Radar

[Ratty]

Hi All, there seems to be some people who may be interested in this...

There are a few different types of speed traps here...

Fixed Speed Cameras, These run off wires buried in the road and as a large chunk of metal (as in a motor) passes over them they measure the electromagnetic disturbance and hey presto a ticket comes in the post. These have no radar output so they can't be found with radar detectors. They do however have trouble picking up some bikes with belly pans like mine (a ZZR11). Try it out sometime, but make it at night so you can see a flash and go towards it so there's no number plate.

Mobile Speed Cameras, These little devices have a low output and it's hard to get a good detector that gives you enough warning to slow down. But in our favour you can get a scrambler to mask your speed. If you hit the camera fast enough with the scrambler it doesn't have time to register your speed and therefore not expensive piece of paper. It's slightly different for a car though because they are a MUCH bigger target.

Car Radars, These are easy to pick up because they have a high output and can be detected at a long range unless the cop turnes them on as you ride by, or it's masked as you come round a hill etc. A scrambler helps here but the cops radar will 'punch through' the jamming effects when you get close, so all it does is gives you time to slow down when your detector tells you. The better the detector the more time you will have to slow down too.

Laser Guns, No they can't be set to stun for bad offenders. They are however infra red and have a huge range although 800 meters is the longest they can prosicute you with (the beam expands to about 10' dia at this range and is hard to accurately pinpoint on just one offender). they are also good for picking up weaving bikes in traffic. Some radar detectors can pick these up. Scramblers (at least mine does) also provide a resistance but not an immunity to these devices of revenue gathering. I understand that having a headlight on also makes it hard to get a lock on a bike.

In Brief... Don't blame me if you get a ticket in the future there is no total immunity, just levels of resistance. Detectors are a good idea and so are scramblers, be careful of cheap detectors, go for the quality ones and ones you can hear at higher speeds (I can't hear mine properly after 140 and thats when I need it most). Ask lots of questions before buying any of this stuff because it an't cheap and ask someone with a clue as opposed to a min wage pimple ridden school leaver who hasn't even read the catalogue. But most of all Have Fun!!!!!!!!

PS: I hope all this is fully accurate otherwise someone is in for a kickin' But it seems to hold true from what I've gotten away with so far.

[John]

wow thats a great writeup, it seems however that finding decent radar detectors is becoming more and more of a mission, but I supose time will tell.

once again great info thanks.

[Frankie]

Fixed Speed Cameras, These run off wires buried in the road and as a large chunk of metal (as in a motor) passes over them they measure the electromagnetic disturbance and hey presto a ticket comes in the post. These have no radar output so they can't be found with radar detectors. They do however have trouble picking up some bikes with belly pans like mine (a ZZR11). Try it out sometime, but make it at night so you can see a flash and go towards it so there's no number plate.

Not true... The top end Uniden one has GPS with all the NZ fixed cameras programed into it... and it goes off when you're near a fixed camera :P

Also asfar as im aware scramblers/jammers are illegal to use
and with laser guns they point at either your headlights or platenumber usually.. my car has pop up lights so that makes it a tad harder for them i guess...

but im not a cop so anything ive just said is well just what i think is true

[bugjuice]

Fixed Speed Cameras, These run off wires buried in the road and as a large chunk of metal (as in a motor) passes over them they measure the electromagnetic disturbance and hey presto a ticket comes in the post. These have no radar output so they can't be found with radar detectors. They do however have trouble picking up some bikes with belly pans like mine (a ZZR11).

i was under the impression that these cameras (and traffic lights) are triggered by a heavy mass passing the buried 'boxes' in the road. The first one sets the timer going till you pass the second one. The quicker the time, the faster you're going. Most smaller bikes don't weigh enough to trigger them off, but some bigger bikes (like yours ) are heavy enough to trigger. I bet you haven't sat at traffic lights for 10 minutes waiting for them to turn green? I have, and I haven't had a camera go off at me either. The rain would also play havoc if it were triggered by electromagnetic fields (or boy racers would plate their cars with alu etc..)..

Just thought I'd share that..

I too have also heard that scramblers are illegal, but I'm not sure if it's bizarre law like the use of the radar - it's legal to own, but illegal to use. Not sure if that's been fixed yet (stupid law anyway), but there's a couple of other tips I've come across. For fixed cameras (probably better use for a car etc), use a portable flashback which photographers use. It's designed for those 'hard to reach' places so it's wireless. It waits for a flash, then flashes back in something stupid like a millionth of a second. If a camera takes a pic, it'll just be a white flash back at the camera.

Another is a trick number plate which snaps shut in half. I've seen it for sale on a web site in the UK, but I can't find the site at the moment. I'll post it later. As you pass a cop/camera etc, hit a small switch and the numberplate folds in half and can't be read..

[crashe]

I bet you haven't sat at traffic lights for 10 minutes waiting for them to turn green? I have,

Macman, that happens to me all the time.....
I actually spoke to a cop after sitting at a set of lights for 4 sets.....
the cop was just back up the road, so I went back to him and asked him what am I supposed to do in this situation.... shit I could still be there...waiting.
He said wait for 3 sets of lights and then just go.... (I was waiting for the right arrow) if nothing happens and then if stoped explain and say that you are going to report the fault to the city council.

So when I now get to a set of lights, that I know will do this to me, and there are a few, I pray for a car to roll up behind me for their weight to trigger it. Here are three that I can think of.....

Royal Rd/Makora Rd, Massey heading towards the motorway.
McLeod Rd/Te Atatu Rd turning right towards the motorway.
Gt Nth Rd opposite Motat heading towards the zoo entrance.

These three sets of lights I have waited up to 4 sets of lights until a car comes up.

Are there any others around??

[bugjuice]

Are there any others around??

I just assume that unless the traffic lights look newish, or the road around the sensors are newish, then they could all potentially not register you.. Where the council have dug the roads up and relaid all the wires etc, I think they realised what was happening, so they've either turned up the sensitivity or buried them closer to the surface so bikes are picked up. There's been some lights my bro and I sat at for a good 5 or 6 cycles on a red arrow, and we were going to give up and just go, but then a car pulled up behind and triggered them..
I'll remember what the cop said to you next time and hopefully all will be well. cheers for that..
I just feel sorry for mopeds/skuuutaaaahs that pull up and have to wait longer!

[enigma51]

Thanks for tips etc as I am currently in the hunt for a good detector. Dont realy need it as I never exceed the speed limit (TUI)

[Ratty]

With the lights issues, if you can see where they've buried the wires (usually patched up squares in the road surface then lower your side stand and place the stand on the wire. That works for me to put a proper signal into the lights.
The Rosebank rd and Rimu st lights are also a pain, but the stand works.

[Ratty]

The uniden GPS picks up where the fixed cameras MIGHT be but not where they actually are. I haven't tried them but it sounds likt it could be a good system anyway, providing it does the other stuff well too.

[Ratty]

I have a Phaser scrambler unit bought here in good ol' Kiwiland. I think the company was "Radar Protection Systems LTD" up in Auckland (not spelt with a silent "D" in front as some people think). It is about the same size as a detector so I strapped mine under my detector. They get by the legal issues because they are a passive unit with a very low output (hence the punch through zone). Even though they have to have a low output there is no law about how many you have, and apparently the resistance stacks... Although I have not been rich enough to find out.

[Ratty]

The coppas point (as far as I understand it) the laser guns etc at anything that will reflect a good signal back. EG Laser is infra red so a reflective surface is good, whilst Radar requires metals. If the headlight is on it creates it's own infra red (Depending on the types of bulbs I guess depends on the ammount), so not only is it safer and good riding practice it may help the wallet.... But then again I wouldn't rely on it because as you get close they can point the gun at other things that give good signals.

[k14]

The uniden radars are useless apart from the fact that they have gps. Without this they would be one of the worst, if not the worst decector out there.

The traffic lights and fixed cameras don't work on weight sensors they work on inductance. When a big chunk of metal goes over it (normally an axle in a car/truck) it induces a voltage and starts the timer and then the timer stops when the axle goes over the second one. Since the distance between then is fixed it can calculate your speed. The same system is for traffic lights.

The reason that the motorbike doesn't set traffic lights off (not sure about fixed speed cameras) is because it doesn't have enough metal in it to set off the lights. If you come screaming up to the sensor and slam on your brakes it might make a big enough voltage, depends. If i am the first in a set of lights I make sure i move further forward than the sensors and let the car behind me set them off.

[Sycophant]

The reason that the motorbike doesn't set traffic lights off (not sure about fixed speed cameras) is because it doesn't have enough metal in it to set off the lights. If you come screaming up to the sensor and slam on your brakes it might make a big enough voltage, depends. If i am the first in a set of lights I make sure i move further forward than the sensors and let the car behind me set them off.

Sometimes rolling the bike back and forward around the sensor can get it to recognise you, it really depends on how the loop is set up and if it's in good condition.

There's nothing more annoying than having lights that refuse to acknowledge your presence.

I used to have to go through one every night on the way home from work -- and there often wasn't a lot of other traffic for me to rely on to trigger the sensor for me. In the end I actually ended up taking a longer route just to avoid the annoying traffic lights.

[Waylander]

found a good way to make the light change back home dont know if it would work here but if your flash your brights on and off real quik it might change works on a few lights back home

[sAsLEX]

found a good way to make the light change back home dont know if it would work here but if your flash your brights on and off real quik it might change works on a few lights back home

also flicking the starter motor on will do it , added magnetic field etc