Radar Detectors .

How do they work. Do they work . Have they saved you any tickets?

well where im at they are very illegal but some work better then others all they do is find a radar signal closely by and send back to you where it is comin from
and i do imagine they save people a lot of money if used correctly
and if your into fast drivin/speedin frequently you really should have one because the amount you pay for them is easily made up in tickets you avoid
just don't get a cheap one!

because i was just made the Mans bitch , when i was pulled over for going 88 in a 55 , when i passed him i was going 70 at most .. Guy was a lieng piece of shit . Guy estimated it at 88 , didnt even use a radar but i wanna try to protect myself from all aspects.

i dont think they really work, or at least where i live, cops are getting smart and leave the radar off till the see you go by, u had no warning, then all of a suddne it goes crazy and uve been caught

I had one in the camaro, but it's sitting on my desk until I get another vehicle. It's a Cobra (not sure of the model #), but it works pretty well. It was the 3rd highest price that the store had. The lower two were also cobras, but I can't remember what the next one was. I just got the most expensive one I could. Just make sure it's legal in your state, use it wisely, and makes sure to get the best one you can afford. A voice feature telling you what band it is also helps.

Watch out for cops sitting on on-ramps as well, pointing the radar the direction you are headed. The detector doesn't catch it til you go by.

BTW: I've saved hundreds of dollars and a big piece of mind by getting one.

94Mustang, I think you have the same Cobra I do. The voice feature is awesome. I've had mine since 2001 and still going strong. It's saved my ass many times. But the only sure way to have it help you is to always be on the look out for cops. It cost me $150, but I got a deal since I knew the manager at Mobile 1. It retailed for like $265 or something like that. I say get one, but do research, and just like with almost anything, the more it costs the better it will probably be.

I use a Valentine that does a very good job of picking up signals and filtering out false ones. Other then never speeding, keeping your eyes open for teltales signs of cops is still your best defense. If you see a cars up ahead tapping on the brakes coming around a bend or over a hill. Porbably a cop. You see a sting of cars coming at you (on a long stretch of road) and nobody is passing. Probably a cop in there. There are other things to look for, but you shouldn't reley solely on a detector. Its more the last line of warning. So far - 0 tickets after 20yrs of driving.

shouldn't really be speeding anyway. Mine wasn't hardly ever even plugged into the lighter thingy. I only needed it if I was late. Sometimes I'd have it on too just in case, esspecially if I was on a long drive. When "KA Band...beep...beep...etc" would come on, it'd remind me to check myself.

Also, if you do get pulled over, don't acknowledge that you were speeding. The cop will write it on the ticket or in his notes here, then you might as well just go to court and pled guilty. No chance in challenging it.

Originally posted by YogsVR4
I use a Valentine that does a very good job of picking up signals and filtering out false ones.

My friend said valentines are one of the best ones u can get out there, I know there a bit expensive but do they do well in alerting you ahead of time?

just make sure that if u get pulled over and have one, THE COP CAN"T SEE IT! if they do, you'll get a ticket for sure, because they know that they are there so you can speed...

reading up some stuff about the ticket i got , i was caught by this new device called a LIDAR. any info about this?

I think there should be a forum that has legal ways to avoid getting tickets and fighting it in court... Since these are automotive forums.

Somethin with a tech section to discuss radar, etc..

A court section, with websites to look up the actual laws, and help to challenge tickets

A rant section to discuss tickets and jerk cops.

A miscellaneous section to discuss what to say to cops, what not to say, how to make your car more cop friendly, etc..

If there is, let me know..

Originally posted by SiRI


My friend said valentines are one of the best ones u can get out there, I know there a bit expensive but do they do well in alerting you ahead of time?

Yeah - its very good at picking up weak signals and also at filtering out junk signals. It was worth the price in my opinion.

Don't have one,might get one when the diesel finally dies and I find something to drive that warrants getting one.

Radar detectors are awesome, but cops are getting smarter and using instant on where they hit you with the radar when you're in range so you don't have a warning. the best thing to do about this is get a Lidatek, it bounces the signal in a different direction so the cops don't get a return radar to tell how fast you are going. with the combination of those two you should be safe, just don't be stupid about speeding

Originally posted by chris26969
reading up some stuff about the ticket i got , i was caught by this new device called a LIDAR. any info about this?

LIDAR uses laser and not radar technology to track your speed. LIDAR has less range than radar, so the cop has to be pretty close to your car to get a reading. Most current radar detectors will not detect LIDAR, unless you get one specifically designed to detect it. More and more cops are using LIDAR nowadays for some reason. Oh, and there are LIDAR detectors out there but they are a waste of money when you consider the range of LIDAR technology.

Originally posted by chris26969
Guy estimated it at 88 , didnt even use a radar but i wanna try to protect myself from all aspects. Always ask to see the radar gun reading. 'Estimation' will rarely stand up in court, especially in areas where "SPEED CHECKED BY RADAR."

BTW, in "SPEED CHECKED BY RADAR" zones, is it okay for them to use LIDAR? I mean LIDAR != RADAR...

Well I was going about 90mph about 500-750 feet before the police officer parked on the side of the highway , while i was in the passing lane . I put on my brakes when seeing him and got my car down to about 70 . Reading my ticket he circled "estimated" and Circled "radar" , then Xed it out and wrote "LIDAR". Should i try to challenge this in court ? can the ladar detect me from about 500 feet away . I thought they could only detect you if you were parallel with the car. Should i challenge this in court?

Where are you?

Taxachusetts

Originally posted by YogsVR4


Yeah - its very good at picking up weak signals and also at filtering out junk signals. It was worth the price in my opinion.

Yeah i was thinking about buying one, he said it also detected laser? :cool:

I have a V1 sitting in the Alfa- It is excellent- prevented me from about 6 or 7 tickets and about $1000 of fines.........But Cops are working around radar detectors these days :(