_ethrty-Andy_ 2136 Report post Posted January 31, 2015 since buying my one about 2 years ago just after i lost my licence i have had two speeding fines since, one it was off in the glove box, one i wasn't in my normal vehicle. I always use it in my work van too, especially when going away. a fine in a company vehicle is never really a good idea. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
will 169 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 As Troy says, laser is a very concentrated signal, so, if your detector goes off, you are already dead in the water. The cops normally aim for the number plate, if they get it spot on, it will often not trigger your detector due to the beam not having much scatter. The only way to be safe from laser is to use a jammer, or don't speed.. The ka band is very strong, so any detector will pick it up from a long way off. However, a lot of patrol cars leave their radar off and go instant on when they get closer to you. Again, you will be dead in the water if they do this and you are speeding. If you tag on behind another speeding car, you are relatively safe as the cop will usually target the front car, but they can read the speed of both cars, so might just target you instead. So dont speed... I have several detectors- Bel STi, Bel XR950, 2x Escort X50. Have run comparative tests with them and a mate's V1 all alongside each other to figure which is the best for picking up the camera cars on the K band. Surprisingly, the X50 is the best at it. However, it must be mounted at 90deg to the normal position as the K band camera's signals are polarised in the vertical plane, so detection with the detector in the horizontal position is very weak. I found this out some time ago when I noticed the vans were no longer triggering my detector, went googling around and eventually found this bit about polarisation. I ran both my X50's at the same time, one horizontal, the other vertical, and proved that the vertical mounting was much better at picking up the van, at least double the distance of the horizontal X50. I also determined that the vertical mounting of the detector has no effect on it's ability to detect the ka band. You can buy a windscreen holder for the Bel/Escort that mounts them vertically. Don't know if there is anything available for the V1. I do not normally speed, but also get overtaking done with as quickly as possible, so mainly use it while overtaking to make sure I don't get nabbed. I leave the k band on in Hamilton as they regularly hide the van in urban roads here and it is not difficult to exceed 50kmh if you are not concentrating on speed, but rather on the idiot drivers around you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Interesting about the polarisation for k band and the camera vans, will have to give it a go. I find cops in town never have their radar on, 9/10 cops on the highway just leave it on. What I've notice around the waikato anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 My understanding and I could be wrong is that cops riding solo keep the ka detectors running as they can't drive and use it at the same time ? Also I've got a nice little hardwire setup on my x50 which makes it hard to see I have a detector. It's mounted off my rear view mirror and hardwired. Right under my dash cam and on a separate circuit with a switch .. No dangly wires or suction cups which are a dead giveaway to cops or thieves Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Why do cops care about detectors? I've never had any mention mine or act like a dick because of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Why do cops care about detectors? I've never had any mention mine or act like a dick because of it.It's a grey area. Owning one is legal. Operating one is not.. Never had a cop fine me or comment on it and they have seen it! Oh and careful with those running more that one detector. They are supposed to be passive but they do emit some signal. There are radar detector detectors haha. Mainly used in the states and UK where owning a detector is illegal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 It's a grey area. Owning one is legal. Operating one is not.. Never had a cop fine me or comment on it and they have seen it! Oh and careful with those running more that one detector. They are supposed to be passive but they do emit some signal. There are radar detector detectors haha. Mainly used in the states and UK where owning a detector is illegal Any source on operating one been illegal?are you sure you're not thinking of jammers? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Called LTSA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Called LTSA Any source on operating one been illegal?are you sure you're not thinking of jammers?But as we all know when speaking to an individual it could be misinformation Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 Going by the list of fines that a police offer can give out .. They list operating a device that "interferes" with speed measuring equipment. So I take that as an active system. Detectors are passive .. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2136 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 its a NZ right to be able to listen in to any frequency here, even police and military bands. However It is illegal to act on information received on an unauthorised channel, or interfere and/or broadcast on frequency you don't have a permit/licence for. Technically, slowing down after a radar going off would be acting on information from unauthorised channel, but that would be almost impossible to prove in court. For all intents and purposes, radar detectors are 100% legal to own and operate in new zealand. scrambling laser however, very easy to prove use in court, as its interfering on a channel you don't have a licence to operate on. However it is totally legal to own and have installed. Most systems these days also work as parking sensors etc or have other features too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 its a NZ right to be able to listen in to any frequency here, even police and military bands. However It is illegal to act on information received on an unauthorised channel, or interfere and/or broadcast on frequency you don't have a permit/licence for. Technically, slowing down after a radar going off would be acting on information from unauthorised channel, but that would be almost impossible to prove in court. For all intents and purposes, radar detectors are 100% legal to own and operate in new zealand. scrambling laser however, very easy to prove use in court, as its interfering on a channel you don't have a licence to operate on. However it is totally legal to own and have installed. Most systems these days also work as parking sensors etc or have other features too. There is a fun mod to swap our parking sensors for a 905nm frequency and have it on a trigger circuit .. I don't condone this action though. And if you were to use a jammer only use it in a crowd of cars. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 I've only ever seen laser been used twice I think, might be used more in Auckland and bigger city's but for me it's hardly a threat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 I've seen continental cars or likewise dealerships sell new RS Audi's etc with laser jammers hardwired installed lol 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2136 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 as said, they are totally legal to own in New Zealand, so they are not breaking the law by fitting them. Dealers just wouldn't risk it if they were illegal etc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Dwarf 136 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 The misinformation out there is brilliant! This thread is hilarious!!! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kepes 231 Report post Posted February 1, 2015 The misinformation out there is brilliant! This thread is hilarious!!! enlighten us!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Dwarf 136 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 enlighten us!!! That would be a trade secret! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kepes 231 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 That would be a trade secret! Ahhh, you're a cop? 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jordan23 16 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 Going by the list of fines that a police offer can give out .. They list operating a device that "interferes" with speed measuring equipment. So I take that as an active system. Detectors are passive .. An Infringement notice for the above can be issued for laser jammers. Radar detectors do not interfere with speed measurement equipment. They are a passive device. Laser jammers on the other hand are active and transmit light. So no it's not illegal to use a radar detector. On a side note, come up against a good radar operator and no matter what detector you have it will be useless. Speed reading will be obtained at the same time your radar detector goes off. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 What if I paint my car in radar absorbing paint (yes that's a real thing)? That's passive. You can purchase a paint that does that. For your headlights (transparent of course)as tampering with your plates is illegal.Lasers are mainly targeted at plates but headlights are the next go to. Laser gets spammed and results are averaged over x bounced signals to determine Doppler shift so you may have some time to slow down but the speed of the pulses are so fast that you're probably screwed anyway lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 You can purchase a paint that does that. For your headlights (transparent of course)as tampering with your plates is illegal. Lasers are mainly targeted at plates but headlights are the next go to. Laser gets spammed and results are averaged over x bounced signals to determine Doppler shift so you may have some time to slow down but the speed of the pulses are so fast that you're probably screwed anyway lol Laser dosent use doppler shift, thats radar. You don't have time to hit the brakes when your detector goes off for laser, they have your speed. Unless of course your reactions are faster than the speed of light. ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 What if I paint my car in radar absorbing paint (yes that's a real thing)? That's passive. Its more shape that will defeat radar rather than paint, paint might help but not going to stop police radar. Hence the shape of some military air craft... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kepes 231 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 You don't have time to hit the brakes when your detector goes off for laser, they have your speed. Unless of course your reactions are faster than the speed of light. ... Scatter is also a possibility. Was in my friends M3 and we were saved by scatter from the laser hitting the car infront of us. That was with a V1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted February 2, 2015 Scatter is also a possibility. Was in my friends M3 and we were saved by scatter from the laser hitting the car infront of us. That was with a V1 Yeah pretty lucky there, scatter with laser is pretty unlikely. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
