Freakazoid84 wrote:blah, $10 bucks less than it was a month ago when I bought it...

I feel your pain...

got it for my sister, she still has not received a speeding ticket, I guess it works well enough.

outer78 wrote:The highway patrol A-holes use laser guns and most radar detectors don't pick this up(as in this one according to the description, Ka isn't laser band its radar) or they wont until they pull the trigger of the gun and by then you better hope that its not pointed at your vehicle cause if it is, well you know.

So all in all this one isn't top of the line by no means since it doesn't even have the capabilities to detect laser. But if you are just planning on using it in the more populated area where your local police are then chances are this is a great deal and is really cheap since the local Po-Po most likely are still stuck on the Ka band radar since the laser takes extra training and costs more so they don't want to buy as many.

It does detect Laser, just like ANY modern detector.

From the description:

Laser Wavelength: 905 ± 10 nanometers (nm)

i got more tickets w/ a radar detector than without one.

It gives you a false sense of "immunity" and your mind tricks you into driving fast without having to watch for cops. No radar detector makes you more alert... thus you still drive fast but with elevated level of alertedness.

DONT GET IT!

Headparot wrote:ka and K are detected by tiny rf antenna embedded in the housing. laser is detected by multiple diodes around the interior of the housing as well. the placement of the antenna in the housing may or may not require a visible window, like the IR window you are probably thinking of. some devices require multiple antenna some don't.

Ok I did not know that, but do you know of any web sites which have stats to sensitivity response in regards to rear radar signals?

So how exactly does this work? Does it only work if the cop is using his laser/radar gun?

jflm3 wrote:i got more tickets w/ a radar detector than without one.

It gives you a false sense of "immunity" and your mind tricks you into driving fast without having to watch for cops. No radar detector makes you more alert... thus you still drive fast but with elevated level of alertedness.

DONT GET IT!

I use my Radar Detectors as a tool to help me locate cops. No one should solely rely on a detector, they can't help you if the cop is using visual means to identify a speeder and his RADAR/laser gun to verify the speed.

Rely on the detector to see where your eyes can't. It has saved me many times when I cop is waiting just over a hill or on the other side of an overpass.

alechigginz wrote:So how exactly does this work? Does it only work if the cop is using his laser/radar gun?

Yes.

fortgeorge wrote:Because I make too much to take the pay cut and I do that because a speeder killed my cousin when he tried to pass another car and clipped his bumper making him roll 7 times.

Quit trying to make your criminal(speeding is a crime you know) self look like a victim.

I'm sorry that happened but I doubt that you obey every traffic law. Even speed limits. There is no reason to impede a steady flow even if its above the speed limit. I see cops drive well over the speed limit without sirens on all the time not just on highways but even city streets. What you're concerned about are the idi0t$ on the streets weaving through traffic and essentially flying by cars.

alechigginz wrote:So how exactly does this work? Does it only work if the cop is using his laser/radar gun?

Yes. That's why it's called a radar detector and not a cop detector.

j/k :p

abright52 wrote:Yes.

Does this thing help then; or does it just tell you that your screwed?

These are illegal in California, it's been a year or so since I checked but I don't remember them being illegal..

Anyway back when I was into speeding everywhere I got the top rated Whistler I could find in my price range. Honestly it gives you false courage more than anything, unless things have REALLY changed. Back then a radar detector was just that, it detected radars. In the area I live and surrounding areas more and more cops use lasers, so the only warning you'll get is "PULSE!" but by the time you see it, it's already too late, the cop only needs that quick moment to flash you with the laser (it's not constantly on so it's not detected until he actually uses it) and after he does it's so quick you wont have time to change your speed on it most likely.

The most effective way to stop that, unfortunately, is by illegal getting a laser scrambler installed which can show a lower speed than you were going. But of course, it's illegal..

JohnnyLemonhead wrote:they are not at all illegal in CA. not at all. VA and DC are the only illegal places.

And, I believe, Connecticut.

I bought this unit when it was $10 higher from Woot. I bought mine then went on a roadtrip with a friend who had an Escort - the high end model. When I got back home and drive around with mine I noticed the alert takes longer to kick in at certain places (IE: walmart doors, speed detection sign) than his did. It's true, you get what you pay for...but then I had nothing so this is better than that.

kevo911 wrote:No such thing as a laser jammer!

There are both laser and radar jammers. Unfortunately, radar jamming in any form is illegal (because it is used for so much more than speed traps) but laser jammers are legal in most states.

techspecs wrote:What you're concerned about are the idi0t$ on the streets weaving through traffic and essentially flying by cars.

I agree completely with that. If I see someone coming up behind me on the freeway, I will do my best to move right as soon as possible. If I am in the right lane in the first place I am probably passing someone.

I won't speed just so I can get out of their way faster. And if they feel the need to try and pass on the right, or run right up and tailgate, or are going well above what the rest of the traffic is flowing at, then they are fair game to be messed with.

justapixel wrote:Okay, so I commute on city streets from Sac County to Fair Oaks. I'm always late at 6:00 (not a morning person) so I go fast. Does the above statement mean this won't be useful for me?

(Lots and lots of police on my route)

My impression is casual enforcement is still most often
Ka radar and this unit might help you with being
aware it is being used in time to slow down.

When they decide to have an "enforcement day", for
instance Roseville Expressway or perhaps FO Blvd.,
that is when they use LIDAR to pinpoint individ'l
vehicle in multilane traffic.

I do believe CHP by law still has to have their
enforcement equipment purchased by the county they
are in {and the fines generated are benefiting},
and the state doesn't actually purchase ra/lidar. There is
one CHP motorcycle guy in North San Joaquin Co.
who hangs out mostly on southbound I-5; that is the
only time I have seen CHP with LIDAR.

As suggested above, often more useful just to know
cop is in the area. And, thus, a good time not
to be going tooo much faster than the rest of
traffic.

As I said, YMMV.

JohnnyLemonhead wrote:frankly I'm surprised they aren't illegal in all states. I mean, let's be honest, we're talking about a device whose SOLE function is to help you break the law and endanger the public in the meantime. I think it is incredible that it is ONLY one state and the capitol that prohibit it.

Tecnically, they don't say it's illegal to receive the signal. They say it's illegal to drive with it. And as we all know, driving is a priviledge, not a right.

For instance, it's not illegal to have a scanner that picks up police broadcasts, but it's illegal to drive with one in your car while it's on.

mgs333 wrote:i don't think they're common, but my hardwired/concealed BEL kit has front and rear sensors

that system costs well over $1,000 installed. PHAIL

I notice that the states where this device is selling well are ones with wide open stretches of highway with little or nothing of interest along the way...

fortgeorge wrote:Quit trying to make your criminal (speeding is a crime you know) self look like a victim.

Speeding is not a crime in New Jersey, and I doubt that it is in any other state. It's a moving violation, something less than a civil offense. There's a huge difference.

And deliberately preventing someone from passing, by blocking their path, speeding up to prevent them from passing you, etc., is also a moving violation. So, every time you slow down or pull along side another vehicle to block someone's path, you are violating traffic laws.

halnwheels wrote:Tecnically, they don't day it's illegal to receive the signal. They say it's illegal to drive with it. And as we all know, driving is a priviledge, not a right.

For instance, it's not illegal to have a scanner that picks up police broadcasts, but it's illegal to drive with one in your car while it's on.

how the hell is driving a privilege and not a right? Driving is a right, just like walking down the street is a right unless you violate a law.

Anyway, I just ordered one of these. My first radar detector in 38 years of driving! I plan to start traveling a lot between south Jersey and the Adirondack Mts. in NY, which involves a lot of highway mileage. Although most of the traffic seems to move at around 80 in NY, I don't want to be the one to get pulled over.

bardic wrote:I have to agree with a previous poster that likes to mess with speeders (mostly small city driving, but sometimes on the freeway).

If I see someone in my rear view mirror weaving through traffic to get ahead, I like to find a car on the lane beside me that is going just a touch below the speed limit. Then I pull ahead until they switch to my lane, let off the gas a little until they change to the other lane, and repeat. I try not to use my brakes because that would look too obvious.

There was one guy who was tailgating cars and weaving back and forth. After messing with him a few times he slammed on his brakes and squealed his tires, then he shaped up and started driving like a normal person.

Oh my God! Do you REALLY think you are doing society good? What if that person's wife was having a baby... or someone's cousin needed to get to the hospital? How dare you impose your narrow minded will on others? How about minding your own business? How about focusing your attention on what's going on in front of you, so you can safely operate your vehicle and react to conditions IN FRONT OF YOU!!! Instead, you watch how people BEHIND you are driving, and plot against them? Are you serious? You aren't ashamed to admit that? Do you also harm small animals and molest children? You and people like you ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE KILLED!!! If you can't mind your own business and keep from harassing strangers on the road, you probably can't do it in life either! I feel sorry for you. You must lead a miserable existence.

JimmyJag wrote:Speeding is not a crime in New Jersey, and I doubt that it is in any other state. It's a moving violation, something less than a civil offense. There's a huge difference.

And deliberately preventing someone from passing, by blocking their path, speeding up to prevent them from passing you, etc., is also a moving violation. So, every time you slow down or pull along side another vehicle to block someone's path, you are violating traffic laws.

speeding isn't a crime, the way you define it, but excessive speeding can be. In many states going 20 over the posted is criminal speeding and you can be arrested for it. Some states have the limit set at 30 over. Also a few states have a criminal speeding statute for school zones.

found this

Valentine 1 Radar Detector can truly detect radar to the rear. While the STi to the left is 5 star rated for RDD invisibility and front radar detection, and the Passport 8500 X50 is 4.5 star rated, the V1 has dual antennas facing front and rear which gives it the capability to detect rear radar far better than any other detector. Here we are road testing and the V1 detects a Ka signal to the rear with reasonably good strength, while the Bel STi Driver and Escort X50 have not yet detected to the rear. Both the STi Driver and Escort X50 detect to the rear, but because the Valentine has a rear facing antenna, it detects further to the rear than any other radar detector.

i dont believe this is illegal in CA. my brother had one on his windshield for years now.

Bought one of these from Costco, and thank God. Returned it a week later. Complete koi - Always goes off, ALWAYS and no police (WIDE OPEN AREAS OF FIELDS FOR MILES) and often times in the exact same place when driving to & from work at many different hours of the day/night - sometimes 3am, sometimes 10am, sometimes 11pm.

There's no such thing as a radar device that will warn you in time to keep you from getting a ticket. The only thing these things do is give you a false sense of security and then a huge burned hole in your wallet from the ticket fees & remedial driving classes to avoid the points on your license.

You'll be arrogant and drive faster and may even feel like you're less prone to get pulled over. But believe me, by the time this thing were to even go off to warn you, the cop already has your speed.

Worthless.

armyturtle wrote:Bought one of these from Costco, and thank God. Returned it a week later. Complete koi - Always goes off, ALWAYS and no police (WIDE OPEN AREAS OF FIELDS FOR MILES) and often times in the exact same place when driving to & from work at many different hours of the day/night - sometimes 3am, sometimes 10am, sometimes 11pm.

There's no such thing as a radar device that will warn you in time to keep you from getting a ticket. The only thing these things do is give you a false sense of security and then a huge burned hole in your wallet from the ticket fees & remedial driving classes to avoid the points on your license.

You'll be arrogant and drive faster and may even feel like you're less prone to get pulled over. But believe me, by the time this thing were to even go off to warn you, the cop already has your speed.

Worthless.

You are wrong. you are detecting X band, which should be disabled the day you get the radar detector. Ka is BY FAR the most used radar band - especially in CA where i have not seen a cop ever use K.

parsnogood wrote:Oh my God!

If you can't mind your own business and keep from harassing strangers on the road, you probably can't do it in life either! I feel sorry for you. You must lead a miserable existence.

Total ditto on that; this traffic blocker guy is not
only an @rse, but is dangerous as well.

dabomboo7o wrote:how the hell is driving a privilege and not a right? Driving is a right, just like walking down the street is a right unless you violate a law.

Easy, you don't need a LICENSE to walk, walking isn't regulated by the gov. Driving is, and If your license is revoked, then so are your driving PRIVELEGES.

That being said, the SMART thing to do when someone is coming up behind you fast is to get over and let them pass ASAP. "Messing" with the guy speeding is more dangerous as speeding itself...Capernicus.

armyturtle wrote:...
There's no such thing as a radar device that will warn you in time to keep you from getting a ticket....

Speak for yourself.

dabomboo7o wrote:how the hell is driving a privilege and not a right? Driving is a right, just like walking down the street is a right unless you violate a law.

Driving is a privilege because the streets are paved to be used as a privilege. They don't pave the roads with taxpayer money so you can do what the hell you feel like on them.

It's a privilege because you constantly have others' lives directly in your hands when you're on the road with your 2 ton piece of machinery moving at an average of 45-65 mph.

Skizza wrote:Easy, you don't need a LICENSE to walk, walking isn't regulated by the gov. Driving is, and If your license is revoked, then so are your driving PRIVELEGES.

That being said, the SMART thing to do when someone is coming up behind you fast is to get over and let them pass ASAP. "Messing" with the guy speeding is more dangerous as speeding itself...Capernicus.

well living is a privilege then, because the law is regulated by the Gov. So if you violate the law then your living PRIVILEGES will/could be revoked, suspended, or terminated.

I just picked one up, looks like a great deal after scouring the interwebzzzzz

Skizza wrote:Easy, you don't need a LICENSE to walk, walking isn't regulated by the gov. Driving is, and If your license is revoked, then so are your driving PRIVELEGES.

That being said, the SMART thing to do when someone is coming up behind you fast is to get over and let them pass ASAP. "Messing" with the guy speeding is more dangerous as speeding itself...Capernicus.

I agree that driving is a privelege that may be revolked by the government however, your reasoning doesn't exactly hold up. you don't need a license to vote either, but it is still a right.

ionizer wrote:no, the people endagering the public are the idiots going 55 in the left lane

if everyone understood the concept of "keep right, pass left" i wouldnt need to go 80mph by you to make up for the time i spend behind a moving convoy of morons who dont stay right.

You are SOOOO RIGHT, stay right, pass left!

Skizza wrote:Easy, you don't need a LICENSE to walk, walking isn't regulated by the gov. Driving is, and If your license is revoked, then so are your driving PRIVELEGES.

That being said, the SMART thing to do when someone is coming up behind you fast is to get over and let them pass ASAP. "Messing" with the guy speeding is more dangerous as speeding itself...Capernicus.

Oh and let's not forget the numerous idiots who have KILLED PEOPLE simply because they were giving them a bit of a hard time on the freeway. I live just south of San Francisco and there are numerous cases in 2008 alone on several of our freeways where some @-sswipe had to pull his gun out and shoot someone for blocking, slowing, brake tapping... and even in one case (on interstate 280) for making a face at the speeder. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/10/BA8E103CLC.DTL

In almost all of the cases I'm referring to the person screwing around with complete strangers on the road have DIED. For what? Thinking they were going to teach some stranger a lesson? Yah right - someone is really going to improve based on you giving them a hard time passing you. We'll see about that when it's you next laying in the morgue.

Bought one the last time Woot offered one. I was on a rural stretch of road and this thing went off, and then before I knew it, there was a cop pulling off of a hidden side road going after someone in the other direction! Worked great! Gotta get at least one at this price!

Headparot wrote:I agree that driving is a privelege that may be revolked by the government however, your reasoning doesn't exactly hold up. you don't need a license to vote either, but it is still a right.

convicted felons are not allowed to vote. How much of a right really is it?>\

armyturtle wrote:There's no such thing as a radar device that will warn you in time to keep you from getting a ticket .... Worthless.

I completely disagree. After driving with a radar/laser detector for almost 10 years, it has saved my butt plenty of times -- no speeding tickets! If you're detecting radar, most modern detectors will give you plenty of advance notice (usually the cars ahead of you are getting radared). Laser is another story and with instant on laser aimed at your car, it's too late. Maybe you'll get some reflected laser from ahead to give you some notice, but it's rare.

I won't drive without one.

Also, this detector has SWS, Safety Warning System, which detects signals from emergency vehicles, road hazards, RR crossings, road crews, etc. and alerts you to their presence. That alone may save your butt -- regardless of whether you are speeding.

List of possible SWS messages: http://www.copradar.com/preview/chapt7/mess64.html