Radar Detectors <merged Topic>

[F6 UTE]

I'm looking at getting one ( they be legal in WA ) and was wondering if many of you had any dealings with them at all??

I hear new POP radar is out and about, and to look out for detection for that..

Other than that, anyone had one?? reviews??

Cheers..

[Flukey]

Mine sits in a box in the study. You get caught with one in Vic and it is far worse than a speeding ticket

[cikas]

Ahh to be in W.A able to use detectors

I havent got one but a few mates do and they say its the best thing they have bought for the car. The have already paid the detector off with the savings they got from it..

The latest one arent too loud either so you dont get annoying beeps and alarms interfering with ya tunes

try out

http://www.radardetector.com.au/

cikas

[F6 UTE]

Ahh to be in W.A able to use detectors 

I havent got one but a few mates do and they say its the best thing they have bought for the car. The have already paid the detector off with the savings they got from it..

The latest one arent too loud either so you dont get annoying beeps and alarms interfering with ya tunes 

try out

http://www.radardetector.com.au/

cikas

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I went there.. pretty good prices I thought..

[Guest memphis]

I got mine off ebay for $100, as long as you get the correct model and do research, they work fine.

if your not careful you can end up with something that is 100% useless

[ZAP]

The only one to get is a custom stealth one. Hidden behind the bumper and totally invisable

The new Stalcar MK 3 Radar Detector Detector is able to detect 99.9% of the curent and previous detectors and the cops are starting to use them on the east coast.

If you choose to risk (non WA) using one, remember that they cannot be detected if you turn them off and hide them well .

[maximum_velocity]

Is it possible for cops to detect this little buggers in your car or are they compltely un-detectable?

Im in vic and would love these little license savers its just im scared of getting fined/jailed/beaten up by mum

EDIT: I mean can they be detected when they are turned on

Edited 01/06/05 01:31 PM by V8_FRD

[Flukey]

Is it possible for cops to detect this little buggers in your car or are they compltely un-detectable?

Im in vic and would love these little license savers its just im scared of getting fined/jailed/beaten up by mum 

EDIT: I mean can they be detected when they are turned on 

A few years ago, a good friend of mine got pulled over by police because they detected he had a radar detector. It was hard wired and installed in his dash, couldnt be seen, and beeped when detecting radar. the Police had a gizmo that knew exactly where it was and threatened to pull his car apart if he didnt produce it.

Cant recall exactly but the fine was over $1000

That's Vic for you.

[maximum_velocity]

Ok that's off the birthday wish list. Thanks luke

[mickq]

Ok that's off the birthday wish list. Thanks luke

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They have to be turned on to even potentially be detectable.

Police tend to use 2 types of detectors in Australia. The first are commercial ones (VG-2 and the newer VG-3 and Valentine but I dont know if VG-3 is being used here yet). The second is made out of confiscated radar detectors that have been tweaked to make them detector-detectors. They have a metal funnel put on top that appears to gather the signal like an antenna.

They all work the same: radar detectors have very high frequency oscillators in them because of the superheterodyne circuitry they use to recieve the radar signal. The detector detectors detect (there you go, 3 times in a row!) this oscillation as it isnt commonly seen out on the roads - it is very high frequency, about 2GHz I think.

In general the way they display a radar detector being used is that there is an LED metre built in with say 10 LED's in a row. As the oscillating is detected, it increases on the LED scale as its strength increases. The police watch this scale and can tell by when it builds up and then starts to reduce that the car was approaching them and has just passed them. I havent used VG2 and 3 yet.

Its quite an inexact science if there is traffic around as it could have been numerous cars. If there is traffic around and several cars passed when you did, the cop is likely bluffing and hoping it is you and trying to scare you to give it up.

The undetectable detectors tend to actually detect if a VG-2 or similar is nearby and if they locate one they shut down for a short time. The VG-2 does sweeps that can be detected. I do not know if any of the stealth detectors are able to not give off this high frequency signal or are shielded so the cops cant detect them.

So unless you are on a dead quiet road, if more than your car was passing the cop car at the time, do not admit to having a detector. If they ask if you have one, dont lie. Just say you dont wish to answer the question or keep quiet.

The police, last time I checked, can only search your car is they have reasonable grounds to suspect you are carrying drugs or weapons (someone correct me if that has changed). They may try to scare you into disclosing you have a detector as they did with your mate. Its best not to say anything. A simple answer like "I would prefer not to answer that question" is a good idea as it doesnt piss them off like ignoring them or being a smartarse can, and it doesnt disclose anything. It also shows them you are not dumb and going to fall for their little tricks.

They may also ask if they can look in your car. Say no to that as well, as there is no reason they need to look in there.

People tend to say yes when asked, so the cops will ask permission to search your car and most times can then search your car legally. I laughed when I saw this happen on that Cops show a while back as many US states have a similar law, and the guy had 4kg of dope in the boot which the cops found. The guy started moaning when he realised he could have said no and there was nothing the cop could have done and he would have driven off! Got many years in jail for trying to be nice to a cop :|

If you think they have reason to search your car, then stick it down your pants before you pull up if you can do it unseen. If its not visible enough to make them think you have a gun down there (or are just pleased to see them!) they cant do anything about that as they cant just frisk you at will without reason. And they are even less likely to do that than they are to try to justify reason for searching your car.

They also can not search you personally without reasonable grounds. If there were no reasonable grounds, even if they find it after saying they had reason to search, a half decent lawyer will have the finding of the detector thrown out of court if he can show there was no reason to suspect drugs or guns.

That happened in Victoria a few years ago. Illegal search, results of search can not be used in court, case for possession of radar detector dropped AND, most amusingly, the judge ordered that the radar detector be returned to the driver The cops were fuming, but that's the law.

Of course all this only applies if you look pretty respectable. if you look dodgy, then maybe they do have reasonable grounds!

So in a nutshell, get one that has stealth technology. Do not use it on empty roads just in case. Do not hit your brakes hard if a radar lightsyou up on an empty road as its one of the tests police do randomly as it reveals people with radar detectors.

I would tend to only use it when I need to. Driving with it on the whole time is asking for you to forget its there one quiet night...

Do not let them search your car if they ask. Politely decline. Dont admit or deny having a radar detector if asked. Dont give out any information that you dont have to unless its 100% harmless and not a lie.

If they believe you may have drugs/guns but have no reasonable indicators that this is so, I have seen them call in sniffer dogs rather than risk a false search. If the dogs react to drugs/guns being present then the cops have reasonable grounds to search your car.

Needless to say, they arent anti-radar dogs so dont worry about that!

Just know how to handle the police, and know how the technology works, and you can use them with risks being minimised.

Of course, on a closed track environment with professional drivers!