Valentine 1 owners, where did you mount concealed display?
03-11-2010, 07:51 PM
#31
Three Wheelin'
As for Schip, you do come on sounding like an ***. Please reconsider.
As for the mirror install, they probably mask the glass and etch it? I don't know the whole cruise control thing sounds complicated. But I'm sure it could be done, a trigger above a threshold to cut input to the CC
maybe?
I am just not a big fan of siting the CC above the legal limit but that's me.
I always wanted to wire a detector so that when the detector was going off it would activate a switch to cut off the brake lights. I have had a couple of tickets from troopers shooting me from behind. I'm sure as soon as I hit the brakes they new I had a detector.
One trooper told me he could see my detector going off, he even wrote on the ticket that I had a radar detector.__________________
One trooper told me he could see my detector going off, he even wrote on the ticket that I had a radar detector.__________________
03-11-2010, 08:37 PM
#32
I am sorry I just could not help myself.
As for the mirror install, they probably mask the glass and etch it? I don't know the whole cruise control thing sounds complicated. But I'm sure it could be done, a trigger above a threshold to cut input to the CC
maybe?
I am just not a big fan of siting the CC above the legal limit but that's me.
LiveFromNY did this happen with a V1?
As for the mirror install, they probably mask the glass and etch it? I don't know the whole cruise control thing sounds complicated. But I'm sure it could be done, a trigger above a threshold to cut input to the CC
maybe?
I am just not a big fan of siting the CC above the legal limit but that's me.
LiveFromNY did this happen with a V1?
03-11-2010, 09:30 PM
#34
03-12-2010, 07:01 PM
#36
My impression here is that the guy wanting to hood it to the cruise control has never really used a detector.
To properly use of a "Radar Locator" such as the Valentine one, you need training and discretion. There are places along the highway that will emit a radar signal that the detector would pick up. YOU have to make an educated decision whether to slow down or not based on the information the detector is giving you. (signal strength, direction, number of signals, etc). It is just not as simple as hitting the brakes ANYTIME there is a signal.
As an example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
To properly use of a "Radar Locator" such as the Valentine one, you need training and discretion. There are places along the highway that will emit a radar signal that the detector would pick up. YOU have to make an educated decision whether to slow down or not based on the information the detector is giving you. (signal strength, direction, number of signals, etc). It is just not as simple as hitting the brakes ANYTIME there is a signal.
As an example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
03-12-2010, 07:30 PM
#37
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
My impression here is that the guy wanting to hood it to the cruise control has never really used a detector.
To properly use of a "Radar Locator" such as the Valentine one, you need training and discretion. There are places along the highway that will emit a radar signal that the detector would pick up. YOU have to make an educated decision whether to slow down or not based on the information the detector is giving you. (signal strength, direction, number of signals, etc). It is just not as simple as hitting the brakes ANYTIME there is a signal.
As an example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
To properly use of a "Radar Locator" such as the Valentine one, you need training and discretion. There are places along the highway that will emit a radar signal that the detector would pick up. YOU have to make an educated decision whether to slow down or not based on the information the detector is giving you. (signal strength, direction, number of signals, etc). It is just not as simple as hitting the brakes ANYTIME there is a signal.
As an example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
03-12-2010, 07:42 PM
#38
As an example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
GPS would not help you here in this case
I look at it like this: if *I* were a cop, and I wanted to catch people speeding, I figure the EASIEST place to do it would be in a spot that already emits radar. All the people that assume, "Eh, it's a false signal" would be easy targets.
03-12-2010, 08:06 PM
#39
I do think the GPS thing is cool, but without combining it with the V1 arrows it still can't do what the V1 can.
Here is the example why.
Driving down the road one day I got a strong Ka band signal with a forward facing arrow. Looked around and spotted the cop. ASSUMED he was running radar until I passed him. The direction arrow on the V1 was still facing forward. About 500 yards later I passed a row of bushes and there was a second cop sitting behind them running radar. As I passed him the arrow switched from forward to backward letting me know I just passed the radar source.
The GPS equipped detector still uses a general warning system to let you know there is radar "somewhere" near by. Most people running that type of set up would have accelerated once the first cop ignored them, which would get them caught by the second officer.
Combine the V1 with GPS technology and laser interruption and you would have a serious winner. Until then, I will stick with the V1.....FWIW it saved me TWICe today!!
03-12-2010, 08:31 PM
#40
Burning Brakes
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I do think the GPS thing is cool, but without combining it with the V1 arrows it still can't do what the V1 can.
Here is the example why.
Driving down the road one day I got a strong Ka band signal with a forward facing arrow. Looked around and spotted the cop. ASSUMED he was running radar until I passed him. The direction arrow on the V1 was still facing forward. About 500 yards later I passed a row of bushes and there was a second cop sitting behind them running radar. As I passed him the arrow switched from forward to backward letting me know I just passed the radar source.
The GPS equipped detector still uses a general warning system to let you know there is radar "somewhere" near by. Most people running that type of set up would have accelerated once the first cop ignored them, which would get them caught by the second officer.
Combine the V1 with GPS technology and laser interruption and you would have a serious winner. Until then, I will stick with the V1.....FWIW it saved me TWICe today!!
Here is the example why.
Driving down the road one day I got a strong Ka band signal with a forward facing arrow. Looked around and spotted the cop. ASSUMED he was running radar until I passed him. The direction arrow on the V1 was still facing forward. About 500 yards later I passed a row of bushes and there was a second cop sitting behind them running radar. As I passed him the arrow switched from forward to backward letting me know I just passed the radar source.
The GPS equipped detector still uses a general warning system to let you know there is radar "somewhere" near by. Most people running that type of set up would have accelerated once the first cop ignored them, which would get them caught by the second officer.
Combine the V1 with GPS technology and laser interruption and you would have a serious winner. Until then, I will stick with the V1.....FWIW it saved me TWICe today!!
I remember the look on my friend's face when I first got it years ago. We were on an overpass and it was going off pointing ahead, and then the arrows switched to the side and sure enough their was a police car on the road that went under the overpass. ha!
03-14-2010, 05:20 PM
#41
Burning Brakes
My impression here is that the guy wanting to hood it to the cruise control has never really used a detector.... example: There is a spot on I-25 North of Colorado Springs that triggers 2 K-band signals at a 4-5 bars ALL the time. There is NOTHING in the area. I know that it ALWAYS there. So when I approach that spot and get 3 signals, or Ka-band, etc, then I know something has changed and I may want to slow up.
If you will kindly re-read my post, it concerns de-activating the CC to start slowing asap to at least occasionally save you from an expensive ticket and consequent longterm increase in insurance premiums. Not a panacea, but perhaps a worthwhile consideration since both radar detectors and CC are 12 volt systems.
You are correct about spurious signals. My local Safeway door opener is a big one. Maybe what you sense along the interstate comes from a microwave tower nearby, or bounces off a building, or whatever.
As you know, our wonderful government is flat broke. So, cops are writing speeding tickets in record numbers as a handy revenue source. At your expense.
Absent stealth technology such as radar absorbing material (RAM) in the bumper cover, a radar detector is likely to tell you you've already been caught. Cops often have radar detector detectors (RDD) to tell them you were trying to "cheat" or flout the law in jurisdictions like most of Canada and Virginia. In those cases, they impound the device on the spot and you get a huge fine for that, plus the speeding ticket. Otherwise, even where radar detectors are legal, cops knowing about your RD will chose to write the big ticket instead of letting you off with a warning. In my experience, driving a Porsche, BMW, Corvette, etc. means two strikes against you from the getgo.
What's worked for me is to obey speed laws in town, cruise at no more than speed limit +10% on open road where there is no danger to others, be very polite & cooperative if pulled over (well off pavement, safety flashers on), and display a baseball cap with the local fire department logo in the back window. Cops have a lot of discretion, and out of professional courtesy to the fire department, will give just a warning.
Save the radar detector for the open road.
PS: Go on YouTube for police radar and laser videos. Note that they aim at headlights and front license plates, both superb radar and laser reflectors. Light colors reflect laser energy better than dark colors. So, I have a dark car, don't use front license plate (cops lobbied to make license plates reflective for easy radar and laser ticketing), and keep pop-up headlights down as much as possible: Less radar/laser "signature" due to less overall reflectivity = less ability of cop to get good return on his speed gun. At his typical effective range, my car is not that good a target, so he has to shoot again at closer range, by which time I've hopefully slowed. Get the picture?
Last edited by Dash01; 03-14-2010 at 05:37 PM.
03-14-2010, 06:22 PM
#42
Burning Brakes
Just found this on the Veil website. They make stuff to thwart police lidar laser guns, etc..:
"After many hours of testing this product with different cars and different speed police laser guns, we have determined five primary contributors to police laser's effectiveness. They are (in order of decreasing importance): whether or not a license or vanity plate is mounted on the front of a vehicle; the surface-area of headlights, fog lights, and parking/running lights that are positioned in the front; the amount of large sections of chrome that is perpendicular to the road facing the front; the shape of the vehicle - specifically how much of the vehicle is vertical or perpendicular to the road; and finally the color of the vehicle (white being the easiest to detect) and type of automotive paint (metallic being the easiest to detect.)
Let's examine each one of these factors which contribute to a vehicle's "visibility" to police laser/lidar.
First
Most states and countries require the use of a front license plate (as of this writing, only seventeen states do not.) These plates are mounted perpendicular to the road surface, thereby acting as a strong reflector of light energy. Furthermore, most current state plates are retro-reflective which, in effect, magnifies or intensifies the amount of reflected light. We have found that even on black cars that have hidden head lights, such as Corvettes, when they have a front-mounted license plate, effective targeting range increases as much as four times!
Second
Head/fog lights and parking/running lamps are also strong reflectors however they are typically spaced farther apart and since the LIDAR beam only strikes a portion of them at any one time, they are the secondary contributing factor.
Third
Vehicles that have large sections of chrome are easier to target than do vehicles that do not or have complex thin chrome grills with a lot of space in between them.
Fourth
The frontal shape of a vehicles plays a large role in effecting the targeting range of laser. Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, and many import sports cars have steeply raked front-ends that have fewer surfaces that are perpendicular to the road. Therefore, cars which are aerodynamic looking are likely harder to target with laser as these kinds of vehicles reflect laser light away from the gun source. These types of vehicles stand to benefit the most when VEILed.
Fifth
The color and type of paint contributes to a vehicle's stealth nature. Metallic and/or light cars are easier to target at greater range than darker non-metallic cars. You may be surprised to see that color is not higher on the list of importance, however, we have found that all laser guns have improved, since their debut, to the point that the other factors play a more important role in contributing to the overall visual signature to laser. However, darker vehicles will tend to benefit the most with VEIL, because once the reflected portions are obscured with VEIL, the car's color will be the source of any remaining reflectivity.
How can I Avoid a Laser Speeding Tickets? beat avoid speeding tickets speed traps with veil
VEIL
Drive a darker car!
Seriously, if you happen to own a light-colored car or truck, consider putting a protective bra on the front. These bras are generally black and will reduce the effective targeting range and maximize you chances to avoid/beat police laser speeding tickets.
Remove any front vanity plate and/or cover the area with clear plate cover that has been coated on both sides with VEIL. Paint all reflective objects (lights).
Another essential device to use is a good radar detector in combination with Veil; there are a number of very good units on the market. Whatever you do, do not skimp on one of these as the cost of just one ticket, the subsequent point assessments and insurance premium surcharges can run in the many hundreds of dollars.
For the ultimate protection against police laser, consider using VEIL in conjunction with a reliable and proven laser jammer. The performance of these electronics varies markedly and could mean the difference from a "close call" to a healthy fine. Do your research.
Trustworthy sources of information are available on-line at Motor Trend, RadarTest.com, Speed Measurement Labs, Radar Roy, and our very own real-world radar detector reviews and laser detectors comparison.
One of the most effective things you can do to reduce your chances of getting LIDAR speeding tickets is to be conscious of your surroundings. As of this writing, LIDAR must be operated from a stationary point (although that will likely change soon.)
Additionally, the officer will likely operate the gun from a vantage point of the side of the road ahead, albeit at a greater distance than RADAR. Therefore, be an attentive driver; get to know where traffic enforcement generally occurs and what technology is being deployed such as LIDAR, RADAR, VASCAR, etc.
Observe the behavior of other vehicles in front of you. For example, as cars in front of you drive around a curve or travel under an overpass, do they brake from no apparent reason? Their drivers may be reacting to a speed trap.
Finally (and this will sound trite), do not drive too excessively for the conditions. I have from time to time blundered in a speed trap, being inattentive to my speed, and have had time to slow down to a point that the officer won't bother pulling me over. I have found that, for the most part troopers are just doing their job and will likely cut you some slack.
To learn even more about police laser (police lidar) join the premier global online community SpeedTrapHunter.Net. A friendly and mature group dedicated to the informed discussion of all forms of speed trap and traffic enforcement technology and their tactics throughout the world and how to mitigate through education and driving tools including radar detectors. GPS detectors, Veil, laser jammers, as well as to how you can properly respond to traffic citations and speeding tickets.
On SpeedTrapHunter.net, you'll have direct access to some of the luminaries in our industry, all in one place, for the very first time in history! SpeedTrapHunter.net is about education and not manipulation and persuation. You can't afford to not be a part of the dynamic and growing group of informed driving enthuisiasts!"
"After many hours of testing this product with different cars and different speed police laser guns, we have determined five primary contributors to police laser's effectiveness. They are (in order of decreasing importance): whether or not a license or vanity plate is mounted on the front of a vehicle; the surface-area of headlights, fog lights, and parking/running lights that are positioned in the front; the amount of large sections of chrome that is perpendicular to the road facing the front; the shape of the vehicle - specifically how much of the vehicle is vertical or perpendicular to the road; and finally the color of the vehicle (white being the easiest to detect) and type of automotive paint (metallic being the easiest to detect.)
Let's examine each one of these factors which contribute to a vehicle's "visibility" to police laser/lidar.
First
Most states and countries require the use of a front license plate (as of this writing, only seventeen states do not.) These plates are mounted perpendicular to the road surface, thereby acting as a strong reflector of light energy. Furthermore, most current state plates are retro-reflective which, in effect, magnifies or intensifies the amount of reflected light. We have found that even on black cars that have hidden head lights, such as Corvettes, when they have a front-mounted license plate, effective targeting range increases as much as four times!
Second
Head/fog lights and parking/running lamps are also strong reflectors however they are typically spaced farther apart and since the LIDAR beam only strikes a portion of them at any one time, they are the secondary contributing factor.
Third
Vehicles that have large sections of chrome are easier to target than do vehicles that do not or have complex thin chrome grills with a lot of space in between them.
Fourth
The frontal shape of a vehicles plays a large role in effecting the targeting range of laser. Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, and many import sports cars have steeply raked front-ends that have fewer surfaces that are perpendicular to the road. Therefore, cars which are aerodynamic looking are likely harder to target with laser as these kinds of vehicles reflect laser light away from the gun source. These types of vehicles stand to benefit the most when VEILed.
Fifth
The color and type of paint contributes to a vehicle's stealth nature. Metallic and/or light cars are easier to target at greater range than darker non-metallic cars. You may be surprised to see that color is not higher on the list of importance, however, we have found that all laser guns have improved, since their debut, to the point that the other factors play a more important role in contributing to the overall visual signature to laser. However, darker vehicles will tend to benefit the most with VEIL, because once the reflected portions are obscured with VEIL, the car's color will be the source of any remaining reflectivity.
How can I Avoid a Laser Speeding Tickets? beat avoid speeding tickets speed traps with veil
VEIL
Drive a darker car!
Seriously, if you happen to own a light-colored car or truck, consider putting a protective bra on the front. These bras are generally black and will reduce the effective targeting range and maximize you chances to avoid/beat police laser speeding tickets.
Remove any front vanity plate and/or cover the area with clear plate cover that has been coated on both sides with VEIL. Paint all reflective objects (lights).
Another essential device to use is a good radar detector in combination with Veil; there are a number of very good units on the market. Whatever you do, do not skimp on one of these as the cost of just one ticket, the subsequent point assessments and insurance premium surcharges can run in the many hundreds of dollars.
For the ultimate protection against police laser, consider using VEIL in conjunction with a reliable and proven laser jammer. The performance of these electronics varies markedly and could mean the difference from a "close call" to a healthy fine. Do your research.
Trustworthy sources of information are available on-line at Motor Trend, RadarTest.com, Speed Measurement Labs, Radar Roy, and our very own real-world radar detector reviews and laser detectors comparison.
One of the most effective things you can do to reduce your chances of getting LIDAR speeding tickets is to be conscious of your surroundings. As of this writing, LIDAR must be operated from a stationary point (although that will likely change soon.)
Additionally, the officer will likely operate the gun from a vantage point of the side of the road ahead, albeit at a greater distance than RADAR. Therefore, be an attentive driver; get to know where traffic enforcement generally occurs and what technology is being deployed such as LIDAR, RADAR, VASCAR, etc.
Observe the behavior of other vehicles in front of you. For example, as cars in front of you drive around a curve or travel under an overpass, do they brake from no apparent reason? Their drivers may be reacting to a speed trap.
Finally (and this will sound trite), do not drive too excessively for the conditions. I have from time to time blundered in a speed trap, being inattentive to my speed, and have had time to slow down to a point that the officer won't bother pulling me over. I have found that, for the most part troopers are just doing their job and will likely cut you some slack.
To learn even more about police laser (police lidar) join the premier global online community SpeedTrapHunter.Net. A friendly and mature group dedicated to the informed discussion of all forms of speed trap and traffic enforcement technology and their tactics throughout the world and how to mitigate through education and driving tools including radar detectors. GPS detectors, Veil, laser jammers, as well as to how you can properly respond to traffic citations and speeding tickets.
On SpeedTrapHunter.net, you'll have direct access to some of the luminaries in our industry, all in one place, for the very first time in history! SpeedTrapHunter.net is about education and not manipulation and persuation. You can't afford to not be a part of the dynamic and growing group of informed driving enthuisiasts!"
03-14-2010, 08:58 PM
#43
If you will kindly re-read my post, it concerns de-activating the CC to start slowing asap to at least occasionally save you from an expensive ticket and consequent longterm increase in insurance premiums. Not a panacea, but perhaps a worthwhile consideration since both radar detectors and CC are 12 volt systems.
I read it just fine. It would get REALLY annoying having the cruise control shut off every time a signal was picked up. Pretty much defeating the cruise control all together.
1/2 a second is not going to make the difference in getting a ticket of not. Especially when the signals are often picked up a mile away from the source.
I don't know many people that would set the cruise at a high "over the limit" speed anyway. Most get caught when passing or the like. Not when they are cruising with the cruise control on at 5-10 over the limit.
As you know, our wonderful government is flat broke. So, cops are writing speeding tickets in record numbers as a handy revenue source. At your expense.
Secondly, if YOU are actually breaking the law to warrant a ticket, it is not the officers fault that YOU have to pay for breaking the law. YOU did it, not the cop.
Even if enforcement was increased to try and catch more violators, YOU are still the one breaking the law. More cops on the road does not change that fact which YOU control.
....., a radar detector is likely to tell you you've already been caught. Cops often have radar detector detectors (RDD) to tell them you were trying to "cheat" or flout the law in jurisdictions like most of Canada and Virginia.
The other 49 states don't buy the cops Radar detector detectors. No reason to try to detect a LEGAL device. May as well just have car detectors to let the officer know your in a car. You also can NOT use the detector as "intent" in a crime which does not have a criminal intent element to it. Speeding is ONLY the fact that you were doing it, not the mindset. The fact that you planned on speeding has no additional effect.
RD also detect the signal up to a mile a head of time(obviously depending on terrain etc). Having worked both sides of the Police Radar I can tell you that they do in fact save you if used properly. I often know there is a radar device in use long before the cop is within site distance.
Save the radar detector for the open road.
It actually works much better in town for me. I drive through 5 jurisdictions on the way to work. The average traffic flow is about 10-15 over the limit. Randomly the officers will run speed traps and pick out random speeding vehicles.
I like to run with traffic, but not faster than it. The V1 allows me to know the days they are out running traffic so that I can run slightly slower than the pack to avoid being the random pick of the day.
The "open road" as you put it, I find the detector much less effective. Without other cars in front of you (even a mile in front of you), the cop has no reason to trigger the radar. So you get no advanced warning. You can also usually see them long before you are within their target range on an open road.
So, I have a dark car, don't use front license plate (cops lobbied to make license plates reflective for easy radar and laser ticketing),
First, in Colorado it is illegal to not have a front plate. So here they will just stop you for no plate.
Second, where do you get this mis-information? Ticket writing is only a small reason to have a front plate, not the only one. With a tag on each end of the car it is MUCH easer to identify in a crime, easier to get a plate on a store security camera, etc. There is SOOOOOOOOOOO much more to police work than writing stupid speeding tickets.
04-27-2010, 09:42 PM
#44
Track Day
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There are a lot of things mentioned in this thread and I wanted to clarify a few details as I made all of the mirrors on stealthmirror.com. This is essentially an integration service, there are few if any generic mirrors people are interested in, everyone wants *their* mirror so it becomes a service to integrate the V1 display and controls in to a mirror for a specific car.
I'd say the most common requests have been Porsche, BMW and recently Lamborghini, most of these are reliable to modify after extensive testing. Most mirrors can be modified but it sometimes takes a little testing.
As for price... there was a mention of $3,000? I wish! I assume that was for a mirror and a complex installation, I hope so anyway. Typically the conversion runs $350-$400 depending on options, this is in addition to the cost of the mirror. I can usually source mirrors for a reasonable price.
Finally the V1... this has long been the favorite but recently I have been integrating the Escort 9500ci display, Blinder Extreme laser shifter and a new laser shifter called the LPP.
If I can help at all feel welcome to PM me us the inquiry links on www.stealthmirror.com
Chris.
I'd say the most common requests have been Porsche, BMW and recently Lamborghini, most of these are reliable to modify after extensive testing. Most mirrors can be modified but it sometimes takes a little testing.
As for price... there was a mention of $3,000? I wish! I assume that was for a mirror and a complex installation, I hope so anyway. Typically the conversion runs $350-$400 depending on options, this is in addition to the cost of the mirror. I can usually source mirrors for a reasonable price.
Finally the V1... this has long been the favorite but recently I have been integrating the Escort 9500ci display, Blinder Extreme laser shifter and a new laser shifter called the LPP.
If I can help at all feel welcome to PM me us the inquiry links on www.stealthmirror.com
Chris.