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Radar/Lidar detectors

1208 messages,  Last post on Jan 09, 2013 at 12:44 PM

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Messages Page 119 of 121

#1178 of 1208 Speeders by upstatedoc

Jan 28, 2008 (8:17 am)

I don't know if anyone has caught that new show on tru tv (formerly court tv) called speeders, but it's pretty interesting to see how the officers operate and who they pull over. In the vast majority of cases, the officer is using laser and none of the offenders are using countermeasures (from what I can see). It's also interesting to see how some people interact w/ the officers. I imagine acting "annoyed" that you got pulled over isn't going to help your case at all.

#1179 of 1208 Re: Speeders [upstatedoc] by kyfdx HOST

Jan 28, 2008 (9:54 am)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Jan 28, 2008 8:17 am)
In my (very recent) experience.. If an officer is standing outside his car aiming a laser, and takes the time to get back in his car, and chase you down.... It really doesn't matter how you act... you are getting a ticket..
 
That isn't to say that you shouldn't be respectful and pleasant.. just that the laser operation is a whole different thing than radar.. There is no chance that the officer was sitting there eating a donut, and you happened to trip his radar detector..or, he was on his way home and you popped up.. He was making a conscious act to aim that laser detector at you, and then come after you..
 
Unless you have the mother of all excuses, you are getting ticketed..
 
On the plus side, I could call in and pay it with my credit card...

#1180 of 1208 Re: Speeders [kyfdx] by upstatedoc

Jan 28, 2008 (11:47 am)

Replying to: kyfdx (Jan 28, 2008 9:54 am)
Of course, what's easier than calling in your credit card number and being done with it. I guess going on-line might be a better solution for those who don't like to talk to people. Why waste your time going to court?

#1181 of 1208 Re: Speeders [upstatedoc] by kyfdx HOST

Jan 28, 2008 (12:39 pm)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Jan 28, 2008 11:47 am)
Uh, yeah... To go to court, I'd need a defense..

#1182 of 1208 9500i by upstatedoc

Jan 29, 2008 (9:09 am)

I just keep "discovering" new features of the 9500i on a regular basis. You can set it to display your speed continually. Very handy in my GTI as the speedo is difficult to make out sometimes. It should have a huge speedo dead center! Not useful for measuring 0-60 times though, it takes a couple of seconds to "catch up" under hard acceleration. But it matches the speedo exactly during cruising.

#1183 of 1208 Re: Speeders [upstatedoc] by lgtwrx

Jan 29, 2008 (6:24 pm)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Jan 28, 2008 8:17 am)
I've seen an episode or two here and there, but just haven't been interested enough to keep-watch.
 
It really puts me off how many of those depicted interact with the officers. I have quite a number of friends in law-enforcement - some who are Troopers and other local, but who also pull traffic duty. It makes me cringe when I see what they have to go through every day, "at the office." Makes my day seem like a walk in the park, for at least my lab animals don't talk back to me, and the students are all well-behaved.
 
I must say, though, that every once in a while, one of those shows will get a clip or two posted to YouTube and the likes, and then get "cross-examined" by the various countermeasures enthusiasts. There are several incidences on, I believe, one of their first episodes, where the LIDAR enforcement scenario was highly suspect (i.e. could have been in-error).
 
For as many people who are getting their traffic cases thrown out because of evidence from their own "dash/car-cams," I would imagine that this show would supply some good evidence, too, and may not necessarily be making the enforcers' jobs any easier.

#1184 of 1208 Re: Speeders [kyfdx] by lgtwrx

Jan 29, 2008 (6:40 pm)

Replying to: kyfdx (Jan 28, 2008 9:54 am)
Please note that police LIDAR, just as with RADAR, is not immune to various error - both operator as well as equipment induced.
 
Yes, it can be a much more accurate speed-detection tool, but it must be used judiciously and with expertice, as well as without malice - and the instrument itself must be calibrated and maintained properly, just as with RADAR.
 
Also, the officer does not need to be out of his/her vehicle in order to use LIDAR.
 
It is very possible to use various portions of the vehicle's door/window-frame, armrest, dash, steering wheel, and even the data device mount (or the unit itself) in order to steady a LIDAR "gun" from inside the vehicle - even while belted and seated at the wheel, ready-to-go (preferably without the interference of the vehicle greenhouse glass, although, again, not necessarily so).
 
Although highly frowned upon, there have even been instances of enforcers utilizing their exterior - or even interior - rear-view mirrors to "bank shot" LIDAR.
 
-----
 
On a side-note:
 
As with what I wrote to upstatedoc above, I agree, there's no reason to be anything short of fully cooperative and completely courteous when pulled-over, even if you sincerely believe that the officer has made a mistake. Everyone's just human, and this person is just doing his/her job.
 
The one time where I was pulled-over for "speeding-stupid," I crested a hill without slowing - my detector didn't go off (and no detector would have), since it was Instant-On radar, until I was actually well-past the enforcer's patrol vehicle. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't shave-off speed fast enough.
 
I had signaled and safely pulled-over to the shoulder even before he even got his cruiser off the roadside runoff area.
 
We were both polite and courteous to each other, and he simply gave me my ticket and sent me on my way.
 
I knew I was at-fault, so I wasn't about to lie. Gotta pay to play. And that's what I get for, as I like to call it, "speeding stupid."

#1185 of 1208 Re: 9500i [upstatedoc] by lgtwrx

Jan 29, 2008 (6:44 pm)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Jan 29, 2008 9:09 am)
It's certainly a "gadget filled" detector, and I can see why the Valentine group counterattacks, in its own marketing, the way that it does.
 
Certainly, to "purists," these gadgets/side-functions can be deemed to be un-necessary.
 
For me, the simple ability to turn my daily errands and commute into a noiseless one, without my need to take any action, is a blessing to those of us who have more demanding passengers. For me, the lock-out feature, as well as speed-sensitive sensitivity compensation, is all that I really need.

#1186 of 1208 Memory? by upstatedoc

Feb 04, 2008 (6:18 am)

I couldn't find anything in the manual about the 9500i's "memory" It obviously can remember false alarms but can it remember legitimate signals? (i.e. for use later in court let's say)

#1187 of 1208 Re: Memory? [upstatedoc] by lgtwrx

Feb 04, 2008 (6:55 am)

Replying to: upstatedoc (Feb 04, 2008 6:18 am)
Not that I know of, yet.
 
Who knows what stuff the Escort guys might come up with, when they finally release the USB-capabilities of this unit.......

Messages Page 119 of 121

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