RD's in Legal States - The Truth Is

[YTCD]

I've been wanting to report my findings of this particular incident for many months now but didn't think it would be worth my time as a lot of people are to stubborn to listen on here when good advice is given to them. But after seeing many many posts on the forum that I feel this report has to deal with and I feel needs to be issued. May be ironic coming from a person who presides in a state that they are illegal but I feel my experiences as well as others I have come to see talk for themselves. I will really try and work on grammar this time too. Take it or leave it, I think it should be said though.

All of this boils down to is Radar Detectors (RD's) in legal states, which is 49 of the 50 states excluding VA and Washington DC, and the effects and demises they come to bring on yourself and the LEO's presiding among you. Let me first state just one of my encounters that I had when I was in Nags Head, NC.

In Summer this past year I went with a few friends to Hatteras Island; Nags Head, NC (OBX). We made it down their in Record Time with a flawless record and a handful of police encounters. Once in Nags Head we went to a few shops and waited for my friends to catch up and get into Nags Head. Once they proceeded into Nags Head we made our Journey to Hatteras Island which is a trek of a drive almost like walking in the desert for days. The Hatteras Island drive is awe inspiring and long at the same time. Anybody who has ever drove it would know. You have major water on both sides, to the left(in)/right(out) you have the Atlantic Ocean and to the Right(in)/Left(out) you have the Sound. In the middle is the island or really just a road, the only thing separating yourself between the Atlantic and the Sound is roughly 30-50 feet of sand on both sides of you. Its a 2 laned road with 55 mph (No civilization) and 35 mph (Civilization) zones. Relatively straight, with several stretches where you it looks as if it cuts off its so straight and off in the distance, good place if you want to see how fast your car will go (Top Speed Achieved on my Car, haha). Beautiful place to drive and also is really fun and exciting place to drive (Though It sucks to be a passenger). On the way their we pretty much flew, made it their incredibly fast, probably unbeatable.

Well after arriving at our Beach House for a week we unpacked and I went and fooled with the car a little. I personally live in Virginia (VA) where RD's are illegal and I have to keep it out of sight, but I was now in North Carolina (NC) and I decided to move my detector to a more friendly spot. I moved it to where it was visible from most angles and much easier to depict in the front. This is where it starts to get tricky.

Well my co-pilot/friend Justin needed to be home a day early as he had to go to take a trip to Georgia so we departed a day early on day 6 around 1-3 PM. I was honestly tired of driving fast so I was keeping it relatively slow around a max of 10 over the PSL. Well we were on our Trek back and I got an alert off of the STI of C/O Ka band. Well around a mile up the road their was the first NC State Patrol *SUV* I had ever seen pulling over on the grass to soon be running a speed trap with C/O Ka band the same signal I got off the STI. Now listen closely.. When I was approaching him, we made eye contact, I don't know why but it was that "unfriendly" eye contact and we kept it all the way till I passed his vehicle. He clearly saw my RD and knew that he had just been defeated. Soon as I passed him my RD went silent from 9 bars and 1/4 down the road alerted again, to where after seeing my RD he turned his unit on from Constant On (C/O) mode to Instant On (I/O) mode even clearly depicting the fact he was pretty pissed.

I don't know how or why but I had the feeling and told my co-pilot justin (as he is new to the RD world) that I believe that he saw my RD and I wouldn't doubt it for a second if he radioed up to his buddies ahead of us that I have a RD as LEO hate RD users. Well I don't know why i had that feeling and I never before had that feeling but I for some reason said it anyways and really did feel it for some reason. To the good part...

Well we are traveling and Im coming up on/Behind a GMC or Chevy Truck and I see what looks to be a White LEO Cruiser in the distance though I wasn't sure, I dipped to the right near the shoulder to reduce my exposure but I didn't slow down as I was only going 5 over and wasn't sure it was a LEO and I had no alert on the STI. Well I was a little behind the Pickup Truck and to the left in the opposite lane coming the opposite direction I see a NC cruiser and slow down real quick and as our cars our passing I see him notice me and look right at me as he forgot something, and directly behind him was another Cruiser which I could see him jump and hit me with I/O Ka when our cars were cresting one another. Which was extremely odd, and I had no pickup before hand, and it was exactly as I was thinking before that they were "out to get me and just me". If it wasn't for me dipping out I might have been toast even at 5 mph over. Well I knew something was up and stayed at the PSL the rest of the way as the pick up did and a car in front of them. Now I still had a feeling and stayed dipped out. Well a few more miles up the road probably 5-10 Im behind the pickup and not visible until you crest my vehicle from the other lane and all of a sudden my detector goes full blast and around a second later the NCSP or NCHP in a Marked Charger hits me with I/O Ka and looks directly at me.

Now this is where the story ends but with a very odd and bizarre twist. What I had concluded is:

-When I passed the NCSP SUV and he saw that I had a RD he called into his buddies just ironically as I said when I passed him as he knew maybe by the look on my face I just defeated him.
-Several Miles up the road when I spotted what looked to be a cruiser I dipped out and the first cruiser was expose to hit me with I/O Ka band hopefully to get me speeding but didn't see me until it was too late and either the second car happened to see me and hit me with the I/O or the first car by reactions even though he already couldn't get a reading was surprised and hit the I/O but to no avail. Which after me defeating NCHP for the second time those two officers called in reporting that *I was headed your way and their is a GMC truck, teal colored in front of the target*.
-Several More miles up the road the NCHP Charger knew I was their and hit me with I/O but I had learned and was at the PSL and their was nothing he could do about it.

Now this was all related to me having a RD and this is bringing me to my point. If that LEO didn't see my RD I wouldn't have been the target of the NCHP like Obama is to the KKK right now.

Now the point is: Even having a RD in a legal state doesn't mean and is not sufficient to you not stealth mounting it and having it out in the open or visible. Their are many reasons to this and I know other RD.net users will have many more but I will list a few.

1.) First and foremost it brings unwanted attention. Not only by LEO's, but by other Drivers as well. Its not the attention you want believe me and an important thing about being a RD user or even a RD.net member is that you know much more than the average user and have many advantages and your goal is to have the least encounters with Law Enforcement (LE) and to have the lowest profile or as we say on here be the stealthiest you can be.
2.) Second, as you can see in my post above that the LEO's hate it, they are out to get you and by them seeing your RD makes them want to give you a ticket much much more and in essence.., in their minds your rebelling or doing the opposite of exactly what their trying to do and the goal of their job which makes them angry.
3.) Third, You will be a lot less likely to get off a ticket if you have a RD on your windshield. I can not stress this enough to take your RD when you get pulled over and this is another reason mounting it out of sight helps out as even in VA 2 times I have not pulled my RD down as it was so well hidden I didn't have to worry.
4.) Fourth, Even things like tinted windows, and all of those BS laws we have come to know are things RD's will bring fourth on you and often times as they couldn't get you for speeding they will ticket you for stupid things like this, which their winning at this point.
5.) Fifth, It makes them out to get you. I personally know that several LEO's in my county if they knew I had a RD would personally find it necessary to give me a ticket and they would and could do that and a speeding ticket none the less. As in the story above in a legal state, and Im sure in many other encounters RD users have come to see. I personally remember a story posted on this forum where a cop saw the RD and followed this member for many many miles and when the member pulled into the Gas Station or pulled into a store or something the cop flicked on his lights real fast as a sign to tell whichever member it was that "I'll be looking for you".
6.) Sixth, this is the reason LEO's are starting to use I/O exclusively now *and are using it much more effective*. They see these RD's on our windshields in legal states and even in VA I've personally seen a few RD's driving down the road and cops see these and know that they are out their so they start to try and defeat us. Nothing could have ever avoided this but personal experiences of LEO's could have slowed and stopped it for some time I bet.
7.) Seventh, Different Rules apply - On a highway usually the threshold around here is 10 mph as well as many other states to where its the max you can go before getting a ticket, but I guarantee your chances double if a cop sees a RD in your car and your doing 10 over that you will receive a ticket. Thats borderline and I don't think they would guess to give you a ticket.
8.) .....

Point being: Its important not only to our community but especially for yourself to install your RD where its not relatively visible and in the long run it will help you out.

I did my best on grammar and spelling hope I did well. Post your thoughts and experiences most defiantly. Thanks

[Stealth Stalker]

That was a little long winded, but certainly a valid point. I'm not sure how anyone would find a way to dispute this, but as you say, some people would argue with a fence post just for the entertainment value.

It all goes back to the second rule of stealth, which is to not drive a car that draws attention to you. Radar detectors dead center in the middle of your windshield, with a coiled cord dangling down, is sure to draw unwanted attention. Since it's not even that good a place to put it in the first place, I am not sure why people insist on sticking it there, other than ignorance. If I only had a coiled cord, and couldn't put my RD higher up, I'd just stick it on the dashboard before I'd stick it to my windshield.

[YTCD]

That was a little long winded, but certainly a valid point. I'm not sure how anyone would find a way to dispute this, but as you say, some people would argue with a fence post just for the entertainment value.

It all goes back to the second rule of stealth, which is to not drive a car that draws attention to you. Radar detectors dead center in the middle of your windshield, with a coiled cord dangling down, is sure to draw unwanted attention. Since it's not even that good a place to put it in the first place, I am not sure why people insist on sticking it there, other than ignorance. If I only had a coiled cord, and couldn't put my RD higher up, I'd just stick it on the dashboard before I'd stick it to my windshield.

x2, and after posting it It was more long winded than even I thought. I'll be getting back on soon and I'll mock it up.

[DidacticSlip]

x2 on "type of car." I had a 2005 generic Jap sedan in dark green. Cops never looked at it. I consider myself generally a conservative driver.

Then the rice-mobile gets hit by a drunk. I buy a 2008 generic Jap sedan.
Differences:

- new body style makes it stand out on the road a bit more, especially when I first got it.
- color is WHITE.
- it has a sunroof.

I have decided that sunroofs infuriate some LEOs. I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps they all saw Smokey and the Bandit as a child, and associate sunroofs with Burt Reynolds and his t-top Trans-Am. Man, I wanted one of those as a 12-year-old.

Where was I? Anyway, one near-pull-over at 75-76 mph in a 70 zone (saved by some truckers and a judiciously placed exit), and another pull-over with a warning for going through a light that was clearly yellow.

Oddly, I was this very law-abiding teen that just KNEW the police weren't out to get ME, and really didn't have too much trouble, and now that I'm middle-aged and can afford a decent car, I've decided they ARE out to get me.

But yeah, I think it's obvious that RDs should be heard and not seen (by others). Even Officer Fritter, who seems a laid-back sort, has said that in his mind, they demonstrate intent. I think it's more complicated than that, but regardless, this is not a conversation I want to have with a LEO while he or she is deciding whether to give me a warning or a ticket.

And x2 about other drivers. Sheesh. I used to run one where people could see it years ago and got idiots clustering around me on the interstate all the time. They'll tailgate you and not pass you.

I keep mine high to the right of the rearview, with the cord arranged so it can't be seen (I use an RJ11 extension cord), and the visor is down slightly so it can't be seen from the rear. I know I get no rear laser alerts this way, but if that happens and I'm above PSL significantly I just accept that my goose is cooked. That's what EYES are for.

[Jag42]

Cops Hate Rd's with a passion ! I personally mount high above my RVM hardwired. If you get pulled over and you hide your Rd the cops just look for
suction cup marks on your windshields even with a flashlight at night while they look at your tags on your windshield. They also look for velcro on your dash. I used to mount my detector in the middle and i passed a Tx dps at night and my rd was lit up like a christmas tree and he stayed right on my ass for around 3 miles I/O me to piss me off over and over. I just hit the mute button. Its like having a gun on your dash to them.

[partsfreak]

Yes, long winded but very true. I think that alot of that comes as common sense to people who have been using RD's for a long time. If I were a LEO I would see it as intent and give a ticket without question. I wouldnt go on a hunt like your bored beach coppers did tho. You have to admit that you do use your countermeasures to speed. We all do. Cops know this and they will treat you accordingly. Thats just the chances we take. Stealth mounting is just as much part of the game as skillful usage of the device. We have an advantage over the average RD user because we know these things. I love those who own Cobras mounted in the middle of their windsheilds. They help us out by being bait while we slide past.
Very good post. Alot of what you said should be part of the newbie owners manual for RD usage.

[category4]

Well I don't worry about them seeing the RD. They can't but even if they could I doubt it's the RD they are looking at.

[AirMoore]

Maybe I missed the point (as I did skim) but:

I think it has been a long-standing ideal on here that (dashmount) RD's should be hardwired, preferably in a concealed location... as most members on here have theirs.

There are very few people (if any) who say 'Mount it dead-center with the coiled cord hanging there... just so everyone knows you have an RD?'

So not sure where you are going other then have it concealed as best as possible, because it draws attention from LEO's and others?

[justin81]

I don't know. I see your point but I think you may be overstating your case a tad. I have been pulled over with a RD in plain site and gotten warnings. I think some LEOs just don't give a s*** and if they're going to give you a ticket they are going to do it whether you have a detector or not.

[wegrowhair]

That was a little long winded, but certainly a valid point. I'm not sure how anyone would find a way to dispute this, but as you say, some people would argue with a fence post just for the entertainment value.

It all goes back to the second rule of stealth, which is to not drive a car that draws attention to you. Radar detectors dead center in the middle of your windshield, with a coiled cord dangling down, is sure to draw unwanted attention. Since it's not even that good a place to put it in the first place, I am not sure why people insist on sticking it there, other than ignorance. If I only had a coiled cord, and couldn't put my RD higher up, I'd just stick it on the dashboard before I'd stick it to my windshield.

If you call Escort and ask them, they told me to place the ix in the middle!