911Dave

In Colorado the troopers and local police don't turn their radars off. They just bang away in "always on" mode. On a major road I usually get at least a full minute of warning before the encounter. A couple weeks ago I pulled up next to a cop at a stop light in town, and my detector was wailing the whole time so bad I had to tell it to ignore the threat.

Gretch

I have 3 of them, and haven't used them in over 5 years. Proper driving technique is considerably more effective than a detector.

m21sniper

Driving a shark without a radar detector is like having unprotected sex.

Risky, but it feels sooooooooo good.

TAREK

yeah...that's why I don't own a radar detector

Ron_H

I must second Sharkskin's statements. I KNOW it has saved me many times at ....well, fast enough. Dave knows why. I won't discuss it here, but it works.
On the way to Pennsylvania, I counted at least 10 -15 direct saves each direction at .....well, fast enough....with the bear dead on in front aiming at my nose. Of course it works if you know how to work it. It also worked for instant-on in Utah in a highway patrol infested training area with the bear coming directly at me. I won't discuss why it worked here; ask Dave. The bear and I looked one another in the eye as he passed by and he had operated the gun for only about 2 to 5 seconds, and then off. Think about it long enough and you won't need to ask Dave. It has also worked when I drove head-on into a bear hiding in the bushes in the mountains around ......somewhere near here....and the radar was locked on to me dead on for 5 to 10 seconds. Don't ask. It also worked in Salina, KS when the bear got me coming from the other direction but couldn't turn around fast enough and I .....disappeared for awhile. Had I not had it I would still be in Salina making license plates. It has saved me when the bear was working his way through traffic from behind me and was about 5 minutes away. It has allowed me to know what the bears are doing and when they are not doing it. Think about how valuable that is for a moment particularly when you need to prepare a case. And they know what I am doing many times especially when they walk up to the car and look at it staring out of the windshield, and change their story. Enough said, maybe too much.

I use it to go to the grocery store. I use it always. I won't even send it in for an upgrade 'cause I won't have it for a few days. Valentine One. Don't leave home without it.

ps: I also have a Bear Tracker on all the time FWIW. And a CB radio which is useful for many interstate routes.

Mark

...is like...an American Express Card commercial. "Don't leave home without it!"

SteveG

Ron,
1. Is the Dave you keep referring to the "Dave's not here" from Cheech and Chong of long ago record fame? The references you make are cryptic and seem to involve what may be, ahem, illegal activity on some stretches of highway.
2. what are Luau feet? I have family in Oahu and I'm wondering if I should get some before my next visit.

SharkSkin

Steve, I think Ron is taking the fifth on many of his statements, though he is not explicitly stating that. And I think that the Dave he is referring to is me, since we have discussed much of this. One thing that Ron is alluding to is that if he knows when the radar was transmitting, and he knows the cop was not in a good position to get a read, he has a defense on the spot. For example if the angle of the radar to the direction of travel is too great, it's not a valid reading.

Mark

TAKING the fifth - or - DRINKING a fifth??

SharkSkin

Hard to tell sometimes...

Ron_H

Steve:

Many children in Hawaii, (and many adults), don't wear shoes. We go outside alot. We stub our toes alot. We step on nails and sharp objects alot. In time, our feet take on a rather ........."weathered appearance"......best described as luau feet. Awful. I had feet so tough that I could put cigarette or cigar butts out on them without feeling it. I could walk on coral and not notice the cuts. I would just simply pull nails out of my soles and keep walking. Luau feet. Normal feet for animals living in the tropics.

Dave is correct. He didn't tell all though. The V1 has taught me a few tricks I don't like to disclose; hence the crypticism. The instances I related have not resulted in any demerits on my record. That's the point without bringing up the details. As for the cosine angle, I knew in that instance that the bear was going to lose that round but I never brought it up to him. I didn't need to because the V-1 caused me to react in a manner that worked in my favor.
It is not the reaction you would recommend, but it is the correct one.

In one instance, someone on this forum mentioned they were in the desert at rather high speed and the V-1 went off which would cause most people to panic but then he noticed a low flying jet alongside of him having some fun.
V-1 alerts are not always reason to assume you are busted and panic.

But if you get a strong alert, you must judge instantly how to react. Standing on the brakes is NOT always a bad reaction. Without the V-1 you would not have the opportunity to judge what to do.

In another example, an alert might bounce off of another vehicle in close proximity to your vehicle and you'll know there are suspicions about you being the intended target. Especially if the other vehicle is passing or staying with you. If you stand on the brakes, guess who the bear will bust? Take my word for it. You know the bear is shooting you; you know immediately from where he/she is shooting you; and you must react. The arrows help that decision and the location of the officer and the direction of the signal.

Finally, the fact that the bear knows you have the V-1 is not necessarily a bad thing. Isn't the idea to get you to slow your speed? Would a V-1 accomplish that at times? How can Mr. Smokey object to that? Are you going to tell me that you never unknowingly exceed the limit posted on the highway or roadway signs? Ha! Ha! Ha! Sure you do, and unintentionally. But you do and you know it. And he knows it. You can bet the farm on that one. That's why the limits are set unreasonably low deliberately. A glance at an engineering study will confirm that assertion. An alert at high speed is not necessarily a bust about to happen.

Nicole

Bill and I had lots of opportunities to get busted - particularly when I was driving - to Mt. Hood. But even skeptical Bill got convinced that a V1 is an excellent investment. I'm by no means an expert in interpreting the signals, but even with my basic knowledge and experience, I saved myself from being bear bait.

It's just a matter of time when Bill gets his own detector...

MBMB

Does the BearTracker actually help? I have one, and have messed with it in the car a few times, but never seen it give any helpful information.

blau928

Ticket Suicide

Get a V1 and live longer to fight the ticket battle.. Driving technique helps as well, but you can't "see" them all...!

You could always get a great lawyer as well... Yes, that helps a lot as well...!

Cheers,

Ron_H

Yes, I think the Bear Tracker can be of use. It gives an audible warning if an officer is using his radio within 3 miles of your car. It also must be adjusted every time you enter a new state as the frequencies seem to be different for different states. Also it has a local police setting which will give you all sorts of interesting chatter, including emergencies in progress, and it has a setting for Highway Patrol. In California, the HP setting gives a lot of silence. They are relatively quiet compared to other states, and their headquarters may be far away from your location so you might listen to irrelevant chatter. But the alarm goes off and then when the officer's radio has left your immediate area it notifies you of that event. Several times it has alerted me to an officer approaching and sure enough he is on the side of the road busting someone or sitting there watching me. A couple of miles later the "all clear" signal goes off.
If you hear your license number broadcast, you are probably toast.

Yes Richard, a competent attorney is a "must" sometimes, if for no other reason than to keep the judges in line. A "traffic commissioner" can test the limits of your legal tolerance if you are alone in court, even to the point of outright intimidation and insult. The way to overcome that is to hire a court reporter and hint "appeal possible". But in the words of one of the best attorney's I've known : "The judge will f**k with you, but he won't f**k with me." He was right on with that assessment of the situation. It's an esoteric exercise it seems, with little if anything to do with traffic safety.

Another sometimes useful purpose of a detector is to detect when radar is NOT in use. Say you spot a bear around and you get no signal. He moves into position behind you (or even in front of you) and sits there. No signal from the V-1. Conclusion: he is pacing you. Defense: immediately drive to the side of the road and stop, carefully of course and with signals. He can't pace a stopped car. What? You WANT to feed the bears? Sheesh !!!