LIDAR effectiveness on cars with retractable headlights

[RB211-535]

I was just wondering about how does Laser perform against cars that don't have any headlights showing in the daytime such as the C5 Corvette, 91-95 MR2s, and the older Miatas. My car is registered in Florida and there isn't a front plate on it. Can LEOs get readings from >1000ft away? or does the LEO need a closer range?

Thanks in advance

[Stealth Stalker]

It can be done. Sometimes instantaneously. Other times it takes quite awhile. I've had C5s get really close before I could finally lock on them before. It's not consistent though. And generally, under 1000 foot, you're going to be had.

[AirMoore]

I was just wondering about how does Laser perform against cars that don't have any headlights showing in the daytime such as the C5 Corvette, 91-95 MR2s, and the older Miatas. My car is registered in Florida and there isn't a front plate on it. Can LEOs get readings from >1000ft away? or does the LEO need a closer range?

Thanks in advance

Well I could go all into depth about many variables and this and that but here is the bottom line:

A car with a 'low-profile', no chrome on the grill, no front LP, and retractable HL's will be fairly hard to target for an LEO... especially if its very dark in color (ie: black).... but here you go: Without a jammer its worthless to discuss this issue. To get any protection from lidar you NEED a jammer, having a good baseline (sub 1,000ft is more a bragging right then anything...). The officer just needs that one lucky shot and to get that 1,100ft PT that wouldn't be there with a jammer.


Some variables here include: The gun, the environment, the shooter, the angle, the car color, the way the officer is shooting (free-hand or tri-pod), is it night-time or day-time lidar use... is there any chrome etc etc etc

[PMoth]

I was just wondering about how does Laser perform against cars that don't have any headlights showing in the daytime such as the C5 Corvette, 91-95 MR2s, and the older Miatas. My car is registered in Florida and there isn't a front plate on it. Can LEOs get readings from >1000ft away? or does the LEO need a closer range?

Thanks in advance

Well I could go all into depth about many variables and this and that but here is the bottom line:

A car with a 'low-profile', no chrome on the grill, no front LP, and retractable HL's will be fairly hard to target for an LEO... especially if its very dark in color (ie: black).... but here you go: Without a jammer its worthless to discuss this issue. To get any protection from lidar you NEED a jammer, having a good baseline (sub 1,000ft is more a bragging right then anything...). The officer just needs that one lucky shot and to get that 1,100ft PT that wouldn't be there with a jammer.


Some variables here include: The gun, the environment, the shooter, the angle, the car color, the way the officer is shooting (free-hand or tri-pod), is it night-time or day-time lidar use... is there any chrome etc etc etc

+1... These newer guns will pwn damn damn near any vehicle out there. If your name isn't Racer X, you will be destroyed @ well over 1000 ft by most of the lidar guns available.

[Stealth Stalker]

If your name isn't Racer X, you will be destroyed

[RB211-535]

Alright, thank you for everyone's helpful inputs.. I was just wondering

[lugnuts]

+1... These newer guns will pwn damn damn near any vehicle out there. If your name isn't Racer X, you will be destroyed @ well over 1000 ft by most of the lidar guns available.

so if these new guns are so good aren't LEO's going to get suspicious when it takes longer to get a reading on a car they normally get instant readings from?

[TSi+WRX]

Sorry I'm late to the party.

Like the others here have said, RB, there's more to the problem than just the lamps.

The vehicle's own "native" LIDAR profile can be problematic, too.

Brother [b]alpinestars[b] is fond of citing The Professor jimbonzzz's previous-generation Pontiac which, when the lights are down, thanks to its use of composite materials, lack of chrome, the fact that there's no front plate, and that particular example's darker color (dark blue), makes for a vehicle which is really hard to lock on to.

However, as they found out, it's easy to elicit a PT on that car, when one specifically aims for the lighting elements that are still exposed on that car (the DRL/fogs/driving lamps).

Your MR2 shares those same weaknesses - and you've also got a rather unfavorable base color (red).

Simplistically, yes, one can say that such sleek shapes will help.

But in the full analysis, there's still plenty of "gotchas" that you've got to watch out for.

[TSi+WRX]

+1... These newer guns will pwn damn damn near any vehicle out there. If your name isn't Racer X, you will be destroyed @ well over 1000 ft by most of the lidar guns available.

so if these new guns are so good aren't LEO's going to get suspicious when it takes longer to get a reading on a car they normally get instant readings from?

^ Yes, some LEOs do get suspicious, and there was a case of one of our very own Forumites who managed to elicit enough suspicion in just such a scenario, that the enforcer pulled him over, and initiated an interview.

Still, that "window of opportunity" does exist, and with proper usage of today's powerful jammers, as long as you have time to take remedial measures, to correct speed and shut-down, you should not raise *too* much suspicion.

[category4]

My C6 Vette can be had at over 4000' with no jammer by my PL3. While the low profile and no headlights will help I'll bet 1000' would not be a problem except maybe black or dark green cars.