Radar detector or scanner?

[Tacodog]

I have a scanner vs radar detector question. My current radar detector has died and I'm in the market for a new one. But, perhaps I'd be better served with a hand held scanner like the Icom IC-R5 or Uniden BC246T? Than way I could scan the CB channels plus law enforcement (Highway Patrol/Sheriff/etc) to keep informed of traffic problems and speed traps. What is the range of these receivers? Is my thinking flawed or should I have both a scanner AND a radar detector. I ride a sport bike and don't have a lot of room for accessories.

Tacodog in Tucson

 

[mciupa]

How about this and it's Highway Patrol Alert feature ?

http://www.scannerpro.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AW&Product_Code=BCT8

 

[Tacodog]

I cosidered the BCT8, but it is just too large. Whatever I get will have to fit in a pocket or on a handlebar mount. I assume a BC246T could be programmed to do something similar?

Tacodog

 

[dc2wheel]

I found it not very useful having a scanner for the specific purpose of finding speed traps and such. It ended up being better to find accident sites/bad traffic congestion to avoid. My local police are good about voicing over the air the location of their parked/unmarked cruisers doing photo camera speed enforcement [revenue cameras], but only at the begining of each shift. You're probably better off with an Escort or Valentine radar detector - most of the others are garbage.

-dc2wheel

 

[STiMULi]

Depending on your driving style and the authorities in your area, for the most part you will never replace the need of a radar detector to protect you from tickets with a scanner.

I have a BCT8, a BEL985 and a WRX STi. I get a big smile on my face when the BCT8 lets me know that I am approaching someone who is not a fan of my speed before those with a Radar detector would ever know it.

...but that is much less often than the other way around.

Get a scanner for you scanner needs and a Radar Detector for you driving needs. If the two shall converge, more the better. But make sure they are of the qualities that if they stand alone you will still have what you desire...

...A Great Scanner and a Great Radar detector

(No one makes one of those... YET! )

 

[LarrySC]

If you hear the radar det then it may already be too late. If you hear your discription on the scanner its REALLY too late.

 

[thumbtrap]

Get a scanner because you want to hear the contents of the transmissions. It's only of marginal value as ECW for speeding. I've never had a radar detector, don't plan to get one either. Not just because I don't speed. I do a couple over like everybody else. The time it doesn't work though it can only complicate your life. (That and people who have them IME tend to go WAY fast, which doesn't help with the disposition of the highway patrol either.)

I got the BCT8 for fire stuff. I found the "bearcat" alert annoying at best. I happen to live within about 2 miles (straight line distance anyway) of a highway patrolman, so it's basically meaningless anyway. Maybe... just maybe - if you had a nice directional antenna purpose built for that it would be useful for its intended purpose - but that pretty much makes it useless as a scanner.

Slow down. Drive Carefully (Hmmm this is a blind curve followed by a long straight stretch that people like to go 90mph on, followed by a blind curve with no turnarounds, and no exits in the middle. Sounds like a good place for a speed trap.) Say Yes Sir No Sir (or Maam if appropriate). Anything that shows forethought is likely to eradicate the possibility of a verbal warning.

 

[CORN]

In my neck of the woods the only time my scanner has helped with the speed trap portion is only when a car is joining the group and he has to ask where their location is. The other times it is rarely ever mentioned on the radio. The scanner is good for the slow downs/wreck info that the majority of mororists wouldn't even know. Also, it's way more useful than the local traffic reporters.

 

[STiMULi]

12 things to remember if you must drive fast:

1) Eventually you will get caught.

2) You should never endanger anyone with your speed or the recovery of your body or vehicle.

3) Always keep a rabbit (fast or faster car) ahead of you. Lone rabbits or fast rabbits will get instant on before you get there. If you have a good detector and you learn to read what it tells you, you will then know where they are.

4) Never speed coming up to a hill (without a rabbit).

5) Never speed approaching the cover of an overpass (without a rabbit).

6) Think about if you were a police officer where would you hide.

7) Turn off X band recieve. Rarely is it used outside the "Boy, you in a heepa trouble" areas and then you in a heepa trouble anyway.

8 ) Never drive fast when you are angry or the only one on the highway. You are not paying enough attention to speed.

9) Look for brake lights for no reason.

10) Watch the drivers around you. If you are traveling much faster than your neighbors you will get noticed. If your nieghbors slow down abruptly they probably see something you don't.

11) When driving by entrance ramps be very aware.

12) You are going to get caught.

 

[LEH]

If I had a choice between a radar detector and a scanner, I'd go with the radar detector. When I can, I use both. I love my scanners, but when I'm on the highways a radar detector is a near necessity. Of course, I live in VA and radar detectors are illegal.

With a scanner, normally, you don't have local freqs programmed when your traveling. Even if you are local, you may miss the transmission if your stopped on another channel. Radar detectors are pretty much universal. Of course, the points STiMULi made are very valid and things to use while your driving.

The times (yes, I've been caught) I've been stopped have been with a rolling unit rather than a static speed trap. The last stop I didn't even hear on the scanner, the info went out on the computer. Scanners really can't help you all that much there.

I've very seldom heard the men in blue announce where they are setting up. York county does run the occasional speed bust on my street and I realize the trap only when I hear the deputy announce his third or fourth stop.

 

[cpohlad]

Lynn,
I too am from VA and had a question. Do you actively use a radar detector in VA? I would love to get one, but would not want to run the risk of having it confiscated and paying extra on a ticket for having it. I know people shouldn't speed, but I think it is moronic that us and DC are the only 2 states where it is illegal to have a radar detector.

 

[MisterPaul]

Why not just drive the speed limit and then one will not have to worry about such a thang as speed traps... :twisted:

 

[STiMULi]

Why not just drive the speed limit and then one will not have to worry about such a thang as speed traps... :twisted:

Or take the bus and have even MORE fun! :lol:

 

[K5MAR]

Why not just drive the speed limit and then one will not have to worry about such a thang as speed traps... :twisted:

The thing to remember about a real, Honest-To-God speedtrap is that it is aimed at people who are not locals, as it relies on the driver being unaware of local conditions. The classic is the almost hidden from sight speedlimit sign dropping the speed 25 or more MPH. The locals know the speed abruptly changes, and at what point, so they aren't caught. The visitor doesn't, so even if they have every intention of obeying all traffic laws, it's next to impossible to do so.

But any further discussion of speedtraps should move to the Tavern.

Cheers, all!
Mark S.

 

[suttles1972]

If you are a highway traveler, I would also consider a CB radio. Truck drivers will tell you every spot a "full grown smoky bear" (highway patrol), a county mounty or a city kitty is parked last or seen travelling. They are extremely helpful to those who return the favorite to them, in the whereabouts of the police. An example of a CB report is , "Eastbound to Westbound, I last seen a full grown bear at the 235 taking pictures. "To other truck drivers, the highway patrolman was shooting radar at the 235 mile post. It is this information that informs travellers of police presence. Try it out. This method has save me many of tickets and avoidance of traffic obstructions. Oh, may I mention that the information channel heavily used is channel 19.

 

[thumbtrap]

the other way that CB comes in REALLY handy - is that at bottlenecks, the truckers are informing each other of lane changes about 3 miles in advance. Get in the lane the truckers are getting in and stay put, even though it looks like it's open on the other one.

 

[nexus]

Don't get a scanner to augment the funtion of a radar detector.

Most times when you're caught by radar its from a moving patrol vehicle. There is no indication ever given over the air that they are running radar. There is no requirement for them to come on the air and announce that they are running radar. So you'll never have any indication that someone is running radar.

Your best bet is to just buy another radar detector since it's going to alert you to the presence of radar waves being transmitted in your direction. A scanner would be a cool thing to have though. I've avoided many accidents just by knowing where they were. Also if you see someone being pulled over you usually know what's happening. Or if you see them running code somewhere.

 

[INDY72]

Hmmm never seen Convoy... or the various myraid other movies tht show leo's using CB's???

Use a radar detector, and a scanner, and a CB.... that way you will hear the truck you blew by call in your tag and desrciption to Smokey up the road, then maybe hear the Smokey call in acknowledgeing your near hima,.. then the radar go beeeep as you blow by that very same Smokey... then hear him say he's got you,.. see them thar purty colored lights that look like there be a short in em.... hear that thar screamin sireen.... See your bank account suddenly dropping in $$$?????

 

[MississippiPI]

VA radar detector/scanner

I have been caught in the past with radar detector in my car passing thru VA. The judge found me guilty even though the unit was under the seat when stopped by the trooper; the law at the time, not sure if it still is; if the unit was accessable to power, which it was. I now have a radar detector that has VG-2 or whatever it's called; it works so that the troopers don't know I have it. I take it off my dash and place on the floorboard, it still works but only if they get someone else. If I get a tix i will pay it for I know better and have no-one to blame but myself. I will driving from MS to CT feb 05 for a couple of weeks--the worst place that I have seen to get caught speeding is VA or NJ. I have a CB that I keep on; listen to the drivers, they will let you know what's out there. As far as a scanner is concerned; I will be taking the car that isn't equipped with mobile scanner as some local laws ans state laws go against that. Even though I am a public servant and have two way radios with lights, sirens, etc--I still don't want to risk a scanner--hassle....be safe

 

[STiMULi]

Re: VA radar detector/scanner

I have been caught in the past with radar detector in my car passing thru VA. The judge found me guilty even though the unit was under the seat when stopped by the trooper

I am interested in knowing if the officer asked to search your car and you said yes or he did it while he had you away from the vehicle without your permission... (guessing that he had resonable suspicion or probable cause). Virginia was one of the states that took it hard when the Supreme Court said a traffic stop was not the automatic right to search.

I used to live in VA and depending on where you were the Troopers for the most part did not care about Radar Detectors. This was before they got the additional funding for the a bunch of VG2 devices (a few years back).