Radar/Laser Detector Ban in FL??

[Vettephysician]

Originally Posted by 85vette

I don't know of any agencies that have a "detector-detector", but in all honesty, it's usually quite easy for LEO's that are experienced with radar to know when a vehicle has a detector in use. We have a visual screen that monitors your numeric speed as well as a doppler tone that signifys speed by audio pitch. A well tuned radar unit, under optimum conditions, has an effective range of up to a mile, though most units I have used are closer to 1/2-3/4. Obviously it would be difficult to visually identify a traffic unit at that distance, especially at night, or if the unit is unmarked or hidden from view. When the LEO monitors your speed (remember, we don't all leave the unit on, I leave mine on standby until I see the vehicle approaching) it will give the speed you are traveling at before you can physically react to slow down. (the radar beam travels at the speed of light) When you hit the brakes, the doppler tone drops significantly, and the numeric display drops in the same manner, but the unit already has your speed locked on the display. The newer units even "talk" to you, identifying where your vehicle is in relationship to the traffic unit and which direction you're traveling! By being cognizant of your vehicle slowing down to the speed limit quickly, before you have the opportunity to identify the traffic unit (we pretty well know when we're hidden from view), we can tell who has the radar detectors.

I stopped a guy in a Porshe on highway 98 a few years ago in the manner mentioned above. When I asked him if he had a radar detector he told me, "No". I was pretty sure he was lying to me. I had a trainee with me. I told him to wait until I got back up to the driver and to hit the radar on button. An electronic chime started eminating from his console area. I asked him what that was? He said it was his phone. I said, "Aren't you going to answer it?" He said "No, it's just my wife". I said "It's a shame she didn't call you BEFORE you came around that curve" and gave him the citation. He just grimaced. I guess he didn't think to turn it off.

Interesting observations there, 85 "vette. However, if there are other vehicles ahead of the "target" and you hit one of them, and providing the "target" vehicle has a "high-end" (and stealthy) detector, the "target" vehicle will receive a warning well before you will be able to get a lock on him, and he will slow down accordingly. If the "target" vehicle is the lead vehicle, then your argument holds up. He's "locked on" before he can physically react to the radar source. Luckily, there are usually plenty of other vehicles around to provide an advance warning. Interestingly, the troopers around here are now setting up in neighborhoods shooting laser, which of course has to be shot from a stationary vehicle, with a range of about 100 feet. Laser is much harder to "beat" than radar, I might add. I personally don't think detectors should be banned, as we pay enough in taxes as it is and gas prices, along with everything else. The use of the detector just evens the "playing field" a bit, IMHO.

[Vettephysician]

Hello Xtreme....I believe I've heard of your place, and did check out your website. I know you all do tunes and such, and power boosts, etc. Do you do any routine corvette manintenance? Brakes, engine, AC, etc.? I'd rather go that route than take mine to a "stealership." Thanks for the welcome from you and others on here. Nice forum. To quote the Terminator: "I'll be back!"

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by Vettephysician

Hello Xtreme....I believe I've heard of your place, and did check out your website. I know you all do tunes and such, and power boosts, etc. Do you do any routine corvette manintenance? Brakes, engine, AC, etc.? I'd rather go that route than take mine to a "stealership." Thanks for the welcome from you and others on here. Nice forum. To quote the Terminator: "I'll be back!"

Not really wanting to speak for Chris, but I don't think he saw this post. He told me he can and will do just about anything on a vette that needs to be done. He's changed my oil for me and put some little bling doodads underneath my hood. Last time I was out there I asked him about replacing my front turn signal assemblies and he indicated it would be no problem to do so.

You may want to PM him direct, though...

[xtrememotorsports]

Originally Posted by Vettephysician

Hello Xtreme....I believe I've heard of your place, and did check out your website. I know you all do tunes and such, and power boosts, etc. Do you do any routine corvette manintenance? Brakes, engine, AC, etc.? I'd rather go that route than take mine to a "stealership." Thanks for the welcome from you and others on here. Nice forum. To quote the Terminator: "I'll be back!"

Yep , Rich is right ! I will and can do anything on a vette you need done.
My range is broad I can change your oil all the way up to building a corvette from the ground up ( which I have done , the C5R on my website took me about 2 years to complete).
You let me know if you need anything and if you can't or dont have the time to drive out there I can meet you and take your car there and bring it back.
I have a couple customers in Tallahassee I do that for , saves them a trip and from taking off of work. But you of course are welcome to come out anytime!!

Thanks again Rich!!

[Vettephysician]

Originally Posted by xtrememotorsports

Yep , Rich is right ! I will and can do anything on a vette you need done.
My range is broad I can change your oil all the way up to building a corvette from the ground up ( which I have done , the C5R on my website took me about 2 years to complete).
You let me know if you need anything and if you can't or dont have the time to drive out there I can meet you and take your car there and bring it back.
I have a couple customers in Tallahassee I do that for , saves them a trip and from taking off of work. But you of course are welcome to come out anytime!!

Thanks again Rich!!

Thanks. That's good to know. Haven't had any issues with her yet, she just turned 35K on the odometer, but she's been very reliable (knock wood!). I"ll let you know if anything comes up. Thanks again, and thanks for the welcoming comments.

[85vette]

Originally Posted by Vettephysician

Interesting observations there, 85 "vette. However, if there are other vehicles ahead of the "target" and you hit one of them, and providing the "target" vehicle has a "high-end" (and stealthy) detector, the "target" vehicle will receive a warning well before you will be able to get a lock on him, and he will slow down accordingly. If the "target" vehicle is the lead vehicle, then your argument holds up. He's "locked on" before he can physically react to the radar source. Luckily, there are usually plenty of other vehicles around to provide an advance warning. Interestingly, the troopers around here are now setting up in neighborhoods shooting laser, which of course has to be shot from a stationary vehicle, with a range of about 100 feet. Laser is much harder to "beat" than radar, I might add. I personally don't think detectors should be banned, as we pay enough in taxes as it is and gas prices, along with everything else. The use of the detector just evens the "playing field" a bit, IMHO.

I agree, there is no need to outlaw detectors. As Shadow stated, the ones we don't get slow down, so in essence they help us accomplish our job. Be aware that your range information for the laser is incorrect. 4000 (four thousand) feet is the max.

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by 85vette

I agree, there is no need to outlaw detectors. As Shadow stated, the ones we don't get slow down, so in essence they help us accomplish our job. Be aware that your range information for the laser is incorrect. 4000 (four thousand) feet is the max.

Just out of curiosity, what is the diameter of the laser beam at 4,000 ft?

[Shadow]

Try this of some answers to your RADAR and LIDAR questions:

LIDAR:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question396.htm

A laser speed gun measures the round-trip time for light to reach a car and reflect back. Light from a laser speed gun moves a lot faster than sound -- about 984,000,000 feet per second (300,000,000 meters), or roughly 1 foot (30 cm) per nanosecond. A laser speed gun shoots a very short burst of infrared laser light and then waits for it to reflect off the vehicle. The gun counts the number of nanoseconds it takes for the round trip, and by dividing by 2 it can calculate the distance to the car. If the gun takes 1,000 samples per second, it can compare the change in distance between samples and calculate the speed of the car. By taking several hundred samples over the course of a third of a second or so, the accuracy can be very high.
The advantage of a laser speed gun (for the police anyway) is that the size of the "cone" of light that the gun emits is very small, even at a range like 1,000 feet (300 meters). The cone at this distance might be 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter. This allows the gun to target a specific vehicle. A laser speed gun is also very accurate. The disadvantage is that the officer has to aim a laser speed gun -- normal police radar with a broad radar beam can detect doppler shift without aiming.

RADAR:
http://www.copradar.com/index.html

Rules governing use:

https://www.flrules.org/gateway/Chap...?Chapter=15B-2

[Vettephysician]

Originally Posted by 85vette

I agree, there is no need to outlaw detectors. As Shadow stated, the ones we don't get slow down, so in essence they help us accomplish our job. Be aware that your range information for the laser is incorrect. 4000 (four thousand) feet is the max.

Thanks 85vette, didn't realize laser had that kind of range. I try to be careful out there, but do admit to speeding "now and then." I think anyone who drives a vette is guilty of this at times, but I also realize public safety is paramount. I assume you are an LEO, and you sound like an expert on the subject. Thanks for weighing in and setting us laymen straight. FYI: my last moving violation was in 1985, when I tried to make it through a traffic light on the yellow. I thought I'd made it, but unfortunately for me, the LEO disagreed, LOL! Everybody here have a great Memorial Day, and as Ahhhnold would say: "I'll be back!"

[Z06 Rocket]

Originally Posted by 85vette

I agree, there is no need to outlaw detectors. As Shadow stated, the ones we don't get slow down, so in essence they help us accomplish our job. Be aware that your range information for the laser is incorrect. 4000 (four thousand) feet is the max.

I was going to say the same thing, but the usual max effective range I've seen myself is 900 to 1,000 ft, at least here,,,,, I normally clock them in the 100 to 800 ft ranges....