atinybug

lol

vette4lyfe

HOw do radar detectors work?? is it jsut a cop finder?

Cyrus951

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radar-detector.htm

Don 944 LA

The best way to describe Superheterodine (spelling -it's late) operation is that it constantly scans certain frequencys. The older ones would compare to an actual "mini" radar, which of course set off someone elses if they were close. Anyway, modern units are better at filtering out automatic doors, alarm systems etc..

The $5gazillion stuff that I used in the NAVY could pick up a (old style) microwave oven from 300 miles away. The EMCON ( emission control ) policies actually included shutting off the microwave in the kitchen along with certain radars to avoid detection. bla bla bla ..

One thing to remember, if the radar is not being used, you will not pick it up. So, a deserted highway is going to be free from radar signals, so when you pick it up, it's to late. You need to rely on the fact that 2 miles ahead of you the officer had checked someones speed, you get the alert and check on your own speed. And Radar bounces around like crazy, Laser does not. If you get a laser alert, your had. It scares the crap outta me everytime I am by any kind of military airport when they are doing training, the damn bastages set it off.

well, enough rattling on and on and on....

Don

Damn esspresso

Don 944 LA

Thats a good site.. I always forget about that place.
I see that Virginia and DC are still the only places where they are illegal.

atinybug

do laser diffusers work? i know a couple people who swear by their escort passport 8500 with the laser diffusers

Danno

"do laser diffusers work? i know a couple people who swear by their escort passport 8500 with the laser diffusers"

Nope, not a chance! There's enough vertical surfaces on the front of your your car that will reflect back the laser such that there's no way to avoid it. Even the back of your rear-view mirror reflects enough to tag you.

"What blows my mind is that I'm a 3rd year physics student at the university here and I have yet to see anything that shows you can clock the speed of a moving vehicle from another moving vehicle with any decent accuracy. Anyone know what they used?"

Not too sure on the actual radar units used, but wouldn't a moving cop car using radar on a target get back two reflections of different speeds? One of the car and one of the background scenery? Then just subtract the two to get the speed of the car?

"I was on my way to get donuts."

Here's one I've been dying to use on a cop since I get pulled over for sobriety checkpoints several times a week:

COP: Sonny, your eyes look kinda bloodshot, have you been drinking?
ME: No sir, I haven't, but your eyes look kinda glazed... have you been eating donuts???

ryans

I'll tell you how to get out of it. Do a trial by Declaration. Police offices hate paper work, and doing the trial by declaration is just more paper work that they probably don't get overtime to do.

special tool

Blah, blah, blah. Jesus Christ. If you are a kid driving a Porsche, you are getting a friggin ticket sooner or later.

The Judge is going to be smiling at you, and even the stenographer is going to laugh at your ***. Send in the money, sport.

Also, if you are a kid, and you pass a cop in a Porsche, and you are speeding - you better make damn sure you let him see the brake lights. If you just speed by him, you are disrespecting him - and if I was a cop, I would nail your *** just for being obstinate.

Hey, but hire a lawyer to subpoena the records of the radar equipment, man. Jesus Christ.

Porsche-O-Phile

Just do the traffic school thing if it's an option in your state - there's no way you'll win. State & local government revenues are down right now and consequently they're supplementing traditional methods of generation (sales, property taxes, etc) with B.S. games like these. Just suck it up and deal with it. And be more careful!

Anything dealing with cars is expensive - I remember reading somewhere that an average person will end up paying 25% ON TOP OF the cost of a new car in fees, taxes, fines, etc. over its life span. This doesn't even include insurance or gas. Think about that next time you negotiate the price of a car. . . When all is said and done, a $400 (just to pick a number) a month car payment will end up being more like $700-$800 a month to cover EVERYTHING associated with having it (insurance, maintenance, gas, etc.)

I've always liked the "jammer" idea myself and have researched them. They're BIGTIME illegal though - if you get caught with one you'll likely have your car impounded and be charged. It might even be a felony in some places. I really do like the idea though. . .

Predator

If a train leaves the station, heading east at 60 mph, and another train leaves the station, heading west at 45 mph, how far apart will they be in 38 minutes. Basic math from my 7th graders book. Basically, same principle. No offense........., but where do you go to college?

Dave

The Federal government says they're legal everywhere and that the states don't have the jurisdiction to make laws to the contrary. IIRC, the communications act of 1939 (might be a different year) says that "any citizen has the right to receive any radio frequency" and that's all a radar detector does. You can't transmit without a license but a detector doesn't transmit and a state can not take away this right to monitor/receive any frequency.

My own best radar story is as follows;
Driving home from a GF's house late one night 18-20 years ago the streets were absolutely deserted and I pushed my foot down a little further than I should have. There's a truck place that had an alarm system that would always set off my radar detector to the tune of about 2 LEDs, that night it pinned the meter! I hit the brakes out of habit, besides , I had to make a right 3 blocks up and I was MOVING!
I didn't see any vehicles behind me so I relaxed a bit and stepped on the gas again, not as much but still well over the limit. Three quarters of a mile up there was another alarm system that would give me a false reading and again I got 5 LEDs instead of 2. I looked around again and the only car in sight was way behind me, back where I had made the right, it didn't have any flashing lights so I wrote the detector warnings off as a fluke. I was headed into a left turn anyway ant the road zigged and zagged a bit so I relaxed again and kept going.
Two miles later a car came flying up behind me and the red lights came on. I was above the limit but not by much at this point so I didn't know what to expect but I knew I was busted for something. I pulled right over and had my lisence/reg/ins. out already. I knew a couple officers in that town (including my GF's sister's BF) but this guy was not among them. He looked at me for a minute, the silence was unbearable, finally he said quietly "126 in a 35 zone" he paused for a second before adding "and your brakelights were on at the time" another pause "what the F*** were you thinking?"
I figured it wasn't a good time to BS him but I (obviously) wasn't thinking anything, I told him that I was tired (it was ~4AM) and since there was no one on the road I thought a little speed induced adrenalin rush would keep me from faling asleep at the wheel until I got home. He silently walked back to his car.
He was in his car for a while, I thought he must be writing me a whole stack of tickets or something. When he finally came back to my car he tossed my license/reg/ins. through the window, it landed in my lap. I looked up at him and realized that he wasn't holding any tickets, I thought I was going to jail or something. After another of his dramatic pauses he told me "if I put 126mph and Volkswagon on the same ticket, the judge will send me back to radar school" (VWs didn't do 126 without a LOT of mods back in the mid '80s) another pause "get going, go straight home and go a lot slower."
I squeeked out a quick "yes sir, thank you sir, good night" and drove the few miles to my house at EXACTLY the speed limit. Both the guys I knew on the PD denied any knowledge of the event so I still don't know who I should have thanked for saving my @$$ that night.
It's been almost 2 decades and I still remember it like it just happened, it's probably among the stupidest things I've ever done, makes for a good story (IMHO) though!

Dave

Oh yeah, I ended up marrying that GF and live in that town now!

atinybug

lol dave, that story kicked mine's ***

Darius Juca

damn pigs kinda reminds me of a song by NWA...I don't listen to rap but I am willing to bet it says something I agree with..anyone know about that song.???lol