The tint band on most factory windshields will not affect most RADAR detectors, but bear in mind that if will obviously affect anything that sends a light or laser source. There are some factory windshields that contain a lot of metal, such as the Ford instant clear windshields. Those will diminish the range of everything. For the most part what you need to worry about are those after market tints, some of which are used to put a strip at the top of the windshield. They almost all have a negative effect on range and sensitivity and even if it is only on the sides and rear window, it will hurt the ability to pick up side or back signals, sometimes the only way to know if radar is operating in the area.
I have tried many detectors and I will say V1 is the best. It seems that people for some reason care more about the cosmetics then performance. Hey the V1 can be the most hideous thing on earth but if it does the job, well then it does the job. Who care how a detector looks like and how the sounds chirp. For those who have not bought a detector and wish to own one, let me save you the time and money, get a V1. I tried the Bel 980, Escorts, and Unidens, it does not stand anywhere near the V1.
Based on my past experience with Valentine One (see posts #611, 614, 615 for details), can't agree with xorbtant. I have the Escort 8500 and think its great. Saved my butt several times. Works well and is about $100 cheaper than the V1. Also comes with a smart cord included (not extra like the V1).
Do you keep pulling up this thread to see if anyone has said anything good about the Valentine in order to put your rebuttal in? I think anyone with even basic observation skills is well aware of your position. If they have read this thread more carefully, they will also be aware that yours seems to be a minority view. I have had both Valentine and Escort detectors and have been quite happy with both of them. To each his own, have fun.
I agree. The escort is different. I happen to value the directional arrows a great deal and am not concerned with the additional $100 expense. I bet most people on this forum can afford to get the best. You seem to value the price more than features and performance. Good for you. The majority on this forum disagree. Who needs a smart cord anyway?
The only advantage the 8500 has over the V1 is lower cost and fewer falses. And the digital display v. lit up shapes is kinda' cool. They are both nice, but the V1 is the superior product.
Hey Joe and Mike - last I checked, this was a discussion forum. That means I am free to put in my two cents - just like you. Can't hack it? Don't read. Disagree about my assessment - then say so.
FWIW, my last post on this topic said that comparisons were being made on top end detectors. Minor differences seemed of little importance as these higher end detectors were ALL equally impressive - that includes the V1. Since that was my read, the next step in shopping goes to things like price, customer service, etc. So IN MY OPINION, weighing all these other options - my OPINION is that the Escort is a better buy all around and just as good in performance as your coveted V1.
Now if other people want the benefit of that experience, I am going to say so. No one on this board has the right to censor my opinion when it conforms with all the guidelines of this discussion board. I disagree with your assessment of the V1 as "the best." That's a subjective opinion so I'm going to challenge that. But don't go stooping to trying to insult me or shut me up because you can't hack the direction of the discussion. What's the matter, can't take criticsm of your purchase? Feeling guilty having spent so much when you didn't have to? Don't take that out on me. I have every right to express my views, just as you have your right to rave about the V1. Got something to say - then defend the V1 all you want, but don't try censoring other opinions.
everyone has one, but that doesn't mean that you have to shove it in everyones face over and over does it? No one is trying to "censor" you, but if you are such a great believer in free speech, why am I not entitled to express my opinion?
If you are going to make an effort to dazzle me with your legal footwork, at least make an attempt to be accurate. Where do you see any place that I have said that the Valentine is "the best"? I must have written that in my sleep. All I said is that I am satisfied with my V1, AND that I have been satisfied with my escort too. My only position is that you have stated NOTHING new. You keep posting your same tired opinion that they didn't treat you fairly. BOO HOO HOO. Maybe your condescending, superior attitude might have something to do with it. Now, I am not an attorney with a big powerful firm but I don't think that is important at all. It has been my experience that when you have to blow your own horn, it is because you know you are on thin ice. When you have the facts, pound on the facts. When you have the law, pound on the law. When you have neither, pound on the podium. Thanks for the loud opinion, but we have already heard it and someone just tuning in might not have read your first post where you said your gripe was "more their customer service than the actual unit", and then went on to whine that when you "complained to a manager on the phone...(h)e was rude, short, and abusive". The nerve!! To be rude, short and abusive to a person of your stature! Give it a rest, your opinion has been duly noted and MOST of the people on this board disagree with you. Of course you are entitled to your opinion. We all know what it is already. Keep talking if you want, but it is obvious that the insults were started by you and no one else. If it ever becomes material I would be happy to compare resumes with you, but frankly, who gives a darn what you or I do for a living. I have said my piece. And I still have not said that the Valentine was "the best". I like mine. I have never had a service problem. Most people don't seem to have had one either.
Its obvious you don't read much either. I never tried to stop you from voicing your opinion. I welcomed it. I encouraged it - yet you seem bent on personally attacking me rather than my position. Seems to me that you are the one with no basis for opinion. My opinion is based on personal experience - FACTS!! Can't handle it, huh? Why else are you trying to shut me up? If people are tired of my opinion - they can stop reading. You obviously aren't since you feel the need to keep responding. Obviously you also feel you need to keep defending Valentine - maybe you work for them? I'm just giving the other side - a minority view, but nonetheless still valid based on experience. I don't deride folks who support V1. They have a right to their views, I have a right to mine - you would obviously try to stop others from posting. Thank goodness you're not a moderator on this board. As for your allegation that I constantly respond to any positive comments about the V1 - hardly. The posting speak for themselves. I would say support for V1 outweighs the little support I've provided for other top brands.
Easy on the rebuttals folks. I'd just like to chime in that over the years I've owned two BELs, an Escort Solo 5 (still in use occasionally in my wife's car, but too short a range for security)and now a Valentine 1. I'm sure that the more recent wired Escorts are fine units. But I can't think of a reason in the world to replace the V1. A bit smaller would be nice, but the feature set and range suit me perfectly. The directional arrows have saved my hide more than a few times.
Have had it for a week now & so far very impressed. It picks up quite a few falses but with the directional arrows they're easy to sort out quickly.
My question: At night it's hard to tell which band is being sensed, X or K, because the LEDs are the same color and close together. Can I expect this to become easier as I gain experience, knowing by the vertical location of the LED? I'm thinking about putting a small ink spot on one or two of the LEDs so as to be able to distinguish them. Any advice from long-term V1 users is appreciated.
You will just have to get used to the different sounds they make. You will become very familiar with the X sound because it is so prevalent. The K sound is different and you should begin to recognize it soon. If you want to hear them, just turn on the unit and it will play all four sounds.
I'm still learning, obviously. I mainly bought it for long trips, but right now it's in the car & on all the time, just so I can get used to it. Still fooling with getting the main and muted volume controls set where they should be. This is my first dectector, and I'm real pleased with how easy it is to use & interpret right out of the box.
I agree that you will get used to the different signals, but it is much easier if it is on all the time. I got the remote module and velcroed it to the top of the steering column on the instrument panel of my Lincoln LS. The main unit fits above the rear view mirror and picks up both front and rear signals. The wiring goes up the "A" pillar and gets tucked up in the crack between the headliner and the windshield. The top of the windshield is tinted and you can't see it at all from outside the car so I leave it in all the time. Sometimes I turn it off if it is annoying my wife, but I have gotten used to it and it has alerted me a couple of times to speed traps (even though I might not actually have been speeding).
I set the mute level at about 10 o'clock. I set the main volume at 2 o'clock. I operate it in the big L mode. I think that is the most advanced logic mode. I still get plenty of false warning around shopping malls though.
Currently both volumes are at about 1 o'clock, lower when in town. I'm using the little L mode, which still gives an audible alarm at the muted volume when it picks up low-power X band. All this subject to change as I gain experience. I'm sure I could use the full logic mode since I can see it out of the corner of my eye most all the time.
Joe, I mounted mine just below the mirror, for fear the tint at the top of the windshield would interfere with laser detection, although it sounds like you're toast if a laser hits you anyway. I have the same car as you, sounds like we ran the wiring the same as well. I don't have the remote module. I had never noticed the gap at the front of the headliner before, but it sure comes in handy, doesn't it? The unit is visible from outside, but pretty unobtrusive with the moisture sensor right there. My car is secure at work and in the garage at home, so I rarely have to take the V1 out for fear of theft. When I do, the few inches of power cable get looped around the mirror post.
Off topic, Joe, are you an LLSOC member? If not, you might think about it. Great bunch of people. We just toured the Wixom assembly plant and Ford's engineering facilities in Dearborn. Tremendous experience.
Yes, I am a charter member of LLSOC and I wanted to go to the tour badly, but I had a commitment to go to the Miami-FSU game that Saturday. I have been to Wixom before, but I wanted to take the tour and listen to the commentaries from the Fomoco people. I don't think the tint affects the Laser in any meaningful way as I still get that chirping sound when I drive near an airport at about the same place as I did when it was under the mirror. It barely fits above the mirror, but it does fit and the remote module works well in the center of the instrument cluster. It only covers the turn signals and I usually remember they are on.
Exactly what is LIDAR. How is it different from the other bands(X-K-KA-LASER)? I have noticed at times our State Police standing outside their car holding a small camera like box and my radar detector didn't go off at all and it didn't go off at all. One time after I was going by the same type of radar/laser gun the trooper jumped into his car and pulled another car over. Could that gun be a LIDAR gun?
Also, I notice everyone talks about the Valentine and the Escort radar detectors. Are those two that much more superior than my Bel or Uniden that I currently have? Both of my radar detectors seem to work fine picking up all the above bands with the lone exception I mention.
LIDAR stands for LIght Detection And Ranging. It sends out pulses of light (not necessarily visible) at a constant rate and by timing the "echo" of these pulses, is able to determine the distance to an object and its speed.
Can you pick up LIDAR with a radar/laser detector? Is this the one that looks like a small camera box that I've seen some State Troopers use possibly? My radar detector didn't pick up whatever they were using and I noticed that they were pulling people over after aiming it at them.
My understanding is that LIDAR operates so quickly that once you've been detected, it's too late.
Some specs I came across:
LIDAR operates at about 904 nanometers (near IR) in 5 nanosecond pulses with a 1 kHz repetition rate. Power-on is instantaneous (at about 25 W) and delivered within a 4 milliRadian cone.
A detector that is a radar/laser detector should detect LIDAR. The catch is that the LIDAR beam is a narrow beam, as opposed to the very wide radar signal. Radar detectors work because they pick up the radar signals that are generated by the radar gun, often those that are bouncing off of other cars, signs, etc. Radar detectors give you advance warning precisely because you are picking up signals not intended for your car and have a chance to slow down.
Cops usually use LIDAR by targeting one car and then "shooting" that car. A laser detector will only go off if the laser gun is aimed at your car, and then even if it goes off it is likely too late and is notifying you that you have been nabbed.
Thanks for both of your feedbacks. It has really bothered me the few times that I have seen the State Troopers aiming what looked like a small camera box of some sort and not a radar/laser gun and my radar/laser detector didn't go off. I thought that the laser quit working on my radar detector and went out and bought a new one and then noticed the new one didn't go off neither. My son has a top of the line Cobra and he said his doesn't go off either. I'm wondering if the State Police with those small boxes are using something different like Vascar or something. Does anyone know what the LIDAR gun looks like? Does it look like a regular radar gun? Thanks for all the feedback on these questions!
LIDAR is conventionally referred to as "laser." As indicated by a previous poster, Laser/LIDAR detectors work by aiming a narrow, concentrated beam of light to one vehicle at a time. The target point must be a reflective piece of metal that is not angled too much or the beam gets sent off at an angle that can not be recorded by the police officer. Most officers use the front license plate of a target vehicle for its large size and good reflectivity. They can also use headlamps (i.e., directing the light through the lens into the reflector and back).
Your Bel or Cobra or Uniden will likely only pick up the Laser/Lidar if you are the target. Escort and V1 radar detectors have the same limitation.
In direct response to your question, Laser/LIDAR guns look almost identical to radar guns when viewed from a vehicle running along the highway. However, there are important distinctions and limitations with respect to LIDAR that can help you regardless of the diminished warning from your top-of-the-line detector (regardless of brand).
1. Laser/Lidar can only be used from a stationary point. For now, Laser/Lidar technology will not allow such devices to accurately measure speed while they are in motion. The police officer must be standing still. So watch out for police vehicles that are parked on shoulders or in spots popular for speed traps. Keep an eye on cars in front of you. If they brake for no apparent reason - could be speed detection in the area up ahead.
2. Laser/Lidar only work via line of sight. Because of the nature of the beam, laser/lidar can only shot in a straight line via line of sight. If the cop can't see you, he can't get a laser/lidar reading off you. So be careful when entering an area where line of sight opens up considerably (i.e., coming to the crest of a hill, rounding a curve, etc.).
3. Laser/Lidar only works on clear days. Since laser/lidar uses light waves, atmospheric conditions can mess up readings. As a result, police officers need clear days to use these devices. No need to worry about laser/lidar traps in fog, rain, snow, etc. - of course, you probably shouldn't be speeding much under these conditions anyway. (-:
4. Laser/Lidar units are expensive. This means that not all jurisdictions have them. If you frequently drive in a specific area of the country, might be worth checking out if your local jurisdiction has purchased Laser/Lidar units. Oftentimes, such purchases will be noted in major newspapers. For example, when Maryland acquired a number of laser/lidar units for speed enforcement, it was noted in a story in the Washington Post. Washington, D.C. and Virginia, two nearby states, however, do not have laser/lidar guns as of yet - relying instead on radar and VASCAR. In another example, Pennsylvania laws are such that only state troopers can have laser or radar guns. Local police officers can not - as a result, unless you're on an interstate or other area monitored by PA state troopers, you have to watch for VASCAR rather than laser/radar.
Great reading. Thanks for all of the valuable info. I've known for quite sometime that the cops have to be sitting still in order to use laser but this LIDAR was new to me. Any idea what the VASCAR unit looks like? I'm beginning to wonder if that's not what I've been seeing. Thanks again yzf!
VASCAR is not a laser/radar type of device. Vascar uses no light, laser or sound beams. It is more akin to a stopwatch.
A police officer finds two points along a stretch of road, like a certain telephone pole and a mailbox, or perhaps two paint stripes on the pavement. He measures the distance between the two points and enters it into his vascar device. He then pushes a button when a car passes the first measurement point and pushes it again when the car passes the second measurement point.
The vascar machine calculates what speed the car was travelling to go between point A and point B in x.x seconds.
An alternative vascar machine uses two rubber sensors (kind of like the old rubber lines that used to let service station employees know someone drove up to the pumps) laid across the road. They are spaced at a known distance and the machine calculates how fast a car was going based on how long it took to trip the two sensors.
Vascar is a very simple device compared to radar and laser, and requires a fairly involved setup and at least 2 or 3 officers - a stationary officer to watch cars and use the machine and another one or two to chase down speeders. Radar and laser are easily set up and can be used by one cop.
The way to combat vascar is to be especially observant of cops pulled off along the road (usually hiding behind bushes, signs, buildings), as well as paint stripes on the road or sensors laid across the road. Many similar sensors laid across the road are used to get traffic counts, however, and are not set up by the police.
I have seen what must be the lidar. It is rather large, about the size of an old box camera with a rather large lense. The State police had one set up in an old van with the back doors open The cop was inside the van with this lidar. Down the road about 1/4 mile there were cops pulling cars over for tickets. I have a Bel 855TSI. It does detect lasers . I got no detection at all. My guess is lidar( or whatever this was) does not operate in the same optical band as lasers. The size of the lense was aproximately 2-3 inches in diameter.. BTW I do like the Bel because it announces the band. Like "Ka band" beep beep. On level ground I get about a mile warning on radar. A laser detection will only let you look down and see what speed you got caught at..
"Lidar" is the technical name for speed measuring devices used by cops. They use a narrow, focused beam of light. It is also colloquially referred to as laser. Both are one in the same. When cops (or others) talk about using laser - they are referring to lidar. They are not two different systems. Therefore, since laser/lidar are the same, laser detectors will detect lidar. The problem with detection is that unlike radar, lidar/laser beams are not widely scattered. Therefore, there are almost no stray signals to pick up as with radar. When your laser detector goes off, you're busted. If your laser detector does not go off when you're shot with a laser/lidar device, you detector may be older and not designed to pick up the newest lidar/laser frequencies. Either way, since there is pretty much zero warning, your busted if you're not super vigilent.
Really useful info you guys posted there. Thanks! I haven't bought or even used a radar detector in my life, but (really) knocking on wood, I haven't gotten a speeding ticket either. I don't really speed big time (in 65 zones, I usually don't go faster than 75-80). In order to avoid that for even longer, I'm deliberating either the Escort 8500 or Valentine 1, if just for peace of mind and entertainment. Keep up the generous contributions!
I think that both of us have seen the same instrument being used by the State Police. I am beginning to wonder if those boxes we see are VASCAR and not LIDAR. My radar/laser detector goes off with laser at times so I know it works. timadams gave a great description of VASCAR. I guess the only thing question left about VASCAR is what does it look like? Whenever I've noticed stings on the highway by the State Police here in Michigan they have been using KA Band and not Laser. Actually as a driver, I guess I'm in the leogenghis category because I normally only drive 5-6 mph over the posted speed limit once in awhile sneaking up at just over 10 over. Thanks to everyone to the great feedback we are getting here!
Question to all.....if you were going to buy a new radar detector, which one would you buy excluding the V1 and the Escort? Bel? Cobra? Uniden?
It has happened to me twice. I have heard a tickle from my V1 indicating a laser ahead. I slowed to the posted speed and was fit full force with a laser warning. A bit down the road several cop cars were waiting and pulling everyone else over. The only explanation is that the laser must have bounce off the hood or roof or some other part of a car in front of me. Because I took the warning seriously, I had slowed in time. I'm sure there is no chance it they target you first. I am a believer however and love the V1. BTW this happened N on 405 in Bellevue WA just north of the center of town. Both times were near midnight (just about the only time you can speed there)
That's a given! If you're the only one on the road and the friendly officer decides to hit you with instant-on KA or Laser, put a fork in yourself because you're all done!! LOL
If I'm the only one on the road, I usually set the cruise at 5-6 over and stay there. If I'm in a big hurry (not often), I wait for someone to blow my doors off and just let them stay about a 1/4 mile ahead and let his brake lights and my radar detector do my work for me.
wbhall, that method is indeed the safest way to speed. Speeding by yourself makes it too easy for the Smokeys to nab you. Speeding behind someone lets my radar detector go off when they are zapped. I have time to get on the brakes.
LOL - I agree!! Gotta love those speed demons that haven't had enough tickets or sense to be more careful. I call them radar sweepers, because they sweep up the cops as they go! Key is to keep them in line of sight, but far enough ahead that you don't get nabbed too. I've seen cops pull over several cars at a time that were traveling too close together at well over the posted speed limit.
As for detectors, there are some great reviews by Car & Driver and other magazines. Check those out. I like the Escort series of detectors. Work well and priced right. The latest - the 8500 has saved me numerous times from radar. I've never had warning with laser with this detector or others that I've owned in the past (including V1). May be I'm just too tempting a target to cops - although I have not had a ticket in years (knock wood...)
First, laser is not designated in frequency, but in wavelength. There is only one authorized police wavelength; it is 904 nanometers. I received a ticket by getting hit with a laser. The officer let me use his laser gun to shoot some of my fellow motorists. It projects a dot on a car and when you pull the trigger, it records the speed and distance. I was getting cars at over 900 feet with no training. Second, any detector that detects laser will detect them all, since there is only one wavelength. Lastly, If you will reread my post, what I described is not at all like a laser gun. It was relatively huge, resembling a photographers large format camera. It was inside a van and was so large as to be non hand holdable. The size of the lense (2-3 inches in diameter) was proportionally huge compared to a laser gun, as well. I have no idea what it was. My detector does detect laser. It did not go off on whatever this was. I was doing the speed limit at that milepost as I had been told of this speed trap. I would have certainly been ticketed otherwise.
No idea what you saw. Couldn't have been VASCAR. I've seen these units in cop cars. As noted by an earlier poster, they are timing devices. A cop just sits in his cruiser, hits a button when you pass one landmark and hits another butten when you pass another landmark. A computer, which was previously programmed with the distance between those landmarks, calculates your speed between the landmarks and displays a readout of speed.
Sounds like the device you saw may have been something else - could have been a giant scope for checking registration stickers - could have been a survey of out-of-state cars - who knows?
ps: yes, I am aware that Lidar is measured in waves. It was easier to use "frequency" as short hand. Both measure wave amplitude on different points over the electromagnetic spectrum.
Some of us are just curious about the mystery box's that Pat84 and I have seen. So far, no one has given a decription of what a VASCAR instrument would look like.
I have seen this mystery box being used as I was going by (my radar/laser detector didn't go off)and then the officer jumps in his car and I'm thinking I'm toast and he pulls over the car next to me. I should have been plenty close enough that if it was laser my detector should have went off.
Again, I don't think anybody in this thread speeds! LOL
The ones they use in B.C. (in Canada) are built in 3" square by about 6" long boxes. Most of the ones I've seen are orange. They usually mount them on camera tripods. My V1 has detected them successfully twice (but I wasn't speeding anyway). When they still used photo-radar the V1 also picked that up (but if you got caught with that you were sleeping, as it was very obvious visually). The most dangerous to speeders in B.C. and Alberta is instant on radar from moving police cars on almost deserted roads. No warning. No tickets yet, mostly because I usually do not intentionally speed. My V1 is for my car (93 RX-7 - too fast), and when driving my SUV I just like to know when I'm being watched!
Actually, I like to know where they are too. I'm not a big time speeder like my son is. What did you pay for your V-1? I wonder if Consumers Report has ever done a review on radar detectors? I don't recall one being done. I'll have to go back through some of my old issues!
I consider it my civic duty to monitor the performance and diligence of our law enforcement community. If I exceed the posted speed limit at any time, it will be purely in the interest of research. And I expect no less of my fellow concerned citizens that participate in this board.
That birkenstock bunch would go berserk at the possibility that anyone would dare go over the double nickel. They are much more interested in showing how sinful it is to have fun in a car. I still think their favorite car of all time is the Checker.
Scott certainly deserves a gold star for that one! I mean it's right up there with mom, apple pie, the flag - who could argue against basic research?
On second thought, a detector does serve one other important purpose. If you're ticketed and don't have a detector, you have absolutely no way of knowing whether the good officer actually had his unit fired up. In court, you only have his/her word that any radiation was coming out of the unit!
At least with a detector, you have the satisfaction of knowing they really do have the goods on you! ;-)
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Just my two bits.
FWIW, my last post on this topic said that comparisons were being made on top end detectors. Minor differences seemed of little importance as these higher end detectors were ALL equally impressive - that includes the V1. Since that was my read, the next step in shopping goes to things like price, customer service, etc. So IN MY OPINION, weighing all these other options - my OPINION is that the Escort is a better buy all around and just as good in performance as your coveted V1.
Now if other people want the benefit of that experience, I am going to say so. No one on this board has the right to censor my opinion when it conforms with all the guidelines of this discussion board. I disagree with your assessment of the V1 as "the best." That's a subjective opinion so I'm going to challenge that. But don't go stooping to trying to insult me or shut me up because you can't hack the direction of the discussion. What's the matter, can't take criticsm of your purchase? Feeling guilty having spent so much when you didn't have to? Don't take that out on me. I have every right to express my views, just as you have your right to rave about the V1. Got something to say - then defend the V1 all you want, but don't try censoring other opinions.
If you are going to make an effort to dazzle me with your legal footwork, at least make an attempt to be accurate. Where do you see any place that I have said that the Valentine is "the best"? I must have written that in my sleep. All I said is that I am satisfied with my V1, AND that I have been satisfied with my escort too. My only position is that you have stated NOTHING new. You keep posting your same tired opinion that they didn't treat you fairly. BOO HOO HOO. Maybe your condescending, superior attitude might have something to do with it. Now, I am not an attorney with a big powerful firm but I don't think that is important at all. It has been my experience that when you have to blow your own horn, it is because you know you are on thin ice. When you have the facts, pound on the facts. When you have the law, pound on the law. When you have neither, pound on the podium. Thanks for the loud opinion, but we have already heard it and someone just tuning in might not have read your first post where you said your gripe was "more their customer service than the actual unit", and then went on to whine that when you "complained to a manager on the phone...(h)e was rude, short, and abusive". The nerve!! To be rude, short and abusive to a person of your stature! Give it a rest, your opinion has been duly noted and MOST of the people on this board disagree with you. Of course you are entitled to your opinion. We all know what it is already. Keep talking if you want, but it is obvious that the insults were started by you and no one else. If it ever becomes material I would be happy to compare resumes with you, but frankly, who gives a darn what you or I do for a living. I have said my piece. And I still have not said that the Valentine was "the best". I like mine. I have never had a service problem. Most people don't seem to have had one either.
Just a reminder that the News & Views chat is on tonight (5-6pm Pacific/8-9 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!
Tonight's topic is Automotive Products: Aftermarket and car-care winners and losers
http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/newsviews.html
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Its obvious you don't read much either. I never tried to stop you from voicing your opinion. I welcomed it. I encouraged it - yet you seem bent on personally attacking me rather than my position. Seems to me that you are the one with no basis for opinion. My opinion is based on personal experience - FACTS!! Can't handle it, huh? Why else are you trying to shut me up? If people are tired of my opinion - they can stop reading. You obviously aren't since you feel the need to keep responding. Obviously you also feel you need to keep defending Valentine - maybe you work for them? I'm just giving the other side - a minority view, but nonetheless still valid based on experience. I don't deride folks who support V1. They have a right to their views, I have a right to mine - you would obviously try to stop others from posting. Thank goodness you're not a moderator on this board. As for your allegation that I constantly respond to any positive comments about the V1 - hardly. The posting speak for themselves. I would say support for V1 outweighs the little support I've provided for other top brands.
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Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
My question: At night it's hard to tell which band is being sensed, X or K, because the LEDs are the same color and close together. Can I expect this to become easier as I gain experience, knowing by the vertical location of the LED? I'm thinking about putting a small ink spot on one or two of the LEDs so as to be able to distinguish them. Any advice from long-term V1 users is appreciated.
Joe, I mounted mine just below the mirror, for fear the tint at the top of the windshield would interfere with laser detection, although it sounds like you're toast if a laser hits you anyway. I have the same car as you, sounds like we ran the wiring the same as well. I don't have the remote module. I had never noticed the gap at the front of the headliner before, but it sure comes in handy, doesn't it? The unit is visible from outside, but pretty unobtrusive with the moisture sensor right there. My car is secure at work and in the garage at home, so I rarely have to take the V1 out for fear of theft. When I do, the few inches of power cable get looped around the mirror post.
Off topic, Joe, are you an LLSOC member? If not, you might think about it. Great bunch of people. We just toured the Wixom assembly plant and Ford's engineering facilities in Dearborn. Tremendous experience.
Also, I notice everyone talks about the Valentine and the Escort radar detectors. Are those two that much more superior than my Bel or Uniden that I currently have? Both of my radar detectors seem to work fine picking up all the above bands with the lone exception I mention.
Thanks for any feedback!
LIDAR stands for LIght Detection And Ranging. It sends out pulses of light (not necessarily visible) at a constant rate and by timing the "echo" of these pulses, is able to determine the distance to an object and its speed.
tidester
My understanding is that LIDAR operates so quickly that once you've been detected, it's too late.
Some specs I came across:
LIDAR operates at about 904 nanometers (near IR) in 5 nanosecond pulses with a 1 kHz repetition rate. Power-on is instantaneous (at about 25 W) and delivered within a 4 milliRadian cone.
tidester
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Aftermarket & accessories
Cops usually use LIDAR by targeting one car and then "shooting" that car. A laser detector will only go off if the laser gun is aimed at your car, and then even if it goes off it is likely too late and is notifying you that you have been nabbed.
LIDAR is conventionally referred to as "laser." As indicated by a previous poster, Laser/LIDAR detectors work by aiming a narrow, concentrated beam of light to one vehicle at a time. The target point must be a reflective piece of metal that is not angled too much or the beam gets sent off at an angle that can not be recorded by the police officer. Most officers use the front license plate of a target vehicle for its large size and good reflectivity. They can also use headlamps (i.e., directing the light through the lens into the reflector and back).
Your Bel or Cobra or Uniden will likely only pick up the Laser/Lidar if you are the target. Escort and V1 radar detectors have the same limitation.
In direct response to your question, Laser/LIDAR guns look almost identical to radar guns when viewed from a vehicle running along the highway. However, there are important distinctions and limitations with respect to LIDAR that can help you regardless of the diminished warning from your top-of-the-line detector (regardless of brand).
1. Laser/Lidar can only be used from a stationary point. For now, Laser/Lidar technology will not allow such devices to accurately measure speed while they are in motion. The police officer must be standing still. So watch out for police vehicles that are parked on shoulders or in spots popular for speed traps. Keep an eye on cars in front of you. If they brake for no apparent reason - could be speed detection in the area up ahead.
2. Laser/Lidar only work via line of sight. Because of the nature of the beam, laser/lidar can only shot in a straight line via line of sight. If the cop can't see you, he can't get a laser/lidar reading off you. So be careful when entering an area where line of sight opens up considerably (i.e., coming to the crest of a hill, rounding a curve, etc.).
3. Laser/Lidar only works on clear days. Since laser/lidar uses light waves, atmospheric conditions can mess up readings. As a result, police officers need clear days to use these devices. No need to worry about laser/lidar traps in fog, rain, snow, etc. - of course, you probably shouldn't be speeding much under these conditions anyway. (-:
4. Laser/Lidar units are expensive. This means that not all jurisdictions have them. If you frequently drive in a specific area of the country, might be worth checking out if your local jurisdiction has purchased Laser/Lidar units. Oftentimes, such purchases will be noted in major newspapers. For example, when Maryland acquired a number of laser/lidar units for speed enforcement, it was noted in a story in the Washington Post. Washington, D.C. and Virginia, two nearby states, however, do not have laser/lidar guns as of yet - relying instead on radar and VASCAR. In another example, Pennsylvania laws are such that only state troopers can have laser or radar guns. Local police officers can not - as a result, unless you're on an interstate or other area monitored by PA state troopers, you have to watch for VASCAR rather than laser/radar.
Good luck.
A police officer finds two points along a stretch of road, like a certain telephone pole and a mailbox, or perhaps two paint stripes on the pavement. He measures the distance between the two points and enters it into his vascar device. He then pushes a button when a car passes the first measurement point and pushes it again when the car passes the second measurement point.
The vascar machine calculates what speed the car was travelling to go between point A and point B in x.x seconds.
An alternative vascar machine uses two rubber sensors (kind of like the old rubber lines that used to let service station employees know someone drove up to the pumps) laid across the road. They are spaced at a known distance and the machine calculates how fast a car was going based on how long it took to trip the two sensors.
Vascar is a very simple device compared to radar and laser, and requires a fairly involved setup and at least 2 or 3 officers - a stationary officer to watch cars and use the machine and another one or two to chase down speeders. Radar and laser are easily set up and can be used by one cop.
The way to combat vascar is to be especially observant of cops pulled off along the road (usually hiding behind bushes, signs, buildings), as well as paint stripes on the road or sensors laid across the road. Many similar sensors laid across the road are used to get traffic counts, however, and are not set up by the police.
Leo
Thanks to everyone to the great feedback we are getting here!
Question to all.....if you were going to buy a new radar detector, which one would you buy excluding the V1 and the Escort? Bel? Cobra? Uniden?
Mike
If I'm the only one on the road, I usually set the cruise at 5-6 over and stay there. If I'm in a big hurry (not often), I wait for someone to blow my doors off and just let them stay about a 1/4 mile ahead and let his brake lights and my radar detector do my work for me.
Hope this helps!
Shhh....don't tell anybody.
As for detectors, there are some great reviews by Car & Driver and other magazines. Check those out. I like the Escort series of detectors. Work well and priced right. The latest - the 8500 has saved me numerous times from radar. I've never had warning with laser with this detector or others that I've owned in the past (including V1). May be I'm just too tempting a target to cops - although I have not had a ticket in years (knock wood...)
Second, any detector that detects laser will detect them all, since there is only one wavelength.
Lastly, If you will reread my post, what I described is not at all like a laser gun. It was relatively huge, resembling a photographers large format camera. It was inside a van and was so large as to be non hand holdable. The size of the lense (2-3 inches in diameter) was proportionally huge compared to a laser gun, as well. I have no idea what it was. My detector does detect laser. It did not go off on whatever this was. I was doing the speed limit at that milepost as I had been told of this speed trap. I would have certainly been ticketed otherwise.
No idea what you saw. Couldn't have been VASCAR. I've seen these units in cop cars. As noted by an earlier poster, they are timing devices. A cop just sits in his cruiser, hits a button when you pass one landmark and hits another butten when you pass another landmark. A computer, which was previously programmed with the distance between those landmarks, calculates your speed between the landmarks and displays a readout of speed.
Sounds like the device you saw may have been something else - could have been a giant scope for checking registration stickers - could have been a survey of out-of-state cars - who knows?
ps: yes, I am aware that Lidar is measured in waves. It was easier to use "frequency" as short hand. Both measure wave amplitude on different points over the electromagnetic spectrum.
tidester
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Aftermarket & Accessories
Some of us are just curious about the mystery box's that Pat84 and I have seen. So far, no one has given a decription of what a VASCAR instrument would look like.
I have seen this mystery box being used as I was going by (my radar/laser detector didn't go off)and then the officer jumps in his car and I'm thinking I'm toast and he pulls over the car next to me. I should have been plenty close enough that if it was laser my detector should have went off.
Again, I don't think anybody in this thread speeds! LOL
I consider it my civic duty to monitor the performance and diligence of our law enforcement community.
Truly commendable!
tidester
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Aftermarket & Accessories
Good comeback scottc8!
Scott certainly deserves a gold star for that one! I mean it's right up there with mom, apple pie, the flag - who could argue against basic research?
On second thought, a detector does serve one other important purpose. If you're ticketed and don't have a detector, you have absolutely no way of knowing whether the good officer actually had his unit fired up. In court, you only have his/her word that any radiation was coming out of the unit!
At least with a detector, you have the satisfaction of knowing they really do have the goods on you! ;-)
tidester
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Aftermarket & Accessories