Lazer radar? how much time?

[Rev]

I thought I had a small amount of time from the time the warning went off before they could clock me? I use a high dollar Escort 8500 unit and have always avoided citations.

All that changed last weekend. I got nailed for 82 in a 60 (laser). I thought (erroneously) that I could hit the brakes fast enough to keep that lazer from registering........wrong, wrong, wrong. It's not a huge deal $230 for deferred adjudication (won't go on record). Seems like they just want the money without any effort on their part. No problem for me I guess if they don't record the infraction on my record.

Seems like a cheesey out for the city to just grab the money with no trial. Makes me want to hire a lawer to spank their asses even if it costs me more $$$ to do it.

OK, my bad, I guess I'll just have to stay at 70 in that 60 to avoid more of the same. 75 in a 10 lane divided still seems a lot more reasable to me.

No offense to Ryan or Mustang460 as I know they do not set policy.

Rev

[rwhite65]

The ole LIDAR bit another victim, sorry to hear of the bad luck Rev. I could get into the principals of radar and Lidar (aka: laser radar), but I will just answer your question and try to keep it brief.

A Lidar detetor is good for one thing, telling you that you just got a ticket, before the cop has a chance too. The reason you do not have time to hit the brakes, is because the Laser beam moves at such great speeds and the beam is actually aimed at an individual car. With Lidar, the officer can shoot the car next to you, and your LASER detector will never go off. All in all, unless your reactions are quicker then a laser beam, the speed is locked before you have time to hit the pedal.

Pleading guilty with court costs IS kinda an easy way out for the law side of the ticket. You can try and fight it, but a Lidar gun is very accurate and hard to beat. If Texas is like IL, if you fight the ticket and lose, your fine is even higher due to the use of the courts time.

No offense taken here. Sorry to hear you got a ticket, non of us ever like to get them, including us boys in blue.

[jimberg]

Maybe you can confirm this, but aren't you more likely to be let go with a warning if you don't have a radar/laser detector? If I were a cop and I saw one in the car, I would automatically assume that the person was intentially speeding and not just watching the road instead of their speedometer.

[rwhite65]

Originally Posted by jimberg

Maybe you can confirm this, but aren't you more likely to be let go with a warning if you don't have a radar/laser detector? If I were a cop and I saw one in the car, I would automatically assume that the person was intentially speeding and not just watching the road instead of their speedometer.

This is true with most officers I work with. From our perspective, a speeder with a detector looks like they may be making a habit of speeding and trying to get away with it.

Ryan

[Rev]

Thanks Ryan for confirming what I already suspected. By the time I get the warning the laser has already determined my speed. Well I can't really complain too much. My detector does give me ample warning for K and Ka bands. There seem to be a lot more of those being used than the lasers. It's saved my bacon many times with the K and Ka band machines, so I guess I just got spoiled.

I wonder if some sort of laser jammer would work? Also I don't know if they are legal or not. Anyone have any info on jammers?

Rev

[rwhite65]

Most officers have radar now. Lidar is generally used by your state police officers on their speed traps. Lidar is expensive and can only be used while the patrol car is sitting still.

They make lasar and radar jammers, although I have heard mixed arguments on their results. Jammers are illegal to possess in Illinois as I assume they would be in some other states, although I wouldnt know which ones.
Ryan

[jimberg]

I think it's a given that most states that use this equipment for measuring speed has laws against attempts to interfere with the equipment. It violates FCC regulations to broadcast on a frequency that you aren't authorized to use, especially if it's for the purpose of interfering with the intended use of the frequency. I don't think cops will or even can enforce federal laws, nor can I see them calling in the FCC to handle it for them.

If someone is selling a laser jammer, I'd sure as heck make sure it actually works before putting it to use. My guess is that you can't really jam lasers without actually shooting a laser directly at the speed measuring device.

[Rev]

I did check with a municipal judge that I know. Jammers of any type are illegal here in Houston, so I won't be using that approach. Actually, I only get nailed every year or two, always by those LIDAR units that I can't detect in time. I guess I'll just have to hope that those units remain not so common here.

Rev

[rwhite65]

well, not knowing how you got the ticket, I may be able to give some advice.

When we do speed details here in the area, they always tend to be in the same spots. LIDAR is generally used by an officer on an over pass, calling out your speed to a "chase" car.

I have seen troopers use the lidar as they sat in a median, but the higher places make finding the fast cars easier. If you have seen some speed details berfore in the past, chances are it will be there again in the future.
Ryan

[Rev]

Yes they do almost always park after an overpass here so you don't see them until you crest the top. That way they maintain the element of surprise. I don't think they use two officers in different cars here because (as that same municipal judge told me), both officers would have to appear for the trial to make it stick. They do seem to appear and reappear in the same general areas. I just thought that was because it was a "fruitful" area. I doubt that they have to clock very many cars before they catch someone going 10+ over the speed limit. The speed limits on major highways here in Harris county are lower now because of air pollution (supposedly?) so people almost always go about 5-10 over that 60. I think most officers don't stop people until they exceed that 10 mph cushion. Thanks for the advice Ryan. I think I'll just try not to exceed the 10 mph rule for a while at least until my deferred disposition is dismissed (90 days? I think).

Rev

[mustangII460]

I was using a Stalker Dopler hand held standing on a side road one day.

Little truck comes zooming up, I wave him over.

He proceeds to tell me I can't write him a ticket because his detector didn't go off. Basically calling me a liar saying I was guessing his speed and never turned it on. ( Radar confirms my estimate only, as I can guess your speed very acurately. )

He had a brand new everything machine worth several hundred dollars sitting on his dash, ( That never sounded off.)

I asked him if it was on, he said yes. I pointed the handheld at a passing car, pulled the trigger and it still didn't sound off. Next car went by I held the trigger for twice as long as I needed to get a reading. BINGO, his detector sounds off.

So later on to expieriment we tried quick shots with laser and two other bands in the same senario as the ticket I wrote.

Each of our radars could be used fast enough as not to be detected by the detector, strange. At longer distances it didn't work as well.

But as most people know, if Im aiming at you, forget it your caught no matter what type of radar is used. Sometimes you may pick it up on your machine, sometimes not. The radar gun has your speed before your detector sounds off anyway. So good luck jamming the brakes ( Im not covering radar jammers.)

We tried two different types of detectors that day. Sorry I don't remember the models, one was laser. Its been a few years ago so the models have changed anyway.


*PS, that black box will insure you get wrote, if I see it.

[Rev]

Most radar traps here are just a patrol car sitting on the side of the road with the unit on all the time. My Escort 8500 will detect those almost 100% of the time and from a fair distance away. These are the K and Ka bands. The distance depends on whether I have it set for city or highway. I always leave mine on city so as not to get false alarms from the higher sensitivity setting. It still will give me ample warning on those units if I pay attention.

Most of the good detector units do have sensors in the front and the back. I don't think any unit works if there is much of an angle involved (possibly the Valentine with the arrow indicators), but I also don't think the officer's radar unit will work from much of an angle either, at least not with any degree of accuracy.

What band does the Stalker Dopler unit function on? Is that what used to be called the "instant on" radar? When an officer uses those I get intermittant warnigs, but not that continuous beep, beep, beep that gets louder and faster on my detector as I get closer to the source as with the ones that are left on all the time. Those are the easy ones to detect. I do pay attention to those intermittant warnings as well because I know that those "instant on" units can get you if you have not already slowed down before you get into their range.

I can't do anything with those laser units except try to spot that white Crown Vic with the door ajar on the shoulder of the road 1/4 mile away. I think those are good from 1/4 mile away, but I'm not sure on that.

I also know that most officers won't cut anyone any slack if they have a radar detector on the windshield. I do think mine saves me often enough that it's worthwhile in the long run.

Rev

[mustangII460]

If your detector is beep, beep, beep beeping, your reading the pluse of the doppler effect. Its the stream of signals being transmitted. Doppler operates on multiple bands, like X, K, KA.

The further away you are, the more spread out the pulses are, same as your beeps. Fast beeps, close.

The doppler measures the difference in the reflection and transmission. Think of shooting a machine gun, the trigger is pulled but a bullet only fires a fraction of the time the trigger is actually pulled.

A doppler radar can be "on" and you won't know it. Not until the trigger is pulled does it transmit. Let me tell you, its quick, real quick. Like I posted before, some detectors fail to read it.

Angle, greater the angle, less your speed. Errors on your side.

Of course if the officer is hitting a car up in front of you, you'll get a faint/slow beep or "early warning." When your the target, forget it, your nabbed.

[Rev]

I think you are nabbed if you get "shot" with any unit if you are not already slowed down when he shoots you specifically. I do seem to get ample warning to do that with the K and Ka bands. I leave the X band disabled on my unit because no one here seems to use them. Also X band gives a lot of false alarms from automatic door openers, etc.

Lidar gives me no advance warning at all. It just registers after I'm already caught. I actually have to see the officer using it from a long ways off to avoid those encounters. Even then, I never know if he got me doing 70 and just let me go or what?

I'm still curious about laser jammers. One web site claims that laser beam production is regulated by the FDA rather than the FCC as is radar is. That same site says that radar jammers are illegal in all US states. It also says that since laser beams are used for many purposes such as pointers that lecturers use, medical purposes, and even to straighten automobile frames, that they are basically not regulated in most states. Some states, notably Mn, Va, UT, OK, NB, and CA do ban the use of laser jammers according to that site. I think I would have to have a strong legal opinion verifying that they are not illegal in Texas before I would consider investing in a laser jammer.

No need to respond on the jammer issue Frank as I know you said you didn't want to discuss it. Thanks for the insight from the officer's point of view.

Rev