| Author | Message | ||
     Ray_maines |
I’ve never used a radar detector and don’t know anyone that does so my questions are pretty simple I expect: Does a detector have to be “aimed” or positioned properly to pick up radar signals, or is it more like a radio that picks up radio signals no matter which way it’s pointed? Can a radar detector be placed behind a plastic fairing and still be effective? How about behind an acrylic plastic, dark tinted windscreen? How important is it to read the display information? I mean, when it goes off, you slow down, how much else is there to know? Thanks | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Here's what I know from my experience: Yes, it needs to be "aimed". In other words, if you want to pick up a signal from in front of you, it's not a good idea to have your radar detector pointing behind you. It will go through glass and acrylic. I'm not so sure about plastic fairings. The hardest part is hearing the damn thing. I have a Bell detector that came with an ear piece. The problem is the plug on the inside of the detector went to sheit after about 2k miles. They tried to repair the plug under warranty but it was never 100% effective. I still use mine when I'm on a longer trip. Especially if while on superslab. Good luck!! edited by lake_bueller on May 16, 2004 | ||
| Midknyte |
My 2 cents... I have only used a radar detector once in my life. I have only received one speeding ticket in my life. Yes, both occurred on the same day... Problem? A radar detector disables your common sense. Know your surroundings. Pay attention for speed traps. Don't fall into a "habit" of speeding. And also consider the fact that a cop might let you off more easily, understanding that you do have a hot toy that begs for flexing, but if he sees that you've got a radar detector - you simply will receive no mercy... edited by midknyte on May 16, 2004 | ||
| 2k4xb12 |
Also keep in mind that with today's "instant-on" radar and laser, detectors merely let you know that you've already been nailed. The only time it'll give you a warning is if the cop is targeting another vehicle and his attention isn't on you -- you MAY get a slight advance notice. | ||
| Loki |
To go a little deeper. It also needs to be level to be most effective. I currently have a Passport 8500 in my truck{and looking to mount it on my bike}. A very trick and effective device. Good on X,K,Ka and laser and detects multiple signals. Caution with laser detection. IT WILL go off around airports. The laser offers no real warning, if it goes off out on the road, 95% chance you are the target. It can detect some scatter from another target if you are close enuff. X band, will be triggered by auto-opening(store)doors and building alarm systems and can mostly be ignored these days. K band probably the most prolific gun out there and closely followed by the Ka. The Ka band is also used by those pesky speed signs you see. A good detector will allow you to see the instant on stuff down the road. Again if no one is around you...you are the intended target. Another point to ponder, The Laser,K and Ka are small beam and can pinpoint the target it is aimed at. The above is to be taken with a grain of salt as it is my own experience and research(web). Find a web site that has reviews of the guns on the market. They will explain the optimums for thier use in the right conditions. | ||
| Baybueller |
I use a Bel express for bikes and find it useful for "situational awareness". The device sits in a shirt pocket added to my jacket and "sees" thru a 90 degree deflector. It is battery powered with ear piece. when approaching active radar from oncoming traffic or parked units it gives ample warning. It also picks up standby mode at lower power. Not any help for laser and picks up occasional false signals but over the years I have saved a great deal of money and hassle using them. | ||
| Henrik |
Position is very important to how effective the detector is. A platform on a mirror stalk would be perfect for a bike - but much too obvious  I have some experience with the Valentine 1 detector. It has one front facing and one rear facing detector built in, and is able to tell you where the radar it's picking up is coming from, which on a couple of occasions has turned out to be a *very* useful feature. It'll also tell you how many radars it counts. In tests (depending on the source) it matches up nicely with the Passport 8500 (I have friends who likes that detector a lot). The big draw - and justification for the excessive price - is the directional arrows. But of course that requires that you can see the display (they do have a remote display as well). A big downside to the V1 is the way you have to rig it to get sound to helmet speakers. It requires 2 little extra "boxes" and some telephone wiring. Not the cleanest install - but once it's there I guess it's not a problem. As for detection and getting caught; if you're lucky you'll pick up the pings of instant-on radar aimed at drivers ahead of you ...?? Most of the time - if you get hit by laser you're done. Being stopped with a detector, as others mentioned, is not a good scenario. A friend of mine has his detector in his tank bag and just runs a wire to the speakers in his helmet. That way he can quickly disconnect the wire and the detector is out of sight. Henrik | ||
| Henrik |
Forgot to mention; detectors do not fare well in rain  And someone well versed in electronics, could no doubt come up with a cleaner install solution for the V1 - it supposedly runs both power in and sound out on the middle 2 of the 4 wires in a phone cord?? I've also heard of people "implanting" a micro jack in the V1. Henrik | ||
| Country |
What I have learned from detectors in cars is that, when it goes off slow down. Half the time the cops are just lookin to keep people at the speed limit. If you slow down before he pulls out he may not go after you. Then again, that depends on how much over the limit you are going. | ||
| Henrik |
V1 wiring update: the V1 is wired using RJ11 (telephone) plugs and 4-wire cable. With the plug upright, cable hanging down and the tab facing away from you, it's wired as follows: #1 - far left: ?? #2 - left of center: ground #3 - right of center: 12 V power #4 - far right: carries sound and a constant 5V. Apparently they "filter out" the 5V in order to isolate the sound on that wire. I'm guessing ... that with the right filter, sound could be wired up between #4 and ground? Like I said, someone with electronic knowledge should be able to test and figure something out. I just know, that if the magic smoke escapes electronic gadgets, the good Ju-Ju is gone and nothing works anymore  Henrik | ||
| Whatever |
Note that radar detectors are ILLEGAL in some states, and as helmet laws and speed limits vary from state to state, so do laws regarding radar detectors... the ticket will likely always be less than a fine for carrying an illegal device (unless you are traveling at EXCESSIVE speeds). Also, if you are riding at roughly 10 to 15 miles over the speed limit for a short period of time (2 to 3 hours) on the highway... the most effective way to avoid a ticket is to watch the brake lights in front of you and pay attention to those who are also travelling fast, as well as focusing on topography (slow down where there are likely hiding places for cops) and field of view (ie the stretches where I can see a mile or so ahead I tend to relax and ride faster on). If you are doing a multi day long-distance trip moving at 90 mph or in extreme excess of the speed limit warranting a license revocation if caught, the detector is probably worth the investment... but do your homework on them, they are developing new radar technology just as quickly as the detectors are coming out to protect you from them. ALSO, I do not speed in cities (more than 5 or 6 mph over the speed limit)... One, there is always a chance of some pedestrian popping out of nowhere on you (as a bicyclist did to me just two days ago, if I was speeding I would have nailed the guy...) Two, that is just plain stupid and you are asking for a ticket or an accident... if the cops pull you over and you are speeding more than 10 mph in a city you deserve the fine... Just my opinion... no accidents in 20 years and one speeding ticket in the last 8 years myself. Whatever, Charlotte | ||
| 2k4xb12 |
In tests (depending on the source) it matches up nicely with the Passport 8500 Actually, it beats it in almost every category. Check out: http://www.valentine1.com/lab/detectortests.asp Steve. | ||
| Henrik |
Steve; like I said - it depends on the source some are very *for* the V1, some are quite *against* it. Henrik (just trying to be diplomatic ) | ||
| Loki |
I only know of one state, the District of Columbia and Canada where the use is considered illegal. Lets not forget those pesky commercial use vehicles also. Every detector has its pros/cons and its detractors and benefactors. It is a tool not a toy, which must be learned to use. Now if they would only get that Safety Radar Warning system worked out. I would like to know about what is ahead of me. Also who might be coming up on me to get to what is ahead of me. | ||
| Loki |
How about a ticket for "impeding traffic flow" while you are speeding. It sucks to be the slowest speeder on the road. | ||
| Ocbueller |
Illegal in Virginia as well. SteveH | ||
| Richieg150 |
I have the Passport 8500,on my Buell, and the Radar Screamer.It has saved me a few times,more than paid for its self.http://www.motorcycleradar.com/ | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Illegal in every Canadian Province. | ||
| Jasonblue |
What about these devices I've seen ads for that are supposed to jam the cops radar gun? I saw an ad for one once. It was disguised as one of those ancient big ••• cell phones. Just set it on your dash and supposedly the cops can't clock you. I've never heard if they work or not, but I believe they are illegal in many states. | ||
| 2k4xb12 |
I've never heard if they work or not, but I believe they are illegal in many states. I believe they're illegal in all states. If I recall correctly, they're specifically banned by the FCC. | ||
| Aesquire |
Jammers are illegal, & whats even better, don't work. ( I'll bet you, up to $50, nothing commercially available extends your range into a radar zone enough to matter. Bike's are huge radar targets ) Detectors, lawful or not, give you more information about your environment. A detector going off may alert you that the bozo in the car in front of you may slam on his brakes. Safety first, don't let a V1, or a XM radio distract you from your primary duty, staying alive. | ||
| Ray_maines |
Thank you all for your input and e-mails. I love this group. As I’ve said, I don’t have any personal experience with Radar Detectors but here’s what I’ve learned by reading what I can on the ‘net: They are legal everywhere in the U.S. except Washington D.C., Virginia and on Military Bases. Also illegal for Commercial drivers in commercial vehicles (that means not only 18 wheelers, but city bus drivers and the UPS guy). They are mostly illegal in Canada, but are legal in BC, AB, SK, & NB. Sorry, not legal in NF. Radar Jammers are 100% illegal everywhere, no exceptions! But that’s OK as they don’t work against the radar guns that most police departments use anyway. Laser Jammers are governed by the FDA (Laser is what the Doctors use to fix your eyes) and are perfectly legal, although Utah and a couple of other states are working on that. That’s pretty cool because Laser is almost imposable to detect and the Jammers seem to work. The Valentine 1 detector is, indeed, controversial. However, 80% of the police departments in the U.S. use either K or Ka band radar and the Valentine, and high end Escort and Bel (and other) units all score highly in those areas so it seems that everybody is a winner here. “Instant On” is a huge pain the wallet, so you really do have pay attention to the road ahead. Radar Detectors are only a tool to use and not a total answer. "Situational Awareness" is how Bay Bueller described it. Indeed, detectors do not fare well in rain. Bummer! However, Radar Detectors DO work behind a plastic motorcycle fairing. Speaking of motorcycles, have you heard about the H.A.R.D. system? Looks good to me. Go to either http://www.motorcycleradar.com/products_pg2_4.htm#HARD or http://www.radarbusters.com/products/accessories/motorcyles/hard.asp. What I don’t know is how many police units use Laser guns. I think not very many, but I don’t really can’t prove that. I don’t know how to waterproof your detector but I suspect you should be going slower in the rain anyway, or driving your car. My last thought to this point is that a cop can only give you a ticket for what you did, even if he is pissed about the detector unit on your dash. I’m going to buy and use one. I’ll report back later. Thanks again, Ray | ||
| Ray_maines |
Thank you all for your input and e-mails. I love this group. As I’ve said, I don’t have any personal experience with Radar Detectors but here’s what I’ve learned by reading what I can on the ‘net: They are legal everywhere in the U.S. except Washington D.C., Virginia and on Military Bases. Also illegal for Commercial drivers in commercial vehicles (that means not only 18 wheelers, but city bus drivers and the UPS guy). They are mostly illegal in Canada, but are legal in BC, AB, SK, & NB. Sorry, not legal in NF. Radar Jammers are 100% illegal everywhere, no exceptions! But that’s OK as they don’t work against the radar guns that most police departments use anyway. Laser Jammers are governed by the FDA (Laser is what the Doctors use to fix your eyes) and are perfectly legal, although Utah and a couple of other states are working on that. That’s pretty cool because Laser is almost imposable to detect and the Jammers seem to work. The Valentine 1 detector is, indeed, controversial. However, 80% of the police departments in the U.S. use either K or Ka band radar and the Valentine, and high end Escort and Bel (and other) units all score highly in those areas so it seems that everybody is a winner here. “Instant On” is a huge pain the wallet, so you really do have pay attention to the road ahead. Radar Detectors are only a tool to use and not a total answer. "Situational Awareness" is how Bay Bueller described it. Indeed, detectors do not fare well in rain. Bummer! However, Radar Detectors DO work behind a plastic motorcycle fairing. Speaking of motorcycles, have you heard about the H.A.R.D. system? Looks good to me. Go to either http://www.motorcycleradar.com/products_pg2_4.htm#HARD or http://www.radarbusters.com/products/accessories/motorcyles/hard.asp. What I don’t know is how many police units use Laser guns. I think not very many, but I don’t really can’t prove that. I don’t know how to waterproof your detector but I suspect you should be going slower in the rain anyway, or driving your car. My last thought to this point is that a cop can only give you a ticket for what you did, even if he is pissed about the detector unit on your dash. I’m going to buy and use one. I’ll report back later. Thanks again, Ray edited by Ray_maines on May 17, 2004 | ||
| Loki |
Ray, You have done your research. OC, That was the state I was thinking of. | ||
| Bomber |
I've used a bunch of detectors over the years -- it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security, and blow right by a non-emmitting law enforcement type in a plain brown wrapper who can then pace you, pull you over, and read you the riot act . . . . they are useful tools, but only another wrench in your tool kit . . . I am presently, in the low electronics count on my scooter phase . . . . I swing back and forth between detetector/musicbox use . . . by the end of the summer, I'll likely ratchet back up to the point where the MaDeuece has more batteries on it than my daughters backpack (cd player, cell phone, laptop, pda etc etc etc . . .. . ;-} ) like the man sez, don't get distracted out there . . . . . |
