Radar Detector Quirk

[G-Man]

Drove from NY to FL and back for the holiday.  Started out the Wednesday before the holiday after work.  Yes, that's right, the worst time on the worst day of the year to drive. 

While bucking traffic, my radar detector would give off a warning that there was radar in the area.  I'm pretty good at weeding out the false signals by now, but these were happening more frequently, but with a very low volume to the warning.

Took me several hours to figure out what may be happening.  The radar detector was picking up the radar emitted by the newer cars which alert the driver of a car in the blindspot.  A little annoying when in moderate to heavy traffic.

[Jess from VA]

Yes, built in truck and SUV and semi trailer radars everywhere, plus many in the movable/portable traffic signs, and around truck stops (and all toll booths on the pay turnpikes).  So many false positives it eventually begins to give you the boy who cried wolf syndrome.

At first, you stomp the brakes when it goes off, later you just start letting off the gas pedal.

The warnings I pay attention to most are the ones when I am mostly alone, and going around any (can't see around the) corners, and more in an around big population centers (always more cops there).

And even though I have a good detector, I still tend to try and find guys high-balling up the speed lanes with seemingly no care in the world, and then fall in and pace them a quarter or third mile back, and watch their tail lights.

My last trip to Detroit though, I left it at home and just set my cruise control about 5-7 over, and listened to the music and enjoyed the drive better.

The view out my new big (and tall) picture-window is awesome.




The driver's seat is around 5 feet off the ground.  

[Psychotic Bovine]

I was constantly getting laser alert warnings on mine around airports.  I had to google it to find out why.  The wind shear detectors in place at airports are at a similar frequency to LIDAR speed guns.

[Serk]

Since the advent of Waze I've quit using a radar detector, find Waze to be far better overall...

But to each their own and all that, of course...

[scooperhsd]

I've never owned a radar detector, nor have I missed it. I'm  not usually in that big of a hurry

[Punisher]

Get a Uniden R3, the best long distance radar detector on the market and not even the most expensive.   Way better than Escort and Uniden provides regular firmware updates.

Will filter out a lot of that auto-radar noise and provides a way for you to mark out static alerts on your normal paths of travel.    Has a quite mode that you can set so anything under a defined speed will never alert, like driving around a mall or shopping center.   I have my quite mode set at 20 mph.    It is also rated best at picking up off-axis (around curves and over hills) and does a great job of hiding from radar detector detectors.

Check it out on Youtube.

[Jess from VA]

Since the advent of Waze I've quit using a radar detector, find Waze to be far better overall...

But to each their own and all that, of course...

Waze?  Is that some kind of chip planted in the brain?   

They are illegal in VA (and DC) (and they will catch you if turned on here) and I only use one on long freeway trips once or twice a year.  I don't speed that much over (usually) and it's more of a personal idiot  assistant as I wander and daydream my way across the planet.   

[G-Man]

Get a Uniden R3, the best long distance radar detector on the market and not even the most expensive.   Way better than Escort and Uniden provides regular firmware updates.

Will filter out a lot of that auto-radar noise and provides a way for you to mark out static alerts on your normal paths of travel.    Has a quite mode that you can set so anything under a defined speed will never alert, like driving around a mall or shopping center.   I have my quite mode set at 20 mph.    It is also rated best at picking up off-axis (around curves and over hills) and does a great job of hiding from radar detector detectors.

Check it out on Youtube.

Yo, how you doin', Alan?  Thanks for the tip, I will definitely check out the uniden.

[9Ball]

I’ve had radar detectors since 1978, the one that looked like a coffin. I use a battery powered escort for both the truck and the Valkyrie.

I have similar issues with increasing volume of false alerts due to the proximity senders and blind spot monitors equipped on newer cars.  Also, a lot of the truckers are using jammers that emit radar to foil speed traps.

To me the real value of the detector is in school and residential zones where doing 20 or 25 mph feels like crawling.  Doing only 40 in one of these zones is a major hit to the points and surcharges from the insurance.  It’s a great reminder to avoid citations when it goes off near these zones.

[G-Man]

I’ve had radar detectors since 1978, the one that looked like a coffin. I use a battery powered escort for both the truck and the Valkyrie.

I have similar issues with increasing volume of false alerts due to the proximity senders and blind spot monitors equipped on newer cars.  Also, a lot of the truckers are using jammers that emit radar to foil speed traps.

To me the real value of the detector is in school and residential zones where doing 20 or 25 mph feels like crawling.  Doing only 40 in one of these zones is a major hit to the points and surcharges from the insurance.  It’s a great reminder to avoid citations when it goes off near these zones.

Agreed!

[0leman]

I tend to not drive over the speed limit's allowable overage.  Around here that is between 5-10 over the posted limit.  So never had a detector.  It is good to hear that there could be issues if I was to ever get one.

Though I do every so often go over this limit   I usually wait till someone in a hurry go by then pace them about a quarter mile back, using them as a blocker.  Some time we go 20 or so over the limit.  Works pretty well on our open two lane roads.   

[Psychotic Bovine]

Just to show my maturity here:
I have a radar gun that I had purchased to check speed on my various radio controlled hobby vehicles. 
One day my oldest brother and I were going to Wright Pat AF Museum, and I got the great idea to take it along.  We would tool along doing the speed limit and wait for people to pass who had a detector in the car.  You can imagine the rest.
I found we could get brake lights from cars at up to a 1/2 mile away.
It's the simple things in life.....

[fudgie]

Just to show my maturity here:
I have a radar gun that I had purchased to check speed on my various radio controlled hobby vehicles. 
One day my oldest brother and I were going to Wright Pat AF Museum, and I got the great idea to take it along.  We would tool along doing the speed limit and wait for people to pass who had a detector in the car.  You can imagine the rest.
I found we could get brake lights from cars at up to a 1/2 mile away.
It's the simple things in life.....