Has anyone's radar detector ever failed them?

[avgas]

Have never had the Uniden SWS5000 not tell me that a cop had radar lock, or that a camera is looking at me........but it has been a bit slow to tell me on 2 occasions. Still it was enough to get under the +50kph limit in time

[rainman]

just slow down.

Or buy a cruiser....

[johan]

The Stalker Dual radar the police uses here gives the operator two readings, one for the fastest target and one for the stronger target. I have to remember to look at both numbers if I get pulled over.

[sinfull]

So the V1 isnt any good as i was thinking of getting one.

No i recon they are one of the better ones ! (have'nt tried any others but did a little bit of homework)

Well, yeah; I have no difficulty staying below 140 when I'm on State Highways and just risking tickets rather than a roadside suspension, but I'm doing a fair few cross-country miles these days, and my occasional slipups are nickel-and-diming my licence to death.

Yep and them nickle and dimes add up to a bloody long walk ! My arse is killing me from this push bike saddle !

[LoC]

Works best using suv's (or other traffic) as human sheilds as you can see pc plod pinging them with instant on!.
I have a bank of l.e.ds (mounted between dash and screen) that give me arc eyes even on a bright summers day and must look like a mobile disco at night! for warning as I use an ipod alot when cruzin plus the amount of batteries I have bought through flattening my hard unit was gettin rediculous.
The only flaw it seems to have is it laser alerts when ever looking directly into the sun, but this maybe because of my tinted screen, not always but enough to be a pain.
They must be good no demerits or fines since I got it.
Radar $460 Bracket $180 H.A.R.D $300 I think!, and leds $80 + Hardwire $25 Rain cover $25 and 3 trips to the sparky to get it runnin right.

[Mikkel]

I can vouch for the STi! It's good, real good in fact - plus it's also a passive device. So, if they decide to ban radar detectors in 5 years you just hide it somewhere and they can not detect it.
Hardly any false alarms and it's very sensitive - you shouldn't get done by mobile speed cameras with this baby.

However, there are of course circumstances where nothing will save your arse. Travelling on a straight towards a mufty equipped with instant-on-radar - and no traffic in front of you = screwed!

I got a speeding ticket by coming up over a hillcrest a tad too fast. On the other side of the crest was a 300 meter straight and then another hill. As I came over the top a highway patrol car was coming down the next hill. The radar detector went off at the same time my foot hit the brake - but alas, too late. Got done for 18 km/h over - and as such I was lucky since I'd been sitting in the 25-35 km/h above segment the entire way from Queenstown and we were only 10 kms out of Te Anau.
I'm guessing that the terrain combined with low traffic density meant that he hadn't pinged enough other cars for a signal to slip through the hills.

I use one in my car, they work very well for radar. The laser detector is probably not working very well.

Laser detection doesn't matter. The laser cone is so narrow and the signal doesn't bounce around like radar does - as such you can't get a detector that will pick-up laser until it's actually hitting you and it's too late.

[oldrider]

I can vouch for the STi! It's good, real good in fact - plus it's also a passive device. So, if they decide to ban radar detectors in 5 years you just hide it somewhere and they can not detect it.

I thought they had decided on that (Making them illegal) and it was to be made law at anytime soon!

They (?) also said it would be an offence to own one, unless purchased prior to the law change.

On the other hand, if you could prove purchase prior to the law change, it was only an offence if you were actually caught using it!

I have been wondering about completely concealed detectors but understand that Police can tell that you are using it anyway.

Of course it is only required to protect against being caught during one of those little "accidental indiscretions" rather than "deliberately speeding". John.

[marty]

they can tell you have one only because ypur speed drops quickly for 'no reason' when you are tracked.

and jR - the time taken to track/lock is the time it takes to push the same button on the cordless remote, twice. a big truck or car will create a bigger target, so the track is quicker than a bike, but a large bike has a large signal, so i would say given ideal conditions, about 2 second delay from standby, to tracking tone, to locking on.

[sAsLEX]

Radar hasnt failed me.

Of course it only works effectively against the wankers who have their radar guns operating almost constantly, so you can pick them up a mile off.

Or if Morcs is in front of you

[Mom]

I'm doing a fair few cross-country miles these days, and my occasional slipups are nickel-and-diming my licence to death.

And they are the ones that will bite you big time. Here speaketh a serial speeder. While I never got even remotely close to walking by demerit (apparently my eyedometer functions really well), I most defiantely put my ability to drive legally on the line every single time I went out.

I have a sick Mom in Thames, I make that trip along those incredibly boring straights from time to time as you can imagine. I used to do them at *cough* ton + (in miles)*cough* speeds really regularly at times she has been really sick.

I got done for 130, lucky you had slowed down as we originally got you at 140 dollars and demerits. Then I got copped for a slightly lesser speed and a few more points to boot.

I thought about it. Now I am nana personified anywhere that I am likely to get a ticket! Interestingly enough I still manage to get places in good time.

Just my boring old input. BTW I have a really good radar dectector in the car...it has worked so far!

[doc]

Its getting harder now they are onto using lasers on tripods with the mufti parked off the road. I think its time "ya picked ya place to give it a bit of a fang." Of course you have to take the consequences as well. They have more to spend on R and D. You are even going to get demerits for having a detector. My next one has me walking and probably out of a job.

[xgnr]

Highly recommende a whistler cruisader. Picks up every cop that Raj does with his valentine1 (though not quite as early), and its waterproof, and you dont need to remove it from an ugly tank mount everytime you leave your bike...

Second that...

[sAsLEX]

I thought about it. Now I am nana personified anywhere that I am likely to get a ticket! Interestingly enough I still manage to get places in good time.

Average speed here hasn't dropped but don't speed too much in the cop zones.


Budget a rain cover their Jr, they don't swim too well...... that was one expensive lesson.

[RiderInBlack]

My question is, though, have any of you ever had a radar detector, of any brand, fail to save you from a ticket?

If so, what were the circumstances, and do you think a more expensive model might have saved your arse where the one you had didn't?

"POP"ed at 116kph on SH16. My Escort Passport 8500 X50 didn't even blip. He was behind 3 cars coming over a brow. He flicked his radar on and off very quickly (according ta him), so I'd didn't even think I had been had. He also turned around when I couldn't see him and snuck up on me before turning on his "disco" lights.
Have since put the Passport on "POP" mode but still think I would have got caught out on that one. Should have assumed that he was going ta turn and taken a side road when I had had the option.
Radar Detectors are not fool-proof. Only use them as a guide. Only a fool relies on them totally IMHO.

[RiderInBlack]

Average speed here hasn't dropped but don't speed too much in the cop zones.


Budget a rain cover their Jr, they don't swim too well...... that was one expensive lesson.

Have 3M'ed mine. Seems ta keep it dry enough.