I need a good radar detector

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To the original poster from Virginia, I feel your pain.

I lived in Va. for the first 19 years of my life and I got out of there as fast as I could. Socialism and Nazism doesn't appeal to me. Va. state patrolmen are without a doubt the hardest-nose, greediest, revenue grabbing som-bitchin' cops on planet Earth. (with Ga. coming in a close second)

...and for most native Southerners (and certainly Virginians), that's not opinion, it's pretty much common knowledge.

First a lesson on Va. Radar detector "detectors" and RDD in general because there is a lot of chest-pounding b.s. floating around this thread to be honest, I will follow up with some links where you can research the TRUTH as to what works and what doesn't as far as radar/laser countermeasures and their effectiveness. Some devices work and some don't, but your not going to get an unbiased opinion from either a cop OR the company looking to sell you a product.

Asking cops about radar detectors is like asking a hooker about herpes, they will both look out for their interests, not yours.

The first radar detector "detector" (RDD) was called "VG2", and of course your friendly Va. state troopers were one of the first to spend your tax money to jump on that bandwagon. Valentine One could not be detected by the original VG2. Here is the problem, ALL VG2 RDD's have been converted over to a new breed of RDD's called SPECTRE I, II, or III RDD's, which can detect Valentine Ones. More specifically:

SPECTRE I- can detect V1 at ~300 ft.
SPECTRE II- can detect V1 at 100-800 ft.
SPECTRE III- can detect V1 at 1860 ft.
MD3 is another RDD being utilized in some places, it also cannot detect V1. I am not sure what they use now in Va. Call the morons up and ask them...after all, you paid for them.

With both SPECTRE I and II, the V1 will 9 times out of 10 go off before you are close enough to set off the RDD, so keep the cord in your hand ready to yank at any given moment. There are some new radar detectors being manufacured that cannot be detected by any RDD, I believe they are the new versions of the Passport 8500, check the websites below to confirm.

The Valentine one is still the best detector, used to be by a longshot but the other guys have gained ground over the past few years. The V1 still comes out on top because of its directional arrows, ability to count and track multiple threats, rear facing sensor, and its still unmatched range, more specifically:

V1 can detect: X (constant) @ 2.5 miles
X (instant on) @ 2.5 miles
K (constant) @ 2.5 miles
K (instant on) @ 2.0 miles
Ka (constant) @ 2.0 miles
Ka (instant on) @ 2.0 miles

The Passport 8500 is as good or almost as good in all of the above modes, and it can't be detected by the Communis..uhh...Commonwealth of Virginia authorities. So I would do your research and go that route if I were you.

Also, in Virginia they are not allowed by law to confiscate your radar detector if you get caught with one, all they will do is ask to see it in order to write down the serial# (I know from experience). If you are afraid some unscroupulous officer may try and swipe it anyway (perish the thought)...simply buy a cheapo $10 detector from Ebay and hand him that one when he asks for it, tossing your expensive detector under the seat (another good reason for limo-tint rear windows).

I hope I answered some of your questions and if you have any more post here or PM me and I'll try and help, after all, you are a fellow Virginian and Cobra owner :p

A radar detector will not save you every time, but used in conjunction with a quality laser jammer (hell yes, they work...check independant ex-cop websites below), knowing what works and what doesn't, and keeping your eyes open to what's going on around you, they will save you 9 times out of ten in 45 states out of 50. Period.

Anyone that says otherwise is an asshat and trying to save face. This radar/laser cat and mouse game has been going on since the original fuzzbuster that "didn't work" back in the 70's. Sometimes they are technologically ahead, and sometimes we are ahead. But if you stay up on recent developments and have the money needed to buy the latest anti-speed trap equipment (personally I'd rather give $1000 to a detector manufacturer than $10 to my local speed trap...its a matter of principle), you will defeat 90% of the speed traps you would encounter.

Some things to remember:

-High beams can make older laser guns wack out, but all the newer ones have fixed the original glitch.

-A RDD can't pinpoint which car has a detector, only that one is in the area, so if your in heavy traffic (or if your a damn good bluffer), screw em'.

-If you see a cop or are in a suspicious area or above on the freeway, turn the detector off, no RDD can detect a unit that's off.

-Radar jammers are regulated by the FCC, don't work, and are illegal everywhere.

-Laser jammers are regulated by the FDA, do work, and are illegal only in Mn, Ok, and Kalifornia, (and probably Va. and Ga. before long). These things work like gold and the stricter states are all jumping on the bandwagon trying to make them illegal as quickly as possible. Must be nice to be able to change the rules of "the game" (as one cop said earlier) once you start losing said game...pathetic.

-Stalker and LT1 laser guns will tell the cop the laser is being jammed, but there is a "release jam" button in most laser jamming systems that is to be used when the driver reaches legal speed to turn off the jamming signal and cruise by.

-A moving police car behind you only has a legally useful radar range of 1000 ft., so watch those mirrors!

-Laser has to be stationary, it can't be in a moving patrol car. It will be roadside or up on a bridge and most look like someone pointing a rifle at you. (so much for the speedtrap "highway safety" argument...I wonder how many people have damn near run out of the road thinking they were being shot at?) oh well, all's fair in the pursuit of revenue.

The truth shall set you free: www.detectortest.com
www.speedzones.com
www.radarbusters.com

:D Later.:D

EDIT 1slicksnake, I see your from SW Va., wherebouts? I grew up in Big Stone Gap.
 
Lawman85 said:
Don't drive around metro Atlanta.

Trust me, the majority of Georgias surrounding states have no desire to. Every time I see modern-day Atlanta it just reminds me of what a half a million Southern men died trying to prevent.

It recently passed Miami (a feat that many said couldn't be done) as the most embarrasing Southern city. I wish the US Army would burn it down again.

The city is just a modern day scalawag. (look it up)


Cobracide said:
I hate to break it to ya, but lasers are very few and far between.

You are quite correct Cobracide, to be specific... these are the latest estimates:
15,000 X band radar guns in use (and falling)
50,000 K band radar guns in use (steady)
35,000 Ka band radar guns in use. (and rising)
15,000 Laser guns in use (apparently 10,000 of which are in Atlanta :rolleyes: )

So as you can see, just a plain ole' quality radar detector will still save you most of the time in 4 cases out of 5. Some would have you believe differently, but it's clearly the case.

woomaster said:
I also run a Uniden BCT-12 Beartracker, which alerts me if I'm within a couple of miles of a highway patrol car, it does so by picking up on the mobile extender frequencies(the radio signal that transmits from the car to the vest mounted radio.

I heard that the Uniden BCT only alerts if the officer is outside his patrol car and keys his mike, thus actvating the mobile extender in the trunk, is this accurate? I mean, the mobile extender isn't on unless the mike is keyed, right?

woomaster said:
uses an actual Gallium Arsenide laser to jam.

Could you elaborate on this and how it differs from the Blinder Laserjammer M20 (great unit) and Escort Lasershifter ZR3 (good unit)? Thanks.
 
I heard that the Uniden BCT only alerts if the officer is outside his patrol car and keys his mike, thus actvating the mobile extender in the trunk, is this accurate? I mean, the mobile extender isn't on unless the mike is keyed, right?

Yes and no....depends on the state and their setup. Most mobile extenders are usually in the "constant on" mode........in Illinois, yes, they have to be outside of their car and keying the mic, but I have used it in several states and it works really well. Ohio is one that doesn't work very well, but I've used it in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, Kentucky....all of which work great.
 
woomaster said:
Yes and no....depends on the state and their setup. Most mobile extenders are usually in the "constant on" mode........in Illinois, yes, they have to be outside of their car and keying the mic, but I have used it in several states and it works really well. Ohio is one that doesn't work very well, but I've used it in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, Kentucky....all of which work great.

Cool, thanks for the info!
Of course, you know my next question...what about TN, NC, and the great-and-powerful Oz? ...uhh... I mean Ga.?
 
I haven't tried it in any of those states....finding mobile extender data from local states is no small task, because most of them honestly don't know or care what they have. The BCT-12 is what it is, supplimental information with a built in scanner. When I get an alert from it here in Illinois on the highway, sure enough, 9 times out of 10 I'll come up on a state trooper a couple of minutes later.
 
Oh yeah, and your comment about the Jammers.....true they are technically illegal, though the local police forces CANNOT prosecute....the FCC has to which brings it to federal court. I only use it on the interstates where I'm not the only car on the road....but yes, it does work.....I test it all of the time with my local cop buddies....it won't jam to 0 feet but down to a couple of hundred feet x and k. They are the only ones currently producing an "active" jammer. The newest Scorpion Ultimate will also jam Ka which will be the next unit that I purchase....tis quite expensive though, around $1000, but I will swear by their products. It's also fun to blank out the unmanned radar units that display "your speed".

Scorpion Ultimate
 
We can also prosecute some one based on our "visual estimate" of speed. I have successfully done this in cases where the radar or laser reading has been tossed out of court on some dumb a## technicality (something like using blue ink instead of black ink, love our court system). Officers in Ga. that are certified in either radar or laser are also certified to issue citations based on their visual observation (which is also what they are really issuing the citation on even when using a speed detection device). So.. jam away.. That will not draw any attention to you.

And 98 yeller SVT you have some hostility man. I have been trying to educate people on how the systems work and let them make a decision on their own. I'm not even going to touch the topic of why speed enforcement is a safety issue. That would be a 5 page post that would just get flamed by the few ignorants on here.
 
woomaster said:
I am somewhat of a countermeasures nut. I have a bell vector 985(hindsight is 20/20 should have bought the V1 for the arrows) and it works awesome, I also have a Phantom RCD(active radar jammer)now called the Scorpion RCD....those who think it doesn't work, think again....unless he is behind me, the Phantom will blank the radar guns to about 200 ft X & K bands only. I have several friends in law enforcement who have allowed me to do several feild tests with it. It is also alot of fun at night, as it emits a constant X signal, so I get to set off everyones radar detectors and watch them slow down when I come from behind. I also run a Uniden BCT-12 Beartracker, which alerts me if I'm within a couple of miles of a highway patrol car, it does so by picking up on the mobile extender frequencies(the radio signal that transmits from the car to the vest mounted radio)....it does not alert to local or county vehicles, as it would be alerting all of the time. And has a database of all states and canada. My final countermeasure will be the Lidatek Laser echo system....it is the only one that uses an actual Gallium Arsenide laser to jam. Lawman is partially correct in that the beam is only a couple of feet wide between 200-500 feet, however he didn't mention "light spray" which is inherent to all lasers, that is, though the main beam is only 2 feet wide at that given distance, the light spray(many smaller beams) may be up to twice as wide.

Woomaster,

Did you hear about the new LE-30 from Lidatek ? I know someone who did some testing for them an dhe said it works very very well.
I've ordered one, should be here shortly.
 
az_r2d1 said:
Dude, you seem to enjoy your job a little too much to my liking. Why don't you go bust some car-thieves ? Too risky huh, thought so. The easy money.
Meanwhile our insurance premiums go thru the roof because of theft, burglaries and what not.
I find your kind a joke.
Take it easy, my insurance premiums also go up when people are caught speeding, not just when their car is stolen. In fact, mustangs are not in the top 25 most stolen cars.
And what's wrong w/ someone loving their job? I love mine.
Of course, a mustang owning trooper should show a little respect for other mustang owners. :D
 
az_r2d1 said:
Dude, you seem to enjoy your job a little too much to my liking. Why don't you go bust some car-thieves ? Too risky huh, thought so. The easy money.
Meanwhile our insurance premiums go thru the roof because of theft, burglaries and what not.
I find your kind a joke.


I've caught car thieves, rapists, a murderer, a few burglars and a crap load of D.U.I.'s. I only do speed enforcement for about 5% of my shift.
Risky? lol... man... I am not even starting that flame.
Your insurance premiums go through the roof because of uninsured motorists, illegal drivers, wrecks and speeding tickets.
You find my kind a joke? Well, to each their own. I'm not real fond of disrespectful brats that think the laws apply to everybody else except them and believe every law they break should be taken out of the book. But just my 2 cents. I was trying to help people make decisions by telling them how police radars and lasers operate, and maybe save them a few hundred dollars.
 
Did you hear about the new LE-30 from Lidatek ? I know someone who did some testing for them an dhe said it works very very well.

Let me know how it works out, too bad you aren't here in Illinois, we could test it on a couple of different guns.

On another note....I'm sure everyone knows where the national 55mph speed limit came from right? No? We, for those who don't, it came from the 1973/74 oil embargo. We needed to "conserve" fuel. So we did, however, when the local and county municipalities started generating enormous amounts of money for the local departments, the concept of "speed kills'" was born. The federal government also decided to withhold interstate highway funds from the states that decided to raise speed limits above 55mph. Funny thing happened though, in states that did raise speed limits to 75mph, their fatality rates DECLINED. Overall with states between 65mph-75mph, the fatality rate fell 12%. In states with the highest speed limits, 75mph, theirs fell the most:
Arizona: -21.1%
Nevada: -23.7%
Utah: -27.7%

Speed kills.....BS
 
I have an Escort Solo S2, and it is, by far, the best thing I ever bought for my car. It has saved me on numorous occasions. I speed...a lot, and have only been pulled over once in the two years that I've had the detector. I was pulled over on the New York State thruway when I came over a hill and was hit with laser. The trooper saw my detector after he pulled me over, and asked which happened first, if the detector went off, or if I saw him. It was the detector, but only by a second. He tried to explain to me how the detector was useless, even on radar, but it has saved me too much in the past for me to believe that. For local cops I have had the detector go off minutes before I have seen them. I now aviod the thruway because I'm scared of laser, and I've only been hit with laser on the thruway. The local cops only use K and Ka. I turned of X-band detection after I realized that only grocery store and mall doors use that band anymore, so the detector isn't going off falsely scaring me. I heard that Laser can only be used if the person shooting it is parked, or still, which the local cops don't tend to do, so I'm not scared of it locally.

Anyways, I love my Escort, it was a great buy.
 
Lawman85 said:
And 98 yeller SVT you have some hostility man.

Yeah, good observation Starsky. But I come by it honestly, allow me to elaborate...

I've had a TN. state trooper pull me over and respond to my greeting of "Hello friend" with "I'm not your damn friend". Needless to say that didn't turn out to be an enjoyable experience for either of us.

I've had a Kingsport, TN. cop state in court that he "paced me" when he was traveling the opposite direction on the road, needless to say, the Judge believed him.

I had Big Stone Gap, Va. police officers following me around from the ages of 16-19 practically everywhere I went for no reason...I hadn't even had a speeding ticket at that point in my life. You hang a right, they would hang a right. You go left, they go left. Just waiting, waiting on you to forget to use a turn signal, not come to a dead stop, get under a light anywhere near yellow, anything to pull you over and write you up to fill the pitiful town coffers. And it wasn't just me, they did it to everyone in the town.

I have an uncle that was a Jacksonville, Fl motorcycle cop for 30 years that doesn't see the hypocricy in busting people for DUI, then later laughing cause he was drunk as a skunk on his personal bike and a cop somewhere let him go. This has happened dozens of times in states all over the South, even your fair ~ahem~ city of Atlanta!

I have two Fraternity brothers that have become LEO's, one of which is now a state trooper in a Southern state to be left un-named, he enjoyed taking acid and getting DWI's while in college, and the other is a small town cop in TN. that recently bragged at an Alumni event that he often swipes illegal drugs from suspects to use/sell himself.

I also find it annoying that it takes Knoxville P.D. 1 second to radar you and hand you a $150 ticket...but 3-4 hrs. to respond (and even then with a huge attitude problem and "oh well" attitude) when your car is broken into, or when your Cobras left front quarter panel has been smashed in a parking lot by a fleeing driver. Both happened to me.

All these are off of the top of my head and if I weren't tired of typing I could go on, and on, and on. These are not fabrications and lies, they are my experiences with LEO's in general.

Have I met cops that are reasonable, kind people who are a credit to the job? Sure, but unfortunately, for every one of those I've met I've met two uneducated, untrained egomaniacs that damn sure don't need to have semi-automatic weapons strapped to their hips.

I don't know what the process for selecting who becomes a LEO and who doesn't, but in many places that process is obviously failing, I think we both understand that.

Lawman85 said:
I have been trying to educate people on how the systems work and let them make a decision on their own.

Yes and no, you have given some good information and I first and foremost appreciate that. However, you have also used the opportunity to play fast and loose with a few facts (I can point them out if necessary), meanwhile tooting your own horn in the very manner that annoys the hell out of "civilians" and helps add to that egomaniacal LEO stereotype I'm sure you don't like.

You also stated that radar detectors are "useless", which is 100% b.s.
I know it, you know it, and everyone on this board knows it.

Lawman85 said:
I'm not even going to touch the topic of why speed enforcement is a safety issue. That would just get flamed by the few ignorants on here

Please don't, your arguments will be easily ripped to shreads by the "ignorants". In actuality, woomaster already has a good start with the post above...it would only get worse.

In addition, calling the public at large or anyone that has an opinion that differs from that of Atlanta PD "ignorant" is not helping curb those LEO stereotypes I mentioned earlier.

I'm not intentionally (okay, maybe a little intentionally) busting your balls man, lets just keep it real.
 
Well, when I went to post my last response, I discovered my account has been disabled at some point between yesterday and this morning, so I have had to re-register and my post count is back to 1.

Great! If I disappear again you guys send Starsky out to find out what happened to me. :rolleyes:

...things that make ya' go, Hmmmm?