How far should my radar detector pick up ?

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 10-12-2006, 07:54 PM

I bought the Bel-victor 995 a few days ago. How far should it pick up radar on straights, curves, hills etc.......So far I am really disappointed

**jimmi7769** · 10-13-2006, 04:49 AM

Instant on radar guns kinda reduces the range considerably.

Do a search on google for radar detector usage. There are quite a few good articles out there on the topic.

In short, if the cop is sitting there whith his radar on you'll pick it up for a long long way. Of course this really never happens anymore other than trying to slow down traffic and those little radar wagons they leave around to show you your speeds.
Good luck, I found that driving with a radar detector was to stressful and just stopped using it.

**whitelightnin99** · 10-13-2006, 05:18 AM

i had a Bel for years, dont remember what model but its range was damn good. on the interstate its picked up miles before i saw the cop

**whitelightnin99** · 10-13-2006, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by jimmi7769

Good luck, I found that driving with a radar detector was to stressful and just stopped using it.

i agree. i ended up selling mine since i drive slower without one and felt the need to drive faster with a detector

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 10-13-2006, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by whitelightnin99

i agree. i ended up selling mine since i drive slower without one and felt the need to drive faster with a detector

the other day a cop passed me and i follwed him and when he would be just out of sight around some slight curves i would lose him. he has not even 1/2 a mile away.

**grandkodiak** · 10-13-2006, 12:09 PM

Radar guns are exactly like invisible search lights... the main beam is directed and opens up slightly with distance, but it still puts out light in all directions. Turn on a spot light and everything in front of it, even far from the center of the beam still light up. Only instead of visible light, it uses radio waves, which are absolutly no different then light by any means other then frequency. You cant hear a dog whistle any more then you can see a radio wave, but a dog whislte still makes sound waves, catch me?

so imagine you are in a football field oposite a spot light. if its shining directly at you, it can see you, and its really damn bright. this would be being targeted by radar. say the search light moves to the right 15 feet. It can no longer see you, but you can certainly still see the spot light. The people using it are hard to see, but you can make them out. turn the light all the way around, and you can no longer see the light directly, but you can see that it has lite up all the things behind the field a good amount. say a hill pops up at the 50 yard line, you can no longer see the light at all, but you can still see what its lighting up in teh background. but as hill grows in size, you can no longer see the light nor anything its lighting up, not even whats catching the reflection.

take that explination and substitute the search light for a radar unit, and you as the detector. if the radar is pointing direclty at you, you could pick up the signal for miles off. if its not, you can still see the radiowaves, but depending on how far away it is you might not be able to see it at all. if its closer though, even if its not pointing directly at you, you can still see it pretty clear, and if its not pointing at you, you probably can still see what its lighting up.

driving on a highway, youll pick up a detector pointed at you directly almost a mile or so off, but no cop would ever target a vehical that far away... the accuracy fall off is great, and the grey area of doubt would almost certainly mean in court theyd drop the ticket. as you get closer though, he might not be aiming at your car, but the radar is still facing your vehical, essencially the unit can see the radar, and it alarms you. if its on the oposite side of the highway facing away from you, the unit can see the radar lighting up the entire area.

its all geography and angles. this is why a $400 unit is only a fraction of a percentage better then a $50 unit.... all you are paying for is the signal amplifier circuits in the units. the detection rate really relies entirely on the radar unit itself and where its facing.

think headlights at night... you cant see see a car facing the opposite direction a mile off, but you certainly can 200 yards off. if its facing you, you could see it on the horizon!

back to the distance tracking by a police officer.... if they wait to turn on thier radar at the last second, they dont shine the light on you until you are close enough for them to get a reading in less then a quarter of a second, the same amount of time it takes for your detector to aleart you and start slowing down.

**GOT1GOAT** · 10-13-2006, 12:20 PM

I stopped using mine as well because it did'nt help me with the instant on gun.
In theory, radar detectors capture the radar signal @3/4 to 1 mile and the radar signal is supposedly accurate from 1/2 mile. They could be different now but all I see any more are the hand helds being used vastly.

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 10-13-2006, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by grandkodiak

Radar guns are exactly like invisible search lights... the main beam is directed and opens up slightly with distance, but it still puts out light in all directions. Turn on a spot light and everything in front of it, even far from the center of the beam still light up. Only instead of visible light, it uses radio waves, which are absolutly no different then light by any means other then frequency. You cant hear a dog whistle any more then you can see a radio wave, but a dog whislte still makes sound waves, catch me?

so imagine you are in a football field oposite a spot light. if its shining directly at you, it can see you, and its really damn bright. this would be being targeted by radar. say the search light moves to the right 15 feet. It can no longer see you, but you can certainly still see the spot light. The people using it are hard to see, but you can make them out. turn the light all the way around, and you can no longer see the light directly, but you can see that it has lite up all the things behind the field a good amount. say a hill pops up at the 50 yard line, you can no longer see the light at all, but you can still see what its lighting up in teh background. but as hill grows in size, you can no longer see the light nor anything its lighting up, not even whats catching the reflection.

take that explination and substitute the search light for a radar unit, and you as the detector. if the radar is pointing direclty at you, you could pick up the signal for miles off. if its not, you can still see the radiowaves, but depending on how far away it is you might not be able to see it at all. if its closer though, even if its not pointing directly at you, you can still see it pretty clear, and if its not pointing at you, you probably can still see what its lighting up.

driving on a highway, youll pick up a detector pointed at you directly almost a mile or so off, but no cop would ever target a vehical that far away... the accuracy fall off is great, and the grey area of doubt would almost certainly mean in court theyd drop the ticket. as you get closer though, he might not be aiming at your car, but the radar is still facing your vehical, essencially the unit can see the radar, and it alarms you. if its on the oposite side of the highway facing away from you, the unit can see the radar lighting up the entire area.

its all geography and angles. this is why a $400 unit is only a fraction of a percentage better then a $50 unit.... all you are paying for is the signal amplifier circuits in the units. the detection rate really relies entirely on the radar unit itself and where its facing.

think headlights at night... you cant see see a car facing the opposite direction a mile off, but you certainly can 200 yards off. if its facing you, you could see it on the horizon!

back to the distance tracking by a police officer.... if they wait to turn on thier radar at the last second, they dont shine the light on you until you are close enough for them to get a reading in less then a quarter of a second, the same amount of time it takes for your detector to aleart you and start slowing down.

thanks for the detailed reply was helpful but .....if they instant on someone should not my detector pick it up ?

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 10-13-2006, 10:26 PM

They don't do it to everyone. Just a select few with the nice flashy cars. Usually it ends up being you and then it's to late.

**grandkodiak** · 10-15-2006, 02:58 PM

it can, but it dont do you any good, they will already have your speed long before you could slow down... and sometiems the detector might even filter it out thinking that it was a faulty or weak signal not worth reporting.