Radar Detectors?

[djct_watt]

So condescending and wrong. . .
Internet meme is not yet in the dictionary, so here's a link:
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_te...i=59911,00.asp

An image, video, story or joke that is voluntarily passed from one Internet user to another

If you want to keep debating me with invalid points, we can continue on PM.

[.Kevin.]

( y )

[JumpmanYaris]

Does anyone know how much these costs? and whereabouts you purchase one? I have a bad habit of speeding on open roads late at night and early morning and almost got nailed by the cops today lol

and howabouts do you go installing these?

This is what the topic is guys^^^^
and then lead to legal or not and then speeding and then what they do in Canada if they catch you with it and then how to joke on canadians and then about the meme thing.

[djct_watt]

Sorry, I just hate it when people correct me incorrectly. . . I promise to stay on topic.

Installation is a breeze. Suction cups to the glass, and a power cord dangles down which you plug into a cigarette lighter. You can feed the cord through the dash, depending on length and brand. This is the easiest way.

Even better yet, hardwire the detector. All the good detectors (Vector, Passport, and Valentine) use a telephone plug wire as the connector. If you don't want to splice the OEM cord, you can buy an RJ11 head/wire and wire it up to an ignition switched 12+ and ground. Or you can also be ghetto fabulous and cut the existing chord and wire it up. I HIGHLY suggest you add a fuse, but that's up to you if you're already wiring it to a fused circuit. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just have a radio shop do it for you.

I also hate the springy rattle-y sound of the RD flopping around over bumps, so I used 3M double sided tape to affix the RD to the glass. No more flop. . .

But be aware that these things are not foolproof. Many police officers, especially in the city, leave their radar units off. CHP seem to always leave them on and I used to get advance notice up to 5 miles ahead of the officer. . . worst case scenario I'd get a good 30 seconds. More and more officers are using laser, and for that detection is near useless. I highly suggest you get a higher end unit with switchable bands, and find out what particular equipment is issued to your local/state/territory???? municipalities. You can turn off the radar bands that are not used.

I can say that I almost never got a false alert. CHP uses kA band, and I had all other bands switched off. Some local police still use the outdated K bands, but I never sped in the city (too dangerous). And even so, K band radar is fairly archaic and uncommon. . . and unless you're driving through Somalia, you will NEVER encounter a REAL X band radar gun. Also kU is not in use the USA (AFAIK, but I moved out about a year ago). Leave those frequencies off! What will ruin you (with a cheap POS RD) isn't just bad range, but the fact that it will beep at everything. And after awhile, you get used to it's constant noise. Unfortunately, the one time you encounter a real speed trap, you will be busy either trying to confirm if it's a real signal (looking for the cop) or you won't even notice it. Trust me, when mine went off, I ALWAYS took it as a real threat, and could visually confirm it in almost every scenario.

Having said that, be safe and don't drive like an idiot. 99% of speeding is useless and ends up just wasting gas and gets you there in the same amount of time. Do it right, and you can cut hours off a long drive. And make sure your car is prepped right; tires, brakes, engine, safety equipment all in working order.

[.Kevin.]

Thinking of getting a 15 band Cobra with a compass 360 degree detection?

[Midnight Drifter]

Originally Posted by Shinare

I keep hearing all this talk about "instant on laser" being what cops are going to and it effectively nullifies any kind of pre-detection since the laser is pointed at the car and is only fired at the car when it can read the speed accurately so basically you've just purchased a fancy box that will let you know when a cop is seeing how fast you are going. (and let you know when you are passing by any grocery stores)

Or is that just PR put out by the man so that we don't even try anymore?

A few things you should be aware of.

For one, laser units use lights - that's why they're called lasers. A laser beam is a direct beam of light. In order to utilize it properly, a certain criteria of conditions must be met:

1: Clear weather - mist/rain can throw off its reading
2: No obstructions between you and your target - clear path of travel the whole way
3: Window must be rolled down
4: Your target must have a reflective surface that can be aimed at. (Go ahead, take the front plate off. $59 for NFP beats a speeding ticket!)
5: There must be no other targets near your target, otherwise a lock will be difficult

The truth of the matter is, odds are greater than not that most "laser" units you'll encounter will be by an extremely bored State Trooper parked perpendicular to the highway with his car in clear view, because that's the ONLY way he can get a clear reading of your car.

However, to all central NJ motorists, I will point out one regularly-staged laser trap. Southbound on Interstate 1 right by the US-130/NJ-171 overpass - WATCH OUT! North Brunswick Police LOVE to hang out there because that downhill straightaway is right after a hillcrest, and those guys ONLY USE LASER.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&cl...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

As you can see, the officer has a wonderfully clear view and easy sniping on a low-traffic day, and with the glare of the morning sun doing a wonderful job of hiding his unmarked black Dodge Charger [occasionally it will be one of their marked Charger/Crown Victorias and very RARELY it will be one of their 2 Expeditions] underneath the bridge, and a wide shoulder making for an easy turnaround, this cash cow of the N.B.P.D. has been milking copiously for the department since I first took notice in mid-2008. That's one place you DON'T EVER want to speed - radar unit or not. I don't usually see a night shift (12-6) lookout, but morning-evening camp-outs are very popular because they know how easy the money is there.

Just sayin'.

[djct_watt]

You can pick up laser scatter, but it's HIGHLY unlikely, and any reports of it are the extreme minority. A laser beam does get larger over distance, and it gets there at light speed (of course). And at a 1 mile distance, the beam is pretty friggin big. But you are 100% correct, to use laser, the officer MUST be stationary and set up at a proper angle with good visibility. Many times, they require multiple officers to work the "trap," with one perched on an overpass and several chase vehicles below. However, in money hungry and quota enforcing states like CA, they are becoming very common. Although guns are expensive, the tickets are VERY hard to fight, and detection is nill to zip.

But honestly, from a law enforcement standpoint, radar is far more effective and practical for daily use. Not many people carry detectors, and most who do carry Cobra or Whistler junk which have EXTREMELY limited range. Many of my friends whom are officers pull over these guys ALL the time, bewildered by why their detectors failed them. Heck I've owned each and every single brand at one point or another, and can confirm that. If the box advertises radar reception of radar bands that haven't been used for almost three decades, you should know it's not going to very good.

[djct_watt]

Oh yeah, and another VERY effective countermeasure is to know how to read truck drivers and their signals (they flash their lights to communicate), ie when it's clear to pass or merger over, cops ahead, etc, and 99.999% of freight drivers know and use the signals.

Also carry a CB radio. You'll get code for traps all the time. These guys are professionals. . . and are royally (*@#(*#@$ if they get tickets.