Let's talk radar detectors and their setup

[IG.]

fallenarch, the unit is water-resistant and shock-resistant. The headset is NOT blue tooth, but seems to be proprietary comm. It has some sort of sealed circuitry, so it emits 1/1,000,000 of what normal RD does, and that's why is not noticed by RDD.

RedBusaRider, I understand what you are saying, but it's a bit of a general statement, and that's why I am asking if anyone has any experience. Think about it, Raptor doesn't have bells and whistles, no fancy display unit, but it seems the designers focused on a couple of important aspects - like being a decent RD covering all modern ranges/methods, hidden physically, zero MW emission, designed for a motorcycle. This definitely keeps the price down. Blue-tooth is a universal protocol, requiring hardware/software. They opted for simpler, less expensive proprietary solution. As I said, I can buy two of these for well under $300, install one normally in the front, and the other in the rear, and will be able to pick up radar/laser in the rear better than expensive units mounted up front where a rider blocks the rear view.

Also, while RD's are legal here, it's just common sense - if you get pulled over and that huge thing on RAM mount is sitting right there, what do you think goes through cop's mind?

 

[ZRXMAX]

Nobody has mentioned Radar and Laser Detectors | Valentine One | Radar Detectors Plenty of considerations before going this route. However, as an example I cut and pasted a Q & A to one of the challenges of running a detector in a stealthy manner. We all know troopers and cops all frown upon detectors so one of our main concerns is stealth.

I also invite all of you to read "Tales from the Battle zone" in V1 Moments. It is a great way to keep your mind sharp on how to avoid the "shooting fish in a barrel" scenarios we sometimes find ourselves in.

Something else to keep in mind. Law enforcement in general is harped on regulary by their masters to step it up during the holidays... more tickets, more DUI's etc. They want that revenue and they consider the holiday season a great time to bring the pain.

Also keep in mind ( California I know for sure ) that ticket defence websites are known to beat traffic tickets on occassion. My last ticket ( 71 in a 55 = $450 ) was beaten by Beat Traffic Tickets | Avoid Speeding Fines | TicketKick ® with a trial by written declaration. Saved me $300 and a recorded ticket on my CDL.

Years ago I had the "Gypsy" ( 1980s ) detector for X band... to bad those days are long gone.


HIDDEN RADAR DETECTORS FAQ

I want a hidden detector, with the receiver remote-mounted down in the grille, but you don't make one. Why not?
- B.L., Florida


I want a remote too, but I don't want to give up any protection. For the same reason you see high radio towers, the radar detector antenna needs to be high in the car; it sees over hills better, increasing range.
Mounting down in the grille amounts to a low tower. You also have the problem of traffic ahead blocking the signal. The only time I've seen a grille mount outperform a windshield mount was a case where the detector could look under the truck just ahead. Normally, a high mount has an advantage because it's up where it can see through the windows of other traffic.

Another thing; the really sophisticated direction finding and bogey counting that V1 has requires perfectly synchronized information from the front and rear antenna. It's possible to maintain that synchronization when the system in broken apart into units at the front and rear of the car, but you pay F-15 prices. My best compromise between maintaining performance on the one hand, and hiding the detector on the other, is the Concealed Display. This keeps V1 in the window where it works great, but operates "dark;" all the light-up warnings are transferred to a small Display that you can locate where only you will see it.

 

[Tufbusa]

I like keeping it simple and effective.

Escort 8500 X50
H.A.R.D. (Helmet Assisted Radar Detection) from Legalspeeding.com.
H.A.R.D. $169 (waterproof)
Escort 8500 X50 $300 (Non waterproof) I just take it off and put it in my pocket if I'm caught out in the rain, which is rare.

I have used this set up since 2005 and it is extremely effective.

Anyone who wants a H.A.R.D. setup to go with your radar detector, I have one NEW unit left. I bought a dozen of these puppies for me and my friends at a discounted price.

I do have the radar unit mounted in full view with open access to signal from front and rear. I wouldn't be without it.

 

[RedBusarider]

RedBusaRider, I understand what you are saying, but it's a bit of a general statement, and that's why I am asking if anyone has any experience. Think about it, Raptor doesn't have bells and whistles, no fancy display unit, but it seems the designers focused on a couple of important aspects - like being a decent RD covering all modern ranges/methods, hidden physically, zero MW emission, designed for a motorcycle. This definitely keeps the price down. Blue-tooth is a universal protocol, requiring hardware/software. They opted for simpler, less expensive proprietary solution. As I said, I can buy two of these for well under $300, install one normally in the front, and the other in the rear, and will be able to pick up radar/laser in the rear better than expensive units mounted up front where a rider blocks the rear view.

A couple of things.
First I think laser detectors are basically useless, as by the time a laser signal is on you they have your speed before you could slow down.
So good chance that if it is laser you are busted. So what good is a laser detector? A laser Jammer seems like it would be much better.
However I have no experience with them so I don't know if they work or not.

Second is I was told that radar signals are like radio signals and they go right through humans so if it is on the dash or up front
and not in the grill, it should detect signals from the rear. Then is a second unit for the rear really needed?

Third is if the cop sees your radar detector - Yes there is a high chance that he won't just give you a warning. But it's not like he is going
to add 10-20 mph to your ticket just because you have one. If that happened - well then a Lawyer is going to be getting a call.
So under normal circumstances you should only get a ticket for what you were doing over the limit. It's called paying the price to play a speed freak.
Something we are ALL guilty of, no? I don't know anyone that would buy a Busa to ALWAYS only ride at the speed limit (or less) all the time.

A radar detect is not a bubble of security that surrounds you anywhere you ride. It is a device that may help you avoid some of the pitfalls of
riding a fast bike which can be addictive at times. There are no guarantees in this world, so if you ride fast there is always the chance that you
will get caught speeding even if you have the worlds greatest detector.

There is a time and a place for most everything. At certain times, in certain places you can speed all you want and never get caught.
There are other places at certain times you would get caught almost every time. The trick is to know the difference.

IG. in your initial post didn't you say you had some problems with the police? Care to share? Something happened to make you start this post, right?

 

[fallenarch]

IG if it's water resistant then go for it. Maybe you can connect one of those Bluetooth converters to the headset and send it to whatever gear you are using. Heck for the price i might buy one and run it against the $400 Belltronics and see which one sounds off first!

There must be some police officers on here. I still want to know if they even work at all (radar detectors that is).

 

[IG.]

RedBusaRider, thank you for the very detailed response and for maintaining a very interesting discussion.

Regarding lasers, if a LEO paints other vehicles, the laser beam may get onto you ahead of time, thus giving you a warning. I agree with you on other points. In order to use laser, I think, a LEO has to get out of the car, and point it like a gun. This requires more effort, and sometimes is impractical, especially in cold weather. So, I think most of the time they stick with radar - either continuously, instant ON, or POP.

Radio waves do not go through humans as the human body has a lot of water. Put your cellphone close to the body, slowly turn and see how the number of bars changes. The fact that radars use such high frequencies makes the high frequency radiowaves behave almost like light - it would bounce off of other objects, but would not penetrate.

50% of the time, a cop would give you a break (like write you down for less, and rarely would even let you go) if a) you pulled over right away; b) promptly produced the paperwork before the cop approached you; c) stay quiet; d) honestly and briefly answer LEO's questions; e) end every answer with 'Sir', 'Yes, Sir', or 'No, Sir'. This has been my experience. A while back I got pulled over for 80/55 and was let go by a female cop who said "Thank you for stopping".

I am aware that RD is not a panacea as I mentioned earlier. pick my places very carefully, and truly believe I don't endanger anyone except myself.

As I mentioned, this has been working great for years, but within a short period of time I had this...

Pulled over while in a car for doing 79/55. The cop was following me during evening time (and I should've suspected seeing headlights too close to me for a few minutes). Got written for 69/55.

Four days later got pulled over on a bike for 104/55 - my outdated RD said nothing because I think the freaking headset wire fell off, and I was changing lanes and missed the car by the road - otherwise, I always pay attention. I noticed the cop car as I was passing by, saw the rear lights going white, then red as the driver changes gear from park to drive. Pulled over right away even before the lights went on. A female cop said she hated motorcycles (not in a bad way, but as something that could kill a rider), gave me no break, and wrote me up for 104/55, saying that's the only way you learn.

A few weeks go by, and I am riding like a grandma at 70 or so. Accelerated to pass a car, saw suspiciously looking SUV in my mirrors, and immediately slowed down. The cop who was trailing me 100 or more yards from behind said he clocked me at 80. Gave me some break, and wrote me for 70/55.

I think a better RD overall, and the ability to detect from the rear could prevent some of what happened.

 

[IG.]

IG if it's water resistant then go for it. Maybe you can connect one of those Bluetooth converters to the headset and send it to whatever gear you are using. Heck for the price i might buy one and run it against the $400 Belltronics and see which one sounds off first!

There must be some police officers on here. I still want to know if they even work at all (radar detectors that is).

I plan to call the company and ask some tough questions. In my experience, this gives a very good idea about the company, the product, and you also have a chance to learn something new and interesting.

I don't use any other comm devices, so the absence of blue-tooth is really a non-issue for me. I don't care for music when I ride, and if I am in a mood for music I would simply be humming something to myself. In the car, that's another story.

A couple of things I don't like about it, but maybe can figure it out or learn to live with it...

1. I strongly suspect that communication between the main module and the receiver is pretty primitive and was not meant for two units to work in close proximity. So, the moment I power up my headset unit and it needs to establish comm with the main module (while there are two of those), it will be "confused". Maybe I am wrong.

2. I would have to permanently glue their receiver onto my helmet. I probably would want it to be removed at certain times. For example, during a track day. But maybe it's not a big deal. Having two of those - one on each side - may look funny, but what do I care.

3. The headset battery lasts for 15 hours (per their website), so I'd say no more than 10 hours in real life. This means I would have to charge the headset every couple of rides. Another problem I anticipate that all rechargeable batteries lose charge pretty quickly. So, if I have a fully charged headset, don't ride for 2 weeks, then go on a ride - I may discover that the battery is almost empty. I guess I could live with that.

On a positive side, they have a design provision that the headset starts beeping/LED lights up once in a while if there is no comm to the main module. So, you don't end up riding thinking you are protected while this may not be the case.

What really bothers me that I couldn't find many reviews from real users - just 1 review on Amazon dating back to mid-2012. Maybe it's been discontinued.

 

[GNBRETT]

50% of the time, a cop would give you a break (like write you down for less, and rarely would even let you go) if a) you pulled over right away;

tru on a motorcycle. I honestly can't remember the last time a MC stopped for me wen attempting to pull them over. its quite shocking wen they do. it usually means they have their chit together such as license, reg and ins so yea breaks are often given to bikes that actually stop.

 

[IG.]

tru on a motorcycle. I honestly can't remember the last time a MC stopped for me wen attempting to pull them over. its quite shocking wen they do. it usually means they have their chit together such as license, reg and ins so yea breaks are often given to bikes that actually stop.

I like your attitude. Do you want to move to Long Island, work in Nassau County, and patrol a few selected roads I frequent?

Well, the one that mattered the most (104/55), the lady gave me no break. I couldn't believe it - pulled over before the lights came on, and all. 94/55 would've made a big difference. On the other hand, a while back another lady let me go altogether for 80/55. Now that I typed it, I wonder if that was the same person.

P.S. Hey, are you the one who knows Nic witih S1000RR?

 

[ZRXMAX]

RedBusaRider, thank you for the very detailed response and for maintaining a very interesting discussion.

Regarding lasers, if a LEO paints other vehicles, the laser beam may get onto you ahead of time, thus giving you a warning. I agree with you on other points. In order to use laser, I think, a LEO has to get out of the car, and point it like a gun. This requires more effort, and sometimes is impractical, especially in cold weather. So, I think most of the time they stick with radar - either continuously, instant ON, or POP.

Radio waves do not go through humans as the human body has a lot of water. Put your cellphone close to the body, slowly turn and see how the number of bars changes. The fact that radars use such high frequencies makes the high frequency radiowaves behave almost like light - it would bounce off of other objects, but would not penetrate.

50% of the time, a cop would give you a break (like write you down for less, and rarely would even let you go) if a) you pulled over right away; b) promptly produced the paperwork before the cop approached you; c) stay quiet; d) honestly and briefly answer LEO's questions; e) end every answer with 'Sir', 'Yes, Sir', or 'No, Sir'. This has been my experience. A while back I got pulled over for 80/55 and was let go by a female cop who said "Thank you for stopping".

I am aware that RD is not a panacea as I mentioned earlier. pick my places very carefully, and truly believe I don't endanger anyone except myself.

As I mentioned, this has been working great for years, but within a short period of time I had this...

Pulled over while in a car for doing 79/55. The cop was following me during evening time (and I should've suspected seeing headlights too close to me for a few minutes). Got written for 69/55.

Four days later got pulled over on a bike for 104/55 - my outdated RD said nothing because I think the freaking headset wire fell off, and I was changing lanes and missed the car by the road - otherwise, I always pay attention. I noticed the cop car as I was passing by, saw the rear lights going white, then red as the driver changes gear from park to drive. Pulled over right away even before the lights went on. A female cop said she hated motorcycles (not in a bad way, but as something that could kill a rider), gave me no break, and wrote me up for 104/55, saying that's the only way you learn.

A few weeks go by, and I am riding like a grandma at 70 or so. Accelerated to pass a car, saw suspiciously looking SUV in my mirrors, and immediately slowed down. The cop who was trailing me 100 or more yards from behind said he clocked me at 80. Gave me some break, and wrote me for 70/55.

I think a better RD overall, and the ability to detect from the rear could prevent some of what happened.

WTF ! Your frequency for trouble with the law has exceeded my worst period back in the 70s when I got 4 tickets in 6 weeks !

I recommend some kind of legal help if something legitmate can be found.

About lasers... My V1 will pick them up occassionally before its to late. The only reason I can determine is because it was inadvertantly pointed my way ahead of time.

I agree... you have to pick your places and keep a vigilant eye about you. A while back while driving at night I noticed nobody was catching up to me while driving the speed limit. I thought to myself... their must ba cop back there leading the pack. Sure enough a few miles later a CHP passed me as he was driving a few mph over the posted limit.

Even though a LEO will grab your paperwork and head back to his car with no further conversation you can still ask for a break as he walks away. It worked once for me. When he came back he commented that my record was clean... and decided to sustain my lucky streak with a break. It was funny because the other officer stood by my right rear while the other officer ran my license. At one point he asked me if the power cord he could see was for a radar detector. ( detector was on the floor under some clothes I just threw on it ) I admitted it was for a detector and fortunately he didn't inform he fellow officer when he brought back my paperwork. Once they left I tried to start my car but the starter was heat soaked and would not start my car. I sat there for about 10 minutes and the officers came by going the other direction. They stopped and asked if I needed any help. I told them the situation and they drove off. I was sure they had compared notes about the power cord but they didn't mention it. The car started a few minutes later.

 

[fallenarch]

tru on a motorcycle. I honestly can't remember the last time a MC stopped for me wen attempting to pull them over. its quite shocking wen they do. it usually means they have their chit together such as license, reg and ins so yea breaks are often given to bikes that actually stop.

Really???!!!! Wow that's why I have had so much luck with cops. 3 stops no tickets.

 

[fallenarch]

IG: does the RD have a wired option? This would solve your problem because you could connect the wired warning unit to a Bluetooth sender and then the signals would be discrete.

Personally (yes I am knocking on wood) I look at the terrain, traffic, blind spots, etc. when I ride and that seems to be at least as effective as an RD. I currently have no tickets on the Busa - ever. I carefully pick my locations for getting dirty and I usually ride then to check for cops before I come back like a bat out of hell. There are 2 cops that occasionally run my route and I check for them first. On the open road I almost always do reasonable speeds where I am willing to eat the ticket. Most of all I never bring attention to myself in traffic. Finally, I cannot tell you how good a cruise control is at saving you tickets. On those long interstate runs between good roads it is so easy to find yourself doing 90 and not even realizing it.

 

[TallTom]

Personally (yes I am knocking on wood) I look at the terrain, traffic, blind spots, etc. when I ride and that seems to be at least as effective as an RD. I currently have no tickets on the Busa - ever. I carefully pick my locations for getting dirty and I usually ride then to check for cops before I come back like a bat out of hell. There are 2 cops that occasionally run my route and I check for them first. On the open road I almost always do reasonable speeds where I am willing to eat the ticket. Most of all I never bring attention to myself in traffic. Finally, I cannot tell you how good a cruise control is at saving you tickets. On those long interstate runs between good roads it is so easy to find yourself doing 90 and not even realizing it.

+1000

 

[RedBusarider]

tru on a motorcycle. I honestly can't remember the last time a MC stopped for me wen attempting to pull them over. its quite shocking wen they do. it usually means they have their chit together such as license, reg and ins so yea breaks are often given to bikes that actually stop.

So what percentage of bikes that run do you catch? I personally would think it's pretty high.
That is unless you have a no chase policy. But it's pretty hard to out run a radio.

That and we all know the rider makes a big difference. Being freaked out and thinking you need to ride like
a bat out of hell to escape the law - unless you were a great rider - the chances of you crashing and then the
cops coming up on you and arresting you for fleeing and what ever else (like endangering the public etc) they
want to add is pretty high, no?

So running from the law is almost always going to be a bad idea.
Don't most police vehicles have cameras? if you get a license plate number - do you need to even chase them?
Just go to their address and arrest them, right?

 

[IG.]

ZRXMAX, 4 tickets in 6 weeks is nothing. You haven't met people getting multiple tickets on a single ride. The only good thing about those, when the officer asks if you record is clean, you say, sure officer - not a single ticket. Cause they are not in the system yet.

The first two tickets I mentioned already taken care of with an attorney. The small one reduces to a non-moving, but the big one got reduced only to 75/55 - so there goes 4 points. I hope the last one 70/55 could be reduced to a non-moving. Still waiting for the conference.

ZRXMAX, what a story! Let me recall something short and sweet along these lines... I was hauling somewhere out in the country, and my Bell Cordless (on batteries) RD auto powered down after 60 min of silence. So, I pull over in order to power it up. Not even 10 sec go by and a state trooper pulls up behind, lights and all. I am thinking, how the heck didn't I notice any cars on the side of the road? I think I even started pulling out my paperwork.

"It's not a safe place to stop. Are you OK?"

"Yes, Sir! Thank you very much for stopping by. Just got a cramp in my leg, and needed to stop. Thank you so much for keeping me safe!"

At that point, I got off the bike and shook the officer's hand. He left a minute later.

A good reminder to always keep it in perspective... As much as I hate being pulled over and given a BS ticket on an absolutely empty road with unjustifiably low speed limit, it's that much more I appreciate that the same LEO will not think twice risking his life for me, or helping me. There goes the origins of my split personality on the subject, LOL.

fallenarch, I do follow pretty much the same policy and it's been working just fine, and saved me and those riding with me on occasion a number of times. But this has been one unlucky streak.

Anyway, back to RD. Just spoke with Rocky Mountain Radar, www.rockymountainradar.com (915) 587-0307, and here is the transcript. A human answered the phone, and patiently answered my questions, mostly to my satisfaction.

Can I install two units on my motorcycle? Yes.

Will each headset work correctly with its own unit? Yes.

Is the headset permanently glued to the helmet? Installed with velcro, can be removed easily.
Does it create noise/drag at speed, like at 150? Not much.

How long the rechargeable headset battery lasts? Theoretically 15 hours, depending on usage 8-10 hours.

How much charge would it lose if I don't use it for 2 weeks? It may lose some, but not a lot.

How does the earpiece look like? A flat pad with wire going to the headset unit.

Is it small enough to fit inside the helmet and right up against my ear? Yes.

How is it connected to the headset and how the wire is routed? A wire going to the headset unit around the helmet, not loose.

Is the wire flipping in the wind? No.

Is it true about zero radio emission? Yes, latest technology, completely sealed. Does not emit anything. Therefore, is completely stealthy for RDD.

How sensitive to radar/laser, and how far in advance will it warn me? Radar – 3 miles under ideal conditions.

Can I buy laser scrambler later? Yes, a separate unit which will work independently - not integrally with this unit.

Should I install on the front or rear? --- forgot to ask.

will you honor 3 year warranty if I buy on Amazon, Ebay, or Walmart? Other RD have 3 year warranty, but Raptor has only 1 year warranty. Will honor Amazon, Ebay, and Walmart.

What is DDITM technology? Hi density circuitry – also contributes to zero radio emissions.

How can you claim 360 deg detection? The best way to visualize is to imagine a radar as a huge fire hose spitting water in a certain direction. Drops of water get everywhere. I said, well, if I am sitting on a motorcycle and the RD is mounted under the nose and some hoses me off from behind, it is likely that RD will stay dry, right? Oh, Mmm, well... I say: so the second unit in the rear would definitely help. Well, yes.

Is laser also 360 deg? No.

How long have you been making Raptor? For a couple of years.

Why there are no customer reviews on your or other websites? Well, it's a relatively new RD, and no one else makes motorcycle specific detector from the ground up. The few others claiming to be a motorcycle specific RD are really car designs converted for motorcycle use. Me: I understand there are no comparisons, but how come Amazon has just one review, Google search produced only one (although detailed and overall positive review), and Walmart has no reviews? Oh, Mmm, Well....

Thank you for your detailed responses!

 

[GNBRETT]

I like your attitude. Do you want to move to Long Island, work in Nassau County, and patrol a few selected roads I frequent?

Well, the one that mattered the most (104/55), the lady gave me no break. I couldn't believe it - pulled over before the lights came on, and all. 94/55 would've made a big difference. On the other hand, a while back another lady let me go altogether for 80/55. Now that I typed it, I wonder if that was the same person.

P.S. Hey, are you the one who knows Nic witih S1000RR?

lol yea to be honest its rare I even try to stop a bike these days. usually my first thought is how can I block him in at the next light cause honestly none ever stop. maybe its cause I work in the ghetto but nonetheless its a pleasant surprise to see one stop. and yes I'm friends with Nick with the 1000rr

 

[GNBRETT]

well, where I work we don't have a no chase policy. in fact, its pretty understood that if u come to where I work and run u will be chased. what percentage? probably 10% if that!.

in the city its much easier to get away. funny thing is the riders with little skill always tend to take their helmet off and discard it lol. I never understood why they did that. I think cause they feel that they can't see as well but I've seen countless helmets bounce on the pavement after chasn them for some time.

we have no cameras in any car in any division. we crash cars so often that they didn't feel it was worth it cause then u gotta take everything out and put in a spare car. crashes usually total out police cars.

we have about 150 police cars. one for each shift. no one shares a car any longer. the guy operating it only shares with the guy opposite of him the following week wen he is off. not even traffic has cameras. 99% of those running either have BS plates or stolen plates so even if a camera did pick it up it wudnt matter anyway.

So what percentage of bikes that run do you catch? I personally would think it's pretty high.
That is unless you have a no chase policy. But it's pretty hard to out run a radio.

That and we all know the rider makes a big difference. Being freaked out and thinking you need to ride like
a bat out of hell to escape the law - unless you were a great rider - the chances of you crashing and then the
cops coming up on you and arresting you for fleeing and what ever else (like endangering the public etc) they
want to add is pretty high, no?

So running from the law is almost always going to be a bad idea.
Don't most police vehicles have cameras? if you get a license plate number - do you need to even chase them?
Just go to their address and arrest them, right?

 

[IG.]

lol yea to be honest its rare I even try to stop a bike these days. usually my first thought is how can I block him in at the next light cause honestly none ever stop. maybe its cause I work in the ghetto but nonetheless its a pleasant surprise to see one stop. and yes I'm friends with Nick with the 1000rr

Cool, maybe one day when I hit Taconic Raceway with Nic, and will visit CT. Nice to meet ya in cyberspace!

 

[GNBRETT]

Cool, maybe one day when I hit Taconic Raceway with Nic, and will visit CT. Nice to meet ya in cyberspace!

yea I've been meaning to meet up with him. always wanted to go rinding in LI. we were supposed to go this year but I had some problems with my bike and it was down the second half of the season. definitely in the spring. ill jus take the ferry over

 

[IG.]

I think it would be better if we come to you. There is nothing on LI... well, maybe closer to Nic - North Shore. I think he found some pretty good roads. Not by me though (South Shore). Love Upstate NY, Taconic, Rt. 301, and around.


Back to RD's... Walmart allows other sellers on their website, so this offer for $131 is hard to beat, not to mention another $25 off if you open Walmart Credit Card account, and another $10 off (if I buy another unit separately) for the second unit. So, $261 - $35 = $227 - for both front and rear fully equipped RD's... assuming they work satisfactory.

Rocky Mountain Radar MOTORAPTOR Cordless Motorcycle Radar Laser Detector - Walmart.com

And their promot till Dec 31st:

Special Offers - Walmart.com