Socrates

Hellooo Boyos!

Which is the best, the ultimate, the most supremely fine in all of the police detecting methods and products?!

I want all of your, my so very wise friends, experienced opinions.

nadir_s

the wise nadir says:

SEARCH for "radar detectors"


But the method I've been using and hasn't gone wrong is just to pay attention on the road! I do almost all highway driving an it's not too hard to spot the CHP patrol cars because of the yellow band that goes across the back of their car.... and if you see a car parked on the side of the highway at night w/ only it's parkinglights on, it's a cop too.

If you want to get a radar detector, I hear Valentine ones are the best but costly. I want to get one but I need to be able to save up for a really good one that can read beyond my windshield.... it's tinted 50% w/ alot of filters that i heard won't allow the radar detector to function well.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

The best is the Valentine One... and you'll pay like it's the best.

Socrates

No searchy searchy.. I like fresh info..

Yes I agree about the vigilance... It does work.. Sometimes I feel like I would be more relaxed with the added security though

clee130

The most perfect cop detector?

Your eyes.

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

People might have given their fresh info months ago and choose to give stale summary-ish info now after answering the same questions over and over.

I still can't see any radar detector technology being pre-emptive in any way. As far as I know they still function on reaction, which would only help you out if you were basically following the speed of traffic, or if traffic wasn't as congested, if you were just going a little over the limit, in either case the chances of the cop pulling you over are very slim anyway. How do people technically justify radar detectors?

Tactics

Mine pays for the first ticket I get [If ever]. No if ands or buts.

Tactics

endus

iTrader: (1)

Exactly, the radar detector industry really hasn't changed all that much recently...anything you find in search will still be valid.

My stale summary: The only detector worth buying is the Valentine 1. Once you drive with the arrows you'll never want another detector. No detector can protect you from laser and instant on, but it depends on where you live how much that matters.

meccanoble

iTrader: (22)

anybody and everybody that wants a radar detector either speeds WAY over the speed limit or has something illegal they dont want cops to see which they can easily remove before the cops see the car (underbody neon kits, etc.). i need one but find it hard to put my trust in a gadget...

iregula

how much is it?

Socrates

Fo hunned biz

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

The perfect radar detector is a pair of eyes an adherence to the posted speed limit.

fearthegecko

the only (seriously, only) time that radar works is if you have a lazy pig sitting there scanning every car that goes by. Now, what a lot of departments are doing is "instant-on" radar, where the cop shoots one particular car at random. Which means that if it's your car that gets shot, you could have a 50-foot radar dish on your roof, and it will only pick it up once you've been hit. The only time a radar signature is given off is when it it used.

Look at this logically: On any given highway, people are doing 10-25 miles above the speed limit. Which means you can do 70 in a 55 and still be mixed in with a pack of cars. If you are going that fast, that you are blowing past a group of cars doing 70, then you are going to get caught. Be smart: Don't ride the left lane, watch out for cops, and for people slowing down, and don't drive like a moron.

Or, if you want the perfect cop detector, get a CB and a scanner. With the CB, you can hear truckers telling each other where the cops are, and with a scanner you get to hear the cops tell each other where they are.

Socrates

Where's the fun in that?

Posted speed limit.. Hah! Laughable man!

blizz20oma

iTrader: (1)

That's part of the reason why it doesn't make sense to me. If you're going notably over the limit/notably faster than traffic around you, if it's a wide radar trap of any sort, you're screwed unless you're shielded by a semi going the same rate of speed as you (not happening). Even if it's laser, all the cop needs is a somewhat-discriminating eye.

It makes a tad bit of sense on the underbody/etc kind of stuff but I have separate issues with that crap anyway.


Just first? And what about insurance/driving record? If speeding tickets were one-time fines I would barely be worried about it at all. Instead I'm pretty law-abiding these days. heh...I've had my 20+ over all-the-time fun

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

Valentine One combined with a good radio scanner.

endus

iTrader: (1)

This is a MAJOR overstatement of the situation. It seems to depend largely on where you live, first of all. Around me there isn't much instant on and laser, and almost none in the back roads where I like to drive fast. Even when they have instant on, I have never seen a cop just sitting there and only clocking the cars that are really blazing along. They're always shooting a bunch of cars as they go by. In fact, instant on can be even easier to notice because it will go on an off so suddenly...no radar source but a cop is going to do that.

In addition, I've found that what the detector manufacturers say about the range where you will detect radar is totally false. If a cop is pointing the gun the opposite way that you're coming from, you will still pick them up well before you get to them. The signal won't be as strong, and you won't have the range that you will if the gun is pointed in your direction, but you will pick it up.

The problem with most radar detectors is that it's totally impossible to tell what the hell is going on. You have no idea where the radar is coming from, whether there are multiple signals or not, or what. People say that the Valentine's arrows and counter are superflouous, but those people just don't know how to interpret the information that they're getting. If you get a single "random" on and off signal coming from the same direction and the pulses gradually get stronger as you drive, you know there's a cop with isntant on up ahead. The other key is detection range. I had a $300 Bel before my Valentine and the thing was just garbage in terms of detection range. The Valentine gets signals from WAY out and even over crests of hills and stuff...things that it just shouldn't be able to do. The logic mode in the Valentine also does a much better job than my old detector at reducing falses. I didn't trust the city mode in my old detector at all, I trust little L on the Valentine.

The thing is that detectors are better for back roads or highways with some cars around. If you're blasting along an empty highway at 120MPH in a place with laser not paying attention to bridges and crests of hills, of course you're going to get caught...no detector will help with that. I don't think anyone is saying that detectors are a panacea, but if you know their limitations and know hiow to interpret the data you get from them they can really help you avoid getting busted for speeding. Radar detectors aren't "anti-dumbass" pills, they require some thought to use them right.

hydroMaxNinja

www.radartest.com

whatever you do, DON'T get a cheap radar detector.

sorry, i don't say much, but that link has a lot of analysis.

Socrates

Well-said

endus

iTrader: (1)

Just keep in mind that that guy has a wicked prejudice against Valentine and has for some time (it goes back to who he used to work for and his relationship with Valentine). The Car and Driver tests have contradicted his results in the past. He used to post to rec.autos.driving and we would argue with him incessantly about the bias that he made it so obvious that he had.

Let's say the Valentine had HALF the detection range of the passport 8500 (which it doesn't)...I would still buy the Valentine. The arrows and bogey counter really do make a huge difference in the usefullness of the detector. The features that it lacks make no difference to its ability to detect radar and give you information about it. The fact is that the detection range is pretty ****ing long and has tested as well or better than the Passport in UNBIASED tests.

Grand Nagus Zek

well i tell ya my life story is in ticketland ...one of the reasons i ended up with a maxima was i had something like 9 tickets at the time and a sports car was out of the question ...INSURANCE....and its still bloody expensive but anyways take it from me and many others that have been on the roads from city to city and in all kinda towns ... Pay attention to everything around you with your eyes..use a radar dectector for a secondary line of defense... i have been nailed, burnt, and busted with several kinds of radar detectors ...and sure thats what they do...detect but they do not prevent and if you are running and gunning...rest assured ole johnny law will get you soon enough.. its the law of averages... lets say you are out on the interstates somewhere if it is a long straight and you can see a great distance ...lay down on the throttle, when curves come up or hills that you cannot see over or around, slow your tail down ...and always remember if you have been caught with your hands in the cookie jar, or your going over the limit a bit, when johnny law passes by be braking as much as possible but let off when ole johnny has passed you and can see your brake lights...if he suspects and kind of foolishness or suspects something there is a higher chance of being pulled over...you can also pick up a scanner, the little handhelds that people used to use or still use to listen to cell phones and cordless phones do a good job...hanging out in town you can keep up with road blocks and activities and locations ... but if you got tha jams you wont be able to do much with a scanner. ...but my advice is this ...forget about scanners and radar dectectors ... lower your car, pack it full of several tons of stereo equipment, find you a nice shiney set of chrome dome 18 inch rims and a wide lady ... go get your windows tinted ... roll them down about half way ..and just chill ... mellow out ...and be cool .. speeding, racing ... getting tickets ..and paying high insurance is for birds... for the price of a radar detector, police scanner, and a few tickets ... you could take a short cruise to the bahamas o hell ..im outta here

Audtatious

My feelings about radar detectors and speeding ( who cares? ).

1. They are a tool only. They do not stop you from receiving tickets, but they can assist you in avoiding one

2. Getting a cheap detector will possibly get you in more trouble than not having one at all ( more chances of speeding because you feel safer ).

3. "leading the pack", speeding without a pack, staying consistantly in the fast lane will help you get a ticket.

4. Not paying attention to the cars you are overtaking will help get you a ticket

5. Not paying attention to your rearview mirror will also help get you a ticket

6. Not being careful of on-ramps, where cops like to sit, is another risk.

7. Blindly speeding around curves or over hills will get you caught

In a nutshell, you use a detector to hopefully catch a cop shooting a car in front of you, thus allowing time for you to slow down. Most cops do not ride around with their radar on. There is no defense to instant-on if you are the first vehicle targeted and you did not see the cop first. Extra precautions should be taken at night due to visibility. Watching for cars that are slowing down ahead or hitting their brakes is a must as is watching for vehicles catching up to you from behind in the left lane. Stay to the right as much as possible and only use the left to pass ( slowing down while passing is a good rule too ).

These are all IMO of course...

fearthegecko

there's another product, not sure who makes it, but i read about it in SCC, that reads the police repeater signals up to 1-2mi radius. That way, you can tell where there's a cop, not just if there's a radar trap. So you don't have to fear just radar taps, but if you're being tailed by a cop, you'll know as well.

Socrates

Any more info on this? What is SCC? This sounds interesting.

Audtatious

SCC = Sport Compact Car Magazine( IDBL )....

fearthegecko

yeah, i think it's interesting too, but if i remember correctly, it only picked up like 2/3 of the cops that were around. So it's a good idea, just needs to be refined more....

And as to my earlier post, i was told that it's now illegal to have a scanner in your car, so forget that.

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

I think it's made by K-40. Called "CHiPs". Retails for $3000.

JAIMECBR900

It sounds to me like only a couple of people here get the true purpose of a RD, and you are one them. Very well said.

A RD is only a tool. As with any tool, it is only as useful as the operator. If you don't know the limitations, how radar works, and some common pitfalls...is not IF but WHEN as far as a ticket is concerned.

BTW, for those who don't know....instant-on radar has always been around and it is not that difficult to detect. The difficulty comes in the operator ignoring the intermitent signal. Laser is more difficult to detect even when being targeted because it is a very narrow light beam for the RD to "sniff" out. The laser also has very real limitations too.

I could go on and on, but I'm not gonna. I'll close with this: Brands aside, people who are not versed on how to use a RD should not buy one. If you do the research, you will find that most long time RD users are very satisfied with their choice to own one.

fearthegecko

okay.....i finally got up off my *** and found the article. OCT 02 Sport Compact Car Magazine, Page 142. The same issue with the nice new 350Z on the cover and the sneak peek of the 2004 maxima on page 42.

The product is called The BCT-7 "Beartracker" Scanner. It's made by Uniden and retails for $209.99. It has a range of 3 miles.

Rather than be an actual dash/windshield mounted unit, the BCT-7 is a single DIN sized unit that fits into your dash. In addition to monitoring repeater signals, it functions as a scanner of CB, police, fire, news, weather, highway patrol, DOT channels, and let's you monitor VASCAR channels. (For those who are unaware, VASCAR is the system used by cops where a spotter plane flying overhead points out vehicles recklessly or at an excessive speed)

For more info visit Uniden's web site

rcy

If you're highway driving at night (or even day for that matter - it's just easier in the dark) look way down the highway, and when you see brake lights coming on for no apparent reason, there's usually a police car parked on the shoulder doing radar. Everybody brakes when they see it.

GTRMAX99

I couldn't have said it better myself. I live by this in combination with a valentine.

Valentine 1 + Common Sense = Trouble Free Cruisin'!!!

MaxWolf

iTrader: (1)

Kinda funny the name of the product..Beartracker...since another name for a cop is a smokey. Nice lil product, just checked it out.

deezo

iTrader: (3)

Never be the fastest car on the road.
Use the cars ahead of you as the radar/police trap buffer.
Always check your rear view mirrors (about every 10 seconds)
Get familiar with the headlight pattern for the style of car which could be a Caprice, Impala or Crown Vic.
At night, if you notice a car is pulling on you very quickly (if your driving about 70 to 80), let of the gas to slow down to the posted speed limit. DO NOT USE YOUR BRAKE! You want to give the illision that you are not slowing down.

If you come across a trap, again, do not slam on you brakes. I can't explain why I've gotten away with speeding past police from doing this but it works. It seems that if you slam on your brakes, it shows the police that you are guilty.

These methods has helped me with avoiding tickets.

fearthegecko

right, definitely don't slam on your brakes, in 5-speed, downshift, or AUTo: turn O/D off.

Also, know your rights.
I was in jersey one time, and had an unmarked state trooper start tailgating me. I was doing the speed limit, so i merged into the right lane, and he followed me. Went back into the middle, followed me again. No lie, like 2 feet from my bumper. So i speed up,from 65 to 70, thinking that i can get this guy off my @ss, when he turns on his lights. That's when i found out it was a state trooper. So he puls me over, and writes me a ticket. As he goes to hand it to me, i was like," officer, do you have a camera mounted in that car", and he's like yeah, so i was like well, who do i have to contact to get a copy of that footage. Then he's like, oh you can't. And i said, " well it'll be the key piece of evidence when i fight this in court." At this point he got really ****ed, and was like why would you fight it, you were speeding, etc. Then i told him how he forced me to speed, because i gave him the chance to get around me, and he followed me. So the cop walks back to his car, and about 15 minutes later comes back without any ticket, and sends me on my way.

deezo

iTrader: (3)

That's some good shyte!

crsh2

I bought a radar detector on ebay 40 bucks. Couldn't wait to get off work so i can test it. I normally would always look at the rear view and alway spot a cop coming not this time, Cop pass by me 3 different times, was busy looking at the damn lights on the radar that never went off.

I have notice though is i have not speed since i got the radar cuz i couldn't rely on it

cooler2000

the guy with whom I work, told me that he has a Canadian driver license, so when he gets tickets he shows canadian driver license not his US driver license. that way he keeps his records clean..... Says it costs $1000 to get Canadian driver license.

superblack96

What about radar/laser jammers they adverise? Do these work - Anyone have one? I've found that a dark tinted plate cover over you licence plate cuts effectiveness of laser- I spoke with a tropper one time who told me they try to aim for the plates first then the glass, something about reflecting back more accurate- He also said that tinted glass or plate covers and dark colored cars make lazer less accurate - Just my $.02 - Tucker

Bgohan

I use a Bel 980. Excellent detector. Saved my butt many times. Once today, in fact. Using a detector actually make me drive close to speed limits. I spot so many cops that I would not noticed without a detector, that I am about paranoid now.

But I would prefer a remote mount detector. I don't like having it stuck to my windshield. Valentine One is THE best detector, and is a remote mount type. But most expensive. But, if it saves you just 1 ticket, it will pay for itself given cost of a ticket and increase in insurance.
Do a search online for radar detector tests and reviews for best info on what to buy.

But the best way to avoid ticket is to set cruise control to posted speed limit.

Bgohan

This only works when they are not hiding, like they do around here, or parker just around a corner. And they often park with lights off at night. THe new CHP (Calif) cars have instant-on radar. Detectors are worthess with these cars unless they happen to shoot car directly in front of you. Otherwise, you are dead. Laser detectors are basically useless. Don't speed in Oregon. They know how to use a Radar gun there. And their equipent beats detectors.
If you have CA plates, you WILL get a ticket. They hate us.