car radar?

2011 Nismo#91

LADAR (LAser Detection And Ranging) calculates a vehicle's speed in milliseconds, just because you detected a laser signal does not mean the laser was pointed at you or the officer wanted to chase you but can't read your speed in time.

Most laser detection occurs from reflections off another vehicle in your line of sight that the officer is targeting so he doesn't care what speed you were going since you were not the target making the detection worthless.

If the LADAR is being used right (waiting 30-60sec between uses) and you are the target you will never know until it is too late because the chances of picking up a line of sight reflection over a mile away is slim.

Same issue with instant on/off Radar guns, but it is nearly impossible for a radar run to function properly if there are more then 2 cars near you. Its a system limitation. Hence why they use Lasers more often in high density areas.

LikWid696

If I am on the highway and a cop is using instant on/off radar then I don't think it is ridiculous at all for a radar detector to alert over 2 miles away. I would take 10 miles if given the possibility. I will get a quick blip on my detector and know to slow down for the possibility of a cop miles ahead using instant on.

2011 Nismo#91

Yeah that would work if its a straight 10mile stretch, unfortunately for me it's rare to find a straight shot more then 2 miles long in my area. And even then no cop would be shooting down that line. they are always in corners and such.

Pelican170

Gotcha. Im in CT so I would assume they do the same thing, which may explain why sometimes mine goes full alert out of nowhere and then stops??

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Bonzo

Listen, I don't really need a lesson on how these work, but thanks for informing those who don't know. I understand how it works and reflections etc. I've been around the block a few times so to speak. So we're good.

What I get tired of is people saying a laser is invincible. It's simply not true. Period. And people who say that are just being ignorant.

The 2 times I mentioned last week above; they were me and only me. I was the only car in the area by a long shot, both times, no reflections, just me. I was easily speeding, probably around 85 in a 65 on the highway, and 45-50 in a 35 by my house. I got drilled by lasers both times and guess what they did. Nothing. The cops never even lowered their guns. It was not because I wasn't going fast enough; it's what I did after the laser hit me that made the difference.

Now I'm also not saying that a laser can't get you either. For sure, it can; it's a good Police tool for sure. But I'm also saying that it's not instant death like so many ignorant people say. I don't keep records of every hit, but I've had a V1 since 1997. That's about 15 years give or take. I'll bet in in those 15 years I've been lasered at least, minimally 1 once a month. That's minimally, and very conservatively saying I've been lasered about 200 times. (I'd actually guess much more). And I'm not talking about 5 mph over either; I speed. In all those hits I've only gotten a ticket once from it. ONCE. In all those years of blatant speeding I've gotten 2 tickets now from planes, 1 from laser before I knew what to do, 1 WARNING only from a laser after I knew what to do, 2 from instant on, and 4 when I was driving a car without a detector present. Those numbers speak volumes to me about the importance of the detector tool.

It's a tool. It isn't perfect. But it's easily worth every penny of the $400 - $500 it costs. I don't leave home without it.

Another big wrong here, and another thing people who are against detectors always say. But it was totally worth it. At least I know that they were even running radar, which much of the time they are not, and at least I know what kind of gun they were using. You, without a detector, would have no clue. You're going to be nervous until you get out of site whether they tagged you or not, because you have no clue if they were even running radar. And if they pull out behind you, you are going to start sweating regardless. Me? Much of the time I know that they weren't even running radar, so I have no worries. If they pull out behind me; again no worries. Now if they are running radar, I know what kind, and I know they had the chance to tag me, and if I pass and nothing, then I know instantly they aren't after me. If they do pull out, then I can just say bam, they got me. I can jump the entire nervous stage and go straight to "oh well."

Having a radar detector is not only about the times they are running radar, it's also much about the times they aren't.

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Bonzo

Well, maybe for you. But little blips don't make me slow down.

I think this 2 mile thing applies in certain situations maybe, but it greatly depends on where you live, traffic, and the conditions around you. Most of the the time less than 1 mile is plenty. Detectors today actually detect in the 5's and 6's of miles, and THAT is totally unnecessary. I would never use a detection distance difference of 6 miles vs 5 miles as a factor to determine which detector to buy. 6 miles to 1 mile, yes.

It doesn't take 10 seconds to slow down from a radar bleep or laser blast, it takes about 1 or 2 seconds, tops. But being diligent is your best defense. A detector is only a tool that helps; it's not a cure. All the detectors in the world aren't going to do a thing if you aren't paying attention in the first place.

Diligence in paying attention to what you are doing and what is happening all around you are good basic driving practices. As an added bonus, they also help you from getting tickets.

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2011 Nismo#91

For me it's no difference having a detector or not. The result is the same, if a see the cop I slow down even if the detector picks nothing up. If I hear it go off I still slow down even though at that point if I was the intended target it's too late. Best of all I still don't really get speeding tickets anymore, <3 orange ez-pass.

kenchan

dont you hate slowing down for a cop car only to see it's a wooden replica inside?

RiCharlie

So what did you do after??

RiCharlie

One other question for anyone...can those laser pointers the kids have set a laser detector off just as if it were a police trap?

RiCharlie

The other day I was driving on 195 toward Fall River and was doing about 85..I came to a bridge and there was a cop waiting hidden right underneath it. He hit me with the radar but incredibly, some other car passed me at just that instant...He took off after him...my lucky day!!

RiCharlie

or one of those blow up dolls...

2011 Nismo#91

I don't slow down for those, I pull over and put them to good use.

JvKintheUSA

Redline

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SailFree

One of the detectors inputs to the internet where it picks up laser speed traps and then that info is pushed to other identical detectors. This would be a big help if the info is disseminated fast enough. Would require cellular or satellite data connections, perhaps through cellphone feed? I don't have all the details. The benefit would depend upon sufficient numbers of users on the highway. If same info could be disseminated for radar speed traps, then we might have a near-perfect system. Except in Virginia...where I live...