Radar detection

[sheward]

I've been away from radar detection usage for a while. I have a Valantine unit from around 2003 on the shelf and there's a Passport 8500 x50 for sale here locally. I'd like to know if either of these units are dependable for detecting the newer instant on (and whatever else the departments are using these days) equipment. I was a big fan back when things were simpler.

drew

 

[Roma_500E]

Some discussion here

http://www.500eboard.com/forums/sho...50-or-9500iX-opinions&highlight=Passport+8500

 

[gerryvz]

You can send your ValentineOne into them, and they will upgrade it for less than the cost of a new unit, to the current spec.

That said, my two V1s that are hard-mounted in my SEC and E500 are both ~10 years old, and both work quite nicely.

There honestly is little to no proactive defense against instant-on radar, unless your detector picks up the police nailing cars ahead of you via radar or lidar. Even then, you have precious little time/chance to avoid it.

Radar detectors IMHO are best for wide-open interstates and country roads, where detection range is the longest. I honestly rarely exceed the speed limit when I'm not on the freeway, and NEVER in my own community and urban areas.

 

[sheward]

[



Thanks, Roma.

Radar detectors IMHO are best for wide-open interstates and country roads, where detection range is the longest. I honestly rarely exceed the speed limit when I'm not on the freeway, and NEVER in my own community and urban areas.[/QUOTE]

Agree. Sounds like I should just mount it and use it for assistance.

drew

 

[2phast]

Take a look at the Passport 9500IX. You might be surprised how far this technology has come.

 

[gsxr]

Don't use the 2003 V-1. Either get it upgraded, or sell it and buy a new one. You'll need the newer version to get decent protection.

Valentine and Escort/Passport are the only two I'd consider nowadays.

UPDATE: The January 2014 issue of Car & Driver, on page 97, has an article titled "Under the Radar". It's a test of the Valentine-1 and the Passport Max. It's not available online yet, click here, see "Comparison Tests".

 

[gerryvz]

I am at the point where I've been mulling over sending my V1s in for upgrades to the latest spec. It's not cheap, but not as much as spring for a new unit, either. One of my units was already upgraded 10+ years ago to the current spec at that time. It's a nice service they offer, and I'm all for companies that stand behind their products and offer upgrade paths and service them, vs. "throwaway" products that are designed to last a few years, then are redesigned and require a repurchase.

That said, I have been considering trying the Passport 9500iX that 2Phast mentioned, and may well spring for it for my SEC as a "daily driver" type of unit, and just get the E500 V1 upgraded to latest spec.

The "upgrades" in technology for radar detection in recent years has mainly been relating to reducing false alarms through GPS technology and memory as to where false alarms occur, as opposed to major improvements in radar/laser detection RANGE.

Like I said, my old V1s provide PLENTY of detection range where I need it most, which is out on the open road (for example, driving from Houston to Austin or Houston to Dallas, or Houston to College Station) and most DPS (Department of Public Safety - Texas state troopers) and county mounties just use KA- or K-band radar when out patrolling. Laser seems to be more of an urban thing, and even then I don't see it very often.

One thing I HATE is Nissan and Infiniti vehicles (particularly the SUVs) made in recent years, which have a proximity sensing system that sets off my radar detectors. I'd say that 50+% of my alarms are caused by Infiniti SUVs, because a lot of them seem to have this system and many drivers leave it activated all the time. I've also seen a few 2012 and newer MBs (particularly E and S-class models) that have started setting off my radar detectors with some sort of radar emission - also probably a drive assist or proximity/parking system.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Maui]

I have a very good friend that's a cop and he gives me a lot a crap every time he rides with me when I have the detector on. He is convinced they don't warn the driver until he already has you pegged. He said he loves discovering radar detectors after pulling someone over and his first comment is always, "So, how's that radar detector working for you?", and he proceeds to write them a ticket. He's actually a real nice guy, but looks at the whole the detector thing as a video game.

A lot of supermarket automatic doors will also set the detector off.

 

[gsxr]

I had issues with the older V-1, before they added the "crystal frequency lock". I would at a minimum want a unit with that feature, or newer. I think this showed up in the past few (3-5?) years. ISP is using POP radar out here in the tater fields, and laser too, so that is important for me as well.

There are laser jammers on the market which work well but they are bloody expensive, and are permanent-mount to each car... it's not portable like the radar detectors.

 

[gsxr]

I have a very good friend that's a cop and he gives me a lot a crap every time he rides with me when I have the detector on. He is convinced they don't warn the driver until he already has you pegged. He said he loves discovering radar detectors and after pulling someone over and his first comment is always, "So, how's that radar detector working for you?", and he proceeds to write them a ticket. He's actually a real nice guy, but looks at the whole the detector thing as a video game.

The idea is you get a warning from when he's radaring the guy a mile in front of you. If there's no other cars around, and they are using instant-on, it becomes a ticket announcer.

That said, I absolutely detest cops who are ticket writers. It's not like the world is crime free, and is going a few mph over the limit really worth wasting taxpayer money on? The guy with the gun and the badge writing revenue-generation tickets is the waste of money, IMO. Even more so when he's a prick making snide comments about detectors (no offense intended towards you, btw).

 

[gerryvz]

It's been an unwritten law for decades that whenever a cop sees a radar detector in a car, it's an automatic ticket in a speeding situation where they otherwise may have let you off with a warning.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

It's been an unwritten law for decades that whenever a cop sees a radar detector in a car, it's an automatic ticket in a speeding situation where they otherwise may have let you off with a warning.

That is why you don't stick them on the dash or the middle of the windshield. Mount it up high, above the rear-view mirror, or use a remote display (optional accessory for the V-1). Only a really snoopy cop would spot those.

A strip of dark (5% "limo") tint at the top of the windshield helps keep it invisible, just make sure it is dye-based tint, not metalized!! Dye-based (like 3M ColorStable) will not interfere with the radar signal. Metalized tint is very common and will reduce radar sensitivity.

 

[gerryvz]

That is how I have both of my V1s perma-wired & mounted.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gerryvz]

I recommend for the latest and best information on radar and laser detectors, that people check out the forum at:

http://www.radardetectorforum.org

 

[Maui]

The idea is you get a warning from when he's radaring the guy a mile in front of you. If there's no other cars around, and they are using instant-on, it becomes a ticket announcer.

That said, I absolutely detest cops who are ticket writers. It's not like the world is crime free, and is going a few mph over the limit really worth wasting taxpayer money on? The guy with the gun and the badge writing revenue-generation tickets is the waste of money, IMO. Even more so when he's a prick making snide comments about detectors (no offense intended towards you, btw).

For the most part they are just doing their jobs. My friend generally doesn't write a ticket until you're going 12 mph over (depending on the circumstance) or in a school zone. He said the local judge comes down on the cops if it is less than 12 mph over. The times I've been with him on ride along he also found those going over 15 mph did not have insurance or had suspended license. You'd think those types would want to "fly under the radar", but surprisingly they don't. He will impound your car for no insurance.

 

[gsxr]

For the most part they are just doing their jobs. My friend generally doesn't write a ticket until you're going 12 mph over (depending on the circumstance) or in a school zone. He said the local judge comes down on the cops if it is less than 12 mph over. The times I've been with him on ride along he also found those going over 15 mph did not have insurance or had suspended license. You'd think those types would want to "fly under the radar", but surprisingly they don't. He will impound your car for no insurance.

No insurance and/or suspended license are very different, IMO... ditto for school zones where kids are actually present. Sounds like the local judge has half a brain, which is refreshing.

 

[Maui]

If you have not done a "ride along" with a cop before, I would highly recommend it. You will definitely come away with a better understanding of what these guys deal with on a day to day basis. It is pretty easy to see how they can become callused and bitter. I've known my friend since way before he was a cop and I've watched his whole attitude on life change dramatically and not for the better over the last few years. It's really a very thankless job for the most part and exposes you to the dregs of society on a daily basis.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[gerryvz]

I agree Maui that public safety is a thankless job and for the most part, police do a pretty darn good job with the resources that they have. I can easily see how jaded they can become having to deal with what they do on a daily basis ... career criminals, drug addicts, child abusers, and so forth.

I spent some time in the San Mateo County, California courthouse last year and was appalled with what I saw. And exactly one year ago I did jury duty here in Montgomery County, TX and was similarly shocked and appalled with regard to the trial I was on.

 

[gsxr]

If you have not done a "ride along" with a cop before, I would highly recommend it.

I'm not sure I could get through it without telling the cop what I thought of some of his tickets. I'd probably end up in the back seat.

You will definitely come away with a better understanding of what these guys deal with on a day to day basis. It is pretty easy to see how they can become callused and bitter.

And from the other side, I'm equally callused and bitter. My most recent experience with an alleged "rolling stop" (while turning right at a stop sign, after slowing to 1mph, with no cars in sight) cemented that opinion, which went on to include the prosecuting attorney and the judge as well. The PA in particular had the worst case of small-man-syndrome I've seen in a long time, same as the cop. Usually you can work out something with the PA, but not this clown. I swear every single one of them had their Wheaties peed in, daily.

The cop was hiding and it was a blatant ticket trap. They stayed in this particular spot for several months. Traffic enforcement in the Boise area is insanely Draconian. Way, way too many cops (from multiple departments - city police, county sheriff, and state police) with nothing better to do than sit around and look for excuses to pull people over and screw them. Not that I'm jaded or anything. Worse yet, Idaho law only allows traffic skool once every 3 years, unlike CA which allows it every 1.5 years (not sure about other states).

I've known my friend since way before he was a cop and I've watched his whole attitude on life change dramatically and not for the better over the last few years. It's really a very thankless job for the most part and exposes you to the dregs of society on a daily basis.

In all seriousness, he should consider changing careers, ASAP. It's totally not worth the risk vs reward.

 

[gsxr]

I agree Maui that public safety is a thankless job and for the most part, police do a pretty darn good job with the resources that they have. I can easily see how jaded they can become having to deal with what they do on a daily basis ... career criminals, drug addicts, child abusers, and so forth.

I spent some time in the San Mateo County, California courthouse last year and was appalled with what I saw. And exactly one year ago I did jury duty here in Montgomery County, TX and was similarly shocked and appalled with regard to the trial I was on.

Which is why you'd THINK they wouldn't harass the legit people with current license, registration, insurance, no warrants, driving a non-POS MB, for absolutely trivial infractions. Even my wife gets harassed by them, although she hasn't gotten a ticket yet (never for speeding, btw).

I lived in Sacramento, CA area for 8 years and almost never got pulled over. Here, I spend more time looking for ticket traps than anything else, and have probably been pulled over 3x as many times. I should see if I can get a total count.

 

[gerryvz]

Perhaps you live in the wrong state

I NEVER have problems here.

Just a thought.....

 

[2phast]

I have a very good friend that's a cop and he gives me a lot a crap every time he rides with me when I have the detector on. He is convinced they don't warn the driver until he already has you pegged. He said he loves discovering radar detectors after pulling someone over and his first comment is always, "So, how's that radar detector working for you?", and he proceeds to write them a ticket. He's actually a real nice guy, but looks at the whole the detector thing as a video game.

A lot of supermarket automatic doors will also set the detector off.

This really only applies to "instant on" radar and for that to work, you need to be the "leader of the pack" that is, you need to pretty much be the only one on the road. Otherwise, your detector will detect the "instant on" ad the cop uses it on others in front of you. Most police don't use this type of radar anyway.

I could easily write a book on how many times I have been saved by a radar detector. To date, I have not received a speeding ticket while using one and its been 20 plus years since my last ticket. My last ticket was not due to me not having a detector but due to me being stupid and not taking it out of the trunk before leaving the mall. Was nailed for going 37 in a 35 zone.

One other good feature of the 9500ix (which does have to do with the GPS functionality) is its ability to connect to the internet for database updates, so not only can you mark your own locations for filtering, you can update the internal database. The updates include speed traps, red light cameras and cameras in school zones. My sister is not a speeder and has never received a speeding ticket, she always obeys the law. But she has been nailed numerous times in these so called "school zones" by cameras as the speed limit changes drastically (normally dropping from 35 to 25). She has also been nailed by these cameras when no children are present and/or on holidays. Its another revenue generating scheme (just like red light cameras) that serve no actual purpose other than to rob you of your money.

I went so far as to go and look at one of these zones (after she complained about it) and the camera was not easy to spot and I found no "warning" sign about the zone being "camera enforced". The camera was also very close to where the speed limit sign was (the posted speed limit change) so if you didn't already know about the speed limit change ahead of time, there really was no way to slow down from 35 to 25 before being nailed. This was obviously done on purpose for the sole reason of collecting revenue. This evidence alone would be sufficient to challenge the ticket in court, but like many people, my sister chose to just pay it and then pay it again and so on. With the money she tossed with these tickets, she easily could of bought a quality detector.

In a five month period, Seattle pulled in 2.7 million from school cameras alone (estimated to be 14.8 million by end of 2014)

 

[gsxr]

Perhaps you live in the wrong state

I NEVER have problems here.

Just a thought.....

That is the the absolute #1 item at the top of the list which would get us to move out of Idaho. Dead serious. We like most everything else. (#2 is the road maintenance with "chip seal" and #3 is the very screwed-up road infrastructure, but that's all separate discussions.)

I don't think my wife nor I could deal with the heat in Texas, even in the arid areas. We'd probably look into Montana, Utah, or Wyoming. Although my employer's recent infatuation with killing off telecommuting could eliminate all those options.

 

[gsxr]

This really only applies to "instant on" radar and for that to work, you need to be the "leader of the pack" that is, you need to pretty much be the only one on the road. Otherwise, your detector will detect the "instant on" ad the cop uses it on others in front of you. Most police don't use this type of radar anyway.

This varies widely in different states/cities. You need to find out what is used in your locality.

I could easily write a book on how many times I have been saved by a radar detector. To date, I have not received a speeding ticket while using one and its been 20 plus years since my last ticket. My last ticket was not due to me not having a detector but due to me being stupid and not taking it out of the trunk before leaving the mall.

The most recent couple of times I was pulled over for speeding, it was due to problems with my older V1's being out of calibration (both did not have the "crystal lock" update - all fixed now). Otherwise, it's been a HUGE help. Many times I've gotten pinged by instant-on, easily determined when you go from zero signal to full-strength, by locals patrolling and flipping their instant-on while approaching in the opposite direction. You can't go much over the limit *anywhere* in the Boise area without significant risk of a ticket. Like Gerry said, I almost never go more than ~10% over the posted limited in town (i.e., anywhere off the interstates).

Was nailed for going 37 in a 35 zone.

They should have thrown you in jail and tossed away the key, you dangerous criminal you! Two miles over the limit? Oh, the horror! *wrings hands* Seriously, those are the cops that people love to hate.

My sister is not a speeder and has never received a speeding ticket, she always obeys the law. But she has been nailed numerous times in these so called "school zones" by cameras as the speed limit changes drastically (normally dropping from 35 to 25). She has also been nailed by these cameras when no children are present and/or on holidays. Its another revenue generating scheme (just like red light cameras) that serve no actual purpose other than to rob you of your money.

It's all about revenue generation and has NOTHING to do with public safety. They'll almost never admit it though, the cops are seriously indoctrinated.

 

[gerryvz]

Sounds to me like someone has been doing a bit too much "hooning" .....

 

[2phast]

They should have thrown you in jail and tossed away the key, you dangerous criminal you! Two miles over the limit? Oh, the horror! *wrings hands* Seriously, those are the cops that people love to hate.

It's all about revenue generation and has NOTHING to do with public safety. They'll almost never admit it though, the cops are seriously indoctrinated.

That's just the tip of the iceberg for the harassment I have received. AND I have been ticketed for just about everything (car related) that you can be ticketed for. Except for tinted windows, thats the only thing I have not been harassed about.

I used to work for the City of Issaquah and I can tell you as a matter of fact, that it is all about REVENUE. The companies that pitch these camera systems focus their presentation on how much REVENUE will be generated. Of course, they also cover how safe it will make the roads, but its mainly for propaganda reasons. When the mayors office and/or city council discusses implementation, it always comes back to REVENUE for the city. Its the same when a city want's to annex a border lying unincorporated area. They pitch the residents with propaganda about how "the residents" will benefit, be better served etc. But in reality, its all about "sales tax" and "property tax" for the city.

 

[gerryvz]

The pitches the traffic camera companies make to cities is very different than what the citizenry hears from the cities, agree 100%.

When we moved here to The Woodlands, TX, in late 2008, there were two red-light cameras in place. I am a fan of red-light cameras because they do help reduce red-light runners, and there is no excuse -- ever -- for running a red light. (Speed cameras are a different story, but we don't have any of those). The number of cameras got bumped up during the 2010-2011 time frame to around 10 cameras.

The township figured out about 18 months ago that they were not generating the desired advertised revenue, and some of the cameras weren't working correctly (they would flash & go off randomly), so they decided (wisely) to stop enforcing the tickets "generated" by them last spring. The whole thing was a joke anyway.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...tting-a-stop-to-red-light-cameras-4461447.php

http://www.chron.com/news/article/No-more-red-light-cameras-in-The-Woodlands-4515698.php

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cour...cle_49fa1263-a8e7-5e03-b5fb-d735e09baf7c.html


In the red

While both Noack and Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable said the cameras don’t seem to be worth the cost, there is little data regarding how the cameras perform.

According to Noack, the cameras cost the county $46,200 monthly, according to Redflex’s monthly invoice to Montgomery County Precinct 3.

“We have been operating these cameras since 2007 and only twice has there been quote, a profit, involved,” Noack said. “Any time there is a profit, it is split 50-50 between the state and the county.”

According to data printed in a previous Courier article, the red light cameras in The Woodlands operated at a nearly $92,000 deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year and at a $56,000 deficit for 2010-11. The fiscal year runs from October through September.

Expenditures from 2009-10 show the county paid $388,080 to Redflex Traffic Systems for operating the cameras and another $20,000 to constable’s office employees for salaries and benefits to maintain the cameras, while the county paid $360,000 for camera operations and $25,000 to constable’s employees from 2010-11.

The Courier was unable to obtain data for 2011-12.

In addition to out-of-pocket funding for the operations, Noack said the county is losing money in the form of staff time.

Since the installation of the 10 red light cameras in The Woodlands, there has been little accounting to determine how “much time and effort went into the processing” of the citations, Noack said. However, since Constable Ryan Gable took office last year, his records show processing citations consumes a large amount of his staff’s time.

Gable’s data shows he spends about 10 hours each week on red light camera issues as well as several staff members spending about 20 hours working on the program.

From August 2012 to March 2013, Gable’s department processed 26,280 violations, about 50 violations an hour, costing the department $42,400.

“The amount of money put out for these cameras is very expensive, and the amount of time my department puts into the administrative aspect and conducting the hearings is substantial,” he said. “The county is not getting (back) what they put in by any means.”

 

[gsxr]

Sounds to me like someone has been doing a bit too much "hooning" .....

That's the sad part. If it was hoon-related on public roads, hey, I deserved it. But it's not anything remotely close to that.

That's just the tip of the iceberg for the harassment I have received. AND I have been ticketed for just about everything (car related) that you can be ticketed for. Except for tinted windows, thats the only thing I have not been harassed about.

Funny part is, in CA, I got pulled over several times for having tint darker than CA's silly regs. The cool parts was, you could just pay the fine, and didn't have to remove it. I considered it a "tint tax" at ~$75/pop and that didn't bother me at all. Doesn't affect my driving record or insurance and the fine was reasonable. I've heard of cops slashing people's tint though... which would not improve my opinion of law enforcement if they did that to me.

I used to work for the City of Issaquah and I can tell you as a matter of fact, that it is all about REVENUE. The companies that pitch these camera systems focus their presentation on how much REVENUE will be generated. Of course, they also cover how safe it will make the roads, but its mainly for propaganda reasons. When the mayors office and/or city council discusses implementation, it always comes back to REVENUE for the city.

100% correct. What is worse if when you find out in some areas, they were reducing the time of the yellow lights on purpose, to increase revenue from the cameras. In some places where this was discovered, public outcry forced them to shut it down. That's very dirty pool, IMO. Thankfully we don't have ticket cameras here... YET. I don't have an issue with red-light enforcement (as Gerry noted above), but I do have an issue when it is artificially created.

 

[Bogeyman]

That is the the absolute #1 item at the top of the list which would get us to move out of Idaho. Dead serious. We like most everything else. (#2 is the road maintenance with "chip seal" and #3 is the very screwed-up road infrastructure, but that's all separate discussions.)

I was driving home from a high school reunion in Hood River (my hometown) on I84 somewhere around Twin Falls. There were warning signs of road work and 30mph speed limit when suddenly the surface turned to what seemed to be loose gravel poured on an oil base. The cars/trucks were throwing gravel everywhere. 30mph would have been too fast, but of course traffic was moving about 60! I was trapped - no exits for miles and lethal amounts of gravel flying everywhere. All I could do was try to stay away from the trucks. Fortunately I wasn't driving my 036 but my '98 E300D got pummeled. Broken lights, chipped windshield, wheels all gouged up, lower cladding scarred.

Is this what you call "chip seal"? I've never been in any driving environment so destructive in my life. How can the public tolerate this?

 

[2phast]

The pitches the traffic camera companies make to cities is very different than what the citizenry hears from the cities, agree 100%.

When we moved here to The Woodlands, TX, in late 2008, there were two red-light cameras in place. I am a fan of red-light cameras because they do help reduce red-light runners, and there is no excuse -- ever -- for running a red light. (Speed cameras are a different story, but we don't have any of those). The number of cameras got bumped up during the 2010-2011 time frame to around 10 cameras.

The township figured out about 18 months ago that they were not generating the desired advertised revenue, and some of the cameras weren't working correctly (they would flash & go off randomly), so they decided (wisely) to stop enforcing the tickets "generated" by them last spring. The whole thing was a joke anyway.

(snip)

Many cities/counties enter into a lease with the radar camera companies. So no up front cost and they split any proceeds with the company and the company is responsible for issuing and collecting the fees. This makes it a "no risk" for the city.

 

[Maui]

Which is why you'd THINK they wouldn't harass the legit people with current license, registration, insurance, no warrants, driving a non-POS MB, for absolutely trivial infractions. Even my wife gets harassed by them, although she hasn't gotten a ticket yet (never for speeding, btw).

I lived in Sacramento, CA area for 8 years and almost never got pulled over. Here, I spend more time looking for ticket traps than anything else, and have probably been pulled over 3x as many times. I should see if I can get a total count.

And Yoda said, "There is much bitterness in this one".

I haven't had a ticket since 1988. I guess I just don't speed enough or something.

 

[2phast]

100% correct. What is worse if when you find out in some areas, they were reducing the time of the yellow lights on purpose, to increase revenue from the cameras. In some places where this was discovered, public outcry forced them to shut it down. That's very dirty pool, IMO. Thankfully we don't have ticket cameras here... YET. I don't have an issue with red-light enforcement (as Gerry noted above), but I do have an issue when it is artificially created.

I have personally seen that happen here in Bellevue when one intersection had a red light camera installed.

In Canada, there seems to be a red light camera at every light (Vancouver at least) and the yellow light time is ridiculously short.

 

[szvook]

FWIW, a lot of California cities are shutting down their camera programs or have shut them down by now - http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamscameras.htm

In L.A., only Culver City still has cameras up.

 

[2phast]

FWIW, a lot of California cities are shutting down their camera programs or have shut them down by now - http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamscameras.htm

In L.A., only Culver City still has cameras up.

Good information on that site! The "snitch ticket" is a new one, have not heard of that around here.

It seems the boycotts, bombarding the court system with appeals and contesting these tickets, is paying off. Make it too expensive for the cities to run red light systems

 

[Maui]

The red light cameras don't bother me as much as the speed cameras. My wife got nabbed entering the Sellwood Bridge from the west side (I know Gerry will recognize that) for going 40 in a 25. To avoid the insurance and get the ticket removed she had to take a four hour driving course.

 

[gerryvz]

Portland has fixed speed cameras now? Yikes.

I always hated the Sellwood Bridge. I always hated Sellwood for that matter, but I was always more of a NE type of guy, than a SE dude. Skinny-ass bridge and I hated SE Tacoma Ave. too !! For SE and me, it's Westmoreland or nothing.

 

[gerryvz]

And Yoda said, "There is much bitterness in this one".

[youtube]xHa3D-musUw[/youtube]

 

[Maui]

Portland has fixed speed cameras now? Yikes.

I always hated the Sellwood Bridge. I always hated Sellwood for that matter, but I was always more of a NE type of guy, than a SE dude. Skinny-ass bridge and I hated SE Tacoma Ave. too !! For SE and me, it's Westmoreland or nothing.

I don't think they have fixed speed cameras. They just park their white vans in strategic plases.

I'm a burbs guy, but I work in Sellwood. I live in the eastern edge of Happy Valley. I've always hated urban areas. I don't feel safe in the city unless I have my trusty.

 

[gerryvz]

You should really get the H out of Portland and come to Texas. It's great down here. Haven't regretted moving for one second. And .... I got a 9% salary raise because of no income tax Housing is only 40% the cost of what it is in PDX. And gas is 40-50 cents a gallon cheaper. And it's much sunnier

 

[Maui]

You should really get the H out of Portland and come to Texas. It's great down here. Haven't regretted moving for one second. And .... I got a 9% salary raise because of no income tax Housing is only 40% the cost of what it is in PDX. And gas is 40-50 cents a gallon cheaper. And it's much sunnier

I hear ya. My wife and I need to do a trip down there and see what we think. I would have to get my PE license down there. My wife is an absolute right wing political junky, so I know she would prefer the politics better and so would I.

 

[gerryvz]

I've been pushing hard for Texas secession, and there is a good movement for it, but it probably won't happen.

There's another movement in far northern California (Shasta, Siskiyou counties and environs, around Yreka, Reddings, Dunsmuir, Medford OR, etc.) to create a separate state from Central and SoCal, which I think makes a lot of sense. That is my absolute favorite part of the entire US and it absolutely gets no love from Sacramento. And it is SO different than everywhere else in California that it actually DOES deserve to be its own state. If they did ever create the state of Jefferson there, I'd be moving there in a heartbeat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_(proposed_Pacific_state)

I own a couple of nice pieces of land outside of Grants Pass, OR and would love to build a home there and be a charter resident of that new state.

Cheers,
Gerry

 

[Maui]

I eventually want to get out of Oregon. My wife was born and raised about five miles from where we live, our kids were born and raised here, we own multiple properties here, I have been on my job for almost 21 years, yada, yada yada. We just haven't found the perfect fit yet. We've checked out Arizona and Utah and love St George, but there is very little work in St. George for civil engineers.

If Texas seceded I'd be afraid that Mexico would reclaim it.

 

[gsxr]

I was driving home from a high school reunion in Hood River (my hometown) on I84 somewhere around Twin Falls. There were warning signs of road work and 30mph speed limit when suddenly the surface turned to what seemed to be loose gravel poured on an oil base. The cars/trucks were throwing gravel everywhere. 30mph would have been too fast, but of course traffic was moving about 60! I was trapped - no exits for miles and lethal amounts of gravel flying everywhere. All I could do was try to stay away from the trucks. Fortunately I wasn't driving my 036 but my '98 E300D got pummeled. Broken lights, chipped windshield, wheels all gouged up, lower cladding scarred.

Is this what you call "chip seal"? I've never been in any driving environment so destructive in my life. How can the public tolerate this?

Yes - that is chip seal. You got stuck in the application process, which is worse. After it's applied, it leaves an extremely coarse surface, which acts like a cheese grater for unfortunate motorcyclists or bicyclists who may take a tumble on it. And it's noisy as hell... on the rare places where you can drive on fresh asphalt (before they ruin it with chip seal), the difference is amazing. It's like having snow tires in year-round, it's so loud. The whole chipseal thing is a topic/thread all its own. I swear there is some nepotism involved with that charade, under the excuse of extending the life of the roads, which is an unfunny joke. When fresh asphalt is put down for new or resurfaced roads, the fresh asphalt will get chip sealed usually within 1 year. In an extreme case, near my job, the chip seal was applied immediately (within weeks). Total waste of money. OK, I'll stop whining now.

And Yoda said, "There is much bitterness in this one".

I haven't had a ticket since 1988. I guess I just don't speed enough or something.

Yes. Yes, there is much bitterness. I actually haven't gotten many tickets - it's the constant harassment that irritates me. You can't drive to the store, post office, gas station, anywhere without passing at least one cop, even if it's a 5 mile round trip. They almost always have radar and are itching to find some way to hand out a ticket.

On the flip side, I've met a few... VERY few, at that... decent officers. Only one that I can think of from a traffic stop though. The other couple were participating in the "Beat the Heat" program at the local dragstrip, where high school kids can race against cops. A couple of the cops there are nice and down to earth. (The nice guy from the traffic stop was city police. He pulled over my wife on the way to the dragstrip in our 500E's, for lack of a front plate. I stopped too. He was very cool and just gave us a heads-up that it's an expensive ticket, and sent us on our way. I about peed myself from total shock.)

Just to clarify, my beef is with traffic cops. Not all cops. The guys dealing with actual criminals, I have no issue with. The guys dealing with the aftermath of injury accidents on the road, same thing. The ones pulling over drunks or DUI, awesome. But when they are actively looking for motorists to nail with tickets, for pure revenue generation and harassment... those are the ones I can't stand. When they are rude and obnoxious on top of it, it's salt in the wound.

 

[gsxr]

At the risk of getting back on topic... the January 2014 issue of Car & Driver, on page 97, has an article titled "Under the Radar". It's a test of the Valentine-1 and the Passport Max. It's not available online yet, click here, see "Comparison Tests".

 

[Maui]

Yes - that is chip seal. You got stuck in the application process, which is worse. After it's applied, it leaves an extremely coarse surface, which acts like a cheese grater for unfortunate motorcyclists or bicyclists who may take a tumble on it. And it's noisy as hell... on the rare places where you can drive on fresh asphalt (before they ruin it with chip seal), the difference is amazing. It's like having snow tires in year-round, it's so loud. The whole chipseal thing is a topic/thread all its own. I swear there is some nepotism involved with that charade, under the excuse of extending the life of the roads, which is an unfunny joke. When fresh asphalt is put down for new or resurfaced roads, the fresh asphalt will get chip sealed usually within 1 year. In an extreme case, near my job, the chip seal was applied immediately (within weeks). Total waste of money. OK, I'll stop whining now.

I have never seen chip sealed placed on new asphalt, but that doesn't mean it isn't done. If you have the money for an overlay you don't need to chip seal unless there were problems with the overlay. Chip seal is the poor man's overlay and usually reserved for low traffic rural county roads. It depends on the jurisdiction, how much money they have and who's making the calls.

 

[gerryvz]

At the risk of getting back on topic... the January 2014 issue of Car & Driver, on page 97, has an article titled "Under the Radar". It's a test of the Valentine-1 and the Passport Max. It's not available online yet, click here, see "Comparison Tests".

Here you go.

 

[gsxr]

I have never seen chip sealed placed on new asphalt, but that doesn't mean it isn't done. If you have the money for an overlay you don't need to chip seal unless there were problems with the overlay. Chip seal is the poor man's overlay and usually reserved for low traffic rural county roads. It depends on the jurisdiction, how much money they have and who's making the calls.

It would make more sense if they only chip sealed secondary or tertiary roads. But not in Idaho, nope. Chip seal is used on major state routes (16, 20/26, and 44, to name a few of the main ones in Boise), plus major 4-6 lane arteries in town, and even on interstates (I-84)!!! Fresh asphalt will get chip sealed here within 1-2 years, almost without exception, even if the asphalt is in perfect condition. I only saw chip seal applied over weeks-old asphalt once, on state highway 20/26 near my employer. They widened a section to 4 lanes plus suicide lane, and promptly dumped gravel all over the new asphalt. There are some serious numpties in charge of DOT here. I've never seen anything like it in any other state. It's insane.

 

[gsxr]

Here you go.

Thanks, Gerry!

Note that their main complaint with V-1 is that it does a poor job of eliminating false alarms, which the Passport does via GPS. I partly agree with this, I wish the V-1 had a setting to eliminate all X-band alerts that are less than ~60% strength. But that is not an option, you can only disable the entire X band, which isn't a good idea as some remote areas were still using X-band, at least as of a few years ago. I wouldn't mind a similar filter for weak K band also. Different color LED's for the different bands would be nice too... it's irritating that V-1 has been too cheap/lazy to make any UI improvements at all with their product. But I still keep buying the damn things.

 

[2phast]

Thanks, Gerry!

Note that their main complaint with V-1 is that it does a poor job of eliminating false alarms, which the Passport does via GPS. I partly agree with this, I wish the V-1 had a setting to eliminate all X-band alerts that are less than ~60% strength. But that is not an option, you can only disable the entire X band, which isn't a good idea as some remote areas were still using X-band, at least as of a few years ago. I wouldn't mind a similar filter for weak K band also. Different color LED's for the different bands would be nice too... it's irritating that V-1 has been too cheap/lazy to make any UI improvements at all with their product. But I still keep buying the damn things.

The Passport 9500ix only allows you to disable the X Band as well.

I suspect that the integration of GPS into a radar detector might be patented, otherwise why wouldn't Valentine use this technology?

 

[gsxr]

The Passport 9500ix only allows you to disable the X Band as well.

I don't understand this. Most of the falsing is weak X and weak K band. Filter out those weak signals and it would be awesome. The majority of radar in my area is Ka with some K and laser. I don't ever want to see a 10-20% signal on X or even K.

I suspect that the integration of GPS into a radar detector might be patented, otherwise why wouldn't Valentine use this technology?

Good question. Then again, V-1 has done nothing to increase usability features at all. I think it's partly because of their upgrade program, but who knows. I'd kill to get different color LED's for the different bands. With the radio on I can't always tell from the audio what the band is, and I don't like taking my eyes off the road to try and read the darn display. Oh well.