Do Radar Detectors work? (2024)

zpyro said:

on my ridelong with a chp the officer told me that by the time the radar detector picks it up, he's already got your speed locked in. he also told me, however, that if you're next to a big truck/semi, it will pick up the speed of the truck. so it just kinda depends on the situation you're in. obviously this is just out on the open freeway, and he said nothing about bikes

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depends.... my valentine one picks them up a few miles away. if the cop is crafty then he will only turn the radar on when he wants to zap someone making it harder to detect. my v1 has saved my ass soooooooo many times.

Sidewalk said:

Only a tool. Unless you know how to make good use at one, and buy a quality tool, then it won't work.

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My girlfriend tells me I'm bad at reading in between the lines. Hence, I will request you elaborate on this statement. For example, how do you make bad use of this tool?

For me, they work the opposite way I expected.

The detector I had beeped every time I blinked if it was set to be very sensitive, and it just served to increase my already substantial paranoia. Ultimately, I drove slower with the detector as I began to monitor my speed even more than the road conditions. I got rid of it and just resumed driving the same way I've been avoiding tickets for the past 18+ years.

In a car, I like a CB on the open highway. You'll hear from the truckers every time they see "smokey," which is usually well before smokey sees you. But the price you pay is having to listen to all the noise and crazy talk.

Sidewalk said:

Simple example, speeding through known speed traps assuming the detector is going to protect you.

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O, I'm not stupid!

FRICKD'UP said:

if the cop is crafty then he will only turn the radar on when he wants to zap someone making it harder to detect.

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I'm using a Solo II and it's helped me out a lot when a LEO is checking cars and I pick up the radar. But like FRICKD'UP says, if the guy wants you, you're toast.

If a LEO does chime in here, I'm still wondering why we didn't get popped one day on a group ride.

There was a long straight and there was a group of Sprotbile riders behind our group. As I pulled out to pass a few cars I cranked it up a bit to allow the group behind us to make the pass too. My detector went off and my friend got it down to about 70 in a 55 as we went past him. His initial shot was through some trees, but he had a clear view of me as I went by.

Did the multitude of targets confuse the reading or did he just not feel like dealing with us at the moment?

Finally, the best radar detector is between your ears. I don't speed on surface streets and I'm aware that straights are a great place to get busted.

donoman said:

O, I'm not stupid!

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Remember, half the people around you have a below average I.Q.

Sidewalk said:

Remember, half the people around you have a below average I.Q.

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I just leaned over and told that to my co-worker and she slapped me.

They work and they don't work. If a police officer wants to get you with radar he will use "instant on" intead of just keeping the radar in the on mode. So here are a couple of examples of how they work and don't work.

They will work if the officer is down the street and trying to get other speeders, Radar bounced of everything. Even if the officer is aiming the radar at cars coming toward you in the other direction 1/4 mile down the road. A good detector should alert you.

They also work really well for the officers that leave them on. Even if it's in their saddle bag it can be picked up. San Ramon and CHP for the most part drive with their radar units on. You can pick the up a good mile or two down the road.

Now for the ways they don't work.
They will not protect you. They do not make you invisable. If the officer aims the gun in your direction and your speeding. "Please sign here"

So in other words, if your radar detector goes off with a Ka band reading. You can bet your ass there is a cop around somewhere. Also keep in mind that Ka band is the only band that is capable of capturing your speed while the police car is in motion. So if you think that the police car has to be stationary in order to get you, your wrong.

Some usless info:
X band is roughly 10.xxx Mghz not used or supported anymore by law enforcement.

K band is 24.xxx Mghz more commonly used by city police but still rare to even see it used. All those K band signals that you get while driving down the highway are from the Sigalert monitors mounted on the light poles, signs etc... Look for a white tube like device with a solar panel mounted next to it.

Ka band 33.xxx will always be a police radar. so slow your as down if it goes off.

Ku band is not here yet and may not make it here because of LIDAR which is here.

If your Laser (904 nm) signal goes off on your radar detector continously for a few seconds. Just pull over, you will need to sign something. But in most cases depending on how close the officer is and what type of vehicle you are drive i.e. how high your radar detector is mounted away from the fron end of your car. you probably won't even know you got nailed by laser/lidar because the beam was enough to get the front of your car without spreading high enough to hit your detector. So your detector might not even go off.

I am pretty much a expert on radar, infared, and lidar. So if you have any questions please ask.

The "man" loves radar detectors...

They see it in your car and follow you for miles at night- just to make your LEDs light up in your car... turning the radar off and on so your dashboard looks like a disco

Radar detectors are useless if you rely on them.
If you slow down when you see the patrol vehicle and then you get lit up you have an idea of how fast you are going at the time.

Thanks for the info Mike

Very informative. I was thinking about picking up a Valentine 1 soon. Not really because I speed, but because I like gadgets and it would be neat. I haven't been pulled in 5 yrs and that was my only ticket (crosses fingers).

halfwing said:

Finally, the best radar detector is between your ears. I don't speed on surface streets and I'm aware that straights are a great place to get busted.

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+1

At Berryessa in summer CHP prefers shady spots for several reasons...

They do work, but do they work in time? So far my V1 has, but in a solo scenario, if I am the only one out there at the moment LEO turns it on, I am toast. So, sometimes I wick it down and wait for the low LEO probability areas. It's a crap shoot at best - the more we ride, the more we speed, the sooner the odds change to favor LEO.

It's fun, tho...

Dragon said:

The "man" loves radar detectors...

They see it in your car and follow you for miles at night- just to make your LEDs light up in your car... turning the radar off and on so your dashboard looks like a disco

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thats why the v1 has a optional remote display you can mount anywhere. viola!! no blinking lights. if you drive hwy5 a lot it is the cats ass.

gumby said:

In a car, I like a CB on the open highway. You'll hear from the truckers every time they see "smokey," which is usually well before smokey sees you. But the price you pay is having to listen to all the noise and crazy talk.

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So you have a CB in your car?
That is so freaken cool! I always wanted one but never really go around to getting on, and didn't want thar 10 foot wire sticking out of my car.

Now what about radar jammers? do those work? They cost well into the $1,000. So i would hope for that much $$$ they would save your ass.