Radar detectors?

[ZmOz]

Got pulled over last night for doing 63 in a 45. It was on a straight, flat peice of highway on a clear night with no other cars around for miles. The cop agreed with me that it wasn't unsafe to go the speed I was going, and gave me a warning.<br /><br />I think it's time to get a radar detector. I don't know anything about them. I see on ebay there's a bunch of cheap ones like this, and of course there's also more expensive ones. Why would I want a more expensive one? Do they detect more than a cheaper one? What other features does a more expensive one have?

 

[PierBridge]

Re: Radar detectors?

Originally posted by ZmOz:<br />[QB] Got pulled over last night for doing 63 in a 45. It was on a straight, flat peice of highway on a clear night with no other cars around for miles. ]

Radar would not have saved you with no other traffic or cars you were easy prey he just shot you when ever he wanted, it only takes a second your radar goes off but he still has you going 63.<br />Radar helps when there is traffic ahead of you your radar detector picks up the police radar when they shoot cars ahead of you.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Radar detectors?

Well, that one I linked says it "detects all radar up to 3 miles". There could have been a car 3 miles ahead of me...

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Radar detectors?

I can set my radar on standby and clock you before you even know I pulled the trigger.

 

[tomatolord]

Re: Radar detectors?

Yup I drive about 45k a year...and I dont have one - used to have one but dont now...<br /><br />I found they only ever worked IF there was traffic around or in front of me. which then made it hard to actually go fast because of the traffic.<br /><br />I drive 9 miles over the speed limit OR I keep up with traffic in washington dc that can be very fast!!<br /><br />The 10-14 over the speed limit less in town 14 on the highways. <br /><br />I drive by troopers all the time at those speeds and have never gotten pulled over. <br /><br />Most states have over 20mph as reckless driving..so if you are doign 65 in a 45 zone that is reckless driving.<br /><br />Also on those country roads like that speeding can be very dangerous as people are pulling out of driveways, farm equipment, animals on the road etc..

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Radar detectors?

All good advice here. Save your money, they are worthless now.<br /><br />They only detect radar when it is on. MOst cops use instant on. radar, or low level.<br /><br />The decter doesnt go off until you are about 100 yards away. Useless.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Radar detectors?

With a very good radar detector the only chance that you would've had in your situation was if the cop had pulled the trigger on a vehicle ahead of you,provided that your detector was operating within it's range.<br />I use an Escort Passport 8500,it's probably one of the better ones on the market, the cost was $300.00, it has paid for itself many times over.<br />However,having a radar detector will not protect you from vascar, so it's wise to stick to the speed limit.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Radar detectors?

Originally posted by tomatolord:<br />I drive 9 miles over the speed limit OR I keep up with traffic in washington dc that can be very fast!!<br /><br />The 10-14 over the speed limit less in town 14 on the highways. <br /><br />I drive by troopers all the time at those speeds and have never gotten pulled over. <br />

I live in a small town. The cops pull people over because they're bored. That's the only explanation that fits why I was pulled over; the cop was playing with his radar gun on a deserted highway, obviously he had nothing important to be doing. I rarely ever drive more than 5-10mph over the limit...mostly because I'm a cheap ******* and hate paying for gas. <br /><br />

Originally posted by Elmer Fudge:<br /> With a very good radar detector the only chance that you would've had in your situation was if the cop had pulled the trigger on a vehicle ahead of you,provided that your detector was operating within it's range.<br />

That sounds reasonable to me. Like I said...there easily could have been another car 3 miles ahead of me, within the range of the one I posted above. Something tells me it doesn't actually detect for 3 miles, but even 1/4 mile would be helpful. Do the more expensive ones have a better range than cheap ones?

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Radar detectors?

All you wanted to know.<br /><br /> http://www.radarbusters.com/default.asp

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Radar detectors?

The 3 mile range is a line of sight measurement. If the RADAR was activated 3 miles ahead of you, there were no obstrructions, a perfectly flat ground with no dips or hills at all, then it will work for 3 miles. Any low spot in the road and any other things along the road will deflect and break up the signal before 3 miles. <br />Even the detectors that supposedly detect instant on are worthless in a lot of areas. In this state we don't use instant on. We just keep our RADAR unit turned on, but de-activate the antenna. When a car comes into view we have to first estimate the speed. This is to help verify our RADAR is working properly. The RADAR reading has to be within 10mph of our estimate. We then activbate the antenna for about 1 second max. If the reading shows the car is speeding we leave it on. This is so we listen to an audio tone that identifies the target we are clocking for certain. If the car is not speeding we will shut the RADAR antenna off within 1 to 1 1/5 seconds. By the time the radio wave emitted travels out and is picked up by the detector, we have shut it off. So you will get a quick beep on your detector if it even picks it up.<br />If you do get one, don't watse money with the high dollar "top of the line", but also don't buy the cheapest. Get an in between model, it will be fine. <br />I won't say they are worthless, mine has more than paid for itself. But they are NOT 100%.<br />I almost forgot to say, the nature of the detector is that it has to encounter a RADAR signal to activate. if it has deteted a signal, then the signal has detected your car. By the time it goes off on your car, your clocked. It takes less than a second to turn the system active and lock a speed. It takes the average person focused on their driving has a 1 3/4 second perception time. This is the time from when the machine goes beep to the time your brain tells your foot to move. The average focused sobor driver has an average reaction time of .75 seconds. This is the time it takes to move foot to brake. In that time your caught.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Radar detectors?

Originally posted by ZmOz:<br />Something tells me it doesn't actually detect for 3 miles, but even 1/4 mile would be helpful. Do the more expensive ones have a better range than cheap ones? [/QB]

The radar detector which i use is foolproof in the 3/4 to 1/2 mile range,that i know is for certain. Over the years,my experience with the inexpensive detectors is that i've found them to be inconsistent with their claims on range and accuracy.stay away from the ones that claim to jam and scramble the signals.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Radar detectors?

Save the $25 or so and buy your significant other some flowers. We just have to face the facts and slow up a bit or be prepared to pay the price.<br /><br />Bob

 

[tcube]

Re: Radar detectors?

Can't help you - they're illegal in VA.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Radar detectors?

Originally posted by Bob_VT:<br /> Save the $25 or so and buy your significant other some flowers. We just have to face the facts and slow up a bit or be prepared to pay the price.

Like I said, I rarely drive more than 10 over the limit, I doubt there's a single person here who stays right at the limit every second they're driving. If that $25 dectector could save me from a $100-300 ticket it seems like a good investment to me...especially considering insurance is already expensive enough when you're a 19 year old male...

 

[lakelivin]

Re: Radar detectors?

One thing to consider is picking up false signals. Like everyone says, get hit by instant on & all the detector is gonna do is let you know a couple of seconds earlier you're getting a ticket.<br /><br />If you're driving in commercial areas, alot of times you'll get false alarms from buildings (automatic door openers?). Get enough of them and you start to ignore the signal. Which defeats it's usefullness in those cases where a cop does zap someone ahead of you. Wonder how different the cheap and more expensive ones are with respect to 1)sensitivity, and 2)false signal suppression.<br /><br />Question for the law enforcement officers looking at this post: if someone you stop for speeding has a radar detector in view, does tht affect your attitude towards them? (e.g., make you less likely to cut them some slack?)

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: Radar detectors?

What about putting a radar jammer on your car?<br /><br />Probably illegal for various reasons, but could it be done?

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Radar detectors?

Lakelivin, no I don't worry about people with RADAR detectors. If anything I might joke with them that it didn't work. <br />I like when I see one in a car I stop, I will leave my RADAR active while I go talk to the driver. <br />Jammers are illegal in most states because they emit a RADAR signal.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Radar detectors?

They use an awful lot of LASER around OHIO. Radar too. <br /><br />I sold radar detectors for 15 years. I represented most of the major brands. I do not own one. I grew tired of the false signals... and they ALL false!<br /><br />I received my first speeding ticket in 25 years last month from the "wonderful" men in blue running a speed trap in Indianapolis. (43 in a 25). The signing was very poorly marked, and based on where the officers car was, I believe there was some purpose behind the poor signing. <br /><br />I am about to fill out my $150 check to the Indianapolis Retirement....I mean relief fund.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Radar detectors?

I am not sure how it works in other areas, but there is no regulations or laws saying that a police car has to be in plain sight when running radar here. They can hide if they want to, its not entrapment. If people are doing what they should, they won't get a ticket. Our guys sit in plain view mainly just to let everyone know that going the speed limit is a good idea. Tickets are not given that often. We use traffic stops here as a tool to find greater crime. If we see a minivan with a wife and 2.5 kids speeding, we don't bother. If we see a rolling turd with two skeevy looking males speeding, we pull them over. 9 times out of 10 they have warrants, possesing some sort of controlled substance, drunk, suspended license, you name it. Just don't speed, its not that hard, and you do not save but a few minutes of time, which is not worth the price of the ticket.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Radar detectors?

Jason, <br /><br />Ohio law requires the patrol car to be in plain view. <br /><br />My experience in Indianapolis involved both a road sign and a patrol car that, shall we say, were not going out of their way to make themselves known.<br /><br />This had nothing to do with safety or heading off crime. Had everything to do with padding the city coffers. After discussing my incident with several locals, I found out that was one of three "hot" spots that they have speed traps set up. The same car was still there when I drove by 3 hours later, taking care of another satisfied customer.