Radar & Laser Jammers/Detectors
- Thread starter gb66gth
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CitySnake
Enthusiast
There's a wealth of information that's been posted and discussed here. Just search on radar, laser or jamming.
To be extremely brief, I think you'll find that the majority (but not all) of Viper owners here prefer the Valentine 1 detector.
As for radar/laser jamming, the jury is still out. The general opinion is that those that are available to the general public are mostly ineffective. The cost of a seriously effective unit (at least to the best of my knowledge based on information posted here) would make it somewhat prohibitive.
To be extremely brief, I think you'll find that the majority (but not all) of Viper owners here prefer the Valentine 1 detector.
As for radar/laser jamming, the jury is still out. The general opinion is that those that are available to the general public are mostly ineffective. The cost of a seriously effective unit (at least to the best of my knowledge based on information posted here) would make it somewhat prohibitive.
CitySnake
Enthusiast
mike & juli
Enthusiast
We have a laser jammer and a radar detector (not a V1)...and found out that when I was behind a friend driving his Viper, his radar detector kept going off (and you know who you are...lol)...finally figured out (took me long enough!) that it was MY LASER JAMMER making his radar detector go off. Just thought I'd throw that in there as another source of info~! ~juli
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
whatever you do, do Not get a cobra (referred to as Crapra on radardetector.net). Besides leaking signal triggering falses on Good detectors, they have inferior detection capabilities as proved in every multi-detector comparison ever done.
The best bang for your buck is a Belltronics Vector 955. It has comparable performance to the top dogs(Valentine1/BelRX65/BelGX65/BelSTI/Escort9500) for half the price.
The best bang for your buck is a Belltronics Vector 955. It has comparable performance to the top dogs(Valentine1/BelRX65/BelGX65/BelSTI/Escort9500) for half the price.
mike & juli
Enthusiast
Works extremely well~! Just don't be AHEAD of me with your radar detector on...
.We have the Passport 9500i radar detector and the Phazer II laser jammer.
bluesrt: We were on the Northway/I-87 here, speed limit 65, but we also got off the highway and where my Viper friend (he still knows who he is...lol...Mike does too, BTW!)...was still getting zapped...that's when we figured out it's the laser jammer setting off his radar detector, why I didn't just unplug it, I have no idea~~
. ~juli
"85 of 200" knows a lot about the pros and cons of jammers. He has installed a Laser Intercepter jammer system in both of my 06 coupes. He has installed these in a lot of Vipers in the KC club. He had some links showing comparisons of the different brands. He will probably be on here shortly.
Works extremely well~! Just don't be AHEAD of me with your radar detector on...
We have the Passport 9500i radar detector and the Phazer II laser jammer.
bluesrt: We were on the Northway/I-87 here, speed limit 65, but we also got off the highway and where my Viper friend (he still knows who he is...lol...Mike does too, BTW!)...was still getting zapped...that's when we figured out it's the laser jammer setting off his radar detector, why I didn't just unplug it, I have no idea~~
seems like urs may be working good?sounds good!
bmw2nv2000
Enthusiast
Having a K40 Calibre installed on mine(this will be third car with a calibre) I have had great experience with them minus the lazer jammer. I will not buy another K40 lazer jammer never worked for me. Just get the front and rear receiver kit with dash LEDs for a perfect stealth install. Only down side is base unit is $1200 plus install
.
.mike & juli
Enthusiast
seems like urs may be working good?sounds good!
Yeah, we got these just because we don't drive enough to warrant the laser jammers that you hard-wire in. Works fine for us! ~juli
Steve 00RT/10
Enthusiast
If you drive over the limit more than not...you will get a ticket(s) eventually, no matter what you're running. I learned that lesson many, many years ago....having logged about 1.75 million miles to date. I've been running V1s since the year they came out. With the advent of "instant on"....that was pretty much it for never getting a ticket. And then there is still VASCAR...no radar gun at all....got one of those in Wisconsin about 15 years ago.
Radar jammers have never tested well. As far as I know, active radar jammers are illegal. Passive jammers may not be illegal, but I don't think they are effective with today's radar. Laser jammers may work, but there is a FAR more likely chance of being hit with K or KA than laser. Rocky Mountain Radar stuff has never tested well.
.......I had a RMR passive jammer back in the early 90s. I thought it worked...until I got the ticket. I did test it against a X gun radar back then. It seemed to work up until about 200-300 feet away. There is no more X radar in cop cars today. I think the ticket I got was the 'new' K band back then.....which I think was the start of instant on.
A V1 and a Bearcat scanner might be the better way to go, but the Bearcat is iilegal in a lot of places too. I know they are in Michigan.
Steve
Who needs a laser/jammer when I've got a broken speedometer.
I guess that wouldnt work to well if the speed limit is 65 and your going 130
I guess that wouldnt work to well if the speed limit is 65 and your going 130
Actually it worked quite well when the speed limit was 55 and I was doing 114.
I had great luck with blinder jammer!! Blinder Laserjammer & a Passport 9500i
Kevan
Enthusiast
I'm gonna +1 you on this Dom.
I did a pantload of research on RD's before finally buying the 955i. I've been quite happy with it thus far. Well, the signal for "LASER" scared the crap out of me when it first went off. LOL
I'm not sure about the Viper cars, but in the truck my vision was limited as is, so instead of having the RD underslung below the mirror, I came up with an above the mirror mount:
Radar Detector Mount Installed! - .:SRTConnection:.
WAY high up, centered, unobstructed view for the RD, easy to reach for muting, and kinda hidden from thieves (moreso than something hanging under the mirror or suction cup'd to the windshield). Plus, no hindering of vision!
Good reads here too: Radar Detectors and Jammers - Reviews & Shopping at Radar Busters
slaughterj
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Agreed on the radar jamming, but from what I've read, laser jamming seems to be effective with costly systems (e.g., $1200?!).
CitySnake
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slaughterj
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There are so many different ones, which is the best to use? What are the limitations on their use (e.g., are there states that don't use detectable technology, etc.)?
From a little reading, the BCT8 BearTracker sounds good, and maybe even better, the BCT15...
Steve 00RT/10
Enthusiast
I don't argue that good laser jammers may be very effective. I just think the odds of being hit with laser (they must be stationary and typically shoot at 90 degrees...out the window) as opposed to being shot by regular radar are very small. ...No where near enough times to justify the cost of getting one.
I'm not really sure anymore. Those numbers still ring a bell though. Many years ago, after I got a ticket (in my foolish passive jammer days), I was looking for a foolproof way to not get tickets. I knew active jammers were illegal and the Bearcat scanner came up during my hunt. This was early internet days. After reading the warnings about potential penalties for using them, I checked Michigan to see if they were legal here. They weren't. Never looked into it further. Even with a scanner, you would need to be very vigilant in listening to police conversation as to where they were set up/and/or traveling. If on the road away from home, your shotgun rider would be driving with maps out and continuously monitoring the scanner. It would not be 100% safe. Then, if it's mounted in your car....how do you get rid of it if you should get pulled over going at warp speed. Another thing to remember is that state troopers (I know people in the biz who comfirm this) have a darn good idea how fast you're going as you approach them. This is another reason why you will likely be pulled over if using active jamming. That's also why many times you won't get shot. By not shooting every car is also good for the cops as now you're detector is not picking the instant on signal as well. ....especially if they're tucked in behind another vehicle (they like big trucks) and only shooting occasionally.
Bottom line is that if you continually drive 10 over (maybe less), you're going to get a ticket eventually no matter how much you spend on gear. Keep the big driving lights off if you want to break the law. They make the car stand out like a sore thumb. I've only gotten 2 Viper tickets since 2000 and 90,000 Viper miles. That was one of them. The trooper told me the lights are the reason he shot me. He had never seen lights that big, that low, and that far apart before. The old V1 lit up like a Christmas tree. I was rapidly slowing down after a burst of 'energy,' but he caught me at 74 from about a 1/2 mile away as he came around a corner. Got a 60/55. He liked the car. Could have been worse.
Steve
Kevan
Enthusiast
A little update for ya, Steve:
- There are 0.0 radar guns in Hawaii. They are 100% laser.
- Ohio has about 75-80% laser (Columbus PD is almost fully laser and state troopers are well above 50%).
The guys I see on the highway are NOT PLAYING AROUND. Shoulder stocks on a laser gun? That might be taking the job a little too seriously.
Steve 00RT/10
Enthusiast
A little update for ya, Steve:
- There are 0.0 radar guns in Hawaii. They are 100% laser.
- Ohio has about 75-80% laser (Columbus PD is almost fully laser and state troopers are well above 50%).
The guys I see on the highway are NOT PLAYING AROUND. Shoulder stocks on a laser gun? That might be taking the job a little too seriously.
Good info on your home state. You may have more use for one there than most. I guess Hawaii is a non issue for me and for most with Vipers. I was on the Ohio turnpike 3 times in 2008, the last being November. I did get shot with laser a few times over the 3 trips to the Canton area from MI. The barrier makes it very convienent to set up in their cross roads. I would question that 75-80% of your police force is laser. They still have to patrol all non-turnpike roads. They would be missing tens of thousands of dollars in revnue if only using laser....or they wouldn't be patrolling. They would be always parked. Columbus is really missing out on revenue. I run 7-8 over when traveling, so it's never really an issue for me. We went through about 20 states driving last year. From Michigan to Key West last winter....and a trip to AZ,NV, and CA as well. With the exception of Ohio, we might have been shot 3-4 times by laser during all this travel. We were shot way too many times to count by K&KA band radar. Literally dozens of times. I was shot once or twice locally by laser in 2008. We do have it here, but it is minimally used as I think the rational is we can't afford to have parked patrol cars not patrolling the roads. That is their main function. Patrolling and shooting radar the conventional way kills two birds with one stone....which would seem more bang for the buck.
I would be curious the result of being shot at speed....say 25-50 over the limit with a laser gun...and you with a laser jammer. I have a feeling you're going to be pulled over and may have some legal expense to deal with. Anyone have any tales to relate?
Steve
bmw2nv2000
Enthusiast
My last 2 $1800 Calibre systems had the lazer jammer and I don't think it ever worked correct, enough so I will never spend the 400 bucks on another jammer from k40 anyway.
Kevan
Enthusiast
Steve- I hear ya. I think a lot of the Columbus PD are carrying both (Ka & Laser), for many of the reasons you pointed out.
I'll check into it next time I talk to my friend's dad (COLS Detective).
The info on the State Troopers rigs came from a fairly cool trooper of 15+ years. After he checked out my engine bay (heh heh), I talked with him for a few about speeding and traps and such. He wasn't thrilled with the Laser stuff as he'd gotten damn good with his Ka setup.
(I say "fairly cool" because while he didn't ticket me for no front plate, he did toss me a $125 ticket for Tint Too Dark and said my plate was incorrect and I had to get the typo fixed. (There is no typo on my plate; the letter "O" and the number "0" are printed exactly the same on the 'flat plates' here)).
What I can absolutely confirm: I-270 around Columbus is Cop Heaven.
Pick your poison (K, Ka, Laser, Air, Pacing, Lucky Guess).
They're all out there.
I'll check into it next time I talk to my friend's dad (COLS Detective).
The info on the State Troopers rigs came from a fairly cool trooper of 15+ years. After he checked out my engine bay (heh heh), I talked with him for a few about speeding and traps and such. He wasn't thrilled with the Laser stuff as he'd gotten damn good with his Ka setup.
(I say "fairly cool" because while he didn't ticket me for no front plate, he did toss me a $125 ticket for Tint Too Dark and said my plate was incorrect and I had to get the typo fixed. (There is no typo on my plate; the letter "O" and the number "0" are printed exactly the same on the 'flat plates' here)).
What I can absolutely confirm: I-270 around Columbus is Cop Heaven.
Pick your poison (K, Ka, Laser, Air, Pacing, Lucky Guess).
They're all out there.
slaughterj
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I don't get the impression all of that is necessary. Just use the BearTracker feature which goes off when you are within 3 miles of an officer and their radio goes off. I do not know the frequency that their radio goes off, but it's something, though you probably will get "false" signals from police cars on nearby roads that you aren't concerned about ("false" as in you don't care about them, just the cops on your road).
check out www.guysoflidar.com stay far away from k40, they were good in the 90's.
