Bleg: Radar Detectors
Until the TSA unfucks itself, I’ll be driving more. Might need one. I’d like to get one that doesn’t look like a radar detector or is discreet. Anyone?
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
Uncle Pays the Bills
 |
|
Find Local
|
Categories
- ATF (769)
- Death Match (10)
- Eminent Domain (225)
- In the bag (9)
- Notes to Junior (546)
- Poker (74)
- Recipes (142)
- Shotgun Noob (11)
- The Airing of Grievances (19)
- uncategorized (47,725)
December 1st, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Check out the Valentine 1. They make a covert version that mounts to the dash too.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:50 pm
What kind of car do you drive? Discrete is easier to do on some cars where you can tuck it behind a mirror, a bump or some other generic outline.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:51 pm
G37.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Those will be Terrorist devices in a year Im sure.
December 1st, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Just be careful. They are illegal in some states (like here in VA) and they do have radar-detector detectors.
Of course, it goes both ways: some radar-detectors have “radar-detector-detector-detector” circuits, that shut down the detector if it picks up a detector-detector. There seems to be a bit of back and forth on the detection war.
December 1st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
If you don’t get a Valentine 1, you’re wasting your money.
December 1st, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Another vote for the V1. I mount mine at the top of the front window, on the passenger’s side of the rearview mirror (the power supply is hardwired). It’s an easy place for me to reach the mute button, something you’ll get really used to doing.
I’ve been pulled over with it, twice, and once the cop even commented that the detector probably saved me 5 mph on the ticket because once he had laser lock on me, I slowed it down really fast. Around here, the motor cops are mostly on Laser now, so once your detector goes off, you’re pretty much got. Though Highway Patrol still uses RADAR.
When I park my car, I usually hide it under the seat. That’s my idea of stealth.
December 1st, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Another V1 vote. Mine has saved me more time than I can count
December 1st, 2010 at 6:35 pm
You might also try driving the speed limit. Just an idea.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Driving the speed limit does not always work, especially if you have a sporty car and a minivan blasts past you and the HP pulls you instead. Been there done that.
Get a V1 with a remote display. No other detector comes close.
Of course, the detector is no substitute for your own insight. Keep an eye on what the semi’s are doing. They got the hammer down, you’re OK. They driving like old ladies? watch out.
Keep an eye (every few seconds) on the rear view mirror to watch for unmarked units trying to pace you. Always check up on ramps for parked units using VASCAR. Be extra careful at tops of hills, bridges and curves with trees obscuring the road ahead. In some areas, watch out for low flying aircraft! Find a rabbit (someone driving fast) and let them go in front of you about a 1/4 mile.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Oh, forgot mention that in some cars, mounting the detector up high on the windshield is bad because the windshield has metallic material embedded in it (sunshade) which will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the detector. The extra bad part about this is that mounting the detector up high is better because radar is very line of sight. What you are trying to do is pick up the radar as it is scanning cars in front of you.
With a V1, what you want to listen for is a short “brack-brack” sound, which signifies a Ka band unit in instant-on mode. This is the danger sound!
In TN you can run a laser jammer legally.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Don’t know, but your post is hilarious.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:33 pm
The really awesome ones have a display that integrates into the rearview mirror or into the dash so that there’s no way to tell, visually, that you have one, while the car is off (or while it’s on but no signal is coming in, etc.).
As others said, check for legal issues.
Me, I just don’t bother with one, and I get speeding tickets very rarely.
Part of it is underpowered vehicles that don’t “like” to speed, and the rest is feeling that 75 on a 70MPH limit freeway is just fine.
(And Robert has a good point – watching other cars is a good idea. That guy who just passed you like you were standing still suddenly slowed down?
Maybe he realised he was going too fast. More likely his detector went off.)
December 1st, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Never be the fastest thing on the road. Let the cops nick the OTHER guy.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Breda wins the internet.
And +1 on the V1 and the remote unit.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:47 pm
This looks pretty cool (no affiliation):
http://stealthmirror.com/showcase.htm
I have a Whistler XTR-695SE. It works, but it also gives me tons of false alerts. My driving is mostly suburban/rural highway. One nice feature is the RSID, which is a reliable indicator that the alert is police radar.
I’d like to try a V1, but the price is so much higher than the Whistler it would have to be a huge improvement for me to justify it.
December 1st, 2010 at 7:58 pm
I like the 10% rule. I used to have a speeding ticket problem. Now I run no more than 10% more than the posted speed limit and have yet to be pulled over. I have even passed cops and they don’t seem to care as long as I am traveling no more than 10% over the limit. Been ticket free for 4 years now.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Uh, Uncle….
I’ve got some bad news for you…
The TSA is running highway checkpoints now: Feds involved in major checkpoint in Douglas County
December 1st, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I’ve done fine with the 2 I bought at Wal-mart, a Cobra and a Whistler, I think. Never got a ticket with either when I had them on and paid attention to them.
December 1st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Fortunately or unfortunately it was only commercial vehicles being pulled and searched. They got 2 potheads and a driver with a suspended license. The tsa is a bunch of nutless bastards…
December 1st, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I have been very happy with my Escort model, and they now make variants that can GPS-locate speed traps, red light cameras, and other fixed areas of concern, as well as a unit that looks like a GPS, is a GPS, but also can radar-detect. They also have an array of built-in options, including laser-shifting if you want to go that route (sadly, radar jamming is quite illegal).
RadarBusters used to be a good comparison site, but not so much any more… This seems useful, though (I hate false alerts… hate them with a small passion, and let me tell you about the red light cameras that use laser systems…), as does the rest of that site.
Speaking of, though, radar detectors are 100% legal in TN, and the cops almost universally use Ka-band guns, at least in our area. Atlanta/GA State PDs use lasers, though, and if you are speeding enough, detectors are only letting you know that you should go ahead and pull over.
December 1st, 2010 at 10:32 pm
My V1 has paid for itself over and over again. Get the covert unit. I hardwired mine into my WRX and I love it. I love the arrows and the programability of it. My dad got some cheap cobra unit which I think wasn’t worth the money
December 1st, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Might be wasting your money. Here (Texas) most locals and the state highway patrol mainly use laser guns. If the detector goes off, it just tells you you’ve been had.
December 2nd, 2010 at 12:24 am
The trick is to drive so fast they a) don’t need radar and b) can’t catch up to you!
At least I knew someone that told me that once, and after having him take me home from work one day, I think I believed him.
December 2nd, 2010 at 12:51 am
How exactly do you jam a laser beam?
December 2nd, 2010 at 1:22 am
Another vote for the Valentine one. I’ve had mine nearly 10 years and once you get used to the patented directional arrows, you’ll never want to waste your time with another brand; playing rubber-neck, looking for the po-po again. I know exactly where they are and it’s become second nature.
December 2nd, 2010 at 2:01 am
Another vote for the Valentine. Check out any G37 forum and I’m certain you’ll find some clever ways to install it discretely. I’m not familiar with the G37’s interior but try this: take a look at the roof lining at the rear of the car, just near the hatch. If there are plastic mounting plugs holding the liner up you’re set (this is an old 350Z trick). Either carefully pry one loose or pick up a handful of replacements at your deal. A dab of JB-Weld on the face of the plug and then set the plug on your detector. Once ol’ JB has done hi work, pop the plug back into place and you have a pretty discrete installation. Naturally, this’ll require a bit of effort in order to get the wiring in place but if you spring for the Valentine remote alarm and display you’ll have a pretty slick setup that you can show off to your friends. There are even tips on the innerwebz that’ll show you how to install the remote Valentine display in your rearview mirror… which is just too slick for words.
December 2nd, 2010 at 3:55 am
if you have an iphone, it might also be on android or something. trapster is a great app.
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:55 am
+1 on the Valentine. There was actually a guy on the 350Z forums (Acree) who put an LED display for it in the rearview mirror. I would assume it would work on your car as well.
http://www.my350z.com/forum/audio-and-video/217070-first-multi-colored-v1-display-in-mirror.html
Looks pretty discreet to me 🙂
December 2nd, 2010 at 9:44 am
Guys, it may be a discrete unit not integrated into his car’s electronics suite; but he said he wants a discreet installation… /petpeeve
VA and DC prohibit use of radar detectors, not just VA; though I suppose DC’s ban is unlikely to matter.
My solution – drive something unlikely to be believed can be going that fast. Nobody expects a Smart to be tooling along at 80-85 mph 🙂 (Sadly, despite the panels being plastic, the frame gives enough of a return that it’s not radar-stealthy).
December 2nd, 2010 at 9:59 am
Another happy V1 owner here. Mine is mounted behind my mirror and I mounted the remote display in the cubby hole under the radio. No lights on the detector to give you away at night and you aren’t reaching up to hit the mute button. Added benefit is you never have to touch the unit itself and risk knocking it down. With mine being behind the mirror and having a tint strip across the top of the windshield, it’s very low key. Most people never notice it.
I find the arrows to be extremely helpful. I have caught a couple of troopers sneaking up from behind and I knew they were there long before I could see them. They also let you know when you pass the source of the signal which is great information to have.
If you wanna go all out, Escort and K40 make systems where the sensors are remote mounted and the display mounts in your dash. Very stealth, but very pricey.
December 2nd, 2010 at 10:14 am
# Stan Says:
December 2nd, 2010 at 12:51 am
How exactly do you jam a laser beam?
You put out more energy in that particular band of light than can be reasonably expected to reflect back from your vehicle. In essence, you are saturating the detector so that it can’t “see” the reflected beam.
Simple enough in theory, but a bit more difficult in practice, though apparently using your high beams degrades the signal enough reduce detection distance. I’ve read that putting infrared filters on bright fog lights (so they can be used all the time) can reduce the detection range by several hundred meters. That ‘cushion’, in conjunction with a laser detector, could give you enough warning to slow down enough to avoid a ticket.
December 2nd, 2010 at 10:52 am
The old wisdom of mounting the detector high on the windshield has been revised.
The advice these days is to mount it as low as possible without it being obscured by the windshield wipers.
The idea is that radar is diffuse enough that the position on the windshield really doesn’t make a difference in detection range. But, laser is aimed by the operator at the most reflective surface on the front of the car. This means either the front license plate or the headlights. So, you want to mount the detector as close to the level of the headlights as possible…at the bottom of the windshield.
This may give you the split second of extra warning that can make all the difference.
As for driving habits, on highways and main roads in town, I rarely go more than a few mph over the limit. On the more entertaining backroads, at least 50% over the posted limit is where things get fun.
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:41 am
I personally own the Bell RX65 and have gifted others with it. It’s the bottom end of what I would consider acceptable performance, both in detection and filtering. I can personally vouch for its quality; it has paid for itself many, many times over during the 6 years I have owned it.
Moving up, I would recommend either a high-end Bell or the V1 as many people have said. Some reviewers consider the V1 to be overly sensitive with poor filtering; I can’t address that, but you’ll notice people repeatedly talking about hitting “mute” constantly.
Consider either a laser jammer, or a system that can eventually integrate with a laser jammer. Laser jammers are legal pretty much everywhere. (The reason radar jammers are illegal is because no radar jammer has ever or will ever pass FCC approval.) Laser detection does not help you avoid a ticket, but laser jamming can give you 0.5 to 2 seconds to slow down, which can make a huge, huge difference.
I do not use a laser jammer at the moment, so I can’t personally vouch for them, but more and more police in my area are starting to use laser guns, so I’m looking.
Consider a hardwired installation. The suction cup thing stinks after the 2,000th time trying to put it back up on the windshield. Expensive radar detectors are an easy smash-and-grab, and the windshield clips ARE distinctive.
You might check out “Radar Roy.” His site is more annoying and less helpful than it used to be, but he has some good information about what makes a good radar detector, and basic performance parameters.
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
PS, the absolute best thing is awareness. See people going slow? Slow down. See one guy hit the brakes for no apparent reason? Slow down. Suddenly start thinking about cops? Slow down. Feel like you’re being hunted? Slow down. If you’re going to speed, develop a habitual paranoia.
PPS, when people ask me why I ride with a radar detector, I just tell them, “When the speed limits are set to reasonable safety limits, I will never speed again. As long as local governments use speeding tickets for revenue generation, I will ride with the most advanced anti-revenue-collection electronics that reasonable money can buy.”
December 2nd, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I find this post strangely relevant. Although I still think you bought the wrong car 🙂
350Z FTW
http://extremetolerance.com/blog/quick-update/2005-35th-anniversary-350z/
December 2nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Eh, just get the V1 and find a way to put a Garmin label on it. “Nah, it’s my new real-time GPS satellite link that integrates with my regular dashboard system. This thing’s only taken me down dirt roads twice so far. Neat, huh?”
December 2nd, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Checking the V1 out, I found this:
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT RADAR DETECTORS
1.Valentine One is defined as a radio by the FCC. It receives only. It’s a passive device that in no way interferes with the communications or business of others.
2.The Federal Communication Act of 1934 guarantees the right to receive radio transmissions of all types on all frequencies. Traffic radar is not privileged communication: in fact, it’s not communication of any sort because no information is conveyed to another party. It is surveillance by radio waves, and that is not protected by any laws.
3.Some states and municipalities have laws prohibiting the use, or the possession, or both, of radar detectors. Please check local regulations before using your Valentine One.
Read # 2 again. A Federal Act ( i.e. law, part of US Code)under the supremacy clasue takes precedent over any state laws, nicht wahr?
So, any legal eagle want to explain how state law can prohibit the possession and/or use?
December 2nd, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Why? Virginia and DC are the only places radar detectors are illegal. I live in Virginia, and when I travel out of state I display mine with pride.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I’ve never had a problem in VA. The roads are so goddamned crowded the Spectre RDD device is useless to the police for all intents and purposes.
There are a few radar busting forums on the net. They’ve got videos where they test various jammers for laser. They do work, and the concept is pretty sound. The cop will know he’s being jammed if you leave it on long enough, but it’s not illegal in most places. You might still get pulled and written for “speed greater than reasonable” but I’d think that’s an easy ticket to beat.