Radar Detectors???

[fourwhls]

champspa and anybody else,



What is the smartshield VG-2 Protection? I was hoping it was something that would prevent them from seeing you run the detector.



Please, correct me if I am wrong.



Thanks for all the help guys. I am leaning towards the valentine one, but the wife is pushing toward the passport's price. I'll give it a couple more days and see if I can win this battle. (Good thing I didn't tell her there were cheaper models out there. )

 

[JCyrbok]

Like Briar said if they are using the instant on (which are much more readily available) u are hit. They will have a speed reading before the detector even goes off.



Also when it comes to the Lasers they are really hard to detect. The way the detector senses it is it has to "See" the beam. It does with this with a small sensor on the front that looks like a little eye. They are only reliable with lasers if the beam hits the eye perfectly (or close to it). The target for an officer on your veh with a laser is your front license plate, or where it would be if you are not reguired to have one. Most radar/laser detectors instructions say to mount it as high on the dash or windshield as possible because radar and thus the detectors are "line of sight" type equipe. If you cant see it, you cant hit it (more or less). With the lasers the beam width at 100yards is the size of a dime, and the radar at the same is a cone shape of aprox 66ft across (give or take). Thats why radar detectors work so well. BTW lasers are acturate out over 1000 yards for speed measurement, road permiting of course.



As for the VG-2, I think that is actually a radar detector, detector. It can tell the Officer if u have a detector that is on. It would really only matter in states that they are illegal in. My buddy got a ticket in delaware (I think) when we were on the way to spring break in Virginia Beach one year. It was because the cop had a VG-2 thingy. In Michigan detectors are legal so we dont deal with them, unless in a Semi Truck, which by the way is a Federal Offense! I think that the VG2 detectors just tell u that a patrol unit with a VG2 is near. The radar detector cannot emmit any signals per the FCC.



BTW this is all from a cop that DOESNT think that hiding in the bushes and tagging people with laser/radar is police work. JMHO.



Hope this helps in your purchases.

J-

 

[MCampbell]

when I bought my Valentine 1. They sold their detectors which had been returned within the first 30 days for $349 it comes with the same warranty and upgrade policy. They don't advertise this you have to ask.





mike

 

[JGK]

This link has a lot of good info about radar/laser detectors and jammers. Page forward to the 3rd page (click the Next arrow at the bottom of each page) for a list of articles.



It'll take some time to get through it all, but you'll get a good idea of how it all works (or doesn't work).



The only effective passive laser jamming I've heard about that makes any sense is a plastic covering that goes over your license plate that blocks reflectance of the laser beam by filtering that frequency of light. Then limiting the amount of reflective chrome on the front (e. g. painted or powdercoated aftermarket bumpers).



As for radar, always run with a "bird-dog" out in front of you with about 5 to 10 seconds lead. He'll get hit first by the radar and your detector will pick it up. You then have a few seconds to get slowed down before he zaps you. And watch for your bird dog to hit his brakes.



Seed Guy: thanks for the links. I'll get to the Car and Drive article shortly. As for the K40 Jammer, I don't trust any company's advertisement about the effectiveness of their product, but thanks for the link just the same.



-Jay



Update: just glanced at the Car & Driver test of detectors. V-1 scored 97 out of a possible 100 points. Then next closest was the Escort Passport at 73.

 

[scbrown]

I'm VERY happy with my V1.

But I also back it up with a CB.

Between the two I'm covered pretty good.

 

[BigBadDodge]

Ticket free with my Bel 985



BBD

 

[fest3er]

I got a K40 shortly after I bought my truck in '97. I removed the overhead console and gouged out the front edge a little, and stuffed the detector in up over the headliner. It's not visible from inside the truck, and one has to look *real* carefully through the tinted band at the top of the windshield to see it.

I've gotten a couple warnings, but no tickets in the meantime. Which is surprising, considering I usually treat the speed limit as an absolute minima. (At least when traffic is fairly light; it's hard to push 4-wheelers out of the way... . )

Fest3er

 

[KLockliear]

V1 is definitely the way to go. Now, since you live in VA and they are illegal, I don't think the V1 has "radar detector detector stealth" built into it, so that's perhaps the one drawback. I would imagine that since VA is the only state where they are still illegal, that it's probably also the only state that uses the radar detector detectors.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Keith, my apologies for contradicting you, but actually, Mike Valentine does claim his detectors are undetectable by cops using the VG-2 technology. (not sure if his current ads reflect that fact? I haven't read them in awhile) I've had what seems to be proof of this, as some other brands "bleed" and set off my V-1 with false alarms, but mine doesn't set theirs off, nor does it set off other V-1's near it I've confirmed this several times in the past three years... . so a V-1 is actually a great choice if you're in Virginia.

I think detectors are also illegal in Connecticut, can't remember for sure. Also illegal in Washington, D. C.

The fact that they're illegal in some states is a perfect example of "us against the system" rather than "us against the cops", one of the subjects of my many rants on these forums. I wish we all could do a better job of keeping bad laws from getting passed...

The laser detector on V-1's is useless, when you're zapped, they gotcha, period. You hear and see the laser warning, you got just about enough time to tell the old lady to put the kids back in their car seats, hide the guns, and throw out the illegal substances. John McIntyre tells me of a laser jammer available overseas that works like a charm, maybe he'll jump in here and holler about it...

There are lots of ways to minimize the reflectance of the front of your vehicle, but something as big as a Ram, now...

 

[WatsonJ]

cordless battery powered

don't need a lot of sophistication but would like something that

is battery powered. Anything out there?

I don't like the cords.



Thanks in advance