Radar Detector Question, California

[darkbeer]

Disclaimer: forgive me if this has already been answers a gazillian times....

What is the best Radar Detector to use in Nor Cal / Bay area ???? The CHP ( & municipal mounties) is saving gas & writing ticket$, by hiding along the roads using their Radar Guns.....I've been lucky a few times, but I don't want to press it. Is the Valentine 1 a good unit ??? or ???

THX

[m110]

I like the V1, consider this Radaractive | Speed Trap Information Network too

PASSPORT 9500ix has its fans too, comes down to personal preference

look at the PASSPORT iQ as well,

this is dated but has some good info on how to use and interpret a radar detector's output:
Amazon.com: A Speeders Guide to Avoiding Tickets (9780380717330): James M. Eagan: Books

fun story if you're really serious (ie gyroscopic stabilzed spotter binoculars and night vision):
Amazon.com: The Driver: My Dangerous Pursuit of Speed and Truth in the Outlaw Racing World (9780061374999): Alexander Roy: Books

[zippy_gg]

Both the V1 and Passport will "help" you, but there is no substitute for keeping your eyes open.
In California all kinds of jammers are prohibited so that leaves you vulnerable to laser (lidar) units.
Thankfully the CHP keeps their units on so you can be alerted before trouble is even in sight.
I have Passports in my cars and on my bike. There is a great feature the V1 has, arrows pointing to the threat. With my Passport I never know if the radar is ahead or behind me, or even on a side road...

[TRE Cup]

As has been stated the V1 tells you that the CHP targeting you with laser is about to pull you over for a ticket. An interesting note is that they either are out of the car so they have a clear shot, or sitting in their cars at 90 degrees to the roadway, to point the unit at you. They have learned to "hide" over crests or in shady spots (road side tree or underpasses) as well

I really like the V1 for the usual radar that most LEOs use. But i fear that the CHP will be purchasing more laser units too.

[Quicksilver]

I have always wondered why someone hasn't contested LIDAR as an illegal speed trap under Califoria law. LIDAR measures speed by measuring the distance you travel between the laser pulses. California law says that any measured distance on a public highway for judging speed is an illegal speed trap. It doesn't specify that the distance has to be measured ahead of time.

Why doesn't a good lawyer get all the LIDAR tickets thrown out?

[tshort]

Originally Posted by TRE Cup

As has been stated the V1 tells you that the CHP targeting you with laser is about to pull you over for a ticket. An interesting note is that they either are out of the car so they have a clear shot, or sitting in their cars at 90 degrees to the roadway, to point the unit at you. They have learned to "hide" over crests or in shady spots (road side tree or underpasses) as well

I really like the V1 for the usual radar that most LEOs use. But i fear that the CHP will be purchasing more laser units too.

After I got pinged by a guy using a handheld laser gun I concluded my radar detector was now worthless. He was using combat cover tactics in terms of choosing his location and sight line so that he could see me before I could see him. That's when I figured the jig was up.

Unfortunately the last time (touch wood) I was tagged it was by a CHP with plain old k-band radar. Two-lane road, he was coming at me, and I didn't have my detector on.

So I think I've changed my mind about using the detector. There's no substitute for remaining visually alert - and if you're smart that will help you avoid laser tags (ie, just like going around blind corners - if you can't see your exit, make sure you're leaving some safety margin for the unexpected. If you can't see over a hill, expect a CHP to be over the crest with a laser).

I'm using an old tech Passport - seems to do just fine with x and k band. The V1 is what I'd probably buy if I ever decide to replace the passport (which is getting pretty old by now).

[rusnak]

The V1 has prevented more tickets than I could remember. A scanner is also helpful.

[5String43]

Even if all the radar detectors were exactly equal in performance and sensitivity, the V1's ability to tell you where the radar probe is coming from is worth its weight in gold. That's my sense, anyway - I've used one for at least a decade now and find it an invaluable travel companion.

[dicklague]

the best is the escort Qi45 hidden detector with a laser shifter. Easily installed and not obvious to the cops. The shifter gives the Lidar a wrong signal.....you better turn it off fast and slow down after you have been pinged!! The cop gets an error message and then will get a good reading after you turn it off. Shifter is not legal in CA, but first time is a minor offense.

I don't have one yet, but thinking seriously of it.

BelTronics is the best value for the money. As good as escort and V1, but less money.

[tirwin]

In the past I have always been a V1 fan but I am now considering the Escort Redline. The GPS feature of the 9500ix is great but I'll take the better sensitivity of the Redline for the highways where I really need it. Around where I live it's hard to get in trouble within ~5 mi from my house. The 9500ix has a nice feature that it will stop annoying you with the grocery store doors once you've passed it 3 times. If it detects one or more radar sources than it expects, it will go off.

+1 to what someone said about staying visually alert. A friend has the 9500ix and got popped winding through the gears in his BMW on a Sunday morning with little traffic. LEO was in plain sight and he just wasn't paying attention, so the detector was just informing him he was getting a ticket.

[Charles Freeborn]

My passport 7500 has served me well for over 10 years. Easily paid for itself several times over.

[Ken911]

i had a 9500 it wouldnt work in my car alarmed all the time. i think it was interference from the ignition system. Worked fine in all the other vehicles.

[HawgRyder]

Having been a tech at Beltronics in Toronto (where detectors are built)...I find myself smiling at all the people trying to evade or prevent tickets by using these devices.
There are devices we sold only to law enforcement that detect the emmisions of radar detectors....so go ahead...use them...and end up with a ticket for having one!!
And...as far as Radar...or Lidar is concerned....the pulses are less than 1/1000 of a second apart...so the distance travelled could be as small as 2 feet...and to prove the case of distance/marking/speed trap....in a court of law...well...you better hire a very learned engineer to give all the math (not that the judge would understand it)...and at the end...you would still be paying the ticket/court fees/engineer fees/and your lawyer fees.
Use your eyes...common sense...and luck if you have any...but remember...when the MAN gives you the ticket...think of it as the price of having too much fun....LOL
Bob

[Quicksilver]

Oh, one thing not mentioned here: Trapster on iPhone or Android. Nice for road trips.

[Canada Kev]

Originally Posted by HawgRyder

Having been a tech at Beltronics in Toronto (where detectors are built)...I find myself smiling at all the people trying to evade or prevent tickets by using these devices.
There are devices we sold only to law enforcement that detect the emmisions of radar detectors....so go ahead...use them...and end up with a ticket for having one!!

Actually, radar detectors are perfectly legal in most states (all but Virginia and DC, I believe) and the three western provinces in Canada. But, yes, using your eye balls is often the best and more effective choice.