Question about "level" installation

[Steve Nagy]

I keep hearing about installing the sensors level to the ground. I "assume" that level relative to normal load in the vehicle, (SUV). If i carry a heavier load in the back of the SUV thereby lowering the rear and raising the front, will that diminish the effectiveness of the system ? Or am I being overly concerned for nothing.


Thank you in advance.

[atticuss187]

Yes and no. You're right in the aspect of the jammers being "level" to the ground. But remember the also need to be parallel with the road. If the jammers are not level and not parallel when you install them then yes, it will effect performance. However, I believe what you're referring to would be categorized as "off axis". If you have sufficient weight added to the back of your trailer to the point where your rear is lower to the ground than the front of your vehicle, giving it what I think of as the "seesaw" effect, then yes, it can effect performance. Now, the jammers are not parallel with the road, although they are still level. The only extenuating circumstances where you would totally be screwed is if you had a lot of weight in the back of your truck and you came speeding up a relatively steep hill and on the other side of the hill (down hill) was a LEO blasting you with laser. In this situation, the jammers being nonparallel would greatly effect the jammer to jam the lidar. Other than that, I don't think you'd have to worry a great deal about the jammers performance when you have weight added in your truck.
Best of luck!

[man114]

The more directional the output of the jammer the more performance will be altered. It depends on the off axis output. But it also goes on how much the detection is altered too, because if it doesn't detect it can't jam. The minimal amount of angle caused by carrying a load probably won't be that much of a difference but you'd have to test it both ways to be certain. I'm putting some Blinders in my new to me F150 this week, but until I can get someone to test the setup or run into a cop on the Thruway while carrying something I won't know how it works with a load (and I'd almost have to JTG if possible just to see).

[Riptide]

It also depends on what jammer you have.
Blinders don't take kindly to anything thats not a perfect installation.

[dorcse]

I've done extensive testing and never had an issue with an LI being slightly off level.

The grade of the road changes constantly. Do you believe that your jammer heads are level when you travel up or down a hill and the LEO is shooting at you from a shoulder or parking lot of a disproportionate level? A lot of this "major performance issues unless the heads are exactly level" nonsense is nothing more than urban legend. And I certainly hope we are not going to start suggesting that people start shifting loads to get a level install. Insanity.

Just get the heads reasonably level and drive.