illinimatt81

Since we have a thread about how much we dislike cops that waste time and pull people over for petty offenses, lets talk anti-radar and photo equipment. What does everyone use? Do you use anything? Anyone try those license plate covers like these http://www.specterguard.com/originalsg.htm at all? Curious to see what others do to protect themselves.

I just picked up the Escort Passport 8500 radar detector, supposed to be one of the best on the market. I know some people will argue Valentine One, but I read better things about the passport. I'll let you know what I think of it after a few days of driving with it. I also have a good eye for both marked and unmarked units and have been very successful at avoiding radar traps and speeding tickets.

Lung Fu Mo Shi

Photo Equipment take a picture as you drive TOWARDS the truck, not as you drive by. Thus that link wouldn't work and probably just get you pulled over by a real cop.

xizor

pretty sure the license plate covers are illegal in VA (like radar detectors and everything else). so none of this is too helpful for me

illinimatt81

Who says you have to follow the laws about staying a step ahead of the cops , then again we don't have photo trucks in Illinois. A handful of intersections in Chicago have "red light" cameras but they are few and far between. I don't think license plates are illegal, but I don't know. I see lots of people with them especially on the front plates to protect them.

There is some kind of spray on the market that is supposed to be really good too that you spray your plates with. Check this out http://www.phantomplate.com/video.html

JTso

iTrader: (2)

I use the V1 with conceal option and very happy with it.

Maxboost

I'm using a Solo cordless V2 and very happy with it. Also, i'm on a look out for unmarked/marked car everytime i'm on the highway.
I'd say that these things only "prevent" you from getting pull over but i'll deffinitely not going to "help" you. I've had 2 tickets so far since I had my Solo V2 and both of them were because of my stupidiy, not the Solo V2's fault.

bob shiftright

MOTOR TREND most recently published a detector test.

I'm also intrigued by the LASER JAMMERS. Particularly the Escort ZR3 jammer which can be linked with the Passport 8500.

I read one description of a home garage installation where the guy drilled into his new car's main wiring harness!

I currently have 2 V-1s in cars, plus 2 older Passports and 2 ancient Escorts, all of which still work. My V-1s main units are mounted in the pockets of "visor orgainzers" with the remote display in the consoles. I find the directional arrows of the V-1 to be invaluable although I'm concerned LIDAR is starting to become common enough that it may be worthwhile switching.

A ZR3 jammer might be my next "project"!

Fooman

I'll be most likely getting the Escort 8500 too, but I do like the cordless function of the Escort Solo S2. However, I hear that the screen may be hard to see in bright sunlight.

If anyone is thinking of getting any type of detector or jammer, please do some research first, either on radartest.com or radarbuster.com. They are both good reliable sites and BOTH sites say jammers made by Rocky Mountain Radar are a piece of junk. I think the websites also commented on the license plates as not very effective.

illinimatt81

I agree with those websites as being great sources, I used both of those websites in researching my purchase. Its hard to say whats junk though, my previous one was a $60 that was actually noting special but surprisingly reliable and effective!! Never got a ticket with it, never felt I was driving "naked" with it. I decided with a new car it was time for up to date protection. I agree with Maxboost though, nothing beats a keen eye for the pigs! I also read that rocky mountain stuff is terrible

kurt_bradley

I still just stick to my V1. Sorry, but I can't see a good enough reason to test out someone else's product. It's kept me out of a lot of trouble, and having the concealed display helps at night. If mounted properly (which hardly anyone does because they don't want it to be so obvious that it's there), you have to be an idiot to get a ticket with it. It's too perfect when it comes to keeping an eye out for you. It has my stamp of approval. Along with just about every automotive publication out there.

MikeMa

Not where I live they don't....we don't have front plates where I live, so the trucks have to be facing the same way as your car, and take pictures as you pass. Our red light cameras are the same way.

I guess pictures from the front would be kinda distracting, what with you getting this super bright flash in your eyes. But then again, you'll know right away if you got nailed. I have no idea how some people up here can tell if they got caught, since it'd be hard to catch in your mirrors.

Bass Mechanic

i read somewhere that photo radar tickets you can toss in the trash. as i understand it a ticket is a legal court doccument. by signing a ticket you aknoledge receipt of the ticket and it is then a summons to appear if you dont mail in the fine and enter your guilty plea by mail.
getting a ticket in the mail is about as pointless as it gets, since you werent handed the ticket in person there is no proof you ever received it.
therefore it is not possible to issue a warrant for your arrest and it is not possible to assess points to your license or fine you for the alledged infraction.
your innocent until proven guilty in the U.S i have never gotten a photo radar ticket but im pretty sure i wouldnt pay for one unless it was handed to me by an official servant of the court.
anyone here know anything about law to proove me right or wrong?

gfxdave99

I have a Valentine 1 and have had quite good luck with it.. Sure its bigger and bukier then some of its competition but the arrows are awesome. It really helps to know where the signals are coming from. And the signal counter is also very useful for driving through areas you are used to. You just learn where it goes off in your daily commute, if you see 1 signal every day and see 2.. well there you go..

Although if that laser jammer works I'd be all down for that since laser detectors dont really do you much good because once you are zapped you are pretty much screwed, and then i can turn of my laser function of my V1 since it likes to go off every time I'm behind a Trailblazer/Envoy other various knockoffs.. something about their thrid break light sends my laser detector into a tizzy

TSX CSI

i got the new radar detector caled b.a.d.g.e., guaranteed to never get a ticket hahahah

dabuda

damn, i think i'm one of the only suckers here that got the RMR jammer/detector... oh well, it was a costly mistake. RMR

i was leaning towards the V1 but the 8500 seems to provide the same protection/range for $100 less...just without the directional arrows. hmm...still undecided

bob shiftright

The 8500 interfaces with the Escort ZR3 laser jammer.

But the V-1 has directional arrows. Also, there is a new Lidatek "Laser Echo" jammer, the LE-30, in the pipeline. It only requires mounting one front transponder, unlike the ZR3's two.

It's never easy, is it?

Technical note: for detection of radar signals the best placement of the detector antenna is high in the car, such as in front of the rear-view mirror or mounting on the sunvisor. For laser jamming ("shifting") the best location is low since the police aim the gun at the front license plate. So you'd want high mounted antennas for both radar and laser, (to pick up emissions aimed at cars ahead) as well as a low-mounted jammer and antenna for laser guns aimed at your front license plate. (Also a rear transponder for your rear plate if you're shot from behind from an overpass.) You can't legally jam radar, just laser.

omgsoup

even though its illegal to jam radar, could they prove that you were doing it? (other than seeing it on your dashboard, but that oculd be eliminated

bob shiftright

I believe that you need an FCC license to even purchase the radar transmitters. USING them to defeat police radar is a federal offense and also unlawful in many/most states.

Quite a few years ago, Car and Driver was playing with a radar jammer and reported doing things like parking near a speed trap and getting the police radar to register things like a kid on a bicycle doing 150mph, etc. There was a KIT available at one point that used an Escort to trigger the jammer but required that you acquire your own transmitter.

So it CAN be done! The main reason the current vendors of radar jammers haven't been prosecuted by the Feds is that they don't work.

Since the laws that are broken include FEDERAL laws and breaking them risks JAIL time, it's not worth it, IMO.

Easier/cheaper/less risky IMO just to slow down.

dtprinceCLs

Up from the grave hehe

funny that i read alot of people here buying "jammers" and things like garanteed "no ticket" because I read from a guy that is an expert on radars and etc... heres 1 thing, jammer that garantee you reimbursment for a ticket if u get one for example cost you $300 while ticket cost $120 ~ the expert guys findings on the jammers were they were exactly the same as a $60-$70 radar on the inside just w/ diff marketing approaches. they garantee you 1 ticket within certain time frame, right? so you get a ticket and mail to them they give u back $120-200 they still sold a cheap radar w/ good marketing for more then 60-70bucks. not to mention jammers are Illegal if they did what they are suppose to. A good radar is only as good as the person using it. Might have a little extra range and what not, but driving skills is what prevents you from getting a ticket not a radar. I have personally saved over 4-5 tickets using a a cheap Whistler $30 radar and have had since I've bought it 1 pull over. The officer pulled me over going 47mph but that was because I slammed the break from the 65 i was going in a 40 street. He didnt give me a ticket because he thought it was funny how fast I was able to drop speed and he was hitting me with the KA band at that.

Motohip

That is VERY interesting. Can anyone back this up with proof or of personal experience?

jlukja

I protect myself by not running red lights.

Motohip

You're talking red light cameras. Some signal lights don't give you a long enough yellow to make it through safely. So the other option would be to stop and risk getting rear-ended. It has been shown that areas with red light cameras have higher incidents of cars being rear-ended.

So photo radar catches you speeding and we all speed.

wclark

there is aslo a special type of spray coat you can buy and put on the plate, its completely un-noticable since its a spray on

Motohip

j/k :gheylaugh:

wclark

lol yeah i went back and read and saw that it was already posted...so

jlukja

Gotta link?

If you're not speeding then either you have very slow reflexes or aren't paying attention. You'd rather run the red and risk being broadsided than stopping at the red and risk being rear-ended? Let me see a) run the red light, get a ticket (you pay), and risk being broad-sided (your fault), or b) stop at the red and risk getting rear-ended (their fault, they pay). I pick (b).

dtprinceCLs

amen, i wont run one unless i have too better safe then sorry.

spatel600

truck....what???

gmfreed

I have the K40 undetectable with difuser. I love it, would never use anything else

CKcentral

I have an old Cobra radar detector i picked up after i got my first speeding ticket and i haven't been pulled over since then. I agree that watching out for the cops or watching break lights ahead of you helps as well as having a radar detector. But now my radar detector is like 4 years old and im thinking of getting a new one. Anything new out there now?

Tsx536

I recommend the Valentine 1

frescagod

i got a photo speeding ticket in DC and the picture it took was from behind me, not in front of me.

CKcentral

Thanks ill look into that and include its price with the other modding i will do.

jlukja

Will come in more handy than ever with your new-found power.

CKcentral

HAHA i know ever since i got my TSX i have been speeding quite a bit....my first manual car too so going through the gears at high RPMs is fun too. New tires/wheels and a new radar detector will prolly be my first mods.

mg7726

you'll love the V1. VR's upgrade program is great and their customer service is top notch.

Yui

One time I was driving through Scottsdale during the evening commute time and went into an intersection with it being green, but then all of a sudden traffic came to a standstill and whaddya know, the light turns red and I'm stuck in the intersection. Next thing I know, there's this big flash from behind me. Bleh. I never did get a ticket in the mail cause I still had my TX plates on but it makes you wonder. Would a human policeman have pulled me over for that? Are there checks in place to insure a violation has occurred and the right person is getting ticketed?

eltownse

What a predictiment! With my old Altima I had a $40 dollar radar detector and it did me well enough. If anything it was a toy so I maybe catch a cop in front of me before I crested a hill.

Now with the TSX I just have a hard time keeping the pedal in check!

The Valentine 1 seems incredible but it is a big thing from what I can see and the installation (defintely would do some kind of direct wire like the other threads talk about) would be a pain.

I might just get a cordless version and hope for the best.

jlukja

Not sure about Scottsdale but I think in LA, if the cop wanted to, he could give you a ticket in that situation. I think they call it the anti-gridlock law where you should enter the intersection only if there is room for you on the other side. I've never seen it enforced in downtown LA though.

Zasker1

Photo enforment loop hole, in AZ if you get a ticket via photo, they must bring a ticket to your house and deliver it, howerver it goes to the owner of the car and if another person was driving it, you cannot be compelted to tell them who the driver was. Thus for me and Tiffany, my car is in her name and hers is in mine name, thus if I run a red light and get a photo ticket and they deliver it to the house, Tiffany cannot get the ticket as she was not the driver but they cannot force her to tell them who the driver was. Nice loop hole.