Teacher/part time police officer claims my RD won't detect laser

[that1guy64]

My teacher and I have had some brief discussions about him being a police officer and me having a Passport Escort x50. He gets pretty serious about it and claims that it doesn't work at all (when obviously it does) and that it won't detect laser at all. I told him it does and it has and that I know that if I'm hit with it I'm caught (unless it sees the laser from the rabbit in front of me).

He claims that they would be on an overpass and aim at the license plate and instantly have the speed of a car and it was so cool. He then said that since they aim low that my RD wouldn't see it.

All I know is that in the months I've owned my RD that it has worked many times and has saved me quite a few times on the highway speeding about 20mph over the limit at times.

I'm just curious what you guys think? This is a $300 piece of equipment and I'm sure it does what it says, I just haven't had a chance to test laser since I've never actually seen them use it around my area.

EDIT: I never brought up the POP gun function, so maybe that could be something he is talking about. I don't use POP since I've never seen it used around here. As far as I can tell all cops use Ka and sheriffs use K band.

[Zapple]

I think you guys were having a misunderstanding of what each other was trying to say.

[Stealth Stalker]

Depends on several factors, like the gun, it's beam divergence, the distance being shot, and the quality of your RD. With a top-tier RD, and a shot at more than point blank, it will of course work just fine. I get the feeling this part-time cop doesn't understand his equipment very well, and thinks the laser beam is a pin-point little dot on a car a thousand feet away, which it isn't.

I seriously doubt that he's ever tested any of this himself, and is probably just going on locker room cop stories. On the other hand, maybe he's had enough losers with Cobras tell him how they never got an alert that he believes this is the rule for all detectors.

I don't really see any good coming of you proving him wrong though. Seriously, what is the point?

[djrams80]

Depends on several factors, like the gun, it's beam divergence, the distance being shot, and the quality of your RD. With a top-tier RD, and a shot at more than point blank, it will of course work just fine. I get the feeling this part-time cop doesn't understand his equipment very well, and thinks the laser beam is a pin-point little dot on a car a thousand feet away, which it isn't.

I seriously doubt that he's ever tested any of this himself, and is probably just going on locker room cop stories. On the other hand, maybe he's had enough losers with Cobras tell him how they never got an alert that he believes this is the rule for all detectors.

I don't really see any good coming of you proving him wrong though. Seriously, what is the point?

I agree with everything said here. LEOs think our stuff doesn't work, and that's a good thing. He probably has no idea of how any of his equipment works, which is also a good thing. You seem to have an accurate understanding of what your X50 is capable of, and that's a good thing.

[zr1]

• Will the X50 sound off when the laser (LIDAR) beam hits it? Sure.
• How big is the LIDAR beam? Depends on the range, 18 inches? 24?
• Will scatter from a low-license-plate-shot be detected by the X50? eh...not reliably, I wouldn't trust it
• Will scatter from a LIDAR shot in front of you on a rabbit be detected?
  
  • LEO directly in front of you - maybe...rarely...
  • LEO at an angle such as an overpass - doubtful
  
  
• When LEO targets you directly
  
  • X50 will sound off if LIDAR beam hits it
  • LEO will have your speed reading in about 0.3 seconds
  • There's no time for you to brake in time
  • Only a laser jammer would be effective
  
  

For an overpass shot, I suppose a LEO could do it all by himself, but he has to have a way to get on the main road and chase you down. There's videos of LEOs doing overpass shots from behind after the cars go by, then other LEO cruisers do the chasing down. The overpass-from-behind tactic is most effective. Best defense for LIDAR speed traps? Probably a CB radio.

Typically LEOs get a ton of experience of catching speeders. With about 5% of drivers running radar detectors (and Cobra's big market share), it's a "target-rich environment." Every time the LEO lights up his radar, he's got a bounty. Then if the LEO runs LIDAR, how many drivers are running laser jammers? The idea that the LIDAR gun wouldn't catch every person every time is likely a foreign concept.

And since the LEO's experience is with the job, they're a user of the equipment, not a designer (nor a radar/lidar nut).

[focalcivic]

Nod your head and agree with him

[9500ier]

My X50 alerted to the cop's laser just fine... I still got a speeding ticket.

[category4]

Nod your head and agree with him

I agree let him continue to believe he's right. No good can come of proving him wrong. Ignorance is bliss, let him continue in his blissful state.

[fknra]

Let him think he won, please for love of all that is holy, let officers have the impression that detectors dont work, and don't even start on jammers.

Once wind gets back to legislators that these things are interfering with their cash cows they will make it illegal.

[upstatedoc]

He gets pretty serious about it and claims that it doesn't work at all (when obviously it does) and that it won't detect laser at all. I told him it does and it has and that I know that if I'm hit with it I'm caught .



I just haven't had a chance to test laser since I've never actually seen them use it around my area.

.

^^ So your X50 has alerted you to laser or not?

Just last weekend my red X50 alerted me to the LEO who was shooting an LTI 20/20 (I'm pretty sure). I have it in an SUV mounted high. That was from the front however. Who knows if I've ever been shot from the back.