trysixty

anyone using the portable radar detector Passport Solo 3 in their porsche???
thx

deturney

No, I live in an area where Laser use is common and Laser Diffusers are, IMO, needed. Without them, when you hear the Laser warning it is too late. If you are lucky to live/drive where Lasers are not being used, a Solo3 might be fine, read unbiased reviews about it.

trysixty

From the Escort Web site

Ultra-Performance Laser Protection The SOLO S3 uses multiple low-noise laser sensors to provide long-range warning and the widest field of view against laser encounters.

?

deturney

Lasers don't emit any signal until the trigger is pulled. When the trigger is pulled it is an instant-on situation and instant-off when trigger is released. The beam is very tight and since it is focused on one car, it is rare that a detector warns of a Laser unit until it is aimed at your vehicle. At which point it is too late to do anything about it because when you hear the warning your speed has already been measured.

This is the case with any detector without diffusers, not just the Solo 3. As I said before it is probably effective against other radar bands. The Escort website is not unbiased, google around about how Lasers works and what is effective to use against them. Some people even question Diffusers effectiveness against a Laser gun.

Mike in CA

deturney is right; by the time your laser detector goes off you've already been clocked. I used to have a Passport Solo 2. It worked fine and was convenient to switch between vehicles (as long as I remembered to grab it out of the last car I drove. ). The downside to battery powered detectors in general is that by their very design they're not as sensitive as wired detectors. In order to lengthen battery life, they cycle on and off very quickly while they are working. This on/off process, while not obvious to the user in operation is enough to degrade the scanning ability of the detector, especially on wide band signals like Ka.

Portable detectors can be the answer for some people, as long as you are aware of their limitations.

holminator

Just to add a little info, depending on the source to target distance, the laser beam will be from 18 to 36 inches in diameter. I would not recommend a battery-operated detector. Detection range substantially decreases with battery life and extreme interior temperatures are not good for batteries. Sick with corded detectors, such as the V1, and run the Trapster app on your iPhone via Bluetooth.

Has anyone here substantively exceeded the speed limit by 20 mph or more successfully evaded being lased and avoided an encounter with the police?

deturney

I have been Lasered 4 times. 2 were probably 12-15 over. The other 2, I was 25-35 over when I got tagged, no chase no tickets. I have 2 front diffusers and 1 rear one.

holminator

Thanks! Helps me decided a lot!

deturney

A bit more; maybe the 2 high speed tags without tickets were just good luck, who knows?

My system is a K40. I had it put on my Cayman when I bought it, then had it moved to my 991 when I purchased it.

oldman40

when you get lasered, do you turn off the system after slowing down? meaning, the cop can eventually tell that you are laser diffusing, doesnt that trigger him to pull you over?

or will he just move on to the next speeder and let you go?

holminator

Some LIDARs are able to detect the new Escort diffuser immediately. If interested I can pull up the test results and post it.

deturney

In Ohio, like Radar Detectors it is not illegal to have Laser Diffusers, so I never turn it off. Yes, I slow down and hope I don't get pulled over. Both times that I was seriously speeding I was almost on top of the Laser unit when I got tagged, by the time I slowed down much I was well past it. That showed me that Lasers are truly stealthy and don't emit a signal that a Detector can pick up from a distance. You are usually so close to it when your Detector goes off that it is too late. And usually when your Detector goes off it is because the unit is aimed at you.

holminator

Typical engagement distance is 500 feet or so I've read. Not a traffic cop so I really have no idea. If that distance is accurate, it would give no time to react if the product works as advertised. A few thousand feet might be a different story speaking in generalities because the product performance varies wildly against various LIDAR guns. I'd feel safer with a V1 and running Trapster on my iPhone via Bluetooth or just slowing down than with a product that has questionable reliability.

deturney

Slowing down is always an option and a safe bet. On a trip, set your cruise to the speed limit and the mpg is amazing for a car with this kind of performance.

I am familiar with the V1 and it's popularity. Trapster; I will need to read about it, I am not familiar with it, but intrigued.

holminator

Here's the link: http://trapster.com.

http://youtu.be/UKU0Q184vgA