Detectors still useful?

[tamarillo]

Looking at detector BUT some stuff suggests that NOTHING detects latest method they have of leaving camera on HOLD and then zapping you when they see you. Most cops around here are on clear empty roads and I rather think this is what they do so don't want to waste money. What is latest news on them?

[boman]

I have an Beltronics STI. I have yet to have the Detector pick up a cop that I have not already seen. But it has picked up a laser, but I never saw the cop at all.

[marty]

search 'low-powered radar'. the new vans have very low output k-band radars - you will pick them up from around 100m if you are lucky. the days of high powered Ka fixed cameras are gone-burger.

[steve_t]

I also have a Bel STI and it picks up police car Ka band radar detectors from MILES away!! The new super low powered van cameras don't get picked up until you're right on top of them though :angry: I'm pretty tempted to turn off K band detection as the vans are relatively easy to spot if you have your wits about you (even though they are now being hidden in sneaky areas). Laser, if you get hit with an actual cop using a laser, you're done anyway. Weirdly enough there's a few areas that will consistently trigger a laser alert but not cos there's a cop there.
The cops using instant-on will be able to ping you cos the detector will only detect a radar if there's a signal to detect.
If you get a RD, it's not a licence to switch your eyes and brain off :yes:

[Stormer]

Unless you are one of the mind numbed sheeple masses that obey the posted speed limit to the last decimal point, I would consider a good detector to be mandatory for relaxed riding pleasure!

[carbonhed]

A detector isn't a "get out of jail free" card. "Instant on" is a problem so you can't just barrel on down an empty highway and expect to be safe. You have to use your brain. Ideally you want a "rabbit' about half a click up the road who'll flush out the cop and then you'll have plenty of time to "check" your speed :innocent:

There's still plenty of cops who use constant on though and in moderate traffic, even if they do use "Instant on" they're shooting often enough that you get plenty of warning.

Laser is like IO but you can get scatter if they target someone else and even if they do shoot you they may not get a lock instantly giving you half a chance.

The new camera vans don't really bother me because you can see them usually and they operate in areas that I don't speed much anyway.

A detector means you'll never again blunder across some fat arsed, doughnut munching, numbnuts running constant on next to a speed limit change or at the end of a passing lane... and that's a good thing :yes:

I've used V1's, STi's and X50's. At present I've got an STi and it has tremendous range but for a bike I reckon an X50, which is quite a bit cheaper, is perfectly adequate.

[sinned]

Looking at detector BUT some stuff suggests that NOTHING detects latest method they have of leaving camera on HOLD and then zapping you when they see you. Most cops around here are on clear empty roads and I rather think this is what they do so don't want to waste money. What is latest news on them?
A good detector (STI) is not a waste of my money but might be for you. It all depends on how lucky you feel, how fast you ride, how much you ride, where you ride - I could go on. If you can't afford a detector you probably also can't afford a ticket. Sure if you speed all the time or don't carefully choose where you speed you will get pinged with or without a detector. They do save some tickets.

I followed a cop a week ago from Waioru to Taihape and he/she was using instant on to check most vehicles - it was light traffic. Checked my speed to on one straight even though I was about 800 meters behind. If you had been speeding on that road you would have got pinged with or without a detector. Basic rule is never speed on on a clear road, especially approaching the brow of a hill. But if there is traffic in front of you with a detector it is usually okay to quickly close the gap on the vehicle in front as that provides a barrier.

[SMOKEU]

I have an Beltronics STI. I have yet to have the Detector pick up a cop that I have not already seen. But it has picked up a laser, but I never saw the cop at all.

Either I call bullshit or the detector is phucked, or it's mounted in the wrong place. A mate of mine has the same model one and it picks up the fuzz from up to several kms away.

[Damantis]

I only use a cheapo cobra detector and it has saved me plenty of tickets. It was one of the cheapest I could find that has a headphone jack. Your eyes are definitely the best detector though. A well set up speed trap wont emit any signal till the cops decide to clock you, so fast, blind corners and brows of hills can be risky. Only way they can clock you in heavy traffic is with laser, tho you may detect scatter if they are tagging drivers ahead before you. Aot of getting away with a bit of extra speed comes down to doing it where its hard for the popo to hide or do a U turn ( Median barriers etc. )

[TimeOut]

Either I call bullshit or the detector is phucked, or it's mounted in the wrong place. A mate of mine has the same model one and it picks up the fuzz from up to several kms away.

Agreed I've picked a cop up 12km away (STi), he'd left his radar on while dealing with a customer.
Even when they are using instant on you can get up to 6 warnings

[DMNTD]

Agreed I've picked a cop up 12km away (STi), he'd left his radar on while dealing with a customer.
Even when they are using instant on you can get up to 6 warnings

Willing to bet your license on that?

[SMOKEU]

Willing to bet your license on that?

Certainly.

[DMNTD]

Certainly.

Well you may as well post your license into the cops now man,serious.
'Instant on' is used more often than not these days therefore despite what was posted, you will inevitably lose the 'battle'.
Despite what some believe/post...cops are generally very smart people and know their jobs well.
I own a high end radar detector and if I believed it was fool proof then I would no longer have a license, or job.

[SMOKEU]

Well you may as well post your license into the cops now man,serious.
'Instant on' is used more often than not these days therefore despite what was posted, you will inevitably lose the 'battle'.
Despite what some believe/post...cops are generally very smart people and know their jobs well.
I own a high end radar detector and if I believed it was fool proof then I would no longer have a license, or job.

6 years of driving, 3 years of riding and I have never received an infringement notice for exceeding any speed limits. I only got a radar detector this year, and I don't exactly nanna it all the time.

[DMNTD]

6 years of driving, 3 years of riding and I have never received an infringement notice for exceeding any speed limits. I only got a radar detector this year, and I don't exactly nanna it all the time.

Oh I am a nana but sweet as, just sharing my (vast) experience is all. :niceone:

[slofox]

6 years of driving, 3 years of riding and I have never received an infringement notice for exceeding any speed limits. I only got a radar detector this year, and I don't exactly nanna it all the time.

47 years of driving and 43 years of riding. You have a long way to go Smokey...:sunny:

One speeding ticket on a bike. That was 35 years ago now. And I was blatantly road testing the bike on the highway at the time so no bloody wonder.

And yes, I do occasionally go fast. Despite being a grumpy old bastard.

[SMOKEU]

47 years of driving and 43 years of riding. You have a long way to go Smokey...:sunny:

One speeding ticket on a bike. That was 35 years ago now. And I was blatantly road testing the bike on the highway at the time so no bloody wonder.

And yes, I do occasionally go fast. Despite being a grumpy old bastard.

Slow down, grampa! :nya:

[Spearfish]

And now there are the false signal generators up poles etc.

[steve_t]

Agreed I've picked a cop up 12km away (STi), he'd left his radar on while dealing with a customer.
Even when they are using instant on you can get up to 6 warnings

12km?! That must have been on the Canterbury Plains or somewhere else extremely flat. I guess 12km or 3km, it's still ample time to check your speed.

How do you figure the up to 6 warnings with the instant on? The 6 vehicles ahead of you? What if there aren't any?

[DMNTD]

12km?! That must have been on the Canterbury Plains or somewhere else extremely flat. I guess 12km or 3km, it's still ample time to check your speed.

How do you figure the up to 6 warnings with the instant on? The 6 vehicles ahead of you? What if there aren't any?

I'd say that the aliens would of helped out on that one :sunny:

[boman]

Either I call bullshit or the detector is phucked, or it's mounted in the wrong place. A mate of mine has the same model one and it picks up the fuzz from up to several kms away.

Less than 6 months old. Mounted behind the screen, any higher and it would almost be at eye level. And NO bullshit.

[SMOKEU]

Less than 6 months old. Mounted behind the screen, any higher and it would almost be at eye level. And NO bullshit.

Something is wrong with the detector then. My Beltronics RX65 Pro, which is a fair bit cheaper than the STI still picks up cops from up to several kms away on a straight road, definately way before I would be able to see them. Even around town with buildings in the way it still gives me a heads up several hundred metres before the cop comes into view.

[NighthawkNZ]

My speedometre is a pretty good detector...

[TimeOut]

12km?! That must have been on the Canterbury Plains or somewhere else extremely flat. I guess 12km or 3km, it's still ample time to check your speed.

How do you figure the up to 6 warnings with the instant on? The 6 vehicles ahead of you? What if there aren't any?

Good guess.

Time and place.

[boman]

Something is wrong with the detector then. My Beltronics RX65 Pro, which is a fair bit cheaper than the STI still picks up cops from up to several kms away on a straight road, definately way before I would be able to see them. Even around town with buildings in the way it still gives me a heads up several hundred metres before the cop comes into view.

Straight roads. What do they look like?? LOL.. It works fine on the motorway. But generally. You see em around the same time the detector tells you they around. 95% of the time.

[scumdog]

And of course if a mufti does not decide anybody looks a bit fast and doesn't activate instant-on you could ride/drive right past him and be none the wiser...some only check cars/bikes that look like they're quite a bit quicker than the average speed of all other traffic seen.:yes:


THEY are the ones that get a reasonable number of road users with radar detectors...apparently..:innocent:

[Toaster]

Driver perspective: Radar detector is hope of warning.

Cop perspective: Radar detector means no warning.

:innocent:

[SMOKEU]

And of course if a mufti does not decide anybody looks a bit fast and doesn't activate instant-on you could ride/drive right past him and be none the wiser...some only check cars/bikes that look like they're quite a bit quicker than the average speed of all other traffic seen.:yes:


THEY are the ones that get a reasonable number of road users with radar detectors...apparently..:innocent:

It's been more than 6 months since I've seen a cop parked on the side of the road pointing their radar gun at people. All the traffic units I see are either 3T with another vehicle or they're driving down the road. They're easy to spot since they stick out like a ginger on ecstasy. The unmarked cops don't really worry me as I assume that EVERY car I see is a cop car until proven otherwise. The moral of the story is don't speed if you see any other vehicles around, unless you're close enough to see that it's not a cop car. They don't all drive Commodores anymore. Good old quiet, South Island roads....

[Spearfish]

Good old quiet, South Island roads....

Your not wrong, just got back from 10 days of DoC camps and open space with some reasonably quiet roads.
Unfortunately this trip was in a van, but shyt the south island is a paradise for a cheap weekend or week away exploring on any bike.
Not that DoC camps are 100% safe unless you have a bullet proof vest.

[tamarillo]

It's been more than 6 months since I've seen a cop parked on the side of the road pointing their radar gun at people. All the traffic units I see are either 3T with another vehicle or they're driving down the road. They're easy to spot since they stick out like a ginger on ecstasy. The unmarked cops don't really worry me as I assume that EVERY car I see is a cop car until proven otherwise. The moral of the story is don't speed if you see any other vehicles around, unless you're close enough to see that it's not a cop car. They don't all drive Commodores anymore. Good old quiet, South Island roads....

This used to work but no more - this bugger was hiding deep in the woods - empty road at crack of day. First I saw was flashing lights in woods and thought something weird was happening in there and kept to my way.

[tamarillo]

Driver perspective: Radar detector is hope of warning.

Cop perspective: Radar detector means no warning.

:innocent:

What warning? Not round here mate...

[Stormer]

... The unmarked cops don't really worry me as I assume that EVERY car I see is a cop car until proven otherwise. The moral of the story is don't speed if you see any other vehicles around, unless you're close enough to see that it's not a cop car. They don't all drive Commodores anymore. ....

Right on.
Add a good detector and you`re good to go, and maybe one of those jammer units if you can afford them.
Anything to keep the odds in your favour.

Or you could just NOT speed at all, ever, and, and...yawn...zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

[bsasuper]

6 years of driving, 3 years of riding and I have never received an infringement notice for exceeding any speed limits. I only got a radar detector this year, and I don't exactly nanna it all the time.

Thats only luck, sooner or later it will run out

[scumdog]

Thats only luck, sooner or later it will run out

Dead right, he's only done six years, took me sixteen years to get my first speeding ticket.:yes:

[twinbruva]

Dead right, he's only done six years, took me sixteen years to get my first speeding ticket.:yes:

You must ride real slow, either that or you're only sixteen. (Did you give the ticket to yourself?)

[scumdog]

You must ride real slow, either that or you're only sixteen. (Did you give the ticket to yourself?)

Neither

Just wasn't as dumb as some - or as unlucky as others.

[twinbruva]

Neither

Just wasn't as dumb as some - or as unlucky as others.

Or got mates in the forts

[twinbruva]

Neither

Just wasn't as dumb as some - or as unlucky as others.

Hang on...........not as dumb as some. That's what you said. So, going by what you said you could, by definition, be dumber than others, depending on how dumb some others are. Conversely; being as dumb as some are, and some are extremely dumb, then being dumb may not be as dumb as those who are dumb might think being dumb really is. So; if we were to dumb-down the dumb-arses, or even up our arses to those arses who have been down-arsed, then our arses would be downed, which is a good thing to those who value having their arse down in preference to being arse up when those who like arses are looking up arses that are arse up.

[Genie]

Looking at detector BUT some stuff suggests that NOTHING detects latest method they have of leaving camera on HOLD and then zapping you when they see you. Most cops around here are on clear empty roads and I rather think this is what they do so don't want to waste money. What is latest news on them?

I think you can put your little speed demon away....save your money for the fines that will come, the detector will give you a false sense of security, pick your moments for the little extra twist of the throttle.

[twinbruva]

I think you can put your little speed demon away....save your money for the fines that will come, the detector will give you a false sense of security, pick your moments for the little extra twist of the throttle.

No; you must always obey the law no matter where or who you are. The police are just doing their job. They are there to keep us safe, to show us how to lead good and honest lives. Riders who never speed don't need radar detectors, be chaste from haste.

Some of my best friends are policemen.:innocent:

[scumdog]

Or got mates in the forts

From 15 to 44 years of age?

I don't think so.