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police radar and tinted windows.

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by ckeeton, Sep 10, 2010.

  1. Sep 11, 2010 at 8:23 AM
    #41
    747

    747 function > form

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    Yerp, still illegal for me.

    LEOs, thanks for the input...new question: How long does it take for the speed to "lock" into the radar gun? A deputy pulled me over many years ago and wrote me a ticket for the "locked" speed, as opposed to my "actual" speed...he [tried to] explain it like this: "You were actually driving 42 mph, but the radar didn't "lock in" your speed until you slowed to 40 mph."

    Follow up question: Would POP/instant-on be susceptible to "lock" issues because of its inherently short radar burst?

    Follow up to follow up question: How many cycles must a radar unit go through before a accurate/reliable speed measurement is calculated (i.e., does the radar signal need to go from the gun, to the vehicle, and back to the gun more than once for the speed measurement to be an accurate/reliable indication of a vehicle's speed)?
     
  2. Sep 11, 2010 at 8:35 AM
    #42
    jpmorrisvb

    jpmorrisvb Well-Known Member

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    I am right there with you .... last ticket was 1979 ..... been across country several times and the I-95 corridor more times than I can count.
     
  3. Sep 11, 2010 at 9:34 AM
    #43
    JimBeam

    JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

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    good video :thumbsup:
     
  4. Sep 11, 2010 at 12:19 PM
    #44
    Steve1155

    Steve1155 Member

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    As a LEO your best solution is not to speed. With that said, we all do it myself included. Now I can only speak for my city but "most" speeding are written by the traffic unit. This units main function is traffic enforcement. They don't make calls for disturbances or anything else. The highways are their playground because this is where you can pick up speed, and most of the time they're not going to just park on a long flat stretch where you can see them. They're going to park just over a hill where by the time you see them you're F*&^ed. So pay attention to the cars that are up ahead of you going over the crests. If you see all the brake lights light up at once, there is probably a cop there.
    As far as radar goes its a straight signal. Kinda like throwing a ball at an object coming toward you. Once the ball comes back to you, "or the patrol cars antenna" the reading is confirmed. If you are driving perpendicular and I threw the ball at you it would bounce back my direction but due to you sideways movement would not come directly back to me so the reading would be inaccurate. Many people think if the officer cannot show them the reading on the radar that they're free to go. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Due to the fact that not all (OUR) patrol units have radar. I can still tell you're speeding if everyone is driving 30 and you blow by them like they're standing still. Now even thought I don't have your speed, I can still write you tickets for other offenses I find. Which are usually many. Everyone speeds... PLEASE USE YOUR HEAD about how fast and the traffic conditions. Nothing like seeing body parts lying on the highway. I KNOW.
     
  5. Sep 11, 2010 at 12:22 PM
    #45
    fritzthecat

    fritzthecat Well-Known Member

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    Many people still have the misconception that a Radar Detector will allow them to speed with impunity and make it safe against Radar wielding Tax Collectors.
    A Radar Dector is NOT used to detect Officer Friendly shooting your car with radar. It is used to detect OTHER cars getting radiated.
    The PoPo may lock in the speed of a car twice before it's detector goes off but I'm a mile away with MY detector screaming at me to pay attention.
    And my Bel Driver STi will pick up instant on radar when it is off. At a very low level a range of <100ft. Even a radar gun on standby has a tiny amount of local oscillator leakage. Just like cheapo Detectors that set off others when the cars pass on the road. Of course, that is completely useless when driving more then 5mph.
    A RD is just one tool in the fight against Speed Tax.

    For the OP, non-metallic tint will not affect detector range. Matallic tint and some windshields with factory metallic film will reduce detection range.

    Fritz
     
  6. Sep 11, 2010 at 1:18 PM
    #46
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    Speed Tax?? All this time I thought the LEO's were trying to keep the place safe from drivers speeding excessivly......
     
  7. Sep 11, 2010 at 7:29 PM
    #47
    DevL

    DevL Well-Known Member

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    My radar unit at work can go from not sending signal to "lock" in about .1 seconds. If I run it continuously it will be locked manually and that can take as long as it take me to push the button. A single button push will send the short signal, lock, and stop transmitting all in one button press.

     
  8. Sep 11, 2010 at 7:41 PM
    #48
    DevL

    DevL Well-Known Member

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    To correct/clarify some others posts. Radar is speed of light not speed of sound. Instant on detects a rapid zero to a certain level of signal and basically tells you FOR SURE police radar is being used. I had my Valentine 1 save me from two laser tickets and not another and a 4th I was not speeding.

    When laser saved me it was becasue the laser has a spread and the human hand will not be steady. I caught laser coming through the windsheild of the car in front of me and had time to stop both times. In the open I got popped. I was once lasered after passing a police officer and just knew he laseed me but I was already slowed down when he did it. There is also pacing... I got paced by an airplane in Florida and stopped at a roadblock once. Got paced twice in Texas both times I did not know enough to fight the case. Case law in Texas means you have to pace a specific distance and be in same lane etc. "I was going 100 and he was pulling away from me" should not have been enough for a conviction had I known what I know now. I was doing over 100 though so I just took a deffered adjudication and was on my way.
     
  9. Sep 11, 2010 at 8:03 PM
    #49
    747

    747 function > form

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    As per Mike Valentine, POP is a 0.086 second burst (IIRC). So, if I understand your post correctly, it sounds/reads like POP is unreliable/inaccurate inasmuch as the POP burst is less than the "lock" time. Is this correct?
     
  10. Sep 12, 2010 at 5:09 AM
    #50
    uood8

    uood8 If You Search...You Shall Find.

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    Lets clairfy this:

    Radar uses Radio waves that Travel at the speed of light.

    Radar has nothing to do with actual light, LIDAR does.
     
  11. Sep 12, 2010 at 5:34 AM
    #51
    uood8

    uood8 If You Search...You Shall Find.

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    MPH industries developed this "POP" technology, we do not use MPH industry units so we have the standard hold mode.

    "HOLD" mode eliminates ALL wave transmissions....according to our manufacturer.

    On our units when you "lock" in the speed all you are doing is holding the information on the radar unit.

    We will never use this "POP" technology because the way our laws are written for radar tickets there must be 3 parts to it...the "POP" mode would eliminate one of those.
     
  12. Sep 12, 2010 at 7:23 AM
    #52
    jpmorrisvb

    jpmorrisvb Well-Known Member

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    Which is exactly why people appear smarter than they actually are. With light (186,000 mps) traveling faster than sound (1000 fps) you see then before you hear them. :cool:
     
  13. Sep 12, 2010 at 7:42 AM
    #53
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    I have special tint that makes my truck invisible. ANd my radar detector can read the minds of cops before they think of something.
     
  14. Sep 12, 2010 at 7:49 AM
    #54
    jpmorrisvb

    jpmorrisvb Well-Known Member

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    A friend of mine said he saw the B-2 (Stealth Bomber) at an air show. I asked, "How do you know, it is invisible."
     
  15. Sep 12, 2010 at 7:53 AM
    #55
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    My radar detector can also pick up stealth aircraft......
     
  16. Sep 12, 2010 at 9:17 AM
    #56
    747

    747 function > form

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    this is being added to my sig. :cool:
     
  17. Sep 12, 2010 at 2:55 PM
    #57
    DevL

    DevL Well-Known Member

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    When I use intstant on the screen is blank and hold is active. When I push lock it fires off a quick burst, puts it on the sceen and locks it. I pess lock again to get it off the screen and then push lock again to fire another burst.

    It will get you every time unless the radar is not pointed quite at you, the AC is running and you are picking up the air/fan which interferes with the radar getting and displaying a good signal, or you have some serious issues with powerlines, etc. In this case the radar might get a warning off and youd have as much time to slow as it would take me to push the button again. If its done right you cant beat it when it works and its quite reliable.

    All this technical stuff abotu how reliable or whatever the radar is or is not is not going to matter unless you have a good lawyer you paid for in court. THe majority of officers are not currently radar certified in Texas. My department has had their radar units claibrated exaclty never,etc. And yet we still get thousands of speeding tickets. A good lawyer will beat a speeding ticket the majority of the time. I always just give a warning on the speed and write for other violations like insurance, registration, fail to change address,etc. that are easy to prove.
     
  18. Sep 12, 2010 at 3:55 PM
    #58
    Caduceus

    Caduceus Well-Known Member

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    Actually, to clarify your clarification....
    Radar and light are all in the electromagnetic spectrum. AM, FM, shortwave, infrared, visible light, UV, etc.... all "light" of various wavelengths.

    So, you could argue that radar is "light" that we just can't see.

    (putting all them college courses to use. For once).
     
  19. Sep 12, 2010 at 3:56 PM
    #59
    Caduceus

    Caduceus Well-Known Member

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    Um... you're confusing your units.

    Light travels 186,000 miles per second.

    "MPS" typically is used for meters per second, in which case light travels 3 x10^8 meters/sec.

    You probably meant it correctly, but the MPS is a bit vague as to imperial/SI units.
     
  20. Sep 12, 2010 at 3:59 PM
    #60
    chris4x4

    chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Moderator

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    My radar detector is picking up more LEO thoughts.....One nearby wants a donut.......
     

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