Radar
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 8
From: San Francisco Bay Area California
Conditions vary. I've had 5+ miles on straight and level I5 south of Chico, CA for ka band with an early V1.
I've seen test results done near El Paso on straight, level roads with very low humidity that gave 9+ miles using a current V1.
Bottom line is that the V1 has great sensitivity for the price. There have been some recent high end units that can even beat the V1s stellar sensitivity. But when you get right down to it you have to ask yourself why you would want any more than the V1 already has and would you be willing to pay an additional $1,300 or so to get it?
That 5+ mile warning I mentioned above was actually really sort of a PITA! It got really old to slow down that long back in the bad old 55 mph days. It turned out to be a CHP cruiser (one of the old Mustangs) that had already stopped a car going the opposite way. The uint was just blasting microwaves at me while the LEO wrote the citation.
I've seen test results done near El Paso on straight, level roads with very low humidity that gave 9+ miles using a current V1.
Bottom line is that the V1 has great sensitivity for the price. There have been some recent high end units that can even beat the V1s stellar sensitivity. But when you get right down to it you have to ask yourself why you would want any more than the V1 already has and would you be willing to pay an additional $1,300 or so to get it?
That 5+ mile warning I mentioned above was actually really sort of a PITA! It got really old to slow down that long back in the bad old 55 mph days. It turned out to be a CHP cruiser (one of the old Mustangs) that had already stopped a car going the opposite way. The uint was just blasting microwaves at me while the LEO wrote the citation.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Don't forget that some of those electronic (orange, usually) road signs that flash words (like "Caution-Roadwork Ahead") also give off signals. I've received them way far away, just as if it's radar which it must be. So do the speed signs flashing your speed.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 18
From: northwest Ct
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 435
Likes: 1
From: So. Cal
Yes, I do get warning from road signs but those are K band. And I get the warning from those at about 1 mile away.
Last edited by CQT; Sep 7, 2008 at 10:16 AM.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
From: Scranton Pa.
Just an FYI. Radar travels in a straight line ever expanding as it goes out. Radar has to have at least 1 1/2 times more power going out than it can recieve. The beam goes out and has to come back so the power must travel much father than the reciever can read it. Hope that makes sense. Also remeber that a radar detector does not give off false alarms! It reads all radar signals in the band it recieves, whethr they are gararge doors or alarm systems or cops, there is no way for it (any unit) to determine. The better the sensetivity the longer the range. With V-1 the ony thing you should have to worry about is instant on. You obviously can only pick up the signal when it is shot. Best defense is to be very alert, which should make you a better driver anyway!!!!!!!!!!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
On an area of I-40 in Arizona east of the Calif. state line, there's an area there for several miles that my V1 has gone off with a lidar reading... I think its a weather radar dome on a mountain that apparently transmitts data via laser too. It a seriously long distance from the mountain top that I saw the dome so who knows..
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 8
From: San Francisco Bay Area California
On an area of I-40 in Arizona east of the Calif. state line, there's an area there for several miles that my V1 has gone off with a lidar reading... I think its a weather radar dome on a mountain that apparently transmitts data via laser too. It a seriously long distance from the mountain top that I saw the dome so who knows..
My newer model V1 doesn't do it any longer. Apparently the newer models that have been shipped within the last three years can filter those particular signals out.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Maybe so, but the newest model V1 can't filter out my DIC in another car. As soon as I point the "back" of the V1 at it directly, the laser alarm goes off. Pretty funny, almost....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 8
From: San Francisco Bay Area California
Like radar, all "Lidar" or infrared sources within a particular frequency range are reported by the V1, regardless of source. The particular signals that I was talking about in my earlier post were actual false alarms caused by installations in the two areas mentioned. Apparently similar things used to happen around airports and that's been fixed too.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 57,408
Likes: 164
From: queensbury ny
Can someone tell me why I would get 2 to 4 miles warning on my V1. And the guys on Guys of Lidar gets 1200 to1400 ft in warning?
Well worth the price of admission.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 40,888
Likes: 4,342
From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
Just an FYI. Radar travels in a straight line ever expanding as it goes out. Radar has to have at least 1 1/2 times more power going out than it can recieve. The beam goes out and has to come back so the power must travel much father than the reciever can read it. Hope that makes sense. Also remeber that a radar detector does not give off false alarms! It reads all radar signals in the band it recieves, whethr they are gararge doors or alarm systems or cops, there is no way for it (any unit) to determine. The better the sensetivity the longer the range. With V-1 the ony thing you should have to worry about is instant on. You obviously can only pick up the signal when it is shot. Best defense is to be very alert, which should make you a better driver anyway!!!!!!!!!!
You must have been an operator, back in the day!