Radar Detector
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From: Hamilton, Ohio, US
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Radar Detector
Hey guys just got two quick questions what would be the best radar detector to get for $125-$175. And are they legal to own in Ohio. Thanks for the input.
Griff
Griff
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From: New York, New York, US
Rep Power: 0 I'm not sure about the legality in Ohio, I know it is illegal in Virginia. Your state's DMV website probably will indicate the legality. I'm not sure if they're worth buying, maybe it could save you once or twice, but all the departments now have something called "instant on radar" The concept is the same, except when I am sitting in my patrol car, the unit is off and therefore not giving off any signal for the detector. Upon spotting a potential customer, I press one button, and the unit turns on and gets the speed all at once. By the time the detector sounds, I have already gotten the speed. Most departments are using instant on technology now.
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From: New York, New York, US
Rep Power: 0 I actually found a sheet with my Vehicle and Traffic Law items--radar detectors are unlawful in DC and Virginia according to the piece of paper. Also, radar use is illegal on trucks over 10,000 pounds (US Code; Code of Federal Regs) and is also illegal on military bases (DoD Instruction 6055.4).
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From: Charlotte, North Carolina, US
Rep Power: 0 Wouldn't the instant-on radar only be real effective in light traffic. If there are several cars in front of you, wouldn't the detector beep on and off as the radar cuts on and off with each passing car?
Anyhow, detectors give you a false sense of security.
Anyhow, detectors give you a false sense of security.
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From: New York, New York, US
Rep Power: 0 It really depends on how sophisticated the unit is. The older instant-on's had that problem. As you probably know, there are handheld guns, and in car units. The handheld gun shoots a very narrow beam at the car that the operator is trying to determine the speed of. On instant-on, only the car that was being hit would receive the signal. In an in-car unit, the antenna is usually on the window or the deck and dash and can cover the front or back of the car. There is a chance other cars with detectors could intercept the signal being transmitted even on the instant on, however on the new in-car models, the pulse that is "shot" is so brief that many detectors can't even pick it up.
what do you guys know about the radar detector deflectors? They are liscense plate frames that are thick black platic, they are supposed to alter the radar guns or something??? I saw them at a car audio place. Does anyone know what I'm talking about??
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From: Wood Dale, Illinois, US
Rep Power: 0 When i got nailed coming home from college for a weekend, i still had my old car, and as i was going up an overpass at the top of the hill my radar freaked and of course i was going way faster than i should have been, but when i slowed down and looked, the cop was on the other side of the highway driving the other way, my roommate and i thought, well he couldnt have gotten me while he was moving, but lo and behold, the guy took to teh ditch in the median, jumped out of it like a rabid dog chasin a squirrel and followed me down. He was in fact accurate in telling me how fast i was going and also told me that its a hoghway patrol "motion radar" system, he doesnt have to be sitting still to get readings on vehicles, either with or against traffic. He also pointed out that if i had been going down the hill i would most likely have been going fast enough at the bottom to qualify for wreckless driving, lose my license and be arrested and have my car impounded. Im talkin like a 2 mph difference from a ticket and being a perma-passenger for years to come... Thank god they let me take school and probation is long overwith now... Just sharin a life experience to prove that it doesnt matter how much you spend on a radar, they are NOT superman with his x-ray vision, and given the right circumstances, your scr3w3d no matter what.
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From: New York, New York, US
Rep Power: 0 Sometimes I'll ride with traffic when I'm in an unmarked car or slicktop and I can set the radar to pick out cars going a certain speed or above. The unit will pick out cars in opposing traffic going a certain speed, and obviously on a slick top or unmarked unit, they don't see the overhead lightbar and usually do not slow down in time.
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From: , Georgia, US
Rep Power: 0 What do you aim at when using the radar? I heard that if a car doesn't have much of a flat area, such as Hyundais and Corvettes, they are harder to get. Any truth to that? Besides not speeding, what is YOUR recommendation, as far as which radar is most effective? Either way, I don't really speed, but it's good to know if a cop is out there. For those of you who know my driving histroy, I'm in remission. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]
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Rep Power: 0 Well, on a handheld unit (a gun) I hit the front or rear plate. That is *THE BEST* area to hit and is what I teach all the new officers to do with the portable unit. As far as the units mounted in the car, they basicially are more automated units and all the operator has to do is select the mode--front, back and then just hit "transmit" key when they want to get the of the car they are watching. You can also put it on sort of an "auto pilot" mode where it will get the fastest cars by itself. You can identify which car the in-car unit is focusing on by 1--the doppler audio--you "hear" the car coming at you in beeps; and also by observation. The in-car units have three windows usually "TARGET," "PATROL," AND "LOCK." The target shows the speed of the vehicle coming at you or behind you, patrol shows the speed of the patrol car, if moving, and lock is if you hit the button to lock in a specific speed of a particular car. I hope this helps...
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From: Salem,Oregon
Rep Power: 0 I heard a rumor awhile back that black cars don't get as accurate of a reading ? Yeah they sell Laser shields that work really well if they are using laser in your area it absorbs the radar. Yeah Oregon allows radar blockers I was thinking of getting one for my ride that would be sweet. But yeah I bought the Bell 980 radar detector awhile back and haven't had any issues yet so I mean its in the top 3 I have seen, so far.
Nick
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From: Tallahassee Florida, Florida, US
Rep Power: 0 Don't forget that many cops leave their radar on whenever their car is on... most of the local police departments around here do, thank God[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] Get one with a good K/Ka radar band, the new ones use that a lot. Laser is very hard to detect, mine has never gone off in that situation except false readings. Speed smart, only when its a very low risk to others.
Do your homework, search the internet for ratings on them
Do your homework, search the internet for ratings on them
dam electronics experts.
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From: Houston, TX
Rep Power: 0 << I heard a rumor awhile back that black cars don't get as accurate of a reading ? Yeah they sell Laser shields that work really well if they are using laser in your area it absorbs the radar. Yeah Oregon allows radar blockers I was thinking of getting one for my ride that would be sweet. But yeah I bought the Bell 980 radar detector awhile back and haven't had any issues yet so I mean its in the top 3 I have seen, so far.
Nick >>
Actually a lighter colored car is worse for a radar detector (from a speeder's perspective, not a cop's). Light colors like white reflect light rays, and the reflected waves tend to reduce the effectiveness of the radar detector.
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From: , Delaware, US
Rep Power: 0 Someone mentioned in an earlier post about motion radar. This is pretty simple, by knowing the speed of the cop car and the angle of the radar emitter, it is a simple method of SIN and COS caclulations to get the offender's speed. If you want to fight a ticket, this is the one to do it with. Any miscalabration or equipment problems can affect the speed readings greatly. Of course fighting any speeding ticket is about as easy as getting food away from Rosie O'Donald.
My radar detector has helped me in the past because alot of the officers around here don't use the instant on feature (lazy I guess) and I can pick them up at a good distance. A problem is falsing which is signals from other sources like door openers that kinda makes me think of the boy who cried wolf.
LIDAR is foolproof. Any detector that claims to pick this up is BS. There is very little reflection from targets of this, and even if there was, it would have to enter directly into the little photodiode on the unit. The scramblers/blockers are also BS. If the unit really output the correct microwave frequency, it would require registration with the FCC, which I guarantee they would not give.
As for the original question, check Car and Driver (or R&T I forget) one of them has a review of the best radar detectors. Be prepared to spend $300+ for a top-o-the-line model. I have a sub $100 unit and I find it's ability to be pretty good. I test it on those 'Your Speed Is' things that are set up all around[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
My radar detector has helped me in the past because alot of the officers around here don't use the instant on feature (lazy I guess) and I can pick them up at a good distance. A problem is falsing which is signals from other sources like door openers that kinda makes me think of the boy who cried wolf.
LIDAR is foolproof. Any detector that claims to pick this up is BS. There is very little reflection from targets of this, and even if there was, it would have to enter directly into the little photodiode on the unit. The scramblers/blockers are also BS. If the unit really output the correct microwave frequency, it would require registration with the FCC, which I guarantee they would not give.
As for the original question, check Car and Driver (or R&T I forget) one of them has a review of the best radar detectors. Be prepared to spend $300+ for a top-o-the-line model. I have a sub $100 unit and I find it's ability to be pretty good. I test it on those 'Your Speed Is' things that are set up all around[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
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From: Salem,Oregon
Rep Power: 0 Yeah the departments around here can't afford the laser guns [IMG]i/expressions/laugh2.gif[/IMG] those things aren't cheap. Yeah I need one of those laser plate shields that would rock, I have seen some places that have them on the internet. I all ready have a photo plate cover and it works really good. My friends have them too and not a ticket yet 
Nick
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From: New York, New York, US
Rep Power: 0 A LIDAR unit starts at about $2500. I believe we got ours through a federal grant. Each of our precincts has hand-held radar units that an officer can sign out, and some cars have in-car mounted units.
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Rep Power: 0 Now we're talking about lighter colored cars reflecting waves and confusing radar? You know how stupid that sounds? We've taken this crap to a scientific level. If you don't want a ticket, get your foot of the gas pedal or save money and pay the insurance hike.
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Rep Power: 0 << Now we're talking about lighter colored cars reflecting waves and confusing radar? You know how stupid that sounds? We've taken this crap to a scientific level. If you don't want a ticket, get your foot of the gas pedal or save money and pay the insurance hike. >>
Radar is reflected waves around the microwave range of the spectrum. Any object will reflect these rays regardless of color (except for the materials they use on stealth bombers, but that's classified). Lidar is in theory reflected better by white objects since white reflects all light. However, a LIDAR gun is more than capable of picking up any color car regardless of where it is aimed (save the windshield or other glass). They teach to use the plate b/c it is the best choice (flat, reflective) if you have a choice to make.
Anyway you slice it, radar detectors are pretty ineffective. If they really worked you can bet there would be legislation against their use.
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From: Salem,Oregon
Rep Power: 0 Well still if you have cars in front of you and behind you they hit them first you will get a signal if you have one of the top of the line detectors they cant get every car in the group. Radar detectors are illegal in Canada so they must do something
Nick
Nick
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