POP Band, why is it default off? also, what driving mode...

[steve_f]

I just got an X50 and see in the manual POP band is defaulted to off.

I asked a friend, because im still kinda a noob to RDs, and he said i should probably turn it on (he has a v1).

What is it and why is it off?

EDIT** also i just read someones post in another thread about how you shouldnt use the Auto Mode because it alerts to late, and to use highway mode, what is the difference?

[PackRatTDI]

You should only activate POP mode if you know for a fact that POP mode is used where you are. Some have observed, myself included, that Ka band reception is not as good when POP mode is on.

I haven't noticed any difference between "Highway" and "Autoscan" on my BEL 955. I'm curious as to exactly what "Autoscan" does anyways.

[theshadow]

I just got an X50 and see in the manual POP band is defaulted to off.

I asked a friend, because im still kinda a noob to RDs, and he said i should probably turn it on (he has a v1).

What is it and why is it off?

EDIT** also i just read someones post in another thread about how you shouldnt use the Auto Mode because it alerts to late, and to use highway mode, what is the difference?

There's not a lot of POP around, so most people don't need to have it on. If your area uses POP, you can put it on, but sometimes it can False.

[ELVATO]

I would just leave the POP off, for now.

I run in Highway mode all the time. I wouldn't say that Auto mode alerts too late. Many people here just run it in Auto no problems. I would try running it in highway for some time, and see how "chatty" it is. In the meantime, you could read around and learn exactly what POP is, as well as a more in depth description of what Autoscan is and does.

[Orbital75]

Chances are you don't have pop in your area.
It's not really used that much so they default it
off.

POP will more than likely increase False Alerts
and hinder KA performance.

[jdong]

Detectors made by Cobras emit radar that is very similar to POP and causes an annoying amount of falses when around a POP enabled detector

[steve_f]

Well, i tried out highway mode after my post today (with POP still off), and while driving past a shopping center which i drive by every day without an alert (mind you ive only had it 2 days, but driven past on the same road 4 times) and now in highway mode it ramped up slowly like it should when i got close and eventually got a full signal. (before around other known falses it would just go to 2 bars then spike to full then completely go away then spike to full). Now, this was a FALSE, but i am happy to see it, it at least shows an increase in range, which currently i wasn't completely impressed with during my run-ins with cops using rolling radar.

Gonna keep it on highway for awhile and see how it goes, if it false to much and annoys me to much i will change it back, but honestly right now falses dont bother me at all, and its just cool to see it going off and working haha

[PackRatTDI]

I usually only use "highway" and "city". I have X band disabled in city mode. I've never picked up a legit X band signal in NM in all the years I've owned radar detectors that I'm aware of. I also disabled my laser eye because of too many false alarms, besides they only ever use laser in school and construction zones, neither of which you should be speeding in anyways.

[yahtzee]

anyone know if POP is used in VA (specifically Glen Allen, Richmond, etc)?

[brick]

I have had zero problems with POP activated on my V1 since I got the new one last week. Personally I'm not going to deactivate it unless I start having trouble with Ka falses. It probably helps that I'm mostly a highway driver so I don't have much opportunity to run up on crap RDs hidden in approaching traffic, which is where I've seen the most falses in the past.