Radar/Laser detector reviews

Anyone have recomendations on radar/laser detectors? I'm looking for something that I can mount sensors in the grill and rear window (or under rear bumper) and have the unit concealed in the dash somewhere. I might even work on a custom install where leds are added to the instrument panel if I can find the right unit.
One thing for certain, I can't have anything on my dash or attached to the windshield for reasons we don't need to discuss here

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

you will never get a ticket with a Valentine unless you get hit with a laser. Nothing is going to protect you from a laser, you cant detect it till it hits you and then its too late. fortunately lasers are kind of rare

 

Check out the Passport 8500 with front and rear laser detection. I have this unit but remote installation will be very difficult. Contrary to popular belief, Passport claims that Laser is detectable in advance due to light scatter. The new Passport 8500 uses GPS technology. Let us know what new stuff you may find.

 

I dont see how they can claim lasers are detectable. A laser travels at 186,000 miles per second. if someone points one at your car, gets you in the crosshairs and then pulls the trigger, there is no way anything can detect the light before it hits, and even so, you would only have a fraction of a nano second to react and slow down. There is aboslutely no way to not get busted by a laser, its impossilbe. Laser's aren't constatly on like a radar so there's nothing to detect. you point, click and bam! they have your speed in under a second. It would be like trying to detect a snipers bullet. You'll know its comeing when it hits you and your on your back, but at that point its way too late.

 

I may be in way over my head here, as for the most part I stick to a 5-10mph over rule so I don't much worry about it anymore, but I was under the impression that and kind of handheld speed detection device was inadmissable in court. The reason being that with a flick of the wrist you could clock a tree doing 120mph. I thought all radar/laser units had to be dash mounted or in some other way stationary. Or is that something that the speed of the laser has negated?

 

Passport claims that lasers are detectable. They say when the laser trigger is released and the beam retracts, it leaves millions of light rays/particle behind which are visible to laser detectors. Unlike radar, laser detection range is much shorter. I was skeptical at first but I'm a believer now. However, detection is not guaranteed. I've been hit by pop radar many times without warning. You are not safe on lonely highways.

 

As far as i know its all admisable as long as they have the most recent calibration certificats. the only loophole that i know of is the calibration. They have to be calibrated every so often. If they let their certificate expire when they hit you then it cant be counted. But here is SC you'll see troopers on a bridge next to their cars with radar guns pointed at the highway below and if they catch you they radio down the road with your description and they bust you. Laws may be different up your way though

 

ok, now that you explained it better i can kind of see that being possible. You're saying that the detector can pick up when a laser has been discharged up to a few seconds after the trigger was pulled right? In other words, if a cop uses a laser to tag a car 8 car lengths ahead of you it will pick it up and let you know a laser just went off. But if you're on a lonely road at 2AM and the cop hasn't used his laser in 20 minutes and he aims it at you and pulls the trigger your screwed? Is that basically what you're saying? If so i could see how that makes sense. I dont know that i would completely buy it but it at least seems plausable. I think its safe to just go ahead and say lasers are your enemy no matter what

 

I've been through places that have signs on the road that say speed is being monitored by "air units". both choppers and planes. It makes you paranoid, as hell cause you look at every airplane overhead going "is he watching me? do you think that 747 has a radar on it? Is that a plane or a bird over there... oh God i cant tell, slow down!"

 

Those signs might as well read "Just remember, we're always watching...Muuhhaahahaahhahhahhahhahhh"

 

Obviously you've never seen me fire a weapon, DOH !

 

Hey Joey, take cvillechopper out back and make him understand why we make the rules when we can and when we can't discuss things on this forum "er o.k. boss " but seriously have you tried bribing the police officer ?

 

That's true...they are generally admissible...in most states...if they're calibrated right.

As for what type of Detector to get...I've always had good luck with Bel or Beltronics as they're now apparently known.

The only time I've ever gotten a ticket with one was from a Laser, and it was because I was too stupid to realize what it was quick enough to slow down. They hit me with it, and the detector went off, but Lasers go so quick, you do have to slam the brakes to make a difference. Lasers are detectable, but your reaction time alone will almost certainly mean you'll get a ticket if you're pegged with one.

Another thing that makes Laser so difficult to detect is that it's a much more focused beam. For example, at 100 yards, a laser pointer disburses (depending on what type you have) about 1 foot to 1.5 feet. Radar on the other hand, bounces around and disburses almost 10 times as much over the same distance.

So, basically, that's the main reason that lasers are so difficult to detect, and why you almost never will detect them unless they're actually bouncing off your vehicle. Radars are easier to detect because they bounce and disburse so much more when they're hitting other vehicles and you get a return on your detector. This is also why it's difficult to detect so called "pop" radars if you're alone on the road. There's nobody else around for them to shoot with the radar, and so, you don't get a return off someone else's vehicle. The first indication of anything being there is when they actually shoot your vehicle, and you're toast, so to speak.

 

TD, did the laser get you during the day or night? There's nothing you can do about "pop" unless you follow another fast moving vehicle close behind.

Does anybody other there sell a proven radar/laser scrambler?

 

It was right at dusk...it was the summer, and official sunset where I was at was probably sometime around 8:00p.m. and I got busted at about 7:45 or so.

 

I have the Valentine... A radar detector can protect you only so much. I use the V1 along with common sense. You cannot beat that kind of protection.