It's all about intensity. Remember the inverse square law? The radar is detectible at the car BEFOR the reflection is detectible to the gun. So you detect the first waves as they raise out of the noise and bingo! you broadcast the jamming signal. Instant on screws with this, as the trigger can be pulled at a shorter distance, so the reflections can be detected right away. I think all the laws on radar and laser are crap. If people are going to shoot electromagnetic radiation at us, we sure as snot should be able to be aware of it! And the legal profession has completely ignored the errors in laser signal fron angular effects, and different reflectivity of larger cars. They pretty much suck, and the courts are accepting them anyway! Grrr. Jammers are really illigal broadcast devices, but I think all's fair, seing that the courts are ignoring the science of detection.... You could hook it up to only be on if you're going over 75 or so, and have a great system!

But jamming works well, if you have the correct equipment! Just ask the air force!

Matt

But there are some nice cops too! I was stopped going over 90 on 280, and when the cop asked why, I said the car was so much fun it was hard not to! He laughed, and wrote me up for 5 over......

 

Aw, Richard! Too bad about the ticket! I got popped on PCH near Portrero by the radar boy early in '03, and it was all because I was SOOOO dang happy to be (stupidly) leading the pack! 60 in a 45....traffic school...no biggie, although it was my first ticket in 20 years!

BTW, online traffic school was SO boring, I barely completed it! I think "if" I get another ticket, I'll physically attend traffic school.


Clover

 

Hahahah I much preferred online traffic school! Last time I completed it in 30- 45 minutes because I was actually reading it and re-learning about the rules of the road.

The two times I've been to physical traffic school in my life, I was let out early after about 2 hours.

PCH--Pacific Palisades to Malibu has too many cops!!

 

Hey, can I go to traffic school even though I don't have a ticket yet? Kinda like a "get out of jail free" card in Monopoly that I could save when I need it. :smile:

 

Heh, in PA only state police can use radar. So only on state patroled roads is it even worth using a detector. All other agencys local and some counties use VASCAR.

The white lines are easy to spot, it's the landmarks they use with no marking on the road that suck. So you really have to know the area and know where the normal traps are.

Also PA state police do not use rolling radar, they have to be stationary.

To get a ticket and for it to stick, you have to be clocked at 6mph over the limit with radar, 11mph over with VASCAR, unless it's a school zone then it's 6mph over.

The last ticket I got was in W.VA, 118 in a 65 zone, $66 fine and no reciprocity with PA. 14 years ago.

 

Some tips on how to get out of Radar tickets in the future, since you probably plead 'nolo contesto' and did defensive driving . Query for the officer's FCC licences, the maintenance record of the gun, the methods used to tune the gun, ect. What this does is invariably gets you one report that isnt there, and by law they have to drop the charges against you. Other things to do are find out what days that officer is off during the week (call up once a day for a few weeks and ask for the officer, find out what 2 days he's off, since its a routine) or what days they're on vacation (social engineering) and then move your court date to that time, and if he fails to appear, no ticket. It might seem like less hassle to just do the defensive driving, but you can use defensive driving to lower your premium by up to 10% and not get a ticket, double win.

Laser is extremely easy to fight, if the sun's in the wrong spot, its innacurate. If its foggy out, its innacurate. If its drizzling, its innacurate. If it hits at a bad angle, it gives false readings (usually high). If the laser is not properly aligned (dropped once or twice), its innacurate. Also, like with radar, query all the possible paperwork you can, peace officers are as human as the rest of us, and sometimes forget to fill out all the paperwork, or fill it out wrong. Remember, the way the law system in the United States of America works is that you must be guilty beyond reasonable doubt, all those if's and possible problems guarentee reasonable doubt.

In conclusion, the only way you wont get out of a speeding ticket due to Radar / Laser is if you get stopped in a small town where the town makes money on tickets.

 

Now what kind of talk is thatNever thought I would hear you say that
3rd. gear is the most funnest

 

I was fairly certain radar jammers are illegal nationwide, not because of their ability to get you out of a ticket, but because they violate an FCC code. If memory serves the FCC does not allow tampering with the frequency used by radar by an unlicensed individual. Tampering with the frequency of laser(light) poses no problems.

Thats my understanding, feel free to correct me as you see fit.

Pete

 

Yep, tried that some years ago. Have to agree that you don't stand a chance if the town makes money on tickets. Got mine back in 1995-96. Can't remember. 50 in 35. Canyon Country/Valencia in California. At that time it was either the number 3 on number 4 safest community in the country, so all the local sheriffs did all day was sit in a nice hidden spot and write tickets. I happened to get tagged by the biggest d*ck in the department. The whole neighborhood knew him. Even his coworkers, who were clients of mine, confirmed his well deserved reputation. Anyway, show up to court and plead not guilty, since I in fact was not speeding. I knew the street was a speed trap. Well, in walks in this radar jockey, looks at the judge and the two of them proceed to discuss their B-B-Q plans for the weekend. I knew I was screwed than and there, but decided to go through with the charade anyhow. So I asked for maintenance records on the gun, methods to tune the gun, FCC licenses, etc. I even asked for the cop's ticket book and the radar print out, as I saw him standing outside his car, writing another motorist a ticket at the same time he said he tagged me with a radar.

To all of this the judge just smirked, said I should have subpoenaed those records prior to showing up to court (Like I am a freaking lawyer), banged his gavel and found me guilty.

I am sure both of them had a good laugh at the party that Sunday.

Me, I quit my job after that and have been to that area only twice since then.

 

And that's the way they do the court processes. You can only opt for Traffic School, or go to court, not both. Also, in many jurisdiction in CA, they have to many cases, and they offer reduced sentences if you'll just pay and get out of thier hair. If you do the court route and loose, you can expect the max for your penalty or close to it. So, if you don't get tickets very often, the safest is traffic school. Nothing on the record, no info to insurance. And in CA, you can go once every 18 months. If you are into gambling, go ahead and fight it, but you can never tell about the cops lunch plans!

Matt

 

FCC code 15 parts a and b. Its on all electronic appliances in your home if you live in the US. HAMs are exempted from that code, due to the very nature of what they do. Also, having Radio Opr plates look cool, and some cops are more likely to go after the car behind you because they dont want the hassle of someone who might actually know about how faulty radar guns are.

I thank my stars that I live in the great state of Texas where I can go to court, and then decide to take Defensive Driving if I see the cop in the room.

 

HAHAHAHA, yeah I've thought of better responses since then, like " Sir, I don't need Nitrous to go fast."

 

Guys,

I have read a lot of discussions on the BMW boards about RADAR detectors and their effectiveness.

In the last year or so CHP has been going to an "instant on" method where they hit you with the gun as they see you--so your RADAR detector goes off to confirm that you are getting a ticket instead of helping you avoid one.

It is my understanding that a lot of police departments are going this way not because of its ability to catch people with their pants down--but more so to protect the officers from the radiation some of the RADAR guns produce. Is this true? I don't know. Just know that a lot of my BMW motorcycle buddies get nailed and they have the best RADAR detectors money can buy.

Just thought I would toss that into the ring.

It is really my thought that if you didn't see the cop you probably deserved the ticket.

-mark=

 

Instant On has been around for a long while. A good radar detector will detect stray signals--so that if the person ahead of you, even miles away is being checked, you will get notification that radar exists in the area.

The area I drive in to work is just swarming with cops. My last ticket here was for doing 52 in a 45, however, nobody drives 45 on PCH except those that have gotten tickets.

They hide behind poles and shoot their gun at you---like scooping fish out of a fish bowl. It's a wealthy area and they know that the violators will just pay their fine and get on with things. Not seeing a cop doesn't mean that you should deserve a ticket--but knowingly speeding is reason enough. We all do it everyday.

 

I've tried the "fight it with logic" defense before, and it doesn't help because cops lie. It's SOP even in the most minor offenses. And they wonder why they get no respect.

 

By the constitution, you can ask for a jury trial. Judges always side with the cop!

(always ask for the records in advance to the court date, well in advance!)

 

Heh, the SUV (Does This Thing Make Me Look Fat?) drivers too...

 

^^^ Good one, LOL.

I think the police officer who tagged you probably asked about nitrous to see if he could find something new and interesting (and more costly to you) to tack on, since he already had you stopped anyhow?

Quick Story:
Back in the year 2004PM (Pre-MINI), the same cop repeatedly pulled me over, at the same intersection, same time of day (during my commute home), and never never ticketed me for ANYthing... As if he thought "one of these times this guy is gonna slip up, lol)...

The first time, I suppose he thought I stole my own car, he asked "is that YOUR car?" How'd he know I was having impure thoughts about enjoying the Chinese food I had just picked up for supper anyway? My car must have reeked of Hot & Sour Soup, or something.

The 2nd time, again at this SAME residential intersection, same cop, same li'l blue Tercel, I was behind someone who didn't GO when the light said to GO (no i didn't HONK), and when this car in front of me finally MOVED, it was very very slowly forward, the light's turning yellow, etc. So I make a last second choice, check for clearance, and turn LEFT instead of following the snail car (and running the light which would have been RED by the time I got in the intersection etc... Anyways I complete my left turn, and half a second later he's pulling me over, (it seems I didn't use my turn-indicator ) and we start our dialog... He runs my license again, sees I'm (still) a good boy, brings back my stuff. Then, by way of a farewell, he goes "Have You been DRINKING, Scott?". Well I hadn't, so I guess I failed to make his day yet again.

The 3nd time, (same cop/Tercel/intersection, I had just completed an "evasive maneuver" (man that '93 Toyota could bob and weave, not), to avoid getting smacked by someone who was backing out of a driveway blind, into traffic. It seems I stepped on the double yellow line (oops, it was rush hour and no one was going faster than about 10mph, having just started from a red light...

Anyhow he stopped me (he HAD to have seen exactly WHY I did what I did, too, that's the annoying part), and after running my license etc, making me wait etc (if papa don't get home, then mama's late for work, etc)... he comes back to my open window, hands me my stuff, says it looks like I have been a good boy for a nice long time etc... and THEN, he goes "Ever smoke marijuana, Scott? Tell the truth"...

The point of my fable? I think if you DO "admit" to things such as nitrous, or "yeah i smoked in college but i didn't inhale ", or whatEVER, the cop then will have "increased curiosity" about issues such as the contents of your boot, etc etc.

In Richard's story, the officer may have just been being "cop sarcastic/funny", I don't know. In my case, maybe because I never got ticketed for anything, I believe the cop was "fishing". I think that if I had shown my usual razor sharp wits , I would have ended up in the back seat of his cruiser ... Oh, well...

My $.02 (more like a buck),
Tatt

 

I agree. I think he was fishing. He also commented about my 10 month old son in the back seat asking me if my car was LATCH which it is. He goes on to lecture me that his harness is a bit loose and shows me the proper way to fasten it down--showing me how to determine it by the looseness of his clothing. That was after his Nitrous comment.

That cop sounds like he was harrassing you!! What a jerk!

 

I just edited my previous post, to reflect more of "the facts". The 2nd time the cop pulled me over, I had NOT properly indicated my (on the fly) intention to turn left. There, I've said it and my conscience is clear... You're right OG I had a similar (though less family-oriented) impression re: "what a jerk".

Wanna hear something else that's funny? About a year before I first encountered my guardian cop, I was involved at my residence in the Snowy Driveway Incident. The net effect was that the Tercel had no exterior driver's side rearview mirror (which has GOT to be against the law, right?). I must have combed every salvage yard in Illinois, to no avail, but that's another story.

Well, thru all the course of my relationship with this policeman, the missing mirror (with broken bits of plastic STILL attached to the door - I mean it's obvious, or should be) never came up ONCE! Easy Pickins and he overlooked (?) it, I guess.

The car has since been donated, so I won't jinx myself don't worry.

My MCS has both mirrors, and I am far more patient now,
Tatt