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CFrance · 01-05-2017, 11:35 AM

Hey everyone,

I have been on this forum for quite a while and here and there a thread comes up about radar detectors, whether someone should get one, which kind they should get, etc.
So I wanted to start a thread where people can ask their questions about radar detectors and I can do my best to answer them and hopefully others will chime in as well!

I learned a ton from the members at rdforum.org. Those guys over there (or at least most of them) really know there stuff! So if you really want to get into the details, head over there!
However, this thread isn't to advertise for that forum. This thread is for anyone who has been considering getting a detector but doesn't know where to start or maybe you haven't even considered getting one but now you are intrigued.

I have had a Valentine V1 for almost 2 years now so my knowledge is from personal experience, hours and hours of reading/researching, as well as conversations with LEOs.

Radar detectors ARE ILLEGAL in Virginia state, Washington DC, and on all military bases. And yes, there are such things as radar detector detectors so I wouldn't suggest trying to be sneaky.

First thing you should know is that no radar detector is going to be able to guarantee that you will NEVER EVER get another ticket. There are multiple ways that LEOs can check your speed including but not limited to:

Radar -- Best chance of getting an alert in time to slow down (if needed)
LIDAR -- Generally, if your detector alerts you to LIDAR, it is too late
Pacing -- The only detector you really have here is your eyes!

From planes or helicopters -- There are ways you can track/avoid these, I can go into detail if anyone is interested. Also, not all states use this method
Even eyeballing it -- Again, a radar detector isn't going to be able to detect that an officer is simply looking at you

From my experience, radar is the most common way that officers check your speed. Keep in mind I am in Washington state so your state could be different!

Using radar, the officer can only get the speed of the largest and closest vehicle. So even if there is only one other vehicle between you and the officer, he is only going to be able to read the front vehicle's speed until that vehicle is out of the radar gun's field.
There are also different 'types' (frequencies) of radar:

X Band -- Still used in 25 states
K Band -- Used in all 50 states (most city and county LEOs in WA use K Band)
Ka Band -- Used in all 50 states (used by Washington State Patrol and some county officers in Washington)

Here is a map on rdforum you can use that shows what frequency is used in your state and you can even drill down to the county and city level:

RDF Geographical Survey

Officers can also set the distance on their radar gun which is why in some cases, you will get an alert on your detector up to a couple of miles before you pass the officer. However, in other cases, you may not get an alert until you are a few hundred yards away. Again, either way, as long as there is someone between you and the radar gun, you are still safe until you are the closes and biggest vehicle.

Also, officers can set their radar to I/O (instant on), or POP, which basically means their radar is in standby mode until they hit the button which instantly turns their radar on. They will use this at the crest of a hill or right around a corner. They wait until it is too late for you to react if you have a detector and then hit the button and get your speed. However, if you have a good detector (not a $50 detector from Walmart) if the officer uses their I/O feature on a car up ahead of you, your detector may pick it up, depending on the distance the radar is set to, the terrain, and how far you are behind the car in front of you.

Last but not least, YES with just about any radar detector you are going to get False Alerts (aka falses) from blind spot monitors, grocery store automatic doors, etc. However, the higher end detectors (and probably even some of the lower end ones) have the ability to recognize these signals as false alerts and will "lock out" the signals so they do not trigger any alerts.

Sorry that turned into a longer post than it was intended to be lol

If you have any questions, ask away!

01-05-2017, 11:35 AM	#55
CFrance Drives: 2013 ZL1, 2013 LS Join Date: May 2013 Location: PNW Posts: 106 View My Garage	The basics of radar detectors -- Should you get one? How do they work? Etc... Hey everyone, I have been on this forum for quite a while and here and there a thread comes up about radar detectors, whether someone should get one, which kind they should get, etc. So I wanted to start a thread where people can ask their questions about radar detectors and I can do my best to answer them and hopefully others will chime in as well! I learned a ton from the members at rdforum.org. Those guys over there (or at least most of them) really know there stuff! So if you really want to get into the details, head over there! However, this thread isn't to advertise for that forum. This thread is for anyone who has been considering getting a detector but doesn't know where to start or maybe you haven't even considered getting one but now you are intrigued. I have had a Valentine V1 for almost 2 years now so my knowledge is from personal experience, hours and hours of reading/researching, as well as conversations with LEOs. Radar detectors ARE ILLEGAL in Virginia state, Washington DC, and on all military bases. And yes, there are such things as radar detector detectors so I wouldn't suggest trying to be sneaky. First thing you should know is that no radar detector is going to be able to guarantee that you will NEVER EVER get another ticket. There are multiple ways that LEOs can check your speed including but not limited to: Radar -- Best chance of getting an alert in time to slow down (if needed) LIDAR -- Generally, if your detector alerts you to LIDAR, it is too late Pacing -- The only detector you really have here is your eyes! From planes or helicopters -- There are ways you can track/avoid these, I can go into detail if anyone is interested. Also, not all states use this method Even eyeballing it -- Again, a radar detector isn't going to be able to detect that an officer is simply looking at you From my experience, radar is the most common way that officers check your speed. Keep in mind I am in Washington state so your state could be different! Using radar, the officer can only get the speed of the largest and closest vehicle. So even if there is only one other vehicle between you and the officer, he is only going to be able to read the front vehicle's speed until that vehicle is out of the radar gun's field. There are also different 'types' (frequencies) of radar: X Band -- Still used in 25 states K Band -- Used in all 50 states (most city and county LEOs in WA use K Band) Ka Band -- Used in all 50 states (used by Washington State Patrol and some county officers in Washington) Here is a map on rdforum you can use that shows what frequency is used in your state and you can even drill down to the county and city level: RDF Geographical Survey Officers can also set the distance on their radar gun which is why in some cases, you will get an alert on your detector up to a couple of miles before you pass the officer. However, in other cases, you may not get an alert until you are a few hundred yards away. Again, either way, as long as there is someone between you and the radar gun, you are still safe until you are the closes and biggest vehicle. Also, officers can set their radar to I/O (instant on), or POP, which basically means their radar is in standby mode until they hit the button which instantly turns their radar on. They will use this at the crest of a hill or right around a corner. They wait until it is too late for you to react if you have a detector and then hit the button and get your speed. However, if you have a good detector (not a $50 detector from Walmart) if the officer uses their I/O feature on a car up ahead of you, your detector may pick it up, depending on the distance the radar is set to, the terrain, and how far you are behind the car in front of you. Last but not least, YES with just about any radar detector you are going to get False Alerts (aka falses) from blind spot monitors, grocery store automatic doors, etc. However, the higher end detectors (and probably even some of the lower end ones) have the ability to recognize these signals as false alerts and will "lock out" the signals so they do not trigger any alerts. Sorry that turned into a longer post than it was intended to be lol If you have any questions, ask away!