Around-the-curve hill Ka: NO advance alert.

[jdong]

On the way back home today, I was driving the Hemi, and creeping into 55-60 in a 45. Now, this is also in Auburn Hills and I should've known better, because the charger cops use selective IO and ticket without mercy.

I was using a rabbit 0.2 miles ahead. We are going down a hill that bottoms out into a slight bend. I see my rabbit at the bottom of the hill, go out of my sight, as I start down the hill. Suddenly, the V1 lets out 3 rapid BRAP-BRAPs. One quick glance at the screen, I see 4 dots and a forward arrow, and all clear in my RVM, so I put the brake on halfway and quickly drop down to the PSL. Before my mom can finish yelling at me for that manuver, a charger cop cuts OVER the boulevard and races forward...


I don't know if he was doing IO or it was terrain, but it shows that you've got to be on your feet and KNOW YOUR DETECTOR. From the alert to the cop rounding the corner, it was like 3 seconds... There was no time to "wait and see", no time to figure out what a little dot-matrix screen is saying... Tone -> RVM/glance -> BRAKE.

[mountainman]

Thats scary, did you say that the LEO pulled out in front of you and behind the rabbit?

[jdong]

Thats scary, did you say that the LEO pulled out in front of you and behind the rabbit?

Yeah, went right over the median! There was a convenient U-turn behind me, so I'd venture to say had he got my speed, I probably would've been the more convenient victim.

[Z1NONLY]

3 seconds is very little advance alert, not "NO" advance alert.

On my recent trip, the GA troopers had a pretty good method. They would get about 1/8 mile beyond the base of hills, on the flat part of the road, and shoot straight into the base of the hill. (instead of at the top of the hill)

This combination of a solid barrier (hill) and off-axis, (pointing away from the top of the hill) gave me very short notice, every time they used this method.

I still had enough time to get rid of 20mph before seeing the LEO, and probably a little more before I would swoop down into the radar beam at the base of the hill(s)

[mountainman]

3 seconds is very little advance alert, not "NO" advance alert.

On my recent trip, the GA troopers had a pretty good method. They would get about 1/8 mile beyond the base of hills, on the flat part of the road, and shoot straight into the base of the hill. (instead of at the top of the hill)

This combination of a solid barrier (hill) and off-axis, (pointing away from the top of the hill) gave me very short notice, every time they used this method.

I still had enough time to get rid of 20mph before seeing the LEO, and probably a little more before I would swoop down into the radar beam at the base of the hill(s)

The area I live is in the foothills so LEOs' around here love to take advantage of that as well as sharp turns. I just stay at the PSL out there, people race streetbikes and imports out those roads all the time so I can bet on seeing one. Rabbits are hit and miss with that too.

[MEM-TEK]

Don't you all just hate Ka band? I mean, Ka guns output a much narrower beam, some of them output at much lower power, Ka radar is more readily absorbed by atmospheric humidity, and Ka beams are nicely absorbed by foliage alongside the roadway which is nasty in around-the-curve encounters.

I hate Ka band radar with a passion. I really do! Life was so much simpler on the road back in the 1980s to early 1990s with just X and K band and no laser. Aaah, the good 'ol days. I really miss them.

[mountainman]

Don't you all just hate Ka band? I mean, Ka guns output a much narrower beam, some of them output at much lower power, Ka radar is more readily absorbed by atmospheric humidity, and Ka beams are nicely absorbed by foliage alongside the roadway which is nasty in around-the-curve encounters.

I hate Ka band radar with a passion. I really do! Life was so much simpler on the road back in the 1980s to early 1990s with just X and K band and no laser. Aaah, the good 'ol days. I really miss them.

It's only going to get worse. Luckily our county bears run some old C/O Ka but the state HP around here have recently been spoiled with a new fleet of Bimmer motorcycles and Chargers which goes without saying new Ka and laser.

[LordV]

Life was so much simpler on the road back in the 1980s to early 1990s with just X and K band and no laser. Aaah, the good 'ol days. I really miss them.

Indeed. I could not get enough of my old Bel Micro Eye. Then came the 966W with Superwide Ka. Superwide Ka?? Yes, the "good ol' days".

[jdong]

I hate Ka band radar with a passion. I really do! Life was so much simpler on the road back in the 1980s to early 1990s with just X and K band and no laser. Aaah, the good 'ol days. I really miss them.

I came into this hobby with a XRS-9400 Cobra I bought for a highway trip (from MI to FL) by just browsing the Best Buy shelves (BIG MISTAKE)...

The first lesson I learned: X and K are those bands I can pick up from a whopping half-mile (lol) away, while Ka is the hear-then-BRAKE tone

[Snowman269]

Yeah, had my first Curve hill today, the sound was higher than the X K alerts & I reacted with slamming the brakes. I was 9 over PSL in heavy rain, I though he had me. The rain may have made it difficult to detect the front of the car diving or he just let me go. may never know.

How much warning is there on a hill curve, any?