Even with an 8500, wife gets nailed by LASER!

[Emission]

I mounted an Escort Passport 8500 in my wife's Volvo XC90 V8 about two weeks ago. Told her to slow when it beeps (she's not very electronic-savvy).

Yesterday, she's "cruising" down a large lightly-traveled median-divided road and gets pulled over by a motorcyle unit hiding in the shadows... even though she saw him and had slowed by the time she passed.

The officer tells her she was clocked by radar. My wife questions (the officer, no less!) why the detector didn't go off. He laughs and says it was laser. That sucks.

She gets written for 65 in a 50 zone. I'm not mad, she deserved the ticket (her first in nine years).

So, I have a new respect for laser guns. I had never really considered them an issue. I have been "saved" countless times on that same road with my 8500 detecting "Ka" and "K" hits, so this was bound to happen. No detector could have saved her.

I need to buy an effective laser jammer (or paint her Volvo flat back)!

[Spede]

You need a Valentine One! It's saved me from laser many a times.

[Emission]

I had one. I returned it.

In theory (not doubting the V1), there really is no effective "defense" against laser. If you get a hit on your detector, it is 99% of the time too late - so I understand.

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by Emission
I had one. I returned it.

In theory (not doubting the V1), there really is no effective "defense" against laser. If you get a hit on your detector, it is 99% of the time too late - so I understand.

(I don't use a detector of any kind) As I understand it the laser detector (may) go off as you approach it as it is being used on a car farther up the road from you.

I believe laser jamers are illegal?

[widebody911]

she deserved the ticket (her first in nine years).

I imagine you'll soon be spending some time with your mistress, Ms Futon...

[masraum]

Originally posted by scottmandue
(I don't use a detector of any kind) As I understand it the laser detector (may) go off as you approach it as it is being used on a car farther up the road from you.

I believe laser jamers are illegal?

Nope, not at all, radar jammers are illegal because they are radio waves, but since laser is light it's not regulated and therefore transmitting light isn't illegal. That's how I understand it.

I've had the V1 go off before from someone ahead of me getting hit with laser, or maybe it was me, but I didn't get pulled over and I was cruising.

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by masraum
Nope, not at all, radar jammers are illegal because they are radio waves, but since laser is light it's not regulated and therefore transmitting light isn't illegal. That's how I understand it.

I've had the V1 go off before from someone ahead of me getting hit with laser, or maybe it was me, but I didn't get pulled over and I was cruising.

Radar = radio waves = regulated by the FCC, who has ruled that radar jammers, cell phone jammers, tv jammers... etc, are all illegal.

Laser is regulated by the FDA. They have made no ruling on laser jamming. They probably will after somebody has built some that are effective and marketable.

[HardDrive]

wouldn't a laser jammer require you to have a damn powerful laser light source on the front of your car?

[cegerer]

The 8500 should have gone off, if it's the latest version. It has a laser detector and sounds like a European ambulance when it goes off. Scares the crap out of me every time. The reason I bought the 8500 over the V1 is the 8500 has better laser detection. It has the ability to detect laser at slight angles other than a direct hit. So you've got somewhat of a chance of picking up a laser signal that might be directed at the car next to you or ahead of you or whatever.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by HardDrive
wouldn't a laser jammer require you to have a damn powerful laser light source on the front of your car?

Like....headlights?

J/K

[madmmac]

As the weather gets nicer the Lidar guns come out.

The V1 has been shown to pick up scatter a bit better than the Escort....but if you did not get scatter from someone else, you are toast. I have an Escort 8500 x50 and I have been lasered and picked up scatter. So far, no tickets....probably mostly just lucky though.

Laser jammers are legal in most states. They use led's to confuse the beam and there are effective ones on the market.

Mount your detector low on the windshield in the middle since they usually try to hit your plate.

Veil works good for your headlights but I do not like it...it's a pain in the butt and lessens your lighting ablilty.

You can put a Lasersheild on your plate, but in most states they are illegal, although they are quite difficult to see unless you are really looking for them.

Great site: http://www.radardetector.net/

[bigchillcar]

where's the guy that always says, "hey, why not just drive the speed limit.."?
ryan

[Emission]

Originally posted by madmmac
"...I have an Escort 8500 x50 and I have been lasered and picked up scatter... Mount your detector low on the windshield in the middle since they usually try to hit your plate.

A couple of you made a good point - it seems I have an "old" 8500 in the wife's car - it's circa 2000, not the x50 model. Maybe time for an upgrade.

Also, we have no front plate on any of our cars (I got a ticket for that just last week! ).

[Jims5543]

I got nailed last week by a cop using a POP3 Ka band. I was the lead car coming down a long steep hill and had creeped up to 86 by the bottom. POW!! He nailed me.

My RX-7 is a natural stelth bomber when it comes to Laser. According to what I have read they will be hard pressed to get a reading from it. It has no fron t headlights and its black with no frontal area to shoot.

The Porsche on the other hand.... I had a Georgia State trooper shoot it over and over hoping I would break the law.

I am considering a Jammer for the Porsche.


Best part of my 86 in the 60 ticket last week. The cop says "Man , I am glad you did not run, there was no way in hell I could have caught tat car." Why did that make me happy and mad at the same time?

[Emission]

Originally posted by bigchillcar
where's the guy that always says, "hey, why not just drive the speed limit.."?
ryan

Never.

That's why I said my wife "deserved" it.

She speeds ALL THE TIME and never gets caught. One ticket in nearly a decade is worth it, as I can calculate.

[FrayAdjacent911]

They're using laser here. I got a ticket in February for 80 in a 65 (had reason to believe I was going slower, but it turns out I was wrong). The citation had the 'laser' check box checked.

I do not have a detector. I usually keep it within 10 over, and know that they won't issue citations for less than 10 over around here. Plus I usually know when and where there are speed traps.

[Tobra]

In general, hot looking women are more immune to tickets than a detector equipped car. My wife has not ever gotten a speeding ticket, which is phenomenal to me. One time got pulled over for triple digits in 50 zone. Officer, "Ma'am, is there some sort of medical emergency that requires you to drive so fast?" Wife, "Well, I am an ER nurse and I am late for work."

Generally, a cop will not write a nurse for a ticket.

[madmmac]

Agree with Tobra....guys are boobs, but girls have em...and which type of boob do you usually get pulled over by...doh.

[NKN84944]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
Like....headlights?

J/K

Actually you might be on to something there.... somebody should start selling healights that intentionally emit the same wavelengths used in the lasers at a high intensity. If I am not mistaken, this would likely essentially "jam" the laser detector

[RoninLB]

Blinder laser jammer