Hi all, I am looking at buying a new radar detector for my old Fords. As I understand it the new units not only detect radar, but emergency vehicles, trains etc. I am looking most closely at the Cobra 5400, 5500 and 7700. Does any body have any advice on radar detectors? Thanks, Jag

 

Many LEOs have gone to VASCAR (all NC SP for example) a visual system that does not emit any electronic beam to be detected, plus almost all modern radar guns are instant on. IMHO today radar detectors are an expensive (especially if you believe/depend on them!) false sense of security. You'll detect all the stores that have auto door openers tho.

 

Also in many locals, if you even have a radar detector in your vehicle even if off, you can be declared guilty by association, issued a summons and the have the detector confiscated.

 

Drive a stock truck with flat six and four speed. You won't have to worry about speeding, everyone in the pack will be passing you and the cops won't notice you.

I should make one statement though, the only speeding ticket I ever got was in my F-2. About 35 years ago I was rounding a curve with a pack of cars, just keeping up with them. As we rounded the curve I saw the cop sitting in a store parking lot and just as I saw him he put his radar gun down and came after use. I think he nailed me because I was the weakest of the pack. The real insult is after he pulled me over he asked what kind of truck it was, it was in multiple colors of primer and no badging. He asked, "Is it a Chevy?". I told him I felt almost as bad by him calling my truck a Chevy as I did about getting the ticket.

 

Valentine 1 is the best out there at the moment, I run a K40 on my Vette. Always looking on Corvette Forum for a used V1, but they get snagged up pretty quickly. With that being said,just keep it 9 mph above the limit and you're usually safe. Also I save myself more by watching the traffic ahead,9 x out of 10 even if they're going the speed limit they'll tapthere brakes when they see a cop. Good luck with your choice, in the words of Sammy Hager,I can't drive 55, L8R ZFLASH

 

Thanks for the responses guys. Ax, I always learn something from you. I've never even heard of Vascar. I also usually try to keep my speed no more than 9-10 mph over the limit. However, on long trips down the I-5 my wife will get impatient and drive 15 over. I believe that 85 in a 70 is about $350 ticket!

Thanks again, Jag

 

I'm surprised that VASCAR is still allowed. While the principle is sound and the physics unimpeachable, there are too many errors involved. Perception, reaction time, and the small distances and tiny time increments mean even milliseconds cause large speed variances...particularly with moving VASCAR.

Never mind that the most effective deterrent to speeding is a visible patrol car, and every attempt to hide and catch speeders unaware is nothing but revenue generation under the guise of safety...

I've seen plywood police cars prominently displayed near intersections have more effect on traffic than event the knowledge that a town was a "speed trap".

If it was truly motorist safety that was the concern, cops would be visible everywhere not hiding with radar or VASCAR or laser trying to catch speeders unaware...that has little deterrent on behavior, but is beneficial for revenue generation...just another form of behavior based tax.

 

I thought VASCAR died out a long time ago. Wasn't the "big" thing in the 1960's???
Most states now have laws against radar detectors. And, are so posted when you cross over the "borders"

 

I think IIRC that they got Vascar here in the late 90s? I did some checking and now are mostly using Laser guns. (Did you know one of the major providers of speed enforcing equipment to police is Geico? yes, that sneaky little bas**** lizard!)
In researching I read a study NC did on reducing speeds in work zones, and it said they set up always on radar units specifically to trigger anyone with a detector and use "drone" (dummy) patrol cars with solar panels for power parked with lights on in work zones.
It also said most units now are equipped with radar detector detectors, looks for signal all detectors emit, so they don't even need to see the unit to know you are using a detector. Sneaky sneaky!
Detectors are illegal in big rigs in all 50 states under fed law.

 

The LEOs are using laser guns here in NY. Some are equipped with scanners that can "read" your vehicle registration (located on the LH corner of the windshield) to check for any wants or warrants. All while passing you going in opposite directions...

 

Don't waste your money on radar detectors. Almost all agencies have already transitioned to Lidars (also written LIDAR, LiDAR or LADAR) which is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light. The officer looks through a scope on top of the gun that displays a retical. He puts the red dot on your car, pulls the trigger, and as fast as light travels receives an accurate reading of your speed. There is no more arguing in court that the officer got the wrong vehicle because of the bandwidth of the radar beam, or the moving tree defense, etc. There is also no detection method for it since it does not send the beam until the officer pulls the trigger. Even if a device could read it, the officer would have your speed locked in before you could react.
In California, an officer must be certified in using radar or Lidar to issue citations. To become certified, an officer must pass a visual speed estimation test. This is a process by which cars are driven down a closed course at various speeds and the officer must visually estimate the vehicle's speed. He or she must be within 5 mphs 70% of the time. The test normally requires ten attempts. In court the officer must state that he visually estimated the violators speed and then used his Lidar to verify his estimation. It is considered illegal to just point the gun and shoot everyone. It is also why an officer should pick a location where he can get a good visual estimation before being seen by the violator, or the violator will have a good defense to have the citation dismissed.
I only know this because I spent 30 years in law enforcement and testified on 1000's of citations. It never bothered me if someone came in prepared and beat the citation. Sometimes defendants would come in and start throwing algebraic speed calculations on the white board and confuse the judge so much that he would just dismiss the citation. That is creative genius.

 

The beamwidth of the radars, particularly the early models, was a problem. The last published ones I saw were about 12* wide (early ones were 30*). At 1/4 mile, a 12* beam is covering well over 250'. To get it to the width of a lane (12-14'), you have to be within about 60'. It always amused me that many radar guns had 'sights' on them.

Radar guns without a moving target indicator (MTI) and discriminator circuits (no police radar) cannot distinguish between the vehicles inside this resolution cell. Therefore, it will always and only return the speed of the largest return. So, if there's a semi truck with big square flat sides and large reflective slabs of metal on it in the resolution cell of the radar, it will always and only return the speed of the truck and nothing else.

Radar is only truly accurate when the target is going directly toward or directly away from the radar gun. Everything else induces a radial velocity error of some sort, but it's virtually always in the motorist's favor.

Moving radar has even more potential for error, particularly going around a curve with opposite direction target traffic on the inside. Now you're inducing radial and angular velocity errors that are tricky to calculate...

The problem here in FL is that the premise is the officer doesn't have to know a thing about radar. So long as he "sets it up correctly", it will always provide an accurate reading and you get convicted (depending on the county and the judge). Of course, in the panhandle we have the Eglin AFB electronic warfare range where aircraft are actively operating radar jammers, some of which manipulate radar signals in such a way as to change the perceived speed (and distance which affects the speed). Keeping the discussion "open sourced", suffice it to say that I tried to explain to the judge that any radar speed readings during times when the aircraft were jamming the X and K/Ka/Ku bands (which is where enemy threat radars operate) were suspect at best...he stuck to the "if the officer sets it up, the reading is valid" mantra and I got busted for the only ticket ever (that I contested). Win some, lose some...the speed tax is real. I'd rather just pay it up front and drive as fast as I want though.