car. Any time I can save by taking a highway, avoiding traffic lights, and moving in a quick and efficient manner is worth it to me. I got a warning not too long ago going 75 in a 60 coming out of a passing area that opens up for about a mile on a very rural road. That would be the reason i would get one so if im crusing at a nice speed on an open road i will know if someone is set up waiting for that. I dont really plan on speeding at very high rates of speed but i think its sometimes good to have and can actually keep you in line if you are cruising at a higher rate of speed then you should. And as far as the guys with the Beemers, i know what you mean, i have had a couple and its impossible to go the speed limit on the highway with those things.. |
| I have never had a speeding ticket in my 30 years of driving. I was LUCKY. When I was younger and dumber it was nothing for me to drive 80-100 on I-4 and I-95 TO GET BACK to Hunter Army Airfield in Savanah. Now the drive is half the fun of the trip getting there for me. I still drive about 5 mph over the limit. I just don't get in a hurry any more. I give myself plenty of time to get there. After working wreaks on the road as a firemedic. It's not worth rushing and wreaking to me. I still have a radar detector though and some times I do speed a little.(under 10 mph) when I'm not paying attention and going with the flow. Radar detects will save your but though, it has mine. |
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Radar Detectors work when the Radar is on... They do not detect Radar when the Radar is off... Some of the newer Detectors do not pick up the old X Band Radar... One of the last real heafty tickets I wrote (64 in a 40) was to an upclass gentleman with a Valentine Radar Detector in his BMW. I did read that the newer ones dont detect the x bands. I dont understand what you mean by getting someones speed with the radar off, unless you mean using a laser? If I choose to pause the radar and turn it on after I have a visual estimate of a vehicles speed the driver of said vehicle will not be able to slow down quick enough to beat the radar. |