[thetable]

AllyKat, since you are a LEO, have you ever pulled anyone with a V1? Most of the time I get more than a miles wourth of warning. Even if you are shooting that guy who is half a mile in front of me, I still get the blip, and that is all the warning and time I need to get a heads up. On top of that, I usually see brake lights ahead of me when people see you, so I am good to go.

Now back to the OP, the only radar detector I would even think about using is the Valentine One. It is expensive, but it pays for itself the first time you lift of the throttle way before passing a cop.

[The CyberPoet]

First of all, radar is prone to interference. It is not too hard to figure out that the radar's antenna will accept any microwave that it is able to "hear". In other words, the antenna might not be "hearing" the waves which originated from its own unit. High voltage power lines, telephone lines, power stations, even neon lights, do emit lots of electromagnetic waves. There is absolutely no way to tell which wave the antenna is hearing.

From what I gather, most modern (post 2000) radar speed systems employ some sort of patterning to help exclude false returns (and to keep multiple cops from triggering each other's units). Thus, if the gun transmits a dot-dot-dash-dot-dash pattern across 25 milliseconds, then goes quiet for 25 milliseconds, then repeats again, that eliminates probably 99.5% of false returns, because a valid return will have some phase-shift on the same pattern and the unit should filter (pattern-match) return signals. If the manufacturers are not doing this, they're idiots.
Take a look at the Stalker DSR unit for example for more details on what's out there... It differentiates between the strongest signal and the fastest signal; it also can filter for vehicles only moving towards or away from the sensor.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[ChrisRam]

It would be easy to make a radar jammer but by defination you could not sell them. The problem is they could not meet FCC requirements since that is exactly what you are trying to do, emit a very strong signal. It would be fun to get access to one of the independent testing labs and see what you can make that would tip the scale.

Here is an EMI report on the PS3 so you can see what I am talking about.

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=838585&native_or_pdf=pdf

All of the PS3 docs are located here for those intrested:

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=834016&fcc_id=AK8CBEH1000

I can't even count the number of times I have been saved by a radar detector in a car. If I didn't have my head stuck up my *** one day it would have even saved me with a laser.

When I was in southern Indiana driving through what looks like a forest all around the highway with a car in front of me the detector went off for about a second and a half. When I finally got up to where the car in front of me was at when the detector went off the first time it went off again. BAM, ticket! The officier told me that when they run laser they turn it on and off to hit each car and don't have it on all of the time. He was an *** and just came out with it like, "this is why your radar detector failed you."

[AKA AllyKat]

Im not saying dectectors are or are not worth having. I havent seen or had one I would rely on. Sorry my insurance rates are high enough and I havent gotten a ticket since 93. So to decide to pay a hundred to a couple hundred dollars for an electronic device, not worth it to me, IMO, I would just as soon slow down and get there. Its just time and there is 24 more hours tomorrow.

As CP stated go to Stalkers site. For more information. But you are right in that the unit displays stronger vs weaker return signal. Which is normally easy to determine which vehicle is which. First requirement in tracking history Visual observation and estimation.
The V1 if you have that money to spend on it have at it. Ive never met anyone who has owned on and have never heard of it before hear. Top of the line unit maybe but they need better adverts to get thier name outthere.

[The CyberPoet]

The V1 if you have that money to spend on it have at it. Ive never met anyone who has owned on and have never heard of it before hear. Top of the line unit maybe but they need better adverts to get thier name outthere.

The Valentine has been around (in various incarnations) for almost 20 years -- it's also the only detector I know that can be upgraded in terms of firmware as new radar/laser guns appear on the market. It's de rigor if you drive a 6-figure sports car (seriously -- look at their dealer list and you'll see lots of Porsche/Ferrari/Lotus/etc dealers), and is considered the cream-of-the-crop (although recent models from other manufacturers are starting to encroach on it). The problem is that it is expensive as sin.. And that Michael Valentine hasn't & won't build one specific for motorcycle or all-weather use (I discussed it with him via email once); he's not interested in investing the extra effort required to make the unit waterproof/etc.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[trojanftbl52]

The Valentine has been around (in various incarnations) for almost 20 years -- it's also the only detector I know that can be upgraded in terms of firmware as new radar/laser guns appear on the market. It's de rigor if you drive a 6-figure sports car (seriously -- look at their dealer list and you'll see lots of Porsche/Ferrari/Lotus/etc dealers), and is considered the cream-of-the-crop (although recent models from other manufacturers are starting to encroach on it). The problem is that it is expensive as sin.. And that Michael Valentine hasn't & won't build one specific for motorcycle or all-weather use (I discussed it with him via email once); he's not interested in investing the extra effort required to make the unit waterproof/etc.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Is that the goofy looking guy in the Car & Driver ads? Balding, big glasses, funny nose, and looks like a dope. It appears to me that Valentine and Escort have a big war going on in car mags.

[Zepp]

Im not saying dectectors are or are not worth having. I havent seen or had one I would rely on. Sorry my insurance rates are high enough and I havent gotten a ticket since 93. So to decide to pay a hundred to a couple hundred dollars for an electronic device, not worth it to me, IMO, I would just as soon slow down and get there. Its just time and there is 24 more hours tomorrow.

As CP stated go to Stalkers site. For more information. But you are right in that the unit displays stronger vs weaker return signal. Which is normally easy to determine which vehicle is which. First requirement in tracking history Visual observation and estimation.
The V1 if you have that money to spend on it have at it. Ive never met anyone who has owned on and have never heard of it before hear. Top of the line unit maybe but they need better adverts to get thier name outthere.

The V1 is a Valentine One and is one of the best on the market. Cincinnati Microwave and Valentine both make awesome radar detectors.

A radar detector is well worth the money a hundred times over. It is not a license to speed. It is however very helpful for the times when your speed creeps up on you and you weren't really paying attention to it. Can you still get caught speeding with it? You better believe it.

Insurance rates are getting ridiculous in many states and the speeding fines have escalated to exorbitant charges. They are just looking for a reason to jack up your rates higher. One ticket avoided and that radar detector has paid for itself just in the insurance rates increase alone.

The police dept. in many communities generate big money for the towns. They are hiding everywhere just waiting to nail you. The bills need to get paid and you will be the one to do it, if you get caught. Certain little hick towns will make you wish that you took an alternate way. You will be paying someone's salary for the week, with your ticket.

[The CyberPoet]

Is that the goofy looking guy in the Car & Driver ads? Balding, big glasses, funny nose, and looks like a dope. It appears to me that Valentine and Escort have a big war going on in car mags.

Yup, that's what he looks like (not what he looked like in the late 70's when he first started appearing on the scene). And yes, the Valentine was always the unit the other brands wanted to take down. Various reports have put the newest top-of-the-line Escort above the Valentine in terms of sensitivity, esp in hot weather (where the metal case of the Valentine can act as an unintentional heat source in sunlight).

More: http://www.speedzones.com/

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[bubba]

If you were a cop...I'd be concerned about PC PD's lax hiring policies.

LOL hey Nero imagine a CBR1000 with police lights zooming up on ur tail at 189mph... lol I would be pulling over every rice burner I saw... just hoping one of them would try and run.

[VFRstar]

visually confirm speeds? how is that? If is that they have to just point out cars and say yeah 43, 47 55 while standing or moving, that is crap. No one can do that. dont give me that crap about yeah my buddy is spot on.

Actually that is exactly how it is, and it's not as hard as you would think. I can estimate most cars within +/- 5mph visually. You do this job day in and day out and you get good at it. I only unlock my radar a few times in a shift to confirm my estimation.

And about the radar tracking more than one target. My radar control has a "fastest" button on it. So even if the strongest signal is coming from the semi truck, I can still hit the fastest button and get the signal of the small car traveling next to it.

Patrol radar is built on the same doppler shift radar that has been used by the military since it's inception. It determines the speed by the stretching or compressing of the signal being returned to the radar counter, which is how it also determines the direction of the target.

Doppler can be scrambled, but anything that puts out a signal strong enough to actually effect a patrol radar is a violation of FCC regs and can not be sold or possessed without a specific FCC license. Even despite that, marketable radar jammers have been banned in most states.

[BarMatt80]

Actually that is exactly how it is, and it's not as hard as you would think. I can estimate most cars within +/- 5mph visually. You do this job day in and day out and you get good at it. I only unlock my radar a few times in a shift to confirm my estimation.

And about the radar tracking more than one target. My radar control has a "fastest" button on it. So even if the strongest signal is coming from the semi truck, I can still hit the fastest button and get the signal of the small car traveling next to it.

Patrol radar is built on the same doppler shift radar that has been used by the military since it's inception. It determines the speed by the stretching or compressing of the signal being returned to the radar counter, which is how it also determines the direction of the target.

Doppler can be scrambled, but anything that puts out a signal strong enough to actually effect a patrol radar is a violation of FCC regs and can not be sold or possessed without a specific FCC license. Even despite that, marketable radar jammers have been banned in most states.

Oh i totally agree, doing anything day in and day out, you definately do get good with it. Also given known factors and given something to base your reference that makes it that much more able to do. I doubt that if officers are taken out to road that they had no idea what the speed limit was, road didn't have any special markers, and they didn't know the road, i am betting their guesses would be off, way off. That should be the test, thus why radar should always be used(or comparable technology).

Is it alright in the police eyes to pull over someone for taking an educated guess on there speed? You stated that you don't take your radar off lock much during a shift, I don't know if that means you take it out of the mount in your car and use it in your hand, or if you turn it on during your shift. So either you are either guessing all the time or not pulling many over(i bet many hope it is the later part). Or were you meaning you guess the speed and then further back up with radar?

Also when pulling people over do you tell them you guessed their speed or do you tell them you always used radar? I am just curious because my brother and many other I know was pulled over for doing 71, 72, 73 in a 70 mph limit area.

But also yeah radar might be able to pick the fastest car or signal out of the bunch, however does it determine who it comes from? So if it is the car that is faster that signal is returned, but how do you know that it came from the truck or the car?

[chinto]

And about the radar tracking more than one target. My radar control has a "fastest" button on it. So even if the strongest signal is coming from the semi truck, I can still hit the fastest button and get the signal of the small car traveling next to it.

your radar may give you a "fastest" reading. But it will not identify, what target is giving off that fastest signal.

[VFRstar]

Even on roads I've never been on I can estimate speeds of on coming vehicles with the same accuracy. I know it seems unbelievable, but it's fairly easy.

What I meant by "unlock" my radar is that the radar is turned on, but not transmitting a signal. When I hit the unlock button it sends out the signal, when I hit the lock button again it stops sending a signal. In "perfect" conditions radar can be unlocked, lock in the target (your) speed, and locked again in about a half a second, faster than most radar detectors will trip. Radar detectors take a moment to determine if it's receiving a false signal before it alerts you. I've tested this on traffic stops when I can see the radar detector in the window of the car in front of me. Usually they end up shutting it off because they get annoyed with it tripping every few seconds. We have to have our fun some how. Detectors are not illegal in my state yet, except for commercial vehicles.

I always back up my estimation with the radar. While the state allows us to make traffic stops on speed estimation, I personally would never write a citation on it. Even while I am confidant with my skill, it would be a nightmare to prove in court.

Also, I don't find it surprising that your brother was stopped for 1 to 3 over the limit. While I don't condone this, many agencies do. Our SOP is not to stop until they are 10 over. I don't write until 14 over. So to answer your other question, I don't write a lot of speeding tickets, but I make a lot of stops and find stuff like warrants and suspended licenses.

And on another note. Since the gas hikes 4 years ago, speeding cites have dropped WAY down on the highways. Not as many people speed anymore.

[BarMatt80]

i was just curious if the guess had to be backed up or just can go with it. Sounds like you are a stand up policeman vfr!! No not because you don't pull over till 14 over, mostly because you get confirmation before ticketing for speeding(even though you are not required. I guess here in wv, if you are not spot on and lower then it is speeding. No fighting that, just didn't think it was far for people to guess. Even though it can be done with precision.

[Zepp]

Actually that is exactly how it is, and it's not as hard as you would think. I can estimate most cars within +/- 5mph visually. You do this job day in and day out and you get good at it. I only unlock my radar a few times in a shift to confirm my estimation.

And about the radar tracking more than one target. My radar control has a "fastest" button on it. So even if the strongest signal is coming from the semi truck, I can still hit the fastest button and get the signal of the small car traveling next to it.

Patrol radar is built on the same doppler shift radar that has been used by the military since it's inception. It determines the speed by the stretching or compressing of the signal being returned to the radar counter, which is how it also determines the direction of the target.

Doppler can be scrambled, but anything that puts out a signal strong enough to actually effect a patrol radar is a violation of FCC regs and can not be sold or possessed without a specific FCC license. Even despite that, marketable radar jammers have been banned in most states.

Within a certain speed range maybe. I find it hard to believe when there is no other vehicles to compare to though. Also, it would be very difficult to judge how fast a bike is going within 5 mph