Road trip: Houston to San Jose (TX, NM, AZ, CA)

[OpenRoad]

Thanks folks

I assume you're doing I-10 to I-5 ?

Yes

Get a scanner. CHP operates in the 42.xxx mhz range.

Let's hope not. A RD would not be able to detect that. A radio might.

I think he was specifying the scanner frequency

I'm not sure how useful it would be on an interstate (that I don't travel regularly on). Also, How would someone be able to program all the frequencies used in these states in a scanner?

Well, forget the scanner, it's mostly a toy unless you get really serious with it as these guys do with detectors, and probably have their own website to hang out as well. There's always one way to not get a ticket is to drive slow. Just follow some lumbering semi-truck all the way to California. Get a DVD player and watch movies on the way to pass the time......

[OpenRoad]

Thanks folks

I think he was specifying the scanner frequency

I'm not sure how useful it would be on an interstate (that I don't travel regularly on). Also, How would someone be able to program all the frequencies used in these states in a scanner?

Yes, scanner frequencies...
FYI - I have a scanner where I can store 100 frequencies, in banks of 10. Each bank being a particular area, NorCal, SoCal, Barstow, Nevada South, Nevada North, etc.

Have fun on the trip - take your camera, there's a lot to see....

[Duke]

btw, it is highly doubtful you will have a laser encounter in California. Although it is showing up here and there, it is still rare. You have better odds winning a $100,000 jackpot at a casino.

I wouldn't go that far or I'd have more than a few hundred thousand dollars already.

LIDAR by the CHP is a risk, and shouldn't be discounted IME, but you are much more likely to run into C/O Ka.

[djrams80]

In the Cali desert areas, it is highly doubtful you will see laser. What you will see is good mixture of C/O and I/O 34.7. CHP runs nothing but 34.7Ka, so any other radar band is 100% not a LEO, in the desert areas.

Within about 100 miles of LA, laser becomes a serious concern, especially around the San Bernardino area. Mostly, I see CHP moto units, shooting Ultralytes and TruSpeeds, but occasionally, I will see a CHP cruiser shooting laser. Every now and again, I will see CHP running some moving, same direction I/O, but more than likely, around LA, you will see C/O 34.7.

In Arizona, I/O and C/O 35.5 and 34.7 seem to be the norm. I've never been hit with laser on an Arizona freeway, but I only go there about three times per year. I'd get a Cheetah C50 for all those cameras on the Arizona freeways.

[ahmadr]

I'd get a Cheetah C50 for all those cameras on the Arizona freeways.

Do they actually care about sending citations to out of state plates?

Also, by any chance do you or anyone else happen to know how would the trapster database perform? or the poi-factory speed camera database?

Thanks

[djrams80]

I'd get a Cheetah C50 for all those cameras on the Arizona freeways.

Do they actually care about sending citations to out of state plates?

Not sure, but didn't want to find out the hard way.

[stinger11]

What happens in AZ when you get a ticket is (this is from my knowledge having lived in AZ having just moved away 4 months ago),

1) They mail the ticket to you in the mail (probably regardless of where you live), they expect you will be a good honest person and own to up to it, yeah freaking right!
2) Ticket is then sent to a process server
3) Process server then maybe tries to serve you, if you are out of state the odds are that they wont even bother. I had my car registered to my parents cabin in a very remote part of northern Arizona, needless to say never got a one of those tickets....
4) Statute of limitations expire on them serving you the ticket and no tickets for you!

So honestly if you live out of state I wouldn't be very worried at all.

[ahmadr]

Thanks stinger11 and everyone

Any comments on NM?

Also, how sneaky are the cops in AZ / CA (in terms of IO)? In TX they are pretty lethal

[stinger11]

I am done that drive a few times (well from Dallas to Phoenix). AZ DPS can be tricky but generally are pretty lazy, watch out for overpasses as they like to sit in the shade and light you up (may or may not be factor with the cooler temperatures). For I/O they seem to have gotten worse, me and my dad did a road trip where we passed I'd say 10 cops and not a one warning from the V1 the entire trip, as soon as we got back into Tucson TPD hit us with Ka and it went off like mad. I honestly don't remember seeing anything at all really in southern NM. As long as you keep your situational awareness up you should be fine. Obviously be far more mindful when approaching cities of any real size whatsoever, i'd say 80% of all AZ DPS is going to be within 33-40of the cities (Casa Grande area is notorious for speed traps). When I do that drive I try and look out as far as I can and see places I would try and set up a trap. Hope that helps, if you have any specific questions about the AZ segment happy to help.