Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: sbaker on July 07, 2016, 03:51:31 PM
-
Hello ALL;
Since radar detectors are not legal in many states... I was wondering what brand of radar detector "wouldn't" you use on trips to .... say.... nationals????
:wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:, nudge nudge, say no more, know what I mean ?? :wink: :wink:
-
Sam , just how fast were you "not" going that earned you a performance award ? :laugh:
Dusty
-
Which Time?????
So there have a few... Mostly getting caught is a "slow zone" at a 'regular speed... 65 in a 50 along Idaho scenic route 12 ... They are NEVER around when at the TON... just when Im not paying attention.... :(
-
IIRC only Virginia has a ban on VHF receivers aka radar detector use. The rest of the states are okay with the receivers. There may be some local city and/or county bans but you'd have to do your homework. There are motorcycle specific brands but off hand I don't remember the names.
-
I use a Passport in my car (can't remember the model number, bought it about 7 years ago) and it works fine except now it picks up a bunch of junk on the K band, which used to be where the cops were, but now is mostly proximity sensors from other, newer vehicles. I think a newer detector would be able to filter that out. I think the best you can buy is the Valentine. my friend got one and I don't love the interface but he doesn't pick up the same junk I do when we go out for a drive.
-
What brand wouldn't I use? Any.
I won't say I've never exceeded the speed limit (or even just in the last 24 hours!) but a combination of luck, selectivity and luck have left me with no moving violations. I did get a speeding ticket once, but I fought it as 'selective enforcement' (tourist trap set-up on the Interstate near Disney World, only rentals and tourists were being ticketed) - judge was busily throwing out a bunch from that day, I'm told.
Once, these devices had value - sort of like CB radios. I'm not sure they are really all that useful any more unless you're taking up speed as a profession.
-
Another useful purpose is that they'll pick up any of those automated signs on trailers advising of roadwork.
-
In Canada most of the RCMP highway cruisers, provincial Sheriff's etc, now have laser detectors. A couple years ago I was designing a new building for a regional RCMP detachment and got on well with the commander. I asked his crew one day over coffee what they though of radar detectors, I have a Valentine that I use in my car and bike.
They basically told me that nothing, other than a laser jammer is going to be of any use in a line of site reading. Laser jammers are illegal and the detector knows its being jammed. The RCMP can take your car apart looking for a hidden jammer.
The new radar detectors that some cruisers still have are almost as good as the laser. The only time a radar detector may be of use is if it picks up the ping of a cruiser taking a bead on another vehicle and gives you a heads up that a cruiser is in the area. This instance has worked for me a couple times.
I got nailed passing through Calgary with my Valentine on by a City cop using laser on an overpass. I think he gave me as large of a ticket as he could when he noticed the (legal) detector on my windshield.
Technology, ... it's taken the fun out of speeding.
-
works fine except now it picks up a bunch of junk on the K band, which used to be where the cops were, but now is mostly proximity sensors from other, newer vehicles. I think a newer detector would be able to filter that out. I think the best you can buy is the Valentine. my friend got one and I don't love the interface but he doesn't pick up the same junk I do when we go out for a drive.
Good to know, thanks, that's why I removed mine from my car.
-
This is the point of a detector. If your the first person that gets hit you may be toast. The radar guns will usually pick up the largest moving object and motos are hard to get a good reading if there is other larger traffic like cars and trucks. So you hope you will get a warning from someone else that is getting scanned and react to that.
Allot of the police units run the radar all the time while driving so when you meet one it will give the officer your speed. But that is good because it the radar is active there is a good chance you will detect it before you get busted.
A game of wits and just a tool that might save you from a fine. If you have a tendency to go 10 to 20 over no matter what the limit is they can help.
Its the slower places 35 to 65 that they do a good job of keeping you out of trouble.(maybe).
I used them for years when traveling by serious sport bike.
I don't have the enthusiasm for such thing these days.
The new radar detectors do not default to the largest vehicle, similar to the laser, the new technology is line of site accurate.
-
Having been in my trooper buddy's car with their latest generation radar , don't waste your money . Also , unlike older radars , the new stuff picks up multiple targets at once . My friend can tell you what each vehicle is , a car , a motorcycle , a large truck , pretty amazing to watch . Of course he has a very liberal "15 over" tolerance , the vast majority of what he writes are warnings .
Dusty
-
Cough cough...I'm a big fan of detectors...they work quite well and often times where you least expect it...
If going wired...then Beltronics or Valentine---invaluable in cars/motos...will save you a ton. X, K, KA and Laser in both brands available....
If going battery powered/mounted on a RAM mount - Passport Escort Solo - it's just not waterproof, so stuff it into the tank bag when it starts to rain. Mine is not wired into any microphone, just has volume turned up to max...so you can hear it when it beeps.
-
Not a waste of money if you like to go fast or over the limit significantly. Multiple targets, come on! They see many targets and give the speed of all??? How do they determine which is which do we have transponders.
I have traveled this country at hi speed for years and sophisticated target radars you describe for police are are a pipe dream my friend..How they could determine anything that complicated while driving is doubtful.
Picking up multiple targets and being able to determine which is which is only found in fighter aircraft and they are on autopilot most likely and a computer id's everything.
Even todays police traffic radar will be mask somewhat by larger moving objects 'cause motos are a small target.
I don't ride around with police but I know what has kept me out of trouble for a long time.
:Beating_A_Dead_Hors e_by_liviu
Sorry Mike , no idea how it works , but it does . Have sat on the side of the road with the trooper and watched as he identified targets , and watched as they actually went by us and he was invariably correct .
As for going fast , well , we won't go there , but you have ridden with me , so...and I've never had a ticket , luck , a sixth sense , know when to slow down , dunno .
Dusty
-
What I am say'in is that with a detector you have the advantage without doubt. If the guy is sitting on the side of the road he still can't say in court if he has multiple speeds, which is witch.
If he is shooting on the side of the road and your approaching you will most likely be warned in time to react. Worth the money if you feel the need for speed.
BTW
I would only ride in a police if I was arrested.
Slow night.
:-)
This trooper is a fellow bug smasher , as is my retired po po bud . Neither one are hard asses , pretty regular blokes . Besides , having a trooper bud is better than a radar detector for taking care of tickets , although maybe not so effective outside of Oklahoma :laugh:
Glad it is a quiet night :thumb:
Dusty
-
:thumb:
Yes its been crazy. Break to night.
More later.
Guess I'm an outlaw. (Texas)
Yipeeee
:-)
So am I , but it never hurts to have a friend on the other side when things go awry :laugh:
Dusty
-
I used to run two when I was on the road in the car all the time. They mostly gave me a false sense of security, made me not pay attention like I should and tell me when I've been nailed. I do just as well paying attention to my surroundings with my eyes open, which are much better at a distance since laser surgery a few years ago. Haven't had a ticket in prolly 15 yrs. I don't speed all the time, but when I do................. ...
-
... I'm usually with you :evil:
Dusty
-
... I'm usually with you :evil:
Dusty
We have been known to :rolleyes:
-
Visual responses are getting harder and harder with the low profile light bars or totally hidden lights. Don't know either if that oncoming Crown Vic, SUV, Dodge Charger, or Ford Fusion is a cop car. Was much easier back in the day when they had a big cherry on top. :copcar:
GliderJohn
-
This site pretty much explains the futility of radar detectors up against the new LIDAR system.
http://www.lasertech.com/TruCAM-Laser-Speed-Gun.aspx
It gets a reading almost instantly, emits no radar signal that can be detected, records the image of each 'hit'
"For speeds greater than or equal to a preset value, a video motion clip and a high resolution still image are automatically recorded and saved along with attribute data." And this happens with each click of the camera the officer takes through the scope of the LIDAR gun. This is how the officer can pick out one vehicle after another, record the image and speed and then decide if he will apprehend the speeder.
In my neck of the woods this is the technology law enforcement is using.
-
Don't be a PUSSY!!
LOL
Sometimes I drive fast, on open highways, but not on my old Guzzi's so much but my 4 wheeled daily transport pushes 450 hp and has a 0 ~ 60 of 4.2 seconds, no 'big' tickets recently but I don't bother plugging in the Valentine any more.
carry on
-
Buy a CB radio. Much better. I have a detector. The biggest problem I found is the x band. Cars have back up sensors and mirror side sensors that cause the detector to go off constantly. Up to 1 mile away. Now put several vehicle on the road with sensors and the detector is useless. I use a combo of the CB, radar and gps. Gps is the best for traffic reports followed by the CB. Many people have CB's, but do not communicate on them until it is too late.
-
Hello All;
Interesting discussion... Clearly not a guarantee, but I can't spot the patrol cars any more... The light bar is too low profile to been seen until it's too late. And too many SUV's with roof racks that "look" ominous. I generally get caught not when maxed out, but when the posted speed limits are lower than the road could handle. Like RT 12 ... 50MPH yes it's a tourist 'scenic" byway, but really !!!! And he was hidden behind a berm just past a curve.. I had no chance.. :) .... No other traffic, in the area, a warning would have helped... :) :(
-
Sam , if he was using the latest tech nothing would have helped . I mentioned earlier about riding with my trooper buddy , I've watched the Lidar that Oklahoma employs . The other factor , true pro LEO's don't need anything but their eyes to tell if a vehicle is speeding , my buddy has demonstrated that ability to me by turning off his Radar , observing a vehicle and estimating its speed , and then turning his radar on to verify his estimate . He is invariably accurate to within a two MPH range , remember , these guys do this all day every day .
Dusty
-
My .02 cents.
Don't waste your money. By the time your detector cooks off, you have been detected. Peroid.
The signal is transmitted and bounced back to the unit, calibrated before your light or buzzer goes off.
How the system works.
You make the speed stop based on your observations and estimation. :shocked:
Yep, radar cites are speed estimations. You observe traffic, estimated the speed of your target and
confirm it with the calibration unit. You have to certify and re certify, and be within 2 mph of your estimation.
I know someone will flame on this, but that is how it is to be done.
Do you really think that the officer just sit there looking at the screen and when he sees x mph, looks up and picks the first vehicle he sees ? Relative movement, the blue car is visibly faster that the others, they are moving at about x, and Mr. Blue looks to be x+, look at the counter and yep that is him.
Radar picks the biggest target. It will pick up a semi before a corvette. There are dual counters and displays for this.
Radar doesn't have to continuously transmit a signal, there is an on/hold button.
See something, make an estimation, hit transmit see the result, act accordingly.
Go by a radar trailer, and see if it picks you up on your motor. I am about 50/50 on those.
Yes Radar is accurate, no they do not clock trees at 80 mph, and don't point the antenna at, well anything you don't want cooked..... :rolleyes:
Lidar, target specific, speed of light, accurate.
I used to hit the transmit button once in a while, just to see who had a detector. Push the button and 1 or 2 vehicles would hit their brakes. I would giggle, and they would think, man this MagnumPlus Radar Sqisheer just saved me a ticket.
Nope, but it was entertaining.
Best detector is riding heads up and aware.
Off my sop box, flame away....
kjf
-
Best detector is riding heads up and aware.
:1:
since the speed limits have been raised where I mostly ride, and the officers mostly use instant-on types of radar, I haven't messed with a radar detector.
Yeah. Everyone had one in the 1980s. I had a couple. Haven't ever used a detector on a motorcycle.
Honestly, around here, as speed limits have been raised, visible enforcement has actually gone down. They seem to focus mainly on drug interdiction, speed in construction areas, and call outs for wrecks/accidents.
-
If I had been riding "heads up and aware" last Sunday I wouldn't have got my 65 in a 55 ticket. One car flashed his lights at me, a motorcycle rider jumped up and down waving ( I just thought he was being overly friendly) and I drove right past the LEO without a concern.
Earlier I had been riding much faster and paying better attention and I probably would have slowed down.
Moral of this story: Ride faster and pay better attention.
-
The newer radar in the cars is far better than the detectors. IF the LEO is using one of the older sets then the detector will work ok.
The instant on and narrow focus, as well as other stuff, makes them hard to detect if you are not the target. Yes, they can pick out a specific vehicle in a group. If you are the target the best that happens is you know you've been tagged. Whether or not he goes after you is up to the LEO. I know I've blown by a few that were doing paperwork and not interested in another speeder.
Just because you have not been pulled over does not mean your detector is doing it's job.
And just to add to the confusion, some departments will set up an older radar unit on a road somewhere to get people with detectors to slow down. They know that if a speeder puts on the brakes most everyone else will too.
Lasers are used when the department is serious, usually with several 'chase' cars/bikes. Or, in some places in CA they use a plane with chase cars.
Many LEOs just consider the act of stopping you and taking up some of your time to be worth the stop, ie, you are in a hurry to get somewhere so you get stopped. They take some time to run your plates and write out a warning, you miss your appt or whatever you were in a hurry to get to.
Last, don't know about all states, but in NM and AZ if you are above a certain speed you can be arrested and your vehicle impounded. Is running that fast worth it?
Yes, I have been over 100 on several roads out here, on bike and in car. But, I make sure I can see at least a mile in front of me and it is clear of all cars. And, yes, that is kinda 'normal' on some roads out here. And, I don't do it very often. Just not very exciting anymore. Kind of a BTDT kind of thing.
-
I've used the Valentine 1 for over 20 years. It was and still might be the best there is. they did a warranty fix a couple of years after purchase and again at about 6 years old after taking a skid down the high way after a low slide. all done for free. now that's a great company. the older units like mine from any brand will drive you nuts now. the Chevy trail blazer tail lights set it off. the new toll road near Atlanta sets it off and the new cars with the lane warring's do to so you need to buy new not used.
the guys above are right about all the new radar stuff. A great detector will get you out of the old radars and about 1/2 of the instant on. the laser will get you most of the time but it seems like they hold the trigger a lot longer on a bike and if you hit the brakes "I think" it tosses the reading out because of the dramatic change in speed. considering that a lot of tickets cost $300-400 now I still consider it a good investment.
more importantly I too have changed some of my evil ways. I now consider it stupid to get a ticket when I'm not having fun. an interstate ticket or main highway ticket is nuts. now 55 in a 35 curve, well at least I was enjoying myself. kind of like having to pay to go to Disney world. it's like a old biker once told me "when I pass in the double yellow I just figure it equals out to about 2 cents a pass when I do get a ticket."
-
Moral of this story: Ride faster and pay better attention.
...and get a radar detector that you pay attention to! :grin:
-
Dunno about other states , but the Lidar used by Okie troopers just keeps reading after a target hits the brakes , then displays the highest speed recorded . The reason for not getting pulled over afterwards is because the LEO either decides to give the offender a break , or he/she is more interested in another target . It is interesting to watch the reading decrease rapidly for a couple of seconds , the level off . Was sitting with my bud on US 69 in a construction zone , clearly marked with flashing lights , reduced speed ahead signs , arrows , maybe even a giant holding a yellow flag . He pulled over several cars that evening , only wrote warnings . Some of the excuses were funny . "I am lost , didn't notice the signs" , "my girlfriend is waiting in Dallas for me to get home so she can get something to eat" , or my favorite , from a college age girl in a Mustang , " My dad said to vary speed
until my new car is broken in" :shocked: :rolleyes: She was doing about 90 MPH in a 55 MPH zone and teared up a bit , Greg gave her a stern talking to and sent her down the road :laugh:
Dusty
-
Sounds reasonable to me. :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
-
Didn't want to hijack the tickets thread so i thought i would keep this separate. After getting a warning last summer on the griso for 25 over ( thank you leo), I have been wondering about the worth of modern radar detectors. I know little to nothing about them and don't even know if the're legal in my state, but I sure know that speeding isn't. Does anyone here have any personal experience with one of these devises on a mc? My first thought is that they are probably a huge false sense of security and could lead to worse problems than a speeding ticket, but on the other hand, the concept is interesting and worth at least some consideration,, no?
-
Beltronics used to make a portable that, with an attached deflector, fit in the top pocket of a riding jacket. I kinda liked it. Wonder if they still do...
Spud
-
There is another thread already on detectors, but here's the same info:
If you want a battery powered one (no wires)...you can get an Escort Solo S3 - that's what I am running on a RAM mount on the Guzzi...gives me a visual and a sound indicator...
If you want to go the wired route, in my cars, I have Beltronics RX-65, new model is called a 500. Excellent machine - here's a link - covers X, K, Ka and Laser.
https://www.beltronics.com/store/product.php?productid=16212&cat=25
Other folks also like the Valentine as it gives "directional" indicators of where the radar is coming from (front, back, side to side).
They are by no means a false sense of security - no tickets since installing them (just don't have it mounted when going thru Virginia - illegal there). You can augment the warning mechanisms by adding an LED indicator or by installing an eye piece in your helmet if you like.
Depends on how much you drive or want to risk on tickets vs. the cost of a detector...I figure it's saved me a LOT of tickets as it gives a long range preview of where there is radar or specifically where you might not even suspect someone is waiting vs. known speed traps. I also drive a lot per year on long distance trips. I also see for example in some city settings, local streets have very aggressive policing on radar in 30 mph zones...and frequently folks getting pulled over for doing 35-40. City off ramps into Houston drop fast from 50 to 30 mph from parkways onto downtown streets very quickly, an innocuous setting and one where you would not expect it ...but every day someone is nailed there.
Good luck!
-
Funny story. A friend liked to drive really fast. His preference was BMW M series cars. He had a 'stack' of stuff he hung on the passenger side. Two radar detectors (one pointed forward, one back), laser detector, and a "passive radar jammer". He was usually one ticket away from having his license pulled.
His car had a bad differential on one trip so he walked into the showroom and bought a new one (yep, he had money). Hung his electronics suite up in the new car and took off. 30 miles down the road he gets pulled over for over >100 in a 65. He was ticked. Luckily his license was not revoked and he wasn't hauled in by the cop. Goes home and checks his electronics and they all work. Then he points his radar gun at the car (yes, he owned one) and the detectors did not go off. So, he goes out and reads the owners manual. BMW started putting a coating on the windshields for UV and other 'protection'. They stated in the manual that some radar and laser detectors would not work with this coating. When he went on about this I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair. To top it all off the guy had a PhD in physics and later worked as a scientist at Sandia Labs.
-
He was usually one ticket away from having his license pulled.
....which means he had probably been stopped and ticketed at least 2 times...so apparently he was pushing his luck even armed to the teeth with detectors.
Pity about the film on the window...big oops!
-
Yep, big oops, but funny, at least to me.
Yep, despite all the gadgets he'd still get stopped every now and then. Many times he'd get off with a warning. Don't know how as I never was in the car with him when he got caught.
-
Absolutely typical BMW. build a car that almost requires you to speed then ad something nobody wanted or needed and make it so you get a ticket where you wouldn't in a Chevy or Toyota.
-
Thanks for all the info. . Apologize for not searching the topic first, was unaware that this had already been discussed at length previously. Somehow I don't think the detector will be of much help to me as the root problem seems to be with my right wrists. :evil:
-
They say that if you're speeding, a detector will let you know that you're going to get a ticket. :tongue:
-
They say that if you're speeding, a detector will let you know that you're going to get a ticket. :tongue:
This is especially true in open states like North Dakota and Montana where the radar can see to the horizon and there are few cars on the road. Up there if it goes off you might as well just pull over.
-
How many of you who are saying that a detector won't work are actually running one? Either you've got a very poor one, or you just not paying attention to it. They work...flat out! Spend money on a good one and you save 1 to 2 tickets easily...after that you're running free.
On a wide open plain, flat to the horizon, the view of the detector is plenty fine to give you a tinkle that radar is in action somewhere up there a mile or so away, long before you get into sight of the police...that's what it does...it detects it, so you get a signal and start to slow down. At the first tinkling of the radar...off goes the throttle...
And you don't even have to be the one who's getting tagged...someone else up in front of you may be the "beneficiary" of the radar gun.
Try it...they work.
-
How many of you who are saying that a detector won't work are actually running one? Either you've got a very poor one, or you just not paying attention to it. They work...flat out! Spend money on a good one and you save 1 to 2 tickets easily...after that you're running free.
On a wide open plain, flat to the horizon, the view of the detector is plenty fine to give you a tinkle that radar is in action somewhere up there a mile or so away, long before you get into sight of the police...that's what it does...it detects it, so you get a signal and start to slow down. At the first tinkling of the radar...off goes the throttle...
And you don't even have to be the one who's getting tagged...someone else up in front of you may be the "beneficiary" of the radar gun.
Try it...they work.
Ditto Ditto Ditto
Of course, they work. They've saved my bacon countless times. Again, nowadays the most risky situation is not going supersonic speeds on a freeway but innocently going through an area marked 35 while doing 45-50 and thinking you're being a good boy.
Let's be politically correct for a moment. Look at them as an aid for speed enforcement. They serve as an alert to speed limit changes, like an electronic signpost. Maybe the government should subsidize their purchase or mandate new vehicles have them built-in.
.
-
In wide open areas out here with no traffic is where they don't work for me. The radar isn't triggered on until the car sees you, then it's too late.
They work better when there are other cars around. The detector sees the radar as it looks at other cars ahead of you.
Both lasers and radar are getting better and cheaper.
Then there are the air patrols. I think only CA is using them anymore, but, when they set up a trap you have no warning. The only clue is if you see several people pulled over on the other side of the road.
-
WAZE app on phone is awesome! Tells you (with voice commands!) where the cops are. Free app Gives directions.
-
The folks around San Diego are sneaky. Last time I was down there they had put up dummy low power radar transmitters on every speed limit sign on the highways. I assume they did this so the detectors would alert constantly making the detectors useless. I never got a mail citation so I don't think they had hundreds of photo radar sites.
-
Kansas still uses air patrol some but not near what they use to. In the late 80s a patrolman showed me the Cessna 172 and the clocking set up. The pilot could fly the plane and clock up to six vehicles at once.
GliderJohn
-
There's a section of highway on Oahu near the MCBH (Marine Corp. Base Hawaii) that has a sign saying that "Speed enforcement by VASCAR". I chuckle whenever I see it. They never had it set up and there is no aviation division for enforcement. Almost all drivers have no idea what VASCAR is. Only the transferred Marines from other stateside bases would know. :grin:
-
Yep, back when CA didn't use radar they used VASCAR.
NM had air patrol that was quite active at one time. I know they paid for one of their planes in less than a year's worth of citations. Don't think they've usee it much now that they have the newer radars and lasers. Some of the signs are still out there on the roads.
-
One other thing that I forgot to put it. The airspace is restricted around the base because the Navy does air ops. out of there. Don't know if a Cessna floating around there would be a wise thing with C130's, P3 Orions and assorted Marine and Navy fighters flying in and out. The P3's go up to the Bering Strait and Pacific sub patrol. The fighters do touch and go's plus whatever else they do for flight training. :cool: