gandatoyou

Today I got a ticket for 56 in 45 zone. I think I really need a radar detector, but it's not allowed in Virginia. (which sucks so much!) I heard Valentine V1 has conceal box. Do you think it will be ok to have it? I think police doesn't look that close, but I still don't want to have any trouble for having it though.

bdubfosho

I hate freaking VA, you break laws there and dont ever know it. I was vivisting my GF at Hampton I parked infront of her house and went to the door. A cop pulled up and asked for my L's and reg so I gave it, no big deal. Then he wanted to search the ack, i was like no. Then her begins to write me a ticket for parking on the street and not having my lights on. I paid it b/c no ins increase but dang. thne i get a ticket on the strip at VaBeach for cursing, and walking in a group of more than 10. Then a sppeding ticket 45in a 25. it was weird thought, I could see the sign b4 I started increasing to 45mph, but he said that I wasnot in the zone yet, and 45 didnt start until 20meters after the sign then I should safely be at 45. I was going to explode My friends had to gag me, and the cop smikerd and wanted me to act up, but its hard with your Gf and best friend holding your mouth. All of my friends spread out until we got home, but b4 we got back to NC. We got pulled again on 64 for anoise violation, the system was up too loud but i was @55mph, its not Fn way. NEWAY- do not get aradar they havea radar for the radar freq- and will get aindicator if you have one. I think they can ake you to jail if they want. WTF I ran home and stay the hell way from VA if possible

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

^ Dude you are full of shit. They can't take you to jail, it isn't a felony. I pass by cops in VA almost every day with my V1 on. The only one who's picking up radar frequencies is me from their K or Ka band radar guns mounted outside their cars. I even go pulled over one day in VA for accidentally cutting off this person just behind me (they switched lanes at the same time as me, etc, etc.) the cop saw my V1 and said you know they are illegal and I said I forgot to take it down. He let me go with no tickets.

pluto_1969

I'm in Alexandria and yes, it's a stupid VA law if you ask me.

I'm going to buy an RD soon anyway... can you guys suggest a really good one that's on the market right now?

McChicken

So what is the reason why detectors are illegal ???

bdubfosho

Really.

bdubfosho

I was serious MrSteve. Maybe you got pulled by a cop, I got pulled by a state trooper, full of shit I am not, they can find a reason to take you to jail if they want you bad enough, they cops might not care much but in Southern Va dem sate troopers care. NEway, if others have had good luck witht he V1 maybe its technology is good enough to keep you ticket free. However, I doubt it the radar industry and law enforcement work 2gether testing thses products and so forth, and the cops usally have acess to equp. that can defeat the freq jam or learning mode- but it is expensive and most on the beat agencies wont have it, but the smaller more ground to be cover State troopers do. Be careful in your choice, you live in Va and cannot usea BS excuse to get by once they see your license and reg, MrSteve lives in MD from what I gather and hasa little more leeway

95gt

Tell you the truth I have never understood how they are legal anywhere. The entire purpose of them is to evade the police and to facilitate you in breaking the law (speeding).

I think that is the reason VA has outlawed them. Hate that shit though.

Technique

V1 - Valentine One

Nothing else compares...

Austin_CL

OK...I am new here (Just got a 2003 CLP Silver/Ebony - yes, pics coming soon...) and have been lurking but thought I would chime in about RD's.

I did some online research before I purchased, and found this indepenedent website that has great info and test results:

http://www.speedzones.com/

I decided on a Cobra 9700, because of price/value ratio (found it for $99, also online). It has already saved me at least one ticket.

I could have gone more expensive, but I need to save up for all the stuff I need for my CLP(!).

Hope this helps....

evilone

my boy has his v1 in the rx7 turbo its hidden so you cant see it but you can hear it as long as the cops dont see it you can get away with it.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Skip the radar detector and learn to drive within acceptable boundaries of the speed limit. I usually try to limit myself to no more than 5mph over the speed limit and not one cop has pestered me yet since there are people who usually drive 15-20mph over the limit.

lennier

<EFF>They are legal because they are nothing but radio receivers. X, K, and KA bands do not require a license to transmit or receive, and therefore it's legal to use a radar detector </EFF>

Now, I'd be in favor of laws like they have for radio scanners: Scanners are pefrectly legal unless you use one to aid in the comission of a crime.

Some states only let you use scanners in a vehicle if you have a HAM license, but you get my point?

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

That website is far from independent. Cheap radar detectors will work, but they won't work nearly as well as the premium models out there.

V1>*

Austin_CL

Just curious - why do you think speedzone is "far from independent"?

I thought the tests appeared fair and without bias.

They tested three "over $300" RD's head to head:

Bel RX65
Excort X50
Valentine One

and three "under $200" RD's head to head:

Cobra 9700
PNI 7500
Whistler 73

I just couldn't justify the big $$$ for a V1 or Escort....

gingerbread

old man!! sike, as long as you stay out of the left lane i dont have a problem... but to add: VA IS GAY, a friend of mine was taken to this juvenile correctional facility for staying out all night without her parents permission and not going to school. (her mom called the po on her). When i see a cop when i'm in virginia i usually just grab my detector real quick just in case they peak over at me, because its visibly right in the windshield. steve, do cops really have a radar gun mounted on their cars? i didnt know that.

lead_sled_dog

I read the article and have to agree that the tests look very independent. Interesting read too.

LiQiCE

Radar detector detectors are useless. Cops used to have them, and on old radar detectors cops used to have the ability to figure out you're using a RD. On virtually all new radar detectors they have a "stealth" mode where the unit shuts off if it detects one of the detector detectors ... or some of the better units like the V1 can continue to work and still stay hidden.

Everybody has their own favorite test site showing that their RD is the best ... and every site has its own problems with how they test. No review is going to test everything perfectly and just like people accuse C&D of being in bed with BMW, people are going to accuse other review sites of being biased when the review doesn't say positive things about their RD.

Most reviews and users have found the Passport 8500 x50 and the V1 to be the best on the market though. If price isn't a concern, I would imagine most review sites would rate the V1 as the best too ... The $400 price tag makes it hard for some reviewers to rate it as the best in terms of price/performance.

With more and more cops using POP and Laser though its becoming tougher and tougher to evade police. Obviously the best solution is to try to avoid speeding all together ... but with cops using speed traps to raise revenue, there's still a place for a RD in your car. Too bad VA and DC don't believe that a citizen has a right to one..

And as far as VA cops go, there will always be cops who are dicks no matter where you live. I wouldn't generalize and say that all VA cops suck ...

NiteQwill

V1 > *

Those tests don't seem right either.

Police have mounted K/Ka radar guns in the front and rear of their vehicles. They also have an independent radar and lidar gun that is accessible.

evilone

def well put!!!!! i know there are ALOT of dickhead va cops, but they are usally the young ones fresh out the academy with something to prove!! the older ones have been there done that and just wanna make it home at night. i have run into both types. to bad most of the fairfax county cops are young pricks. glad i live in loudon now i only have the sheriffs office to deal with. as for va not allowing RD's its becuase va is a money hungry state and they wont pass up the chance to get more money out of the people that live here. after all it is a common wealth state

gingerbread

i almost forgot that my license is suspened in the common wealth for 6 months due to a intoxicated in public ticket at the nissan pavillion, a holes.

gandatoyou

So you think I can get V1 in concealing box and I won't be in any trouble for that?

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

You are 17, you were intoxicated in public, who's the asshole now?

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

No "concealing box" is needed. Just mount it uphigh and hardwire it so that it is out of view.

gandatoyou

Thank you. I just wanted to make sure so I won't go to jail for this lol

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

It's not a felony! How could you go to jail? It's like a $25 ticket too.

gingerbread

Not me. i wasnt disturbing anyone, i was having myself a good time at a concert.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

You are 17, you were drunk, in public. The cop that wrote you up was just doing his/her job.

gingerbread

Yet at the sametime people are breaking into cars in the parking lot. (i heard that in the station). cops need to spend time catching the real criminals and stop messing with youngsters.

evilone

like a said befor my boy has the v1 (he is my acura tech) hidden in his rx7 you cant see it at all and no cop has said any thing to him about it yet.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I guess he isn't worried about laser protection then? The V1 needs a line of sight with the laser gun for it to detect it.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure some of the people breaking into cars were underage drinkers.

death

I personally have a V1 and use it occasionally on long trips. The reason why I don't use it in VA is because of the possibility of it being confiscated. Here's some info I found regarding what the VA law states.


FYI on what the law states on the use of Radar detectors in VA


Radar Detectors in Virginia

While the days of the Virginia State Police sniffing out your FuzzBuster (tm) radar detector and seizing it are gone, it is still illegal to use radar detection devices in Virginia. Contrary to the state statute, some local government web sites such as the City of Fairfax advise that drivers may possess a detector even in a vehicle if the device has no power source and no one in the vehicle can access it. The actual statue, however, still prohibits possession in a motor vehicle, even if disconnected and not in actual operation.


§ 46.2-1079. Radar detectors

"A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth when such vehicle is equipped with any device or mechanism, passive or active, to detect or purposefully interfere with or diminish the measurement capabilities of any radar, laser, or other device or mechanism employed by law-enforcement personnel to measure the speed of motor vehicles on the highways of the Commonwealth for law-enforcement purposes. It shall be unlawful to use any such device or mechanism on any such motor vehicle on the highways. It shall be unlawful to sell any such device or mechanism in the Commonwealth. However, provisions of this section shall not apply to any receiver of radio waves utilized for lawful purposes to receive any signal from a frequency lawfully licensed by any state or federal agency.

"This section shall not be construed to authorize the forfeiture to the Commonwealth of any such device or mechanism. Any such device or mechanism may be taken by the arresting officer if needed as evidence, and, when no longer needed, shall be returned to the person charged with a violation of this section, or at that person's request, and his expense, mailed to an address specified by him. Any unclaimed devices may be destroyed on court order after six months have elapsed from the final date for filing an appeal.

"Except as provided in subsection B of this section, the presence of any such prohibited device or mechanism in or on a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth shall constitute prima facie evidence of the violation of this section. The Commonwealth need not prove that the device or mechanism in question was in an operative condition or being operated."



Direct quote from VA State Police web site


"Are radar detectors illegal in Virginia? What if it is turned off or not plugged in?

Yes. If a power source is readily accessible for use by the driver or passenger in the vehicle, it is considered as being illegally used (Code of VA 46.2-1079)."


Fines According to Fairfax County


Unlawful use of radar detection device
Statute: 46.2-1079
Fine: $40
Processing Fee: $57
Total: $97

Unlawful use of radar jamming device
Statute: 46.2-1079
Fine: $40
Processing Fee: $57
Total: $97