Choose your weapon: Electronic countermeasures - what is in your arsenal?

[*89x2*]

http://guysoflidar.com/faq.html#1

Are Radar Detectors Legal?

In the US, Radar detectors are legal for passenger vehicles in 49 states. Radar detectors are illegal in Virginia and Washington DC. Federal Law prohibits the use of radar detectors in all commercial vehicles over 10000 pounds. Radar detector use is also illegal on military bases.

In Canada, only Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick allow the use of radar detectors.


http://guysoflidar.com/faq.html#3

Are Laser Jammers Legal?

The following states are known to have legislation prohibiting the use of laser jammers:

California
Colorado
Illinois (as of 1/1/2006)
Minnesota
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Utah
Virginia
Washington DC

 

[Vettepirate]

Common sense for the win.

The closest ive been was when i was driving about 135kmh and beside me in the left lane was a Mazda 3 probably going about 140. By some stroke of luck he gets nailed and i dont even though im driving the Vette. The cop was at the top of a bridge and i assume that i was saved either by the guy beside me, or because he couldnt tag me since i was lower. In any event... its nice to avoid a ticket and it makes you realise to keep your eyes peeled and keep the speeding for when you can see everything a long way off.

 

[SurfnSun]

hnoes WHAT!!!???!!!???!!!

I know...now you know why I was a little bit foul in my email last night

40-14-8, citation should be 10 mph above speed limit

Does 27mph count? hnoes ;help

 

[SurfnSun]

Common sense for the win.

Im guessing youve never driven in Atlanta. I285 is the loop...55mph speed limit. Typicall if youre going less than 70mph, people are flipping you off, damn near rear ending you, etc.

Yes I was outpacing the crowd by a little but its not like this car isn't a rolling target either.

 

[*89x2*]

I know...now you know why I was a little bit foul in my email last night





Does 27mph count? hnoes ;help

No worries :cool - and yes, that counts :bash



Which car?? Your Vette, or the Jetta :ugh

Yes I was outpacing the crowd by a little but its not like this car isn't a rolling target either.

 

[SurfnSun]

Guys FYI...there is a group buy for the LI 2 head unit being hosted by the Mazda6 forum for $440 regularly $650.

http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=92665&st=0&start=0

 

[redb2k's]

It looks like they already made the purchase.

 

[SurfnSun]

its not too late...I got in today. Sign up and email the dude with the link in his sig file.

 

[SurfnSun]

or maybe I could put one together for the action center....hmmmm

 

[Crosschkm]

Radar / Laser Speed measuring devices

This was a lot of fun to read. I have some first hand experience with the operation of these devices.
I will offer my .02 cents in the hopes of saving some of us some money. I understand that not everyone will agree with what i have to say, and in that case this is not intended for you.
Radar detectors do work and the best I have seen is the V1. These (most quality detectors) work against radar units, and even against what people refer to as "instant on". You just have to understand what the detector is telling you and hope that people are ahead of you when your detector bounces.
Laser's ad, almost nothing will save you. There is NO:nono delay the little red dot travels at the speed of light. Once your detector alerts you that you have been tagged, you are it!!! I say almost nothing becuase there are some license plate covers which can disperse the laser which may give you a split second to slow down. These are the same plate covers which prevent photo identification of the plates. However in many states such as Illinois these plates are illegal, and the SOS is requesting Law enforcement adopt zero tolerance for the plate covers and write the citations ($75) for the cover. Also most cops are trained to aim the little red dot high on the front (or back) of the car and not at the plate.

Jammer's I am yet to see one that works. I have seen the You Tube and other videos that show them working. I have friends that have had them and we tried them. I have used them on 10 year old Gensis II select units, Decatur GVP- hand held, or the latest Stalker DSR and I don't know what they are jaming but its not any of these units.

The best radar / laser detector is actually traffic around you if it is available. Watch the brake lights ahead of you, if they are braking ahead of you, be very alert. Don't be the pace car in taffic, don't be last, and don't be the most aggressive.

Tips if you get stopped.
1. Don't ask why did you pull me over? The cop will tell you why, and you probably already know why.
2. Have your documents ready, and don't tell him he has to tell you why you were stopped before you hand them to him.
3. If the cop asks if you know why you were pulled over (if it was for speeding) a good answer would be. Ya I think I was speeding, I was not looking at the speedometer. Don't admit to how fast, but don't lie because most cops will respect an honest answer. Many cops are so thrilled when they are not lied to that you could catch a warning.
4. Do not ask to see the radar / laser. The US Supreem court ruled that not only are you not entitled to see the radar, but the officer based on his training and experience can issue a speding citation on his visual estimation that you are exceeding the speed limit.
5. Be kool and respectful, there are so many bad attitudes that it is easy to get off with a warning if you extend a little respect.

I hope this helps some people not waste money, and this is just MHO.

PS. If you are going with an electronic countermeasure, concealment will help. The radar detector in the front windshield does not give a good first impression.

Cross

 

[Jerry U]

This was a lot of fun to read. I have some first hand experience with the operation of these devices.
I will offer my .02 cents in the hopes of saving some of us some money. I understand that not everyone will agree with what i have to say, and in that case this is not intended for you.
Radar detectors do work and the best I have seen is the V1. These (most quality detectors) work against radar units, and even against what people refer to as "instant on". You just have to understand what the detector is telling you and hope that people are ahead of you when your detector bounces.
Laser's ad, almost nothing will save you. There is NO:nono delay the little red dot travels at the speed of light. Once your detector alerts you that you have been tagged, you are it!!! I say almost nothing becuase there are some license plate covers which can disperse the laser which may give you a split second to slow down. These are the same plate covers which prevent photo identification of the plates. However in many states such as Illinois these plates are illegal, and the SOS is requesting Law enforcement adopt zero tolerance for the plate covers and write the citations ($75) for the cover. Also most cops are trained to aim the little red dot high on the front (or back) of the car and not at the plate.

Jammer's I am yet to see one that works. I have seen the You Tube and other videos that show them working. I have friends that have had them and we tried them. I have used them on 10 year old Gensis II select units, Decatur GVP- hand held, or the latest Stalker DSR and I don't know what they are jaming but its not any of these units.

The best radar / laser detector is actually traffic around you if it is available. Watch the brake lights ahead of you, if they are braking ahead of you, be very alert. Don't be the pace car in taffic, don't be last, and don't be the most aggressive.

Tips if you get stopped.
1. Don't ask why did you pull me over? The cop will tell you why, and you probably already know why.
2. Have your documents ready, and don't tell him he has to tell you why you were stopped before you hand them to him.
3. If the cop asks if you know why you were pulled over (if it was for speeding) a good answer would be. Ya I think I was speeding, I was not looking at the speedometer. Don't admit to how fast, but don't lie because most cops will respect an honest answer. Many cops are so thrilled when they are not lied to that you could catch a warning.
4. Do not ask to see the radar / laser. The US Supreem court ruled that not only are you not entitled to see the radar, but the officer based on his training and experience can issue a speding citation on his visual estimation that you are exceeding the speed limit.
5. Be kool and respectful, there are so many bad attitudes that it is easy to get off with a warning if you extend a little respect.

I hope this helps some people not waste money, and this is just MHO.

PS. If you are going with an electronic countermeasure, concealment will help. The radar detector in the front windshield does not give a good first impression.

Cross

Agree with what you are saying and your suggestions. However just had an incident that my ESCORT 9500ix that saved me a ticket! (Had ESCORT upgrade my 9500i to an ix, with the 9500ix you can download camera traffic light and speed trap locations from their web site!)
Was pulling onto a 4 lane road into an upcoming pack of traffic. I accelerated fairly quickly as I wanted to be going somewhat faster than the traffic. While still in 1st gear and probably going about 40 mph the ESCORT blasted a warning! I quickly backed off and looked at my heads-up display and I was going 45 mph-the speed limit! As the pack approached I could see in my mirror that one of the cars was a police cruiser. The radar signal was still on but I held my speed at 47-48 mph. Probably would have continued to accelerate a bit more and could have been past 55 mph (which is usually the speed of the traffic on this road!)
Where I have my detector mounted, on the the sun visor, you can't see it very easily. The Tech at ESCORT said in a Vette with its non metal top, the GPS will work even though it is not looking directly through the windshield, which they recommend. It works fine. I also wired it into the mirror so the wire is hidden as well. Full details on the mounting and wiring are available as a free PDF download: Reports Vette Info
Jerry

 

[MDKyleZ]

V 1

 

[Zippy]

V1 has been my favorite.

 

[89onlyZ51]

Jammer's I am yet to see one that works. I have seen the You Tube and other videos that show them working. I have friends that have had them and we tried them. I have used them on 10 year old Gensis II select units, Decatur GVP- hand held, or the latest Stalker DSR and I don't know what they are jaming but its not any of these units.

You haven't seen the "vehicle radar cloaking device" (VRCD) by stealth technologies. It worked so well the FCC shut them down!

I have one and tested it by going by one of those "your speed is..." radar trailer signs. It's pretty cool as you approach and it's registering speeds of people in front of you but then goes blank as you drive by.

I once got stopped by a cop while using it (he wasn't using radar, he was unmarked and I came up from behind VERY fast), and he pokes his head in the car and asks what the big bulky box was on my visor. My reply - "my garage door opener."!

 

[Jerry U]

Sounds interesting! I'll add to the suggestions given above however; Y'all may be able to say that to a cop in the PNW but try that in SC where I live and I'll "gar-un-tee" your tail will be hauled in for something!
Jerry

 

[Crosschkm]

You haven't seen the "vehicle radar cloaking device" (VRCD) by stealth technologies. It worked so well the FCC shut them down!

I have one and tested it by going by one of those "your speed is..." radar trailer signs. It's pretty cool as you approach and it's registering speeds of people in front of you but then goes blank as you drive by.

I once got stopped by a cop while using it (he wasn't using radar, he was unmarked and I came up from behind VERY fast), and he pokes his head in the car and asks what the big bulky box was on my visor. My reply - "my garage door opener."!

AAAAA! I detect a challenge.
You are correct I have never been able to test the VRCD by Stealth or the Voodoo Scientific VRCD by Voodoo Scientific, Inc, or the Phantom RCD by Phantom Technologies, or the Scorpion Ultimate Radar Jammer which are all supose to be by the same people. They were not shut down becuase they worked that good, they were shut down becuase you have people emitting a powerful unregulated signal that interferes with all kinds of other equipment. These units are illegal because they have not been tested, evaluated, and verified not to intefer with other equipment (communication, safety, emergency, health...) not to mention possible health effects to the operator of this equipment. Keep in mind that radar units operated by cops have long been suspected of causing cancer to the operators.

If you are ever in the Chicago land area I would love to test it with you and see how it performs against some real speed measuring devices. It would be a blast. We can also let everyone know how good it really is. Speed trailers ("this is your speed") are a joke . They are very weak, and easy to evade and fool.

One last thing to keep in mind. Speeding with in reason is not a big deal, but driving around with equipment that is emitting a powerful burst of RFI interfering with who knows what is another.

Cross

 

[89onlyZ51]

Sounds interesting! I'll add to the suggestions given above however; Y'all may be able to say that to a cop in the PNW but try that in SC where I live and I'll "gar-un-tee" your tail will be hauled in for something!
Jerry

Oh, I've been hauled in down in Hazzard County before, but that's a whole different story!

 

[89onlyZ51]

Cross,

I don't think this thing's all that powerful. My understanding is that it's weaker than a normal radar gun but powerful enough to send confusing "reflections" that cause the radar gun to calculate an oscillating speed (and read blank since it's looking for a steady speed). It has a built-in radar detector, and only transmits when it receives an incoming signal. I hardly ever use it, but I can verify it works. More of a curiosity piece these days with laser and aircraft more prevalent.

 

[Jerry U]

In fact they no longer are using lights on top of their cars in our area! You just see flashing blue light coming from the grille etc, when they stop someone. Hard to pick out a local from the front or back of their car!
Jerry

 

[RadarRoy]

Wouldn't put much faith in your Solo as battery operated detectors use low power components and because of this the range and performance suffers

Have a video here that explains:

http://youtu.be/oAudCN8lVAc

Drive safe and smart, Radar Roy

For everyday driving, I use an original Solo (the small cordless version). It still detects very well but doesn't have laser detection capability. Laser detectors pretty much only give you notice of when to start getting out your driver's license and registration, please.

For more serious potential infractions, I use my old Vehicle Radar Cloaking Device (legal low power jammer). It's fun going by those radar "your speed is..." signs and having it blank!

More important than electronic countermeasures - technique. Try to find someone faster to follow by about 1/8 mi (I call them my sweepers). Don't be out in front, don't weave through traffic, and slow down when passing so the person you're passing doesn't look like they're standing still.