Photo Radar Detection

**gibbs** · 09-04-2010 09:20 PM

Hello all, this is my first post on this excellent forum. I live in Alberta Canada, here radar detectors are completely legal, and photo radar is my one and only threat. I do not normally speed, especially on highways, but from time to time my attention goes astray and the KM/Hr gauge (speedometer) may creep up to 10 over the PSL. That is 10 KM/Hr or roughly 6 MPH which is where photo radar starts tagging you.

My last photo radar ticket had me doing roughly 15 KM/Hr over the limit (10MPH) and that was a $140.00 fine right there. In short photo radar is completely ludicrous with its fine structure, but you cannot lose points no matter how fast you are going.

After the $140.00 fine I bought an XTR-540 (for less than my ticket price) at the local costco to try and combat my new nemesis. It does work, but the detection range is very very short. I have to try some revised mounting strategies, but I am pretty confident that it will not be up to the task. It did however allow me to determine that the photo radar vans and "filing cabinets" are using Ka band exclusively.

After that I mail ordered an XTR-690SE as I thought the Ka max would be a great fit to my very specific needs. The good news is that I have observed a very dramatic increase in detection with this new unit. I went from being right beside the photo radar van to detecting it from about 2-300 yards out. (We only have back license plates here, so all radar is forward facing)

I am actually very happy with this, it will save me its cost in tickets in only one encounter.

But now I would like to figure out how to maximize the perf of the 540 so I can donate it to my gf for her car. I have tried mounting it low and high on the windshield and have absolutely everything except Ka band turned off.

This morning I found the photo radar "filing cabinet" and made 2 succesive runs against it. One with the 540 and next with the 690SE. Both were mounted directly to the right of my rear view mirror as high as possible and were completely level. The 540 did not sound until i was literally beside the cabinet. The 690SE gave me the usual 2 or 300 yards of warning "Ka band 34.3"

So after my long winded post, does anyone have any suggestions on trying to make the 540 serviceable for my application so I can gift it to my gf?

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**Solidjake** · 09-04-2010 09:27 PM

You can also download the Trapster POI's onto your GPS if you have one.

**gibbs** · 09-04-2010 09:33 PM

Cool I will try that, in fact I do run a GPS as part of my countermeasures (along with a scanner). I have it set to beep at 10 over the PSL, but it does not have speed limit information for all of our city roads

Hopefully the trapster has canadian information in its database. Definitely a good suggestion. Thank you.

**Solidjake** · 09-04-2010 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by gibbs

Hopefully the trapster has canadian information in its database. Definitely a good suggestion. Thank you.

It does, the traps are worldwide.

www.trapster.com

**Michael B** · 09-04-2010 09:37 PM

Turn the 540 on its side so the display is vertical.

Will should help as the 34.3 photo radar is most likely polarized.
You will have to make a bracket or you may be able to find one online if you look around.
Someone was selling brackets for this purpose.

**gibbs** · 09-04-2010 09:43 PM

Thank you Michael, I had read about mounting vertical before, but the threads I read were arguing whether or not it made any difference. Coming from the manufacturer I appreciate your advice.

**MOPARado** · 09-04-2010 09:45 PM

gibbs wrote:
But now I would like to figure out how to maximize the perf of the 540

First off realize that: 'you get what you pay for'

If mounting it high doesn't help alert distances then thats that. Just make sure there's no factory sun screens in the way of the RDers view way up there.

When it comes to RDers, you really do get what you pay for.
But by now you already know that since you picked up a 690SE!
:

**gibbs** · 09-04-2010 09:48 PM

Actually the 540 was $120.00 and the 690SE was $170.00 here. Not a big price diff, but yes I do agree that the 690SE is a great detector but was not available on the local shelves so had to mail order.

**TRun** · 09-05-2010 03:48 AM

If you are brave and don't mind getting hands on you can try to build a horn extension for the xtr540. You need cardboard and aluminum foil. When extending the horn you will gain more on axis(straight on) range but lose off axis (curves) range.