[brian60]

I'm trying to see if it would be worth my money to upgrade to a good detector (9800xi, Max2, Max360, etc) and the one I am looking the hardest into for my budget is the 9800xi. Anyone have it or another detector in PA that can attest for it being a good investment? I've heard that PA is one of the most useless states to use one in due to a large amount of Laser guns being used.

Thanks
Brian

 

[Saybo]

I have a valentine V1. It is set up with custom sweeps and does an amazing job detecting radar. That being said any radar detector will be useless at detecting laser. Even if it touts laser detection. My V1 is known in the industry as one of the greatest laser detectors however, laser is so precise it will only detect it when you get hit with it. Meaning the cop already has your speed at that point. I recently got hit with a laser in Michigan and my V1 did an amazing job at notifying me that I was about to get a ticket.

I recently moved to rural western PA and find that my detector is pretty useless here. Most cops around here don't run radar or laser. Over the past few weeks I have made the trip from PA to MI and was hard pressed to even find a speed trap in PA any of those times taking I80. Maybe it is different when you get closer to a big city. I am considering investing in a laser jamming system.

Just based on my observations for those interested
MI - A detector is helpful. State police run radar but some municipalities (Romulus PD by the airport) will be running laser
OH - Useless. All the highway patrol guys run laser
PA - Haven't seen much police traffic on my route (I80) to determine if it is useful yet.

 

[RobertJ]

I second the use of a V1, but with LIDAR you're screwed regardless. Yes, the V1 is one of the best LIDAR detectors made, but it is only announcing you're about to get a ticket. You can always look into some sort of laser jammer setup, but they are illegal in several states now not including PA. To me the best and most cost effective defense is a good RADAR detector such as a V1 and in congested areas use Waze. In rural areas it's less effective but most LIDAR use is in congested areas. Waze is effective against LIDAR, because LIDAR operators are stationary when using it giving the Waze community ample time to report the police presence.

 

[Jstump2490]

Look at getting an AntiLaser Priority laser jammer, it pays for its self if your state is mostly laser like in OH. It is a bit pricey for the base system, but get hit 3 or 4 times and it has paid for its self. I have been hit probably 50 times since getting one, majority of those being 20-25 over the PSL. An awesome laser jammer with a decent radar detector is your best bet. The 9500xi is what I use to compliment my jammer and it works great!

As far as legality of the jammer, it is actually sold and marketed as a "parking system" and with a simple click of a button, it goes from laser jammer to parking assistance with no jamming function, so if you were to ever be pulled over, you can actually have the officer test your system and it will not jam anything yet will detect when something is getting close to the bumper and beep like a normal parking sensor would.

 

[brian60]

Thanks guys, just the kind of responses I was looking for. For me the hardest part of budgeting is allocating money for radar detector/Laser jammer instead of saving to help pay my car off sooner or buy mods lol. Thank you three for your responses.

I'll have to look into Waze because I've heard a lot about it recently, also if there are any other PA drivers who can attest to what the PSP primarily uses (laser/radar) that would be useful.

From what I've heard it's a LOT of laser here.

 

[Jstump2490]

Thanks guys, just the kind of responses I was looking for. For me the hardest part of budgeting is allocating money for radar detector/Laser jammer instead of saving to help pay my car off sooner or buy mods lol. Thank you three for your responses.

I'll have to look into Waze because I've heard a lot about it recently, also if there are any other PA drivers who can attest to what the PSP primarily uses (laser/radar) that would be useful.

From what I've heard it's a LOT of laser here.

Well if you are like me and getting tickets all the time, consider this a mod or even an investment in both speeding ticket and insurance increase prevention. I paid over $1000 one year in laser speeding tickets so buying a jammer was a no brainer.

 

[brian60]

Well if you are like me and getting tickets all the time, consider this a mod or even an investment in both speeding ticket and insurance increase prevention. I paid over $1000 one year in laser speeding tickets so buying a jammer was a no brainer.

Knock on wood, but I've actually never been pulled over. Granted, I'm only 21, but for not even having a detector other than a cheap crappy Cobra I'm not doing too bad. However when I think about how much of an affect that ticket would have on my insurance prices at my age, plus the cost of the ticket I really don't want to get one. I might have to look into it.

 

[jamie1073]

PA does not use laser. they are only allowed standing still parked using radar, no moving. And only by the State Police. City has to use VASCAR, stop watch and 2 buckets.

 

[wheelhopper]

Waste of money. I typically drive 10mph over and can't tell you the last time was I was pulled over for speeding, in probably 8 different states. Police are usually looking for 15 and over. I save my fast driving for the road coarse.

I did look into the jamming systems recently and all the research I found showed they were useless and in some cased increased the useable distance of the police radar.

 

[RobertJ]

Waste of money. I typically drive 10mph over and can't tell you the last time was I was pulled over for speeding, in probably 8 different states. Police are usually looking for 15 and over. I save my fast driving for the road coarse.

I did look into the jamming systems recently and all the research I found showed they were useless and in some cased increased the useable distance of the police radar.

No one mentioned RADAR jamming in this thread if you actually take the time to read through it. Good for you being a good citizen and all. Props and mad respect.

 

[Eric15RRST]

I have a valentine V1. It is set up with custom sweeps and does an amazing job detecting radar. That being said any radar detector will be useless at detecting laser. Even if it touts laser detection. My V1 is known in the industry as one of the greatest laser detectors however, laser is so precise it will only detect it when you get hit with it. Meaning the cop already has your speed at that point. I recently got hit with a laser in Michigan and my V1 did an amazing job at notifying me that I was about to get a ticket.

I recently moved to rural western PA and find that my detector is pretty useless here. Most cops around here don't run radar or laser. Over the past few weeks I have made the trip from PA to MI and was hard pressed to even find a speed trap in PA any of those times taking I80. Maybe it is different when you get closer to a big city. I am considering investing in a laser jamming system.

Just based on my observations for those interested
MI - A detector is helpful. State police run radar but some municipalities (Romulus PD by the airport) will be running laser
OH - Useless. All the highway patrol guys run laser
PA - Haven't seen much police traffic on my route (I80) to determine if it is useful yet.

Where in PA are you located? I also live in Rural Western PA minutes from I80? I'm by the Grove City Outlets if you're familiar. We should get a meetup put together sometime.

 

[Saybo]

Where in PA are you located? I also live in Rural Western PA minutes from I80? I'm by the Grove City Outlets if you're familiar. We should get a meetup put together sometime.

Still a bit of a ways from ya. I am in St. Marys. about 45 minutes north of Dubois. I would be down for some regional meet ups if there are any. Coming from metro Detroit I used to see ST's everywhere. Since then I have probably seen 1 or 2 the entire month I have been living here.

 

[Jstump2490]

Waste of money. I typically drive 10mph over and can't tell you the last time was I was pulled over for speeding, in probably 8 different states. Police are usually looking for 15 and over. I save my fast driving for the road coarse.

I did look into the jamming systems recently and all the research I found showed they were useless and in some cased increased the useable distance of the police radar.

No one mentioned RADAR jamming in this thread if you actually take the time to read through it. Good for you being a good citizen and all. Props and mad respect.

Not to mention radar jamming is extremely illegal. Messing with radio bands is a a huge no no.

 

[brian60]

PA does not use laser. they are only allowed standing still parked using radar, no moving. And only by the State Police. City has to use VASCAR, stop watch and 2 buckets.

When you say standing still, are you referring to the car being parked with gun aimed out window, or standing outside the car (which I have seen)? And is City really only allowed VASCAR? I could have sworn I've seen the local town cops with a radar gun (before I had my detector).

Even if they have to be parked using the LIDAR, that makes me feel like a laser jammer wouldn't be a bad investment. Jammer and a decent detector would be under $1k and could potentially save me thousands in insurance spikes and actual ticket prices. Anymore it's like 300 bucks for 10-15mph over from what I've seen. And if my insurance raises it would be a few hundred more a year I'm sure.

Maybe this could become a Christmas gift idea from the girlfriend? Lol

 

[brian60]

Still a bit of a ways from ya. I am in St. Marys. about 45 minutes north of Dubois. I would be down for some regional meet ups if there are any. Coming from metro Detroit I used to see ST's everywhere. Since then I have probably seen 1 or 2 the entire month I have been living here.

You're 2 hours from me, not like that's a surprise since I'm at least an hour from ANY ST's near me.

Not to mention radar jamming is extremely illegal. Messing with radio bands is a a huge no no.

Yeah, if you ever feel the need to piss off the FCC this is how you do it. Huge fine/Jail time kind of gig

 

[Jstump2490]

Yeah, if you ever feel the need to piss off the FCC this is how you do it. Huge fine/Jail time kind of gig

Yup, just looked it up. $50,000 fine and 5 years in prison. They have been illegal since 1996.

 

[Saybo]

Yup, just looked it up. $50,000 fine and 5 years in prison. They have been illegal since 1996.

Indeed. Fortunately Laser jammers are still legal in many states. They aren't regulated by the FCC but instead regulated by the FDA for whatever reason. I am looking into getting an ALP system installed.

 

[Eric15RRST]

Still a bit of a ways from ya. I am in St. Marys. about 45 minutes north of Dubois. I would be down for some regional meet ups if there are any. Coming from metro Detroit I used to see ST's everywhere. Since then I have probably seen 1 or 2 the entire month I have been living here.

Oh I gotcha. Yea if there are any regional's let me know also. I live in the Grove City/Mercer area.. I work in New Castle.. I'm one of 3 ST's I know I know around here.. 1 other FoSt and 1 FiST and then me. All sold here from my store btw

 

[brian60]

Indeed. Fortunately Laser jammers are still legal in many states. They aren't regulated by the FCC but instead regulated by the FDA for whatever reason. I am looking into getting an ALP system installed.

ALP is the system I would go with if I went with the Jammer to go with the detector, I am only asking the question in this thread in order to see if PA even uses Laser and how often. If they BARELY use it then the Jammer isn't very necessary, but if the PSP use radar 98% of the time as apposed to VASCAR then getting a new detector will be done soon.

 

[Jstump2490]

Indeed. Fortunately Laser jammers are still legal in many states. They aren't regulated by the FCC but instead regulated by the FDA for whatever reason. I am looking into getting an ALP system installed.

That is because it is a directed light vs a broadcast radio. Radio waves cannot be confined to a specific area like light can be so radio has to be regulated to be safe for all people/processes/things using it to avoid bad interference with anything the waves come in contact with such as medical devices and most forms of communication(cell phone, wifi, tv, radio etc). Human health is not really a concern with radio, it is with light though, especially with lasers as some lasers can be very powerful and harmful to people and are used a lot in medical procedures such as LASIK, hence why it is regulated by the FDA.

And if you get a laser jammer, you won't be disappointed with the ALP. It is by far the best one on the market and they release updates on a monthly basis to keep up with new LIDAR guns. Here is how I installed mine if you need an idea, works great!