V1 lets me down (sort of)... <long-ish speeding ticket story>

[Decolliber]

Instant on laser is fairly rare in the mid-west, though I did get caught by it in Michigan a few years ago. One thing that has not been mentioned here is that the laser transmitter has to be stationary (I believe), and laser units generally hide behind bridge overpass supports. So if you are out in open country, you probably don't need to worry about laser. The V1 emits a distinctive laser tone when hit, so you will know it. Since the laser beam is very narrow, you are not likely to get a warning from the unit hunting traffic ahead of you.

Several people have mentioned "instant on" radar. I am not aware that such a thing exists. Does it? Or are they confusing radar and laser? My V1 usually picks up radar units a long way ahead, but there have been occasions when an oncoming police car suddenly hits me with a radar beam, so maybe there is instant on radar.

There is a company that sells laser diffusing covers for the front license plate for about $40. Did not help me in Michigan.

There was an article a while back in Excellence about a guy in NJ (Garibaldi?) who had his 930 painted in flat primer. Wonder if this would have some laser diffusing effect. Perhaps some entrepreneur will come up with a flat rubberised paint that will make a car less vulnerable to laser and radar. However, I think the stealth aircraft also depend on having flat angular surfaces, so you would need to add some external flat panels to your 911's body work. Some years ago "Plane & Pilot" had a joke about the stealth bomber approaching the Oshkosh air show:
Stealth: "Oshkosh tower, stealth bomber ..."
Tower: "Roger stealth bomber, radar contact, 28 miles ..."

i should get back to work...

[RickC]

I too remember the article about headlights diminishing the useful range of laser. Is this still true?

With all the DRL's out there, I doubt turning on your lights during the day would be considered illegal. Even a 1/4 mile warning might be worth it during an especially quick drive in an empty area.

[Jack Olsen]

From the Valentine One site:

"How Instant-on (Pulse) Radar Works:

As a defense against detectors, many radar units can be operated in the Instant-on mode, also called the Pulse mode. This means the radar is in position, but it is not transmitting a beam. So it cannot be detected. When the target is within range, the radar operator switched on the beam and the radar calculated the speed, usually in less than a second. This calculation happens too quickly for the target (you) to respond in time."

[tiorio]

A little clarification on my sitution before more rambling about the V1 and laser, etc.

I wasn't hit by instant on. I was travelling towards a curve which is 'protected' by rock on both sides. When the officer came around said curve towards me she already had the radar unit on. V1 did not chirp and the geographic features were blocking her radar signature.

If I had been 5 seconds earlier I would have been in the curve and slowed plus gotten the signature earlier. 5 seconds later and she would have been around the curve while I was still to far away to clock and V1 would've given me enough notice to bleed enough speed. Wrong place, wrong time.

Now, about that V1...

I've taken to disabling the X band and laser completely for around LA use. The X band hasn't been used for traffic in LA/Ventura counties for years and even in advanced logic mode, I get X all the time. Laser is a different story, from the V1 website:

"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"

The probelm for me is that in LA, I get so many laser false alarms I completely ignore them. If I stomped on the brakes every time I heard that thing, there'd be a lot more than just speeding tickets on my record. And that's exactly what you have to do if indeed you get a legit laser warning, stomp on the brakes and pray that the officer got a reading when you had bled 5-10mph off your speed (IF you have GREAT reaction time)! There is NO recourse for laser.

On the other hand, I have reprogrammed one of the Ka band features but there's not much information on what they do. Here's the link to the V1 reprogramming page:

https://store.valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt3.asp

The one's I'm concerned with are 5 and 6, Ka band signal strength response and Ka band False-Alarm Guard. Does anyone have any comments, either objective or subjective? I'm assuming that 5, the signal strength response refers only to the mapping of the signal to the display, more of a curve that straight response. I don't have any information on the False-Alarm Guard. I'm still in testing with 5 set to more responsive and 6 factory (guard on).

Ticks me off that the 'Ask Mike' section of the V1 website won't actually let me ask Mike. Hopefully he's just too busy developing a better laser detector!

Happy motoring!

[osidak]

Oddly enough if you send an email to Valentine (I forget the address but will look it up at home) you will get a response from Mike. It isn't a form letter so he does read emails from us and he takes the time to answer them.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by RickC
I too remember the article about headlights diminishing the useful range of laser. Is this still true?

don't know the answer.. but the idea is that the headlights are number 2 for a target.. and the headlight in the on position disturbs the laser

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by tiorio


I wasn't hit by instant on. I was travelling towards a curve which is 'protected' by rock on both sides. When the officer came around said curve towards me she already had the radar unit on. V1 did not chirp and the geographic features were blocking her radar signature.

got hit like that when traveling thru mountain twisties a few times.. I would hear a single chirp or two/reflected from tight mountain side.. then a rapid brake stomp by me.. then the V-1 screams as PD rounds the curve

[speeder]

FWIW, Tyson and I saw a 959 at Heritage Motors in West Hollywood last weekend, for sale @ $235k if I remember right. It was Metallic Grey/grey interior, sales guy said that it cost them $60k to import it. I asked him if it needed to be "federalised", he shook his head and mumbled something about, "it's really just a bunch of red tape".

Good place to stop if in the neighborhood, they have the best motorbook store in town, (that's why we were there), one whole wall of Porsche books. Also one of the best used car lots around, there was a Ferrari 275SWB, Aston Martins, 356s, etc., etc.....

[MMARSH]

Denis

Have you been to Autobooks in Burbank. If they have more Porsche books then Autobooks, I gotta check that place out.

[speeder]

Mike, Haven't been to the one in Burbank for years now, I remember it being pretty good. I used to go there back in the '80s when they had a whole room full of old car magazines and spend my whole allowance, then one time I went and they didn't have them anymore. That is where I got the R&T with the first ever 911(901) article and cover pic that I gave Jack for his Bday, came out the month he was born. (Dec. '63).

You should check out Heritage Motors sometime for book store and cars, on S.M. Blvd. approx. 1-2 blocks west of Robertson.

Here I clicked on this thread thinking that you were gonna give us all some ticket avoiding secrets, oh well.....

[Cornpanzer]

There is a legit 959 here in Dayton Ohio. Sweet car.....totally legal from what I have been told. Import and leagalization fees were pretty stout from what I hear.