To the original poster from Virginia, I feel your pain.
I lived in Va. for the first 19 years of my life and I got out of there as fast as I could. Socialism and Nazism doesn't appeal to me. Va. state patrolmen are without a doubt the hardest-nose, greediest, revenue grabbing som-bitchin' cops on planet Earth. (with Ga. coming in a close second)
...and for most native Southerners (and certainly Virginians), that's not opinion, it's pretty much common knowledge.
First a lesson on Va. Radar detector "detectors" and RDD in general because there is a lot of chest-pounding b.s. floating around this thread to be honest, I will follow up with some links where you can research the
TRUTH as to what works and what doesn't as far as radar/laser countermeasures and their effectiveness. Some devices work and some don't, but your not going to get an unbiased opinion from either a cop OR the company looking to sell you a product.
Asking cops about radar detectors is like asking a hooker about herpes, they will both look out for their interests, not yours.
The first radar detector "detector" (RDD) was called "VG2", and of course your friendly Va. state troopers were one of the first to spend
your tax money to jump on that bandwagon. Valentine One could not be detected by the original VG2. Here is the problem,
ALL VG2 RDD's have been converted over to a new breed of RDD's called SPECTRE I, II, or III RDD's, which
can detect Valentine Ones. More specifically:
SPECTRE I- can detect V1 at ~300 ft.
SPECTRE II- can detect V1 at 100-800 ft.
SPECTRE III- can detect V1 at 1860 ft.
MD3 is another RDD being utilized in some places, it also cannot detect V1. I am not sure what they use now in Va. Call the morons up and ask them...after all,
you paid for them.
With both SPECTRE I and II, the V1 will 9 times out of 10 go off before you are close enough to set off the RDD, so keep the cord in your hand ready to yank at any given moment. There are some new radar detectors being manufacured that cannot be detected by
any RDD, I believe they are the new versions of the Passport 8500, check the websites below to confirm.
The Valentine one is still the best detector, used to be by a longshot but the other guys have gained ground over the past few years. The V1 still comes out on top because of its directional arrows, ability to count and track multiple threats, rear facing sensor, and its still unmatched range, more specifically:
V1 can detect: X (constant) @ 2.5 miles
X (instant on) @ 2.5 miles
K (constant) @ 2.5 miles
K (instant on) @ 2.0 miles
Ka (constant) @ 2.0 miles
Ka (instant on) @ 2.0 miles
The Passport 8500 is as good or almost as good in all of the above modes, and it can't be detected by the Communis..uhh...Commonwealth of Virginia authorities. So I would
do your research and go that route if I were you.
Also, in Virginia they are not allowed
by law to confiscate your radar detector if you get caught with one, all they will do is ask to see it in order to write down the serial# (I know from experience). If you are afraid some unscroupulous officer may try and swipe it anyway (perish the thought)...simply buy a cheapo $10 detector from Ebay and hand him that one when he asks for it, tossing your expensive detector under the seat (another good reason for limo-tint rear windows).
I hope I answered some of your questions and if you have any more post here or PM me and I'll try and help, after all, you are a fellow Virginian and Cobra owner
A radar detector will not save you every time, but used in conjunction with a quality laser jammer (hell yes, they work...check independant ex-cop websites below), knowing what works and what doesn't, and keeping your eyes open to what's going on around you, they will save you 9 times out of ten in 45 states out of 50. Period.
Anyone that says otherwise is an asshat and trying to save face. This radar/laser cat and mouse game has been going on since the original fuzzbuster that "didn't work" back in the 70's. Sometimes they are technologically ahead, and sometimes we are ahead. But if you stay up on recent developments and have the money needed to buy the latest anti-speed trap equipment (personally I'd rather give $1000 to a detector manufacturer than $10 to my local speed trap...its a matter of principle), you will defeat 90% of the speed traps you would encounter.
Some things to remember:
-High beams
can make older laser guns wack out, but all the newer ones have fixed the original glitch.
-A RDD can't pinpoint
which car has a detector, only that one is in the area, so if your in heavy traffic (or if your a damn good bluffer), screw em'.
-If you see a cop or are in a suspicious area or above on the freeway, turn the detector off, no RDD can detect a unit that's off.
-Radar jammers are regulated by the FCC, don't work, and are illegal everywhere.
-Laser jammers are regulated by the FDA, do work, and are illegal only in Mn, Ok, and Kalifornia, (and probably Va. and Ga. before long). These things work like gold and the stricter states are all jumping on the bandwagon trying to make them illegal as quickly as possible. Must be nice to be able to change the rules of "the game" (as one cop said earlier) once you start losing said game...pathetic.
-Stalker and LT1 laser guns will tell the cop the laser is being jammed, but there is a "release jam" button in most laser jamming systems that is to be used when the driver reaches legal speed to turn off the jamming signal and cruise by.
-A moving police car behind you only has a legally useful radar range of 1000 ft., so
watch those mirrors!
-Laser
has to be stationary, it can't be in a moving patrol car. It will be roadside or up on a bridge and most look like someone pointing a rifle at you. (so much for the speedtrap "highway safety" argument...I wonder how many people have damn near run out of the road thinking they were being shot at?) oh well, all's fair in the pursuit of revenue.
The
truth shall set you free:
www.detectortest.com
www.speedzones.com
www.radarbusters.com
Later.
EDIT 1slicksnake, I see your from SW Va., wherebouts? I grew up in Big Stone Gap.