Does one type of dectector work better in one state vs. another state. I live in N. California I don't know what type of radar the local Highway Patrol uses so I thought I would get a Valentine. Currently I use an old cheap radar dectector with no (don't want to jinx myself) incidents. Have I been lucky or maybe in N. California mine is good enough.

 

You'll be good with the V1 except for LIDAR (laser). The differences are between x, k, & ka which the V1 picks up very well. Don't assume that you can just turn it on and you're 100% protected though. You can still get hit with instant on radar, LIDAR, or be paced (not to mention aircraft).

 

Instant on in CT, Beam hits you, you're nailed. Widespread use on major hwys patrolled by state police, plus still lots of unmarked cars.

 

The CHP units that I have seen with radar have all had Ka band radar. They are using Laser between LA and Vegas. What a pain, have to stop by the side of the road and lean out on one leg and sight down on every car...but deadly if they get you. Get a V1 or an Escort

 

You've been lucky, but then again, considering the state of the art lined up against you, stick with what you've got. Unless you've got lots of money and can afford a state of the art detector.

But it might lead you to a false sense of security and invulnerability, and you don't want that.

 

My Escort 7500 has worked flawlessly for about 10 years

Common sense still rules the road though

 

I had my Escort 9500ix out for its first highway trip today and it picked up everything well before I saw the unit, car and motorcycle. Valentine is old technology and, according to every test I read, has lots and lots of false hits vs the GPS units.

 

The V1 is a tool that aids you in your 'situational awareness' as you drive.

If you do your due diligence and take the time to learn the tricks that are particularly well explained in the V1 Owner's manual, you'll go a long way toward avoiding becoming a revenue source for the state.

There are two methods used by the CHP that have nothing to do with radar detection. Those are pacing/timing from the air and simply pacing you with the patrol car like they did before they finally got their state of the art radar units. Fortunately both methods have become relatively rare these days. The planes are too costly and officers with great radar equipment tend to use it rather than go to the trouble to pace you.

There are two methods used by the CHP that will render any radar detector virtually useless. The first is skillful use of instant on against oncoming traffic on twisty two lane mountain roads. They come around a curve right at you and press the button...BAM, you're had.

The second is the roving bands of lidar (AKA laser) users. These CHP officers work in teams like the airplane guys do. They set up the lidar unit in the center median of a freeway location, or along side the road. The officer must aim carefully at each target car and acquire its speed. Once the lidar gun has acquired the target, the speed readout is instantaneous...your're had. BUT and this is a big but (not C6). The V1 has superior lidar sensing capabilities to its competitors. It can detect lidar beyond the 1/4 mile limit the CHP uses and it can detect a certain level of 'bounce' off of lead cars. This is no small benefit on crowded California freeways.

Here in California the CHP has been using many more "unmarked" cars. Yes, I know it is illegal in California for a traffic officer to pull you over in an unmarked car, but these CHP cars aren't completely unmarked because they have the CHP insignia on their doors and no other markings that are visible from in front or from the rear. For some time they ran white Camaro Z28s, and now they are running white full size Fords just like the normal black and whites. They may be running other colors, but I've not personally seen one in recent years.

A typical example of how a V1 will be valuable to you is a drive on I5. That type of freeway is typically wide open and relatively flat. Even if a CHP uses his instant on feature, you will know it from miles away (my personal best is 9.7 miles on I40!). You will know if the alert is in front or comes from the rear. You will know whether the threat is nearby or further down the road by the sound of the alert and the number of illuminated LEDs on the face of the unit.

By the way if you aren't already aware of it, ALL CHP units including motorcycles have both forward and rear facing antennas and they can get you with instant on as you approach from behind.

My experience on roads like I5 is that it is more common to find the CHP unit simply checking oncoming traffic from the other side of the freeway and they usually leave their units on all the time.

Study a little and you'll have a significant leg up on the game. Just understand the limitations and risks up front.

 

Saying that the Escort 9500ix is an excellent detector is true.

On the other hand saying that Valentine is old technology is untrue. Only Valentine offers the opportunity to check a particular unit against the latest (constantly ongoing) upgrades. If there has been a significant upgrade since a particular unit was built, Valentine allows the customer to exchange their unit for a brand new one for a nominal charge. Escort requires you to buy a whole new unit.

 

 

This is absolutely correct because I'm part of the Valentine "program" of updates, corrections, machine check and finally, full trade for a new unit. It's one reason I can claim (and even Mike Valentine didn't dispute it back before I got the 'mucho upgrade" to a new unit: the claim was, I have the most expensive V1. 2 upgrades at my cost, plus 2 shippings at my cost for calibration checks, plus initial purchase.

And even then, at least in some states as populous as Calif., I've found the radar is getting so good with the quality of the police using it that it's very difficult to beat the best out there. That's WITH the V1. I have been on top of a unit that I couldn't see until I was less than 3 car lengths away when the instant on went off. No prior reports with quite a bit of traffic in front of me. Fortunately, I was at 4 over. It was no fun tho....

 

If you hear the signal indicating the detector has found a signal it is too late, you are on some law enforcement's sighting. Your only hope is the officer was signal was directed at another car.

 

In California you can expect police to use Ka and laser. You are pretty much screwed for the latter, but the V1 will do an excellent job on the former. K-band will be something like automatic doors, speed signs (showing you your speed), red light cameras, and roadside traffic monitors (used to show the flow of traffic on-line and on the news). It is possible for cops here to use K-band, but I have never come across it. You can forget about X-band being anything other than some doors.

 

Is it hardr for lidar to pick up our vettes because of the lack of metal they need to bounce off?

 

No.

 

That's an excellent question!

As it turns out metalic content has no effect on Lidar response. Paint color has some influence with lighter colors and metalics being easier to target.

BUT and that's a big but....leos are trained to shoot for a front plate first and a light second if there's no front plate. The C6 lights give fantastic response to Lidar, so essentially we're all screwed.

Yes, there are coatings like Veil that can be applied over lights, but they absorb heat and have been shown to kill the high intensity C6 headlamps, so although they can reduce reflection, you had better not use your headlights!

If you live in a state that hasn't yet outlawed Lidar jamming counter measures, you can spend lots of money and get on the electronic counter measures bandwagon that never ends. There are counter measures out there that will defeat the best Lidar systems. That's because technically Lidar is light transmission and it's not restricted by the FCC as radar transmissions are (radar jamming is illegal throughout the US).

So what that means is you can equip your C6 with gizmos that will 'see' the Lidar probe and answer it with a 'nobody's home' response and all is good.

Unfortunately those methods are illegal where I live and I choose not to use them.

 

Sorry, but that's really an inaccurate oversimplification. See this post for more details:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1569197869-post8.html

 

Local leos may still use K-band, but I've not personally seen an X-band used in almost ten years. Nonetheless, I still run "little L" and put up with the X-band alerts just in case.

 

I reprogrammed X-band off and considering doing the same to K-band, however I do venture into Nevada and Arizona so for the moment I have them on.

I know everyone keeps chanting this mantra that once LIDAR (laser) hits you are busted, but in my experience that is simply not true. The V1 has gone crazy with laser alerts many times and I have not been caught. I have 'rounded a corner to see the CHP after a laser alert on several occasions. Once there were several HP units getting drivers in a cross fire and my laser alerts lit up and started screaming, still I was not pulled over so I feel it's a matter of whether or not the LEO actually knows which car, and if so, whether he is able to get to you, or even wants to for that matter. Some LEOs may just use the blast as a deterrent.

 

I still run in "A" despite what I said. I just mute if it gets annoying.