Effectiveness of radar detectors on the interstate?

[legion]

Originally Posted by Superman

At night, you're probably only looking at a radar threat. Laser is a sharp beam that must be aimed directly at a reflecting area on your car. The license plate. There is some question as to whether they can really hit that rectangle at night, when they cannot see it. I'm guessing they don't try. Night time = radar.

My last speeding ticket was at night with laser from 1500 feet. Then again, the officer repeatedly lied on the stand when I contested the ticket, so I'm betting he was full of $h!t anyway. (For example, he said he was sitting in the median. He was sitting on the furthest-away shoulder on the opposite side of the interstate.) When I went to contest the ticket, the guy sitting next to me had been clocked by the same officer at the same speed (85 mph) from the same distance at the same mile marker. That guy was driving a reticulated bus full of middle-school softball players that was governed at 75 mph. After he pulled the bus over, he came aboard the bus with his gun drawn and handcuffed the driver and made him sit in the back of the cruiser while he wrote him a ticket.

[jyl]

Are radar detectors effective in alerting for red light cameras and automated speed cameras? My tickets lately have all been from these infernal devices.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jyl

Are radar detectors effective in alerting for red light cameras and automated speed cameras? My tickets lately have all been from these infernal devices.

I've got a redlight camera near the house, and have never gotten a hit from one on my V1. I was downtown in Houston and had something set my V1 off for a few blocks, but I never determined what it was. I would guess that it should work for a speed camera, but I'm doubtful about redlight cameras.

[Rick Lee]

Do red light cameras even have anything activated before the light turns red? I would think they're on passive mode until then.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Some smart person needs to come up with a fully composite, radar-invisible car. Bet they'd sell like hotcakes.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Some smart person needs to come up with a fully composite, radar-invisible car. Bet they'd sell like hotcakes.

The states that require front license plates (like Illinois) do so to ensure there is a reflective area on the front of a vehicle.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

CA does that too, although not having the front plate on is a "fix it" ticket - cheaper than a speeding ticket. . .

Easy to talk your way out of too if you have the plate with you and no front bracket too - at least you have a shot.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

CA does that too, although not having the front plate on is a "fix it" ticket - cheaper than a speeding ticket. . .

Easy to talk your way out of too if you have the plate with you and no front bracket too - at least you have a shot.

I've told at least three cops that the front bracket is NLA...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Heheh.

A former boss of mine simply got a bit irate (just enough, not so much it set the cop off) and said "you expect me to drill holes in an 80 thousand dollar car!?!?" He got off with a warning.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Superman

At night, you're probably only looking at a radar threat. Laser is a sharp beam that must be aimed directly at a reflecting area on your car. The license plate. There is some question as to whether they can really hit that rectangle at night, when they cannot see it. I'm guessing they don't try. Night time = radar.

I've been tagged by laser/lidar at night. I was coming along an undulating but straight highway. There was a single car in front of me--probably by about 1/3 mile. As I rounded the corner leading onto this undulating section, I got a laser hit on my V1 just as I was cresting a bump. I slowed down to the speed limit. I continued along this undulating bit. At the end of the straightaway (I've since gone back and measured this to be a distance of about 0.9 miles), was a Statie parked in the median. Right before I got to him, he turned his headlights on. Right after I drove by, at the speed limit, he pulled out onto the highway, and passed me at full song. Again, except for the single car about 1/3 mile in front of me, there was no one else on the highway. So I'm guessing that he was using laser, deliberately, at night.

[mkaraoglan]

V1 has made me more alert but more importantly i think one of the better features is the ability to distinguish two sources of radar so you know when there is a double trap. been saved many times.
Then again i've also been paced and "drive-by" warned by cops that come up on me out of nowhere.
i think eyes are important and V1 helps

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Yes, the V1 is the best there is in the hands of a situationally-aware driver exercising common sense. It's not a substitute for it. Even with a V1, you can't zone off and do stupid ***** and expect the electronic box to save your ass. You need to be thinking too.

[Zeke]

I assume that the laser is designed to move around so that aim is not that critical. I don't know for sure. But what's this about it only working on "reflector' surfaces? I could easily fix all of that. You do see the reflectors that are built into the lenses whenever anyone shoot a pic with a flash. Always looks like the lights are on. Just mess up that part of the lens. The license plate itself could be reproduced to look like the real deal in the daylight with just paint.

[speedracing944]

My MO is to stay in the right lane as much as possible only merging to the lft to pass. I constantly scan all over passes for little heads with cameras and the top of on ramps where cops like to sit. I also scan both the median and the right side of the ditch for sitting police and oncoming traffic for moving police. I also keep an eye out for tail lights of cars up ahead which come on for no reason.
I can pick a cop car out in the oncoming traffic lane in a crowded interstate from over a mile away.

I cruise at a good clip and always make good time.

I once borrowed a radar detector and used the stooge technique. In my drive from Florida back up to Wisconsin (non stop) 3 stooges were busted. This drive only took 16 hours

I still employ the stooge technique to this day but sans the radar detector.

Speedy

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by speedracing944

I still employ the stooge technique to this day but sans the radar detector.

Speedy

With less and less Camaros and Trans Ams on the road this is getting less and less fun.. Who wants to look at the wing of some Subaru mile after mile...

[SLO-BOB]

Originally Posted by legion

My last speeding ticket .....After he pulled the bus over, he came aboard the bus with his gun drawn and handcuffed the driver and made him sit in the back of the cruiser while he wrote him a ticket.

Was this near Bloomington? I just got back from a trip which took me down 39/55. I have never seen so many cops in my life! Yes, it was T-day weekend, but it was crazy. Had to been 30 cops between St Louis and Rockford. However, none in Mo or Wis.

I haven't had a radar detector in years. I also haven't had a speeding ticket in as long. After awhile you get a "feel" for where the cops are likely to be. I usually set the cruise at 7-10 over and "hit it" where I think I'll be safe. Never fast over hills and around curves - only where you can see well ahead. Slow for over-passes. I suppose a radar detector would make my driving life easier, but I'm so used to doing it this way plus it keeps me awake on long trips and makes the time go by faster. I believe overall it keeps me safer to be on guard.

I use the "stooge" approach as well, but I've been pulled over doing that too. Once the trooper pulled over the stooge and waved me in too! This last trip I jumped in behind some girl in a SUV driving 85 mph (no shortage of those) only to find a Trooper right on my ass with his lights on-so much for my "feel"! It was weird-I had NO idea he was there when I pulled out. I was up to her speed too. Fortunately, he had his sights set on her. I pulled over and he went up and got her.

[legion]

No, that ticket was just south of Champaign on I-57.

Any big travel holiday is revenue time in Illinois. Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July--even the university's various spring breaks.

[PcarPhil]

Here's a good forum for radar and laser info:

http://www.radardetector.net/index.php

[RoninLB]

what i do


whenever i leave home state i remove front plate and install the tinted plastic plate cover. Sometimes i'll get laser hit 10x at once. I figure he tried the front plate then moved over to the headlights. The front plate is his first target.

At his maximum range the laser cone is about 18".

Laser aim is critical and the PD's I know say it's a PIA and stick a newbie on them at a multi PD car trap when possible.

[azasadny]

My V1 has paid for itself many times over. I use it on the highway, not in the city because of the false alarms. It's well worth the $ and effort to use it!