Laser detector triggered

[Aerkuld]

I have a Passport 8500 X50 detector in my car, which I must say has saved me from embarassment on several occasions but today I had something happen that has never happened before - It gave me a warning for 'LASER'. I was driving the 944 and doing the speed limit so no problem there. I was just suprised. I am familiar with all the other audible alarm signals it gives but have never heard this one before while driving. It came on for about 2 seconds, went off, then came on again 5 seconds later for about the same period of time. I didn't see partol cars or cops at the side of the road even after driving another half a mile or so down the road, so I was wondering if anything else is likely to set it off?
I was driving past the local airport at the time - are they likely to have anything that could trigger it? Funny thing is it didn't trigger it driving the same route in the opposite direction.

[fingpilot]

There was a cop behind a tree somewhere.

[wcc]

There was an airport I think I was in TN then and I went by it 3-4 times over a few days and every time in the same spot mine went off too.

Also, this is even stranger, but there is a spot with basically nothing around except a gas station and a fire department and every time I go by there my laser goes off.

When it goes off it scares the hell out of me cause it is super loud.

I also have a Escort 8500 X50.

[thrown_hammer]

I have heard that some LED tail light/ brakelights will set it off. I had it go off sitting a stop light once. Maybe the cop was calibrating zero?

[Noah930]

Some SUVs have LED brake lights that trigger my laser signal on my V1. Normally that won't happen unless I'm stuck in bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic, though. Traffic cameras (not for speed enforcement/revenue generation, but for actual DOT monitoring of vehicular traffic) also seem to run laser here in Boston. And as I found out by lurking on an LEO message board once, a couple posters admitted to taking radar/laser guns on holiday with them, and while driving down the highway on their vacations, pointing them at vehicles they knew were running radar/laser detectors to f with them. Admittedly, I think that's pretty rare. Finally, there's always the possibility that an LEO saw you, but you didn't see him.

[Tim Hancock]

It is an instrument approach system for the runway. My detector does the same when driving near the ends of runways at large airports.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Instrument approaches use radio (RF) signals on either VHF or UHF (depending on the approach) band. There are also lights that are part of the "visual transition" part of the approach, but those suckers are very bright, high-wattage and in some cases, directional (as in, up towards the approaching aircraft). Very unlikely that they'd set off a LASER warning.

[Tim Hancock]

I don't know what instrument approach system triggers it (localizer or VASI lights), but my detector always pulses on and off EVERY time I drive past them. Just this morning on my way to TOL, I had to unplug my detector as I drove past the end of one runway.

[fingpilot]

Well Jeff, there is another part of the runway system that DOES use lasers. SOME runways use a visibility monitoring system, sometimes in as many as 3 zones (Touchdown, Center, and Rollout), providing instantaneous feedback. They use a laser and a reader to see the reflected and refracted energy based on the scatter that visibility-limiting particulates cause.

Perhaps this could trigger a laser detector after all.

[kang]

From the Valentine 1 web site:

Laser False Alarms
1. Red neon, from stores and occasionally from brake
lights of other cars (example: Chevy TrailBlazer,
GMC Envoy, Olds Bravada and Buick Rainier), can
imitate the characteristics of speed laser.
Solution: Move away from source.

2. The electrical systems of some cars generate
electromagnetic interferences, triggering laser alerts.
How to test: Try V1 in a different car.
Possible solution: Try relocating detector within the
interfering car; also, your dealer may have a factory fix.

3. Adaptive cruise control systems using laser may cause
laser alerts.
Solution: Switch to normal cruise control.

I get a lot of false alarms from GMC SUV's.

[mschuep]

I get a lot of falses on my V1 from infinity FX35/FX45...for some reason more than any other car

[stomachmonkey]

Remember the original Fuzz Buster? What a piece of junk that was.

Hit the 7-11 one night and my buddy gets a nuked hot dog. Throws it on the dash next the FB'r and the damn thing goes off.

Couple of weeks later we are coming home from skiing and the thing is going off every 5 minutes for no reason. We are on the GW Bridge and my buddy, without saying a word or taking his eyes off the road rolls down his window, reaches up, pulls it off the dash and tosses it off the bridge.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Hmmm. . . didn't know RVR systems used laser light. If they do, fingpilot could certainly be correct. I thought RVR was only used when visibility conditions were extremely poor though (at least in my flying experiences, I'd only ever heard RVR reports when field conditions were low).

Could 'splain it though. . .

[masraum]

The LED tail lights on GM cars will set them off. There's a system on Infinity SUV's that's meant to keep them from running into the backs of other people when they aren't paying attention, that'll set the Laser warning off too. Also, some neon lights will set it off, and even the occasional weird reflection from a sunset or something will set off the laser. Usually it's led brake lights.

[masraum]

Originally posted by mschuep
I get a lot of falses on my V1 from infinity FX35/FX45...for some reason more than any other car

Directly from the Valentine1.com website. http://valentine1.com/lab/Previously7.asp

Red neon is occasionally used for the CHMSL (Center High Mounted Stop Lamp) on new cars. We know of these models: GM Trailblazer and Envoy, the Lincoln Mk VIII and the latest BMW 3-series convertible.

These lights use a neon-plasma light source. The red lens allows red visible light to pass, and also invisible energy near infrared. The source is powered by a pulsating voltage on a frequency that happens to be similar to the repetition rate of legitimate laser-gun pulse trains. In other words, the CHMSLs have an invisible energy leakage that’s nearly identical to the beam used by traffic laser. If we suppress the interference, we’re likely to damage laser sensitivity.

Another source of alarms: a few new cars have cruise controls that use laser to measure distance to the car ahead. This feature is available on the Lexus LS430, Infiniti FX35 and FX45. This, of course, is real laser, not a false alarm.

If you’re really bothered by these alarms, you can reprogram V1 to disable its laser reception. It’s a DIY project. Here’s a link to the instructions on our website: http://www.valentine1.com/lab/mikeslabrpt3.asp

[Racerbvd]

OK, I admit it, I have been playing with my lazer pointer again

You guys need to get a good detector like mine, this this is great!!!

[swa911]

Maybe it was a shark with a laser on it's head.


mwah hah ha hah!!!

[Racerbvd]

Originally posted by swa911
Maybe it was a shark with a laser on it's head.


mwah hah ha hah!!!

A 928????