K falses from electronic signs on NYS thruway?

**lukenosewalker** · 03-05-2007, 07:28 AM

I had recently taken a trip upstate ny on I87/I287. Occasionally, I'd get a K band alert which would ramp up as if it were a real leo and only after passing whatever it was did the signal decrease. When the signal was at its strongest I searched all around for a leo, but to no avail. I soon realized that it was coming from those electronic road signs that tell you about traffic/construction/lane closings, etc, at least that's what I'm thinking it was from. Does anyone else get a false K band from these? On a side note, I got pretty good range from them

-Luke

**jerry540i** · 03-05-2007, 02:02 PM

Yep. They're all over NY. I see them all the time on the I-90.

and, its nice to see the detector ramp up as you approach, and finally get that solid lock!! Nice to know that its working as advertised!

J.

**AirMoore** · 03-05-2007, 04:12 PM

Yup, as said above, its something else in New Yorkn on the Thruway...

But for the most part on the thruway Ka/Laser is used since there is a dedicated NYSPolice troop for its enforcement, and those are the troopers weapons of choice...

With that said, you still have to treat the alerts as real *they do have K band units*... but normally since the signs are on K-band, and being on such a long and flat stretch of road, you have plenty of time to react and decide the best course of action.

**kpatz** · 03-05-2007, 04:57 PM

A lot of those construction signs have drones on them. I've seen them in Mass. and Maine as well. So far the NH ones don't have drones (knock on wood grained veneer)...

**lukenosewalker** · 03-05-2007, 06:15 PM

Awesome, thanks for your responses!

Originally Posted by kpatz

A lot of those construction signs have drones on them. I've seen them in Mass. and Maine as well. So far the NH ones don't have drones (knock on wood grained veneer)...

What do you mean by drones? Are there actual radars on these signs? If so, would one be ticketed for passing a drone above the psl?

**V1 Dave** · 03-05-2007, 06:18 PM

I think I saw a drone one time!

No drones don't ticket!

**kpatz** · 03-06-2007, 05:50 AM

Drones emit radar but they don't clock speeds, they exist solely to warn (aka annoy) radar detector users.

**jwardell** · 03-06-2007, 08:27 AM

They are common in Mass, and PA as well.

You can often see the radar transmitter in a box just under the face of the sign.

My guess is that they are part of the SWS that belscorts can decode--if the sign says brige out ahead, it encodes the K band singnal and your Belscort notifies you Bridge Out Ahead.
....except in six years of driving wtih a SWS bel and passing these signs often, only ONCE did I find one with the SWS properly set up.
Most just have them transmitting to "annoy" detector users.

I will still call it useful because you do get woken up and alerted ahead of time before a potential hazardous stretch of highway.

But they are just annoying when the signs say nothing or click it or ticket etc and are still spewing out a strong K band signal.

**Snertz** · 03-06-2007, 01:24 PM

+1 to what everyone said so far, just a heads up, I've seen leos use them as a decoy, and hide a few 100ft down the road. One was southbound on I87, right around a bend, sign on the right, then the cop on left in one of those divider things hidden by trees. Since the road curves right, you can't see him till you're almost about to pass the sign.

Thank god for bogey counters!

**lukenosewalker** · 03-06-2007, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Snertz

+1 to what everyone said so far, just a heads up, I've seen leos use them as a decoy, and hide a few 100ft down the road. One was southbound on I87, right around a bend, sign on the right, then the cop on left in one of those divider things hidden by trees. Since the road curves right, you can't see him till you're almost about to pass the sign.

Thank god for bogey counters!

Do you recall if the leo was running radar on the same band as the sign?

Yeah, definitely in those instances, bogey counters rock