radar detectors

[teamgta]

Hey. Im looking into buying a radar detector for my car. Do any of you use these? If so what kind do you have? how well do they work?

[morriswindgate]

I have owned several and they work, but they also seem to fail pretty quick. I don't know why, but I never got more than 8 months from one.
I now just set the cruise control to about 5 miles over and go with it.

[Colonel Sanders]

I haven't owened one, I have heard of cases where a cop will give you a worse ticket simply for haveing a radar ticket.

Anyways, I assume you know all about the up and downs of owning a radar detector.

I recently read about the Valentine 1 radar detector, it's a bit pricey but it looks like an excellent radar detector. Now I cant speak from personal experience, but I would suggest looking at them, maybe someone here can comment on the Valentine 1.

The downside to the Valentine, is the price $400.

Logan

[Doobie]

I used to use Radar Detectors and they seem to work pretty well. The ones I have used sometimes would go off when I drove by a grocery store granted it didn’t spend $400 dollars for one so that might be the reason.

When I was 16 on my way home from work one night some car was following me with bright lights on and my radar detector didn’t go off so I didn’t think it was a cop. I picked up my speed to 90 on a 55 and this car was still behind me. As soon as I reached the city limits I drop my speed to 35 and next thing you know I get pulled over. It was like a scene from cops because out of no where about 6 cop cars surround me. The first thing I did was hide my freaking Radar Detector. The cops asked me what I thought they should do and I asked them to give me another chance since I had just gotten my license. So after a speech they let me go…. The good thing about living in a small town… The moral of this story is not to put your trust in radar detectors…. After that day I have never used another radar detector.

[glc]

Cops aren't stupid - why should they use radar or lasers when they have calibrated speedometers and maybe also Vascar and they are following you?

[avx]

My dad has one of those...I feel bad for you if you live in a big city, whenever we get into a commercial area, there are always those motion detecting doors, or the alrms on doors incase someone trys to steal something...All kinds of stuff like that, when we get in those areas the thing goes nuts, it picks up EVERYTHING its always beeping, laser...K9...Cband...Kband...you GOT to unplug it or it will drive you nuts...

and glc is right on the cop thing too...its part of their job too catch speeders, it isnt like they need radar to tell how fast you are going...and they are sneaky too, you know why they always ask you how fast you are going when they come up to the car..and you always give them that dumb guess like..uhhh, 70...they always add on like an extra 10mph cause you basically let them know right there and then that you dont even know how fast you were going, and they can say whatever speed they want, cause you dont really know, he doesnt really know, but he thinks you were speding and hes a cop, so he wins...My grandfather was a cop, he told me this

[Eaglefeather]

Don't operate them if you enter Canada. It is against the law to even have one in a motor vehicle on a public road or highway, whether it is connected or not. However for visitors from the States I would imagine they would be more lenient as long as the thing is not in operation. They have a device to let them know if a Detector is being used.

Most detectors work only on line of sight. The police usually set up at the end of a curve or behind a bridge abutment and get you as you come around the curve or pass the abutment, detector or no detector.

They are starting to do a lot of air work now and a detector is useless against air detection.

I heard they also have a new system out that works something like the remote control for your tv. It is placed on the side of the highway or on a bridge. The signal assess your speed and then a camera focusses in on your license plate and you received a summons in the mail if you are exceeding the speed by the permissable limits, which is normally about 5 mph.

Face it guys as long as we continue to proscribe to archaic speed laws on our highways you will face the risk of being caught if you speed.

[HAL9000]

Partially True Eaglefeather.... I'm in Saskatchewan and they are perfectly legal as well as in Alberta. I know in Manitoba, they are a big no no there.

I used to use a radar detector and found I got into more trouble using one than not, so I got rid of it.

[Tuf]

Years ago when all they had was always on radar, radar detectors worked pretty well. Today they aren't as effective with the pulse radars and lasers and what not. They only have a chance if there is traffic ahead of you. But if there is traffic ahead of you that you are rapidly overtaking you are probably going to be getting a ticket anyway.

The best bet is to drive with traffic or just take the tickets. While radar detectors are legal here you can't use one in any type of commercial vehicle. So if your car is registered in a business' name you can't use one. They do enforce it with commercial vehicles.

I saw a fair number of them in Alberta last year when I was there.

[Trent Steel]

Originally posted by Tuf The best bet is to drive with traffic or just take the tickets.

Thats where photo radar will get you, as Eaglefeather was alluding to. In Edmonton (where I live), we have three photo radar units, they set up on the front bumper of car/van/truck and sit on the side of the road, you go over the prescribed limit and it takes a picture of your license plate, couple weeks later you get it in the mail, pay the ticket but there is no demerit points. Everyone in a speeding pack will get the ticket.

To avoid the tickets of photo radar, laser, trailing cops, speed gates, there is only one sure fire solution to not getting a tickets, it does not cost anything, is reliable, is reusable, is legal, is available basically everywhere. What is it, why its driving the speed limit silly (or lower depending on the actual road conditions).

Speed limits are there for a reason, granted some areas have ridicously low limits for the road conditions but the premise behind a limit is valid. Speed kills, you perception time and reaction time are relatively constant, so you travel farther before you can actual start to stop. Additionally the faster you go the more momentum, the more kinetic energy you have to dissapate before you can stop.

[Tuf]

I got one of those photo tickets in the mail several years ago. I had loaned my Land Cruiser to my two sisters and their husbands for a trip to Arizona to attend the Fiesta Bowl. I wasn't even in Arizona myself and I could prove it.
When I called the DA's office they told me the owner of the vehicle was responsible. I think that's BS and it's akin to extortion. Anyway I made it clear I would fight the legality of the enforcement of such a law.
After much ado they ended up dropping the whole matter but I believe they still do it that way out there.
I am not defending anyone that breaks the law but I do believe it's their duty to identify the law breaker and take the matter up with them.

[not important]

Cobra makes dfecent ones. But, like everyone has said, they do have there faults and limitations. Best use is on Interstates and open areas.

[LawyerRon]

Eaglefeather,
Radar detectors are not legal in all 50 states. But they are in California. Never tried one though.

[teamgta]

Thanx for the input guys. You got lucky doobie. Ill take a look at the Valentine 1. Might evenbe able to get it for half price Dont ask.

[ILLPHIL]

hey doobie cops in your area are prety extreme. 1 person speeding and you get 6 cruisers, they were not even in a chase with you, thats insane.

[Doobie]

Originally posted by ILLPHIL hey doobie cops in your area are prety extreme. 1 person speeding and you get 6 cruisers, they were not even in a chase with you, thats insane.

I believe it’s because they don’t get much action around there… Its a very small town in N.C. I would have most definitely gone to the slammer that night and had my license revoked.

[ILLPHIL]

ouch, im surprised that they waited until you slowed down to pull you over. especially since you slowed down when you entered the town, isn't the most important part when your in the town, seems like to me they owuld have been somewhat happy.
cops can be pretty crazy.

[ylen13]

Originally posted by ILLPHIL ouch, im surprised that they waited until you slowed down to pull you over. especially since you slowed down when you entered the town, isn't the most important part when your in the town, seems like to me they owuld have been somewhat happy. cops can be pretty crazy.

ac tually could be this reason. Cop siting at intersection and cars don't stop on red light.One driver actually stoped on red light but seeing everyone going he decided to go also.Well he got stopped by the cop.Driver>office why did u stop me and not everyone else.Because everyone else don't know the law and u do. So it seems because he knew the law and slow down so speedlimit the cops decided to give him a ticket.