Odd (False?) Alert

**swarga** · 08-28-2008, 02:00 PM

As I'm coming off the 133 onto the NB 5 yesterday evening, I catch a persistent whiff of Ka from behind me. Traffic is thick (as always), so even though my head is spinning around like Linda Blair's I didn't spot any CHP. Also, the alert seemed to follow me for a couple miles until I took an exit. The signal was pretty weak (probably 4 bars or less) and intermittent, with several seconds between blips.

Was this a real CHP rolling with his radar active (in the middle of a rush hour traffic jam)? Or a false alert from another RD in a civilian vehicle behind me?

**Ex0dus36** · 08-28-2008, 02:08 PM

That sounds like a lower quality RD in someone elses car.... one time i parked in a parking lot and the car in front of me i saw a cobra, when i parked my RD just went full strength Ka.

it'll happen...

**Retaliation** · 08-28-2008, 03:35 PM

x2

Sounds like a Cobra encounter. Goddamn junk detectors...

**Gothenburg** · 08-28-2008, 04:19 PM

Happened to me today actually. Intermittent, up to 3-4 dots. Seemed real enough, but too random of a signal. After a little looking, I spotted the Cobra. Then I sped away.

I try to avoid close contact, because, as brought up in the past, they can interfere with your RD pretty bad. Enough to the point that you may get little or no alert before a real threat.

Someone joked that cops will start driving with Cobras, just for the electrical interference!

**djrams80** · 08-29-2008, 06:43 PM

It could also have been a CHP that was running with his radar on. The intermittent alerts could easily have been the signal getting intermittently blocked by the heavy traffic. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a Cobra leaking close enough the 33.8Ka band to avoid getting J'd out, but based upon the information given, in my opinion, there is really no way to rule out CHP.

This is why I run in spec mode. 34.7Ka on the freeway is CHP, every single time.