[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