7400 miles of real world testing STI Vertically Mounted..

[Freebird]

Ok Being a truck driver over the road can get boring after a bit. But each day is a new testing day in my mind and finding the best performance from our rd's is always priority for me. I just completed about 7400 miles the last 2 weeks and ran one STI vertically and one in the normal horizonal position. I know 2 on at same time is a no no blah blah blah but.. I spaced them apart alot (width of a semi). My findings were consistant daily. VERTICALLY MOUNTED YOU LOSE OFF AXIS ALERTS, the more off axis the more u lose. Straightline sensativity seems to be the same. K-band falses from radar doors is more often but does not give any more sensativity from real LEO K- band encounters. With both STI's horizontal performance was awesome and both alerted within 1 second of the other on 95% of encounters. Bottom line KEEP IT HORIZONAL. I know we have had other post about vertical mounting, but I felt you would all like me to share my real world experiences. Cheers all!

[RW'07]

Great you made it safe and sound back home, trucking ain't for just everybody, only the tough ones survive where did you go for such distance in just 2 weeks?

Any issues with smokey bears, this includes DOT scales...

Enjoy the weekend

The most I've done so far was 14K miles but in 4 weeks AND by car, way easier to operate than a freaking 80K lb monster beast

[Freebird]

I was out for 3 weeks but only did 2 weeks testing, ( got bored after first week out). I went from ontario,ca up to central cali, then across I-80 thru Utah,Wyoming,down 25 to 70 east to Missouri. I ended up in Deleware on Last Friday for a 2 day break, then to Chicago, Down to Houston,tx. Picked up a Load in Lake Charles La coming home I-10 all the way back to Ontario,ca. No issues at scales, all loads scaled out fine. Was eating lunch in Mississipi and a driver got run over by a logging truck in the parking lot and was hurt bad, but not life threatning, Consoled and determined his LOC for the Paramedics, Im CPR and Medical experienced, and comforted him best I could till Medics transported. You see alot out there on the road and it does get dangerous, cant ever let your guard down. We do work really hard, its not just holding a steering wheel, lots of odd hrs and long days. Most interesting alerts were in Texas east of Elpaso was able to detect ka 34.7 from behind at a steady 2 miles from behind (verified by CB radio of their position. They gradually caught and passed me. Yes it was a beast running M/T from Houston to Lake Charles with a steady 40 mph wind from the south, and narrow construction lanes. But all in all I love being out and being a Freebird. Have a great weekend all.

[RW'07]

I was out for 3 weeks but only did 2 weeks testing, ( got bored after first week out). I went from ontario,ca up to central cali, then across I-80 thru Utah,Wyoming,down 25 to 70 east to Missouri. I ended up in Deleware on Last Friday for a 2 day break, then to Chicago, Down to Houston,tx. Picked up a Load in Lake Charles La coming home I-10 all the way back to Ontario,ca. No issues at scales, all loads scaled out fine. Was eating lunch in Mississipi and a driver got run over by a logging truck in the parking lot and was hurt bad, but not life threatning, Consoled and determined his LOC for the Paramedics, Im CPR and Medical experienced, and comforted him best I could till Medics transported. You see alot out there on the road and it does get dangerous, cant ever let your guard down. We do work really hard, its not just holding a steering wheel, lots of odd hrs and long days. Most interesting alerts were in Texas east of Elpaso was able to detect ka 34.7 from behind at a steady 2 miles from behind (verified by CB radio of their position. They gradually caught and passed me. Yes it was a beast running M/T from Houston to Lake Charles with a steady 40 mph wind from the south, and narrow construction lanes. But all in all I love being out and being a Freebird. Have a great weekend all.

That's a lot of driving, for work of course!!!

I've done most of those places and routes you mentioned BUT in multiple trips and years, Ontario, Ca in Dec '01 from Vegas to LA, other year N Ca, SF to Sacramento and Reno, other year Salt Lake City to MT and Mt. Rushmore, different trips for the entire Texas, Amarillo (of course I tried UNsuccessfully to get on the record in that famous stake restaurant ), Dallas, Houston, SA, Brownsville, Laredo and twice to El Paso, also beautiful Louisiana 3 times, so lots of trips but at least in my case they were all on vacation, no need to make it on time to load/unload like you had to...

Slept a lot in the rest areas, cars on one side, trucks and cars with trailers on different side, fortunately (cause it's not something to enjoy a lot) I have not witnessed any major accident and especially something happening in front of my eyes

Q: Are you guys allowed to deliver load into Mexico and are Mexican truckers allow to drive over a certain distance near the border, I think it's 10-20 miles only, I remember I saw couple of trucks with Mexican plates, yellow I think, but only near the Mexican border, Yuma, Nogales, El Paso, Laredo...

Enjoy the weekend and have a good rest until the next adventure on 18 wheels

[Freebird]

Im not sure how they are treating the mexican trucks now that the fair trade agreement was passed. I know that ther was alot of action taken to block Mexican trucks from coming over but im not sure where in litigation that stands. My company does not deliver or take any ecuipment (trailers to mexico or from) cause if you allow your trailers into mexico, they always come back missing lights , tires etc. They steal parts to sell there.
I used to work for a company and picked up loads from mexico in laredo (mexican driver brought loads up to laredo) mostly all produce, broccolli and misc produce. Glad I dont have to go to do that anymore. Gonna enjoy a few days off and recharge. To answer your Question most companies deliver to a border town and let the mexican drivers take the load from there. We do deliver to Canada and take the load all the way to its destination there.

[RW'07]

My company does not deliver or take any ecuipment (trailers to mexico or from) cause if you allow your trailers into mexico, they always come back missing lights , tires etc. They steal parts to sell there.

I've been to Tijuana once but never got outta the car, what can I do, yo no habla Espanol and I don't think yelling ayudo, ayudo is gonna be of great help

I used to work for a company and picked up loads from mexico in laredo (mexican driver brought loads up to laredo) mostly all produce, broccolli and misc produce. Glad I dont have to go to do that anymore. Gonna enjoy a few days off and recharge. To answer your Question most companies deliver to a border town and let the mexican drivers take the load from there. We do deliver to Canada and take the load all the way to its destination there.

In terms of civilized societies, safety, security, road rules (the only differences are the mile/ft vs km and gallon vs liter), vehicle (trucks included) maker and model, Canada and US are exactly the same, no difference whatsoever, that's why Canadian truck drivers go all the way into anywhere in US and American ones everywhere in Canada... you know that Ambassador Bridge btwn Detroit and Windsor over the Detroit River is the busiest international border crossing IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!

http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/

RDs are LEGAL in all vehicles including trucks in BC, AB and SK, so if you ever have to cross the border into one of these 3 provinces you don't have to be worried of any RD law in your truck... more freedom over there than in entire US

[MEM-TEK]

Thanks Freebird for your super neat tests with dual STi's and for your observations! Cool stuff.

Also note that your vertically mounted STi's sensitivity wasn't slaughtered by your big rig's windshield since the windshield in a semi is mounted near vertical compared to the very sloped windshields in passenger cars. Perhaps Mike B. will chime in and elaborate further on this.

[hockey005]

x2

[Freebird]

Your welcome, Happy to share with everyone. Love that new avater you got MEM-TEK.

[Hornhonker]

Given the STI has no emissions I would think you could put 50 of them together on a dash and they would not interfere with each other.