Has your radar detector saved your ass? Come in with radar detector experiences.

[StageLeft]

I know a lot of people on the road have radar detectors but how have these helped you (if you've had one)?

Personally I think that if I got one I'd be speeding all the time and would be likely to get nailed by an instant-on radar from a cop... then there is the fact that crappy radar probably gives you a very false sense of security.

So of those in here who have some top notch detectors like the Valentine 1 has it helped you a lot? Do a lot of cops run around without radar and only hit you for a split second?

 

[Ultima]

The police will confiscate your radar detector here in Quebec if they see it and Valentine One won't even ship here

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Ultima
The police will confiscate your radar detector here in Quebec if they see it and Valentine One won't even ship here

Yep hehe. You can always get it shipped to somebody in Alberta and have it sent over to you You'll need to work on hiding it though.

 

[Evadman]

I donot have a radar detector. I should probably get one.

 

[minendo]

I got a radar detector the day after I got pulled over doing 77 in a 40. Havent been pulled over since. *knocks on wood*

 

[Spac3d]

Yep, radar detector has saved me from...something like 5-10 tickets. It saved me yesterday actually My radar went off, slowed down, and saw 3 state troopers, all clocking on the side of the road as I passed them going below the limit

Spac3d

 

[StattlichPassat]

I will not drive without one- let's just say that. I have a 1999 Cobra ESD-6200 (currently can be had on eBay for 40 bucks) 6-band with voice alert that has saved me countless times. I can't afford a V1 right now, but will get one when I get a new car- probably next summer. I recommend them! If you want a really cheap one that has seemingly been overlooked by everyone, get the model I've got. It's got good range and I haven't had any big problems with it.

 

[Garet Jax]

A Canadian truck driver told me that he always kept a self addressed, stamped, unsealed envelope under his seat. If he was ever pulled over by the police and suspected that they suspected he was using a radar detector, he would put the detector in the envelope and seal it.

Apparently, it becomes property of the federal government and the police cannot search it without a warrent. Makes sense to me, but I have never heard about its success or lack thereof.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax
A Canadian truck driver told me that he always kept a self addressed, stamped, unsealed envelope under his seat. If he was ever pulled over by the police and suspected that they suspected he was using a radar detector, he would put the detector in the envelope and seal it.

Apparently, it becomes property of the federal government and the police cannot search it without a warrent. Makes sense to me, but I have never heard about its success or lack thereof.

Interesting but it sounds to me like it would work...

 

[ObiDon]

I borrowed my friend's detector for a little while just for the hell of it. I used to do a lot of commuting between Salem and Medford, OR. I think it only "saved" me once. 99% of the time I saw the cop first or the other drivers ahead reacting to him. But, then, I'm a pretty alert driver.


Edit -- It's been several years since I've been pulled over for speeding. I usually get stopped for BS reasons like "non-working" taillights that mysteriously work when I look at them or having a plastic cover over my license plate. :|

 

[rc5]

Why would a radar detector work at all? You should be nailed down already by the time it detects any radar signal.

 

[Pooteh]

i thinkt hey reviewed in car and driver. from their testing ..functionality scaled with price. more u pay, the better. sad eh? no super awesome cheap one at all

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax
A Canadian truck driver told me that he always kept a self addressed, stamped, unsealed envelope under his seat. If he was ever pulled over by the police and suspected that they suspected he was using a radar detector, he would put the detector in the envelope and seal it.

Apparently, it becomes property of the federal government and the police cannot search it without a warrent. Makes sense to me, but I have never heard about its success or lack thereof.

haha that's badass. If ever I get a radar detector I'm gonna do that

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: rc5
Why would a radar detector work at all? You should be nailed down already by the time it detects any radar signal.

Huh? They do work it's a fact that they detect radar but my question revolves around people's personal experiences actually applying these vs. what the police do to avoid people using them to catch the police detecting...

 

[The Stigenator]

I have a radar detector, its a cobra 9xxxx or something.. it was like 190 bucks when I got it as a Bday present.

I used it for a while and said "fsck it". Basically I got pissed that there were no "good" clamps to hold it to the windshield.. it kept falling off while driving.. even after I put bigger suction cups on it. Then was the power supply, the pin keeps popping out so now I have to hold it in to get power.. I am too lazy to open it up and straighten the pin.

I got it for the safety alert system, but turns out not too many FD uses it.. The only time I found the radar detector useful was in San Luis Obispo where the cops there run around with the radar on.. CHP and LAPD and GPD dont run with the radar on. They turn it on when needed (unless they are in a speed trap zone).

 

[A5]

Never heard of the Valentine 1...can I get a link?

 

[B00ne]

definately yes, when i was exchange student in the states, my host brother and me did a trip out west - tops we reached was in So. Dakota (135mph - me being copilot checking for cops with binoculars my brother monitoring the radar detector)

Anyway some 100 miles later we went down a hilly highway still doing some 100mph and we picked up a single beep from the detector on top of a hill - 3-4 hills later (we had slowed down to legal speeds) the cop advanced us and we celebrated - with a well deserved hit from the bong

edit: actually my host dad had a statinary radar detector installed in his car ( with sensors on the hood and the trunk) and that seved us (him) several times - on a second thaught, he didnt have many problems with speeding anyway - being the chaiman of the parole board of Kentucky his ID was usually enough to make the cops friendly and tone the fine down to: Maybe keep it a little slower now

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: rc5
Why would a radar detector work at all? You should be nailed down already by the time it detects any radar signal.

You can detect stray signals from when the cop tags other drivers. If the cop is using instant-on radar, or laser, by the time you get a signal you're likely screwed - But it certainly doesn't hurt to have it.

A5 -

Valentine One

Viper GTS

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: rc5
Why would a radar detector work at all? You should be nailed down already by the time it detects any radar signal.

it actually only works when the cop is keeping the radar activated the whole time and not only for convicting a spotteds speeder (and apparently most cops keep them activated) - a cop showed it to us in drivers ed
also they (radar det.) are often triggerd by othet sources (automatic doors in malls....)
edit actually we saw it (on the trip out west) we picked up a strong signal but couldnt see any source - shortly after the signal was really strong and we saw a cop car parked in front of a donut store - u can imagine the party in our car after seeing that