Police LiDAR a/k/a Laser Demo

[Lawfficer]

Here is a quick video I made at work last night. This is a Kustom Electronics unit that is old as dirt. It was purchased new in probably the mid to early 90's and still works great. The thing must weight 10lbs and is bulky so this is by no means the newest stuff on the market. With that being said, this one should display speed slower than the newer units.

Please ignore the fact that it focus in and out, and I don't seem very stable with it. It's a real PITA to aim the laser in low light, using only the view screen from the camera I have pointed where my eye should have been.

The reason I post this video is that a lot of people ask if Radar/Laser detectors work etc. And which $400 one they should buy. Most don't like it when we tell them not to, and here is why. THE ONLY TIME THIS UNIT IS EMITTING A DETECTABLE SIGNAL IS WHEN YOU HEAR THE BEEPING. The rest of the time, it's in "sleep mode".

By the time you can react, it's all over.

Click Here for the Video​

 

[jk03cobra]

Link doesn't work.


edit: Cool you fixed it, thanks.

 

[VirtualSVT]

worked for me.

That's why this (http://www.radarbusters.com/products/blinder/default.asp) is going on my car next month.

 

[jk03cobra]

worked for me.

That's why this (http://www.radarbusters.com/products/blinder/default.asp) is going on my car next month.

That looks very interesting from the video demo on the website. Just curious though, would any of you LEO's stop someone if you noticed you couldn't get a reading from your laser gun off their car. If so, could you prove they have a jammer, and are they illegal? Just wondering if you could end up getting yourself into a whole lot of trouble.

 

[VirtualSVT]

That looks very interesting from the video demo on the website. Just curious though, would any of you LEO's stop someone if you noticed you couldn't get a reading from your laser gun off their car. If so, could you prove they have a jammer, and are they illegal? Just wondering if you could end up getting yourself into a whole lot of trouble.

They are not illegal. Lasers are controlled by the FDA not the FCC like Radar. I'm sure oneday they will be illegal.

However I've been told that a cop could give you a ticket for interfering with police equipment or something.

 

[FordSVTFan]

They are not illegal. Lasers are controlled by the FDA not the FCC like Radar. I'm sure oneday they will be illegal.

However I've been told that a cop could give you a ticket for interfering with police equipment or something.

That is correct.

 

[DEFYANT]

If you need a jammer, then you really have a problem speeding. Besides, I'll go on a limb here and say 80% of speed enforcement is done with radar, so save your money.

Good job on the explanation video.

 

[Steeda30]

Pretty cool, thanks for sharing.

I still think that in most cases, it can only help to have a radar detector.
Without a radar detector one would not know if there was an officer sitting somewhere out of sight, radaring/lasering vehicles ahead of the detector equipped car (very slim chance of laser being refracted enough to be picked up by a detector though, unless you're the one they're shooting). Since radar scatters in all directions, with a radar detector such as the V1, it is able to see the radar refractions off of the terrain/objects infront of the car, and over hills, long before the detector equipped car is in line of sight with the officer.

For example, a car is doing double the limit, and officer is hiding, shooting cars ahead of the speeding car with instant on radar, the radar may be refracted off of the car/objects 1/4 mile or more ahead of the detector equipped car and spike his detector, giving him some warning and time to slow down before he's line of sight with the officer.

A radar detector won't really help though when traveling alone on a highway and speeding over hills, turns, around bridges/overpasses, unless the officer is sitting/driving with his radar turned on, the majority use instant on radar don't they? Which is as effective as laser except for the fact that it takes slightly longer to lock the target car. I have heard that if you are HARD on the brakes the instant the detector goes off, the rapid reduction in speed will cause the radar gun to take a bit longer to lock the speed of the car.

I know LEO's don't like to see radar detectors but I have to say that it can only better ones chances of not getting clocked traveling over the limit; avoiding a ticket is often times impossible though if you get stopped and the officer sees the detector, heh.

 

[shfd739]

Neat video.Your sig is kind of funny.Ive been a firefighter for 5 years.

 

[FordSVTFan]

I know LEO's don't like to see radar detectors but I have to say that it can only better ones chances of not getting clocked traveling over the limit; avoiding a ticket is often times impossible though if you get stopped and the officer sees the detector, heh.

I dont think there is one of us that cares if a person has a radar detector(except for VA.). It just lets us know the driver has already gotten a few breaks!

 

[Steeda30]

Exactly,

and now I'm one post away from 1,000. :banana:

BTW, what's the effective range on some of the newer radar guns? It varies a good bit depending on atmospheric conditions too doesn't it? Will it take the gun longer to lock the speed if the car is farther away?

Next time I get hit with radar I'll just break hard left or right and beam it, that should break the lock, just like they do in BVR air to air combat :lol: [redneck voice]well hell yea I ran off the road but they sure as hell didn't get my speed, I notched that radar like a champ, yeehaw![/redneck]

 

[Trooper4985]

worked for me.

That's why this (http://www.radarbusters.com/products/blinder/default.asp) is going on my car next month.

Waste all the money you want... When we run laser details, the laser operator's car is hidden and so are the pursuit cars... Can't get a reading with the laser... a quick zap of the radar and your toast just as quick. Our cars are equipped with a Stalker Dual. We're generally only concerned with the vehicle that's moving the fastest, which pops up even faster than a LIDAR averages your speed.

Besides... I can always write you a ticket based on my visual estimate. I may stop sports cars but it's usually only to check out their car... I don't write tickets to Mustang/Camaro/Vette/Firebird drivers unless they talk themselves into a ticket... or have a radar detector. Detectors/jammers are cheating and I don't like cheaters. I put in big letters on the ticket RADAR DETECTOR so the judge knows the violator was trying to cheat and I remember (no deals), should the person decide he wants to waste his time in court while I'm making at least $150 no matter if I'm there for 5 minutes or 3 hours.

I have heard that if you are HARD on the brakes the instant the detector goes off, the rapid reduction in speed will cause the radar gun to take a bit longer to lock the speed of the car.

The disinformation I hear on these boards makes me laugh. LIDAR averages your speed and displays it in about the same time it takes for your speed to pop up on my radar's counting unit. And jamming on the brakes does nothing but add to my testimony about how I saw the nose of your car dive into the pavement as I watched the taget speed on my radar rapidly drop confirming that your vehicle was my target. I don't know about other agencies but we do not use the hold feature... it ruins tracking history and there is no need for it... you're not getting out of your car or anywhere near mine unless you are being detained/arrested.

 

[Lawman85]

Exactly,

and now I'm one post away from 1,000. :banana:

BTW, what's the effective range on some of the newer radar guns? It varies a good bit depending on atmospheric conditions too doesn't it? Will it take the gun longer to lock the speed if the car is farther away?

Next time I get hit with radar I'll just break hard left or right and beam it, that should break the lock, just like they do in BVR air to air combat :lol: [redneck voice]well hell yea I ran off the road but they sure as hell didn't get my speed, I notched that radar like a champ, yeehaw![/redneck]

Radar is good for 2000-3000 feet. I've shot laser at over 2600 feet and nailed someone.... that's a half mile.

Lawfficer, that is an old laser unit. Our new LTI's just use a small red dot and are alot quicker on picking up speeds. They also show a "Jam" reading if they get hit by a jammer.

 

[ChuckV]

Cool video, thanks!

I don't bother with a detector. The fastest I'll be doing is 10 over on a highway, and I know I'm not catching any breaks if I've got a detector.

 

[VirtualSVT]

Besides... I can always write you a ticket based on my visual estimate. I may stop sports cars but it's usually only to check out their car... I don't write tickets to Mustang/Camaro/Vette/Firebird drivers unless they talk themselves into a ticket... or have a radar detector. Detectors/jammers are cheating and I don't like cheaters. I put in big letters on the ticket RADAR DETECTOR so the judge knows the violator was trying to cheat and I remember (no deals), should the person decide he wants to waste his time in court while I'm making at least $150 no matter if I'm there for 5 minutes or 3 hours.

How is having something that is legal cheating?

 

[FordSVTFan]

Cheating=you speeding and using a device to alter the readout of the laser unit!

 

[Traveler]

All the talk of detectors brought back to my memory of Trooper Eagan's book a few years ago. I'm curious...what do LEOs in general think about a NY Trooper doing a book like that. Any of you guys read it before? I probably bought one of the first editions back in 1991.

 

[sleepergt98]

How is having something that is legal cheating?

I'm with him...that's friggin harsh - and ILLEGAL. As a LEO, Trooper4986, I'd think you would know that. All citizens of the US are entitled to equal protection under the law. If you pull someone over and they have a radar detector, treat them differently, and write the ticket differently for having a LEGAL device in their car, you are breaking the law yourself. It's in the Bill of Rights...check it out. The fact that you can be quoted as saying the following shows you use bias and prejudice when assessing a motorist - this is the same as profiling people based on race - something happened somewhat recently with the new jersey highway patrol and pulling over motorists based on racial "profiling"...remember how that turned out?

"I may stop sports cars but it's usually only to check out their car... I don't write tickets to Mustang/Camaro/Vette/Firebird drivers unless they talk themselves into a ticket... or have a radar detector. Detectors/jammers are cheating and I don't like cheaters. I put in big letters on the ticket RADAR DETECTOR so the judge knows the violator was trying to cheat and I remember (no deals), should the person decide he wants to waste his time in court while I'm making at least $150 no matter if I'm there for 5 minutes or 3 hours."

Yes, it's true - people with radar detectors probably speed and have had a few freebees BUT if they have no prior offenses against their license, you have absolutely no proof that that person had sped at any other time, correct? And wouldn't it be be unfair to treat them differently?

It's cops like you that hurt the profession, scare and intimidate motorists, and make people afraid and tense when they get pulled over :nonono:

I almost went for therapy thanks to a run in with someone who thought and acted as you might...he pulled me over, started screaming at me, all with his hand on the butt of his glock, shouting about how I was going to get several tickets...on a real powertrip. I was under 25 and driving my mother's Audi. Know what I did wrong? My blinker unit had stopped functioning so that it simply lit up...that was the reason for one of the most traumatic happenings in my life. All because he didn't like seeing a "young punk" in such a car...btw I never exceeded the speed limit nor missed a stop sign and after getting the sh*t scared outta me, I wound up with no ticket.

BTW, I wonder what your police commissioner would think about a statement like that? :nono:

 

[VirtualSVT]

Cheating=you speeding and using a device to alter the readout of the laser unit!

oh I'm ok with that.

But I was talking about the radar detectors.

 

[sleepergt98]

oops, read the post wrong...disregard