They Got Me

[SLB8SNK]

Well, here is my .02 - I used to use these devices as a kid in my first GT, back in the 80's. Worked great back then, but as technology got better for the cops, the devices did not keep up. I stopped using them. My take is, NOTHING out there will be fool proof in detection or keep you ticket free. They warn, and that warning can be great, or horrible. Bottom line, none are "reliable" and all will give you a false sense of security. Save your money, watch your speed, keep your eyes on the road, and be careful. Chances are, your eyeballs will do just as good a job!

[2112]

Hmmm. First, Blinder does not make a "K" anything, unless it's Euro or something. The US versions are either M20, M25, M40, or M45. The "2" and "4" is how many detectors, the "5" is a new software rev.

 

There is no volume control at all, not high, not low, just loud. However, there IS a power light, on the switch, so you do know it is on.

 

Laser Blinder is the reputable version, the one that works. Reference Speed Labs, Radar Roy, and Laser Veil, as well as other sites.

 

Here are pictures. Unless you want them sticking out in front of God and everybody, you have to cut the grill. I just bought one (~$200) and hacked that up. I made my own mounts from 1/2" bar stock, drill, file, hacksaw, hammer and vise.

 

I also use Laser Veil, and both of these in addition to the Bel RX40 Radar. All parts cost about $900 (edit: plus the cost of the grill!). I did my own labor, I'd probably charge several hundred if I had a shop. You could do it cheaper, I'm sure

 

It works, anybody who tells you different simply doesn't know how to use them. These are WARNING devices, and give you time. They do not work if you are stupid, nor if the police officer is chasing you, or times you, or if they use VASCAR, or if you are clocked by air, or if you are driving recklessly.

 

Thanks for the pictures, just to clarify, is your a K40 or Laser blinder?

[COBRA CRUIZER]

99% of all traffic citations never go to court. People just pay. I just went to traffic court yesterday, 4 out of 10 offficers didn't show up for trial. 2 of them were CHP. All those cases were dismissed. :happy feet:

[mciarochi]

The pictures are the Laser Blinder M25. They are laser jammers, not alerts (although they do that, too). The M45 is exactly the same, except there are 4 jammer units, instead of two (three front, one rear, or four front).

 

Jamming units did not exist in the 80's, SLB8SNK, so you were using something different.

 

The way the whole mess works, is this:

 

The LIDAR unit (cop) is going to aim at a reflective surface - typically front plate, or headlights. I have Laser Veil on those surfaces, which absorbs most of the IR laser light from the LIDAR unit. This means it takes longer to get a fix. Meantime, the Bel RX 65 may (or may not) give me a warning. It is a detector, and since it is so far away from the grill, it works better farther away - close up, it's pretty useless. However, the M25 units are placed as close as possible to the targets (headlight and plate). Chances are nearly 100% they will get hit, and activate.

 

The description I read somewhere is the cop is shining a flashlight at you, and you are shining a floodlight back at them. Their signal gets drowned out. Remember, the Laser Veil is reducing the LIDAR signal through absorption at the same time the M25 is flooding signal back.

 

Some LIDAR units will punch through even all this, but you have several seconds until they do. Believe me, the Bel almost always goes off when the Blinder does, and it's pretty hard to miss all the racket.

 

All that being said, I don't always speed (well, not by much, anyway). Most of the time I won't get a ticket with or without this stuff. Twice now I've been hit with laser while @ the limit, and as I passed the prowler he's staring down at his laser gun looking puzzled. One of those times he lasered me from behind and set the whole mess off again (he got a reading of me doing exactly the speed limit).

 

There are enough questionable times that I believe this gear has paid for itself a couple of times over, if you count insurance. Either way, it makes driving this car a much more relaxed experience.

[Superchief]

Update on my K-40

I now have the updated model with volume control, gps, and it's all hard wired. Much better.

[Chair_Force_One]

As a former deputy sheriff, I can tell you radar detectors are pretty ineffective unless as stated above, your detector catches erroneous waves ahead from tracking other cars. The reason they are ineffective, is because most law enforcement keep their radar in "standby mode" until they see you, once they take it out of standby mode, they got you. Some variables to consider, if you are driving near a large truck such as a semi, the radar will always hit off the semi since its larger. Your only hope besides pleading guilty is request the calibration records from the radar that tagged you. each municipality will have policies dictating how often the units must be calibrated.

[Chair_Force_One]

btw, when I am cruising, I use the WAZE gps app, it allows others a head of you to alert you when cops are hidden along the side of the road. Its saved me a few times...

[hunters1]

STLN08 your staements about radar and lazers working over hills and around corners is totally false. These are line of sight instruments period. Any refraction off objects below or behind another object are not detectable nor measuarable with a hand held device. I hate to step on anyone but, few folks know the difference and you sir are perpetuating false information.

[ViperNC]

Your only hope besides pleading guilty is request the calibration records from the radar that tagged you. each municipality will have policies dictating how often the units must be calibrated.

You are 100% correct. I have used this tactic and gotten off every time. It is a pain to have to go to court, but you are asking the court to provide a document which in most cases is not even at the courthouse. So in every case, they took a short recess only to come back and inform the judge they were unable to produce the document and the judge dismissed the case. You can see the look on the officer's face when you ask for the document... they know you're getting off. Just be respectful and don't show your "smug face" until you have physically exited the court house. If for some reason they can produce the document, then you'll change your tactic and state your speedo is not reading correctly and make a plea for improper equipment. Pay the fine and no points on your license. The municipality gets their money and you don't have an insurance increase. Only works if you are less than 15 - 20 mph over... and if you have repeated offenses they see on your record and a long history of improper equipment pleas, you'll get the axe.

[Chair_Force_One]

Since I didnt run traffic persay, anyone I pulled over usually got a warning if they werent a douche. If they were a douche, they got a citation for speeding. Sometimes I would write "careless operation" which in SC doesnt carry any points, just a fine. If you get pulled by a traffic cop, they get paid to run traffic, so chances are you are getting a ticket. Also concerning going to court... most law enforcement have a specific day they go to court, so chances are, if your scheduled, he will be there along with everyone else he wrote a ticket to. Most cops work with a certain judge over and over again, and they usually create a bond where they trust one another and their judgement. Chances are if you say "Judge, the officer is lying", etc, your hosed lol.