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I'll be going to California for the holidays from Long Beach to Santa Maria.
Does anyone know what the major speed measuring techniques are currently employed on 405 and 101. I'm wondering if it is worth it to take my STI on the trip, to detect radar traps or is California currently predominately laser?
Not sure on the 405 or 101, but I know this. KA will be your most used band. LASER is some of the big cities (LA and Riverside counties I think) but definately KA for sure.
Ace
CHP is always KA.. i have never encountered K (just from those bloody doors :P)
Ka and laser only. Laser is rare too. I have yet to see a cop use laser in cali and I live in the state and drive all over it.
Local cops within cities might use K band rarly, but if they do then it probably is in a dense area where the cops are not looking for speeders and are doing other things.
Driving through cali is comfortable. Turn off K and X and you have no falses, and less then a 1% chance of ever having a laser sighting.
Oh and keep in mind, cops around here (not sure about there exactly) are big on pacing and sometimes vascular.
Assuming you haven't already departed on your trip. I go to school in San Luis Obispo, which is 15 miles north of Santa Maria and an hour north of Santa Barbara. Every time I've driven down to LA, or to Santa Barbara, I've seen at least two CHP officers between SLO and Santa Barbara, after that all the way to the interchange with 405 smooth sailing with not a LEO in sight. I've driven it at least 10 times now (some not all the way to LA but to Santa Barbara) theres always a cop when I've driven it waiting outside Santa Barbara. Since it's CHP they're either pacing or using Ka and since most of the speed traps through there are with the cop hiding around a bend, he'd have to be using radar. Hope that helps some. Same places too, a right hand curve going North about 15 miles North of Santa Barbara when you're driving along parallel the train track and then later on theres a few bends when you're going through the hills.
Drove down to San Jose from Seattle yesterday and headed further down to San Diego in a couple of days. Only laser in CA was an Infinity. CHP up north near border was using Constant On Ka, very easy to detect. I have already turned off X, only K was door openers.
If K is really not used between SJ and SD (can someone confirm it?), that'll be great as I can then turn off K band while in CA.
As far as I know K band isn't used by the CHP for speed. Their maybe some local city cops that use it, but I have never encountered a K band CHP or LEO for that matter.
V1Dave may be able to fill you in for San Diego.
Ace
I found the CHP using K band only once, on the 8 freeway in the mountains East of Alpine and San Diego.
The CHP use almost exclusively KA band, and San Diego police use KA and Laser.
Should I also disable K Band?
Escort 8500 X50 Rev 5, Solano County, CA here and the only alerts I have ever recieved from K band are those darn weather drones along 680 / 80 and door openers.
Agree its KA on CHP all the time..... I have my laser turned on due to driving an fx35, but prior to owning it there were laser hits every once in a great while, but KA for sure.
Question:
Anyone know what is being used in Beverly Hills/West LA on the bike cops? Its a handheld that I see them use all the time, but I have run into one when I have my V1 in the car..... I think it is KA. Is that the only band they seem to be using locally? I see those bike cops.... ALL THE TIME!