Radar Detectors really work?
01-17-2018, 07:02 AM
#17
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I, too, have a V1. It has saved me many times, even from LIDAR (when there are other vehicles on the road and the laser bounces off of them or goes through them).
A few things to remember:
- You need to keep the V1 updated , so it doesn't give you unnecessary false alarms
- Many newer vehicles use laser based cruise controls. Those will give you false LIDAR alarms on the V1
- You may occasionally get false LIDAR alarms based on LED based lighting
- If you ever use it in a newer vehicle with metal coated windshield (for UV/heat protection), no radar will be detected from the front
- Even with a radar detector, you should not do anything overly crazy. You can only slow down so much while they are tracking you!
- There is no defense against pacing or air patrol (though I have never seen the latter other than on freeway signs)
A few things to remember:
- You need to keep the V1 updated , so it doesn't give you unnecessary false alarms
- Many newer vehicles use laser based cruise controls. Those will give you false LIDAR alarms on the V1
- You may occasionally get false LIDAR alarms based on LED based lighting
- If you ever use it in a newer vehicle with metal coated windshield (for UV/heat protection), no radar will be detected from the front
- Even with a radar detector, you should not do anything overly crazy. You can only slow down so much while they are tracking you!
- There is no defense against pacing or air patrol (though I have never seen the latter other than on freeway signs)
01-17-2018, 08:56 AM
#18
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Financially its a no-brainer... one 25-30 mph over the limit ticket pretty much buys any of the best detectors out there. In many places now for the 50-60 mph over tickets, think handcuffs. I call this "intentional speeding" and we all know the risks. The real revenue efforts are hidden in the suburbs with the emphasis on "unintentional speeding." My area is full of strategically placed radar traps where the limit drops from 35 to 25...and you can "safely" end up going 40 in a 25 without even realizing it... (around $100) Then of course there's those insurance rates.
Either commit to driving the speed limit (which seems moot considering the forum we're in) or have a detector. On the occasions that I do get a speeding ticket I think about all the times I didn't get a ticket and it seems more than fair.
Either commit to driving the speed limit (which seems moot considering the forum we're in) or have a detector. On the occasions that I do get a speeding ticket I think about all the times I didn't get a ticket and it seems more than fair.
01-17-2018, 09:53 AM
#19
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Some LEO's will sit or drive around with their radar on - they essentially are saying "I'll get the guys with detectors to slow down, but I'll only be stopping those without detectors." I'm describing my local deputy sheriffs.
Some park in a perfect spot with instant-on radar, and use it judiciously. Your detector will tell you only that you're toast. I'm describing the state troopers on the interstate highway near me. I know where they like to set up, where the crossovers are, etc. I know the speeding ranges - much better to get a ticket for 84 than 85. Try very hard not to get one for 105 or faster.
Some park in a perfect spot with instant-on radar, and use it judiciously. Your detector will tell you only that you're toast. I'm describing the state troopers on the interstate highway near me. I know where they like to set up, where the crossovers are, etc. I know the speeding ranges - much better to get a ticket for 84 than 85. Try very hard not to get one for 105 or faster.
01-17-2018, 10:21 AM
#20
passport 9500 ix has GPS built in so you can push a button to lock out the annoying false alarms and it remembers where they are. Also Escort has monthly updates (free) that will load in where the redlight cameras are and give you fair warning to stop.
01-17-2018, 10:31 AM
#21
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I've used a V1 for years and never leave the driveway w/o it,no matter what I'm driving, like said it's in the slower zones that will get you a w/o even realizing it.
Don't know if it was mentioned but the higher you can mount any detector the better they will work, I like mine mounted next to and slightly above the rear view mirror, and use the remote control down low by the console.
Don't know if it was mentioned but the higher you can mount any detector the better they will work, I like mine mounted next to and slightly above the rear view mirror, and use the remote control down low by the console.
01-17-2018, 11:19 AM
#22
Very interesting thread. Check out this website that ranks the strictest and most lenient states with regards to speeding.
https://wallethub.com/edu/strictest-...peeding/14211/
Looks like Texas is the place to live if you really want to get fast and furious.
1 mph over the limit here in Washington can be considered reckless driving! Yikes! Didn't know that.
https://wallethub.com/edu/strictest-...peeding/14211/
Looks like Texas is the place to live if you really want to get fast and furious.
1 mph over the limit here in Washington can be considered reckless driving! Yikes! Didn't know that.
01-17-2018, 11:57 AM
#23
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Even the cheapest detector is better than none.
Better detectors are worth the extra $ to a point. That point depends on how you drive. Don't do stupid reckless stuff regardless -- it isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card.
No detector will do you any good at all if you don't pay attention to it and your driving situation.
Having one in obvious plain sight can tip the scales towards a ticket.
----
I have an ancient detector that rides along with me more for info and situational awareness than anything else. Oregon state patrol cars generally drive with radar running at least on low power all the time. Any cheap detector will give you plenty of warning on straight roads. Learn the patterns of signals and signal stregth so you can decide when you are running up on a radar unit or when one is coming up behind you. V1 takes care of that for you, but moves beyond the cheap range. New cars and trucks use low-power radar and laser for collision avoidance as well as adaptive cruise control. Cheap detectors respond to every one, so it takes extra attention to decode signal patterns.
The more fast miles you like to drive, the easier it is to justify a better radar/laser detector. In my experience anyway.
Better detectors are worth the extra $ to a point. That point depends on how you drive. Don't do stupid reckless stuff regardless -- it isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card.
No detector will do you any good at all if you don't pay attention to it and your driving situation.
Having one in obvious plain sight can tip the scales towards a ticket.
----
I have an ancient detector that rides along with me more for info and situational awareness than anything else. Oregon state patrol cars generally drive with radar running at least on low power all the time. Any cheap detector will give you plenty of warning on straight roads. Learn the patterns of signals and signal stregth so you can decide when you are running up on a radar unit or when one is coming up behind you. V1 takes care of that for you, but moves beyond the cheap range. New cars and trucks use low-power radar and laser for collision avoidance as well as adaptive cruise control. Cheap detectors respond to every one, so it takes extra attention to decode signal patterns.
The more fast miles you like to drive, the easier it is to justify a better radar/laser detector. In my experience anyway.
01-17-2018, 12:20 PM
#24
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Two things - first I'll parrot what most others have said. They are not 100% protection, but the one ticket it saves you from will pay for itself (maybe two if you buy a V1 - they are pricey, but very nice.) I have an older Beltronics that has more than paid for itself over the past few years.
One annoying feature is the newest cars that come with blind-spot warning devices. It seems a little more prevalent on newer Audi's and Nissans, but they seem to use a radar range that falls into the Ka bandwidth and I will occasionally get all-lights on if a newer Audi or Nissan passes me. Its unsettling, because the response is like instant on and your gut reaction is to hit the brakes. I hope newer detectors are better at filtering that out - just passing along my experience.
Second - AND MOST IMPORTANT - on my longer road trips over the past couple years what has saved me more than anything is the WAZE app. Since many cops in FL and GA are now using LASER, by the time you get hit with laser, the detector really just tells you you're about to get pulled over. However, laser cannot be operated from a moving vehicle. It requires a stationary cop. And stationary cops are almost always reported on WAZE. If you aren't familiar with WAZE its basically Google Maps with real time, crowd-sourced updates on traffic, accidents, and for me most importantly speed traps. It has saved me countelss times since coming on line.
So in summary, with both countermeasures active (i.e. a decent radar detector to handle radar encountered from cops that are driving around with their radar emitting occasional instant-on bursts and WAZE running on your phone), you really can drive pretty well unencumbered by police encounters. At least that has been my experience. YMMV.
One annoying feature is the newest cars that come with blind-spot warning devices. It seems a little more prevalent on newer Audi's and Nissans, but they seem to use a radar range that falls into the Ka bandwidth and I will occasionally get all-lights on if a newer Audi or Nissan passes me. Its unsettling, because the response is like instant on and your gut reaction is to hit the brakes. I hope newer detectors are better at filtering that out - just passing along my experience.
Second - AND MOST IMPORTANT - on my longer road trips over the past couple years what has saved me more than anything is the WAZE app. Since many cops in FL and GA are now using LASER, by the time you get hit with laser, the detector really just tells you you're about to get pulled over. However, laser cannot be operated from a moving vehicle. It requires a stationary cop. And stationary cops are almost always reported on WAZE. If you aren't familiar with WAZE its basically Google Maps with real time, crowd-sourced updates on traffic, accidents, and for me most importantly speed traps. It has saved me countelss times since coming on line.
So in summary, with both countermeasures active (i.e. a decent radar detector to handle radar encountered from cops that are driving around with their radar emitting occasional instant-on bursts and WAZE running on your phone), you really can drive pretty well unencumbered by police encounters. At least that has been my experience. YMMV.
01-17-2018, 04:18 PM
#25
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Jim, out here in Marin, the CHiPs keep their Ka off. On a recent drive where I 'merged' with some Ferraris, there was a CHP about 100 yds back. His radar was off, but as he closed in to the group, all of a sudden my Ka light lit up on the Passport. Next thing you know I saw flashing lights and one of the Ferrari's pulled over. He did, accelerate seconds earlier to pass some of the slower cars in the group of 7.
Van, absolutely get a radar detector. Our first rule of thumb however is always drive safely. That is not so say slowly, not at all, and safely generally has nothing to do with those silly signs they stick alongside the road. But that is one roadside conversation that you never want to have. A bored officer in an SUV might cut you some slack for simply being over the PSL, but never for that plus being stupid.
As for tools, use anything available within your budget, learn the subtleties, and then take clues from the terrain and traffic around you. We use a V1, Waze, and a laser-jammer where legal, all have helped a few times. But most important is staying alert and maintaining situational awareness. On a lightly traveled two-lane the v1 will usually pick up IO tagging a car ahead before they can see you, the range on straight roads is unreal. But on a seriously lonely road, any other vehicle -- or coming up on a blind rise-- is a good time for caution. And where we travel, sunny weather brings out the motorcycles with their laser guns, but only where the left shoulder is wide enough to safely pull someone over. To avoid being the prey, think like the predator.
CHP usually drive with their Ka band running, but not always. A few months ago, heading south on I5 in Norcal on a late evening, we've got a Mustang that we passed hanging a half mile back-- using us as the rabbit. No problem, we've done that a lot. We pick up a few Ka chirps ahead, then silence. Then again, and again a minute later... Ka instant-on somewhere ahead in the darkness. Ten minutes go by, still ahead and slowly getting stronger, taillights in the distance, and our exit is a couple miles ahead so we slow down. The Mustang of course does what Mustangs have to do, and cruises right on by. He was there as we took our exit, having a roadside conversation. IO works out the back window also.
Safe travels!!
As for tools, use anything available within your budget, learn the subtleties, and then take clues from the terrain and traffic around you. We use a V1, Waze, and a laser-jammer where legal, all have helped a few times. But most important is staying alert and maintaining situational awareness. On a lightly traveled two-lane the v1 will usually pick up IO tagging a car ahead before they can see you, the range on straight roads is unreal. But on a seriously lonely road, any other vehicle -- or coming up on a blind rise-- is a good time for caution. And where we travel, sunny weather brings out the motorcycles with their laser guns, but only where the left shoulder is wide enough to safely pull someone over. To avoid being the prey, think like the predator.
CHP usually drive with their Ka band running, but not always. A few months ago, heading south on I5 in Norcal on a late evening, we've got a Mustang that we passed hanging a half mile back-- using us as the rabbit. No problem, we've done that a lot. We pick up a few Ka chirps ahead, then silence. Then again, and again a minute later... Ka instant-on somewhere ahead in the darkness. Ten minutes go by, still ahead and slowly getting stronger, taillights in the distance, and our exit is a couple miles ahead so we slow down. The Mustang of course does what Mustangs have to do, and cruises right on by. He was there as we took our exit, having a roadside conversation. IO works out the back window also.
Safe travels!!
01-17-2018, 05:54 PM
#26
Racer
Very interesting thread. Check out this website that ranks the strictest and most lenient states with regards to speeding.
https://wallethub.com/edu/strictest-...peeding/14211/
Looks like Texas is the place to live if you really want to get fast and furious.
1 mph over the limit here in Washington can be considered reckless driving! Yikes! Didn't know that.
https://wallethub.com/edu/strictest-...peeding/14211/
Looks like Texas is the place to live if you really want to get fast and furious.
1 mph over the limit here in Washington can be considered reckless driving! Yikes! Didn't know that.
01-17-2018, 05:58 PM
#27
On my seasonal trips between NY and FL I usually cruise a little over 500 mph. I laugh at the poor suckers WAY down there worrying about the difference between 70 and 80 mph.
I don't get tickets in my 928 because I'm never in a hurry. -but then I'm a geezer.
I don't get tickets in my 928 because I'm never in a hurry. -but then I'm a geezer.
01-17-2018, 11:15 PM
#30
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Thank you all for such great information. Having driven down California Hwy 5, 25+ times in the past few years, I only got pulled over once doing 96 in a 70. He let me go. But he told me that he seldom sees 928's and I am now a "marked man". SOOO I started driving up and back along the coast (101). I'm in the Jim Corman camp as I always try and follow the rabbit and I'm very sensitive to my surroundings. #1 Don't be a jerk, #2 I'm driving a Porsche so don't abuse the mark. (Mustang guys are clueless to this concept). #3 Never ever force someone to brake #4 Memorize what is in your rearview mirror. If you glance up at it and you don't remember what you saw last, you are not paying attention #5 Memorize what a Ford Explorer looks like or a Dodge Charger ( California) as the Crown Vics have died off and now in LA ready for the La Brea tar pits.
Big question....all the testing and reports I see are for cops sitting on the side or in the median strip under bridge. What about when they are coming the opposite direction. If I'm doing 90mph and the cop is doing 70 or 80 plus on the on coming direction...how does a detector calculate this.
My red car had an old Escort hard wired into the slats under the bumper with the unit in the ashtray. What I see is a bunch of suction cup units with wires going to the cig lighter...busted!
Big question....all the testing and reports I see are for cops sitting on the side or in the median strip under bridge. What about when they are coming the opposite direction. If I'm doing 90mph and the cop is doing 70 or 80 plus on the on coming direction...how does a detector calculate this.
My red car had an old Escort hard wired into the slats under the bumper with the unit in the ashtray. What I see is a bunch of suction cup units with wires going to the cig lighter...busted!