jdeastbay

For the past few months have noticed the CHP with hand held devices that look like camcorders. It is always a stationary car (hiding) with the device. Once nailed the car is off an running after the speeder. Assumed they were laser devices, but have had people nailed around me on highway without my V1 being triggered an any fashion. Scary to say the least. Anyone have any clue what type of equipment this is??

harjothundal

It is indeed LIDAR (laser gun) ... The reason your V1 doesn't go off is because Laser sends a very narrow beam opposed to a very wide beam with radar... Radar can also bounce off objects helping you detect it from afar, laser just doesn't work that way... Be careful cause you can get hit with laser and not know it regardless of if you have a detector or not...

MB_Forever

Sometimes they also turn the device on/off until just before targeting. Seems like radar detectors are becoming almost obsolete compared to all the new technologies being used today. Very scary indeed....

harjothundal

Here is what they look like...

http://www.guysoflidar.com/laser-guns.html

Here you can read more in depth how LIDAR catches speed, and why your detector cannot pick it up...

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-dr...uestion396.htm

novae500

yep, instant on radar. Only comes on and when it does, its too late.

220S

http://www.guysoflidar.com/laser-guns.html Never mind....harjothundal got it already...

fwiw, you need a jammer to deal with LIDAR. But in CA jammer systems installed on cars is illegal (I think now if it's more then two then it's actually a felony; you need at least two or three on the front and some in the back to be really effective.) So, in CA if you install them you'd have to be paying 100% attention all the time to be sure to quickly shut off the jammer and at the same time immediately slow down so the cop can shoot again without getting jammed. Otherwise they'll pull you over for jamming their signal.

W211 BEAST

So we're basically ****ed? Is there anything we can do in Ca?

grantwoodtx

Also make sure you V1 is runing the latest software. I was nailed by a Houston traffic cop using laser and my V1 never went off. I was runing older software. Sent it off and now it does alert with POP and Laser being used her in Houston.

jdeastbay

Thanks for all the info. Understand they have a job to do, but the game now if to fill the budget void at the state / local level. And it's only going to get worse. I've been doing my commute 10+ years and they are hiding in places never seen before. And just did a NorCal to SoCal highway 5 trip and they had people pulled over the entire way up and back.

harjothundal

I did a Norcal to Socal trip as well a few months back and I agree, I had never seen such a large CHP presence before... The majority of them would hide under bridges, in the shade... This makes it hard to spot them from far away...