[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by m2ruder

The V1 I had constantly was going off due to the new encroachment/collision system on the LCI so I got rid of it. It did me no good going off constantly. Then I get a radar ticket so now I just got a R3. Will see how it works with the LCI

Collision system isn't radar-based on this car, it's a camera / visual system.

My V1 doesn't go off at all except from legit sources and the very rare blind spot system on other cars; however, I have LIDAR/laser disabled on it (again, it's just a "ticket detector" for LIDAR anyway).

I remember the thread in the past where people were complaining of false alarms and ISTR that they were LIDAR alerts?

[Spa2k]

If you move the V1 all around the dash and above the windshield, the laser detector will pick up the car’s LEDs. Valentine 1 suggest leaving the laser detection on, but putting a small piece of tape over the rear laser sensor to the right of the counter. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it helps.

No, I’m not kidding.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by Spa2k

If you move the V1 all around the dash and above the windshield, the laser detector will pick up the car’s LEDs. Valentine 1 suggest leaving the laser detection on, but putting a small piece of tape over the rear laser sensor to the right of the counter. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it helps.

No, I’m not kidding.

I'm just not sure what LEDs it's picking up. Only thing I can think of is maybe the safety camera uses IR LEDs for night vision and they are active at all times (which seems silly, because why use them when the sun is out)... but this only makes sense if it only happens on Exec package cars.

If it's happening to everyone, then it's either the rain/light sensor (which supposedly bounces IR off the windshield at an angle, but was never a problem in my VW or Audi), or it's something related to the interior lighting...

[Spa2k]

No, it’s the LEDs used for lighting and displays in the central dash - and the two overhead ones by the map lights

[voyagergab]

My laser detection goes off briefly when I'm backing out of the garage and sometimes when pulling in. Just for a couple seconds so doesn't bother me. Escort Max 360.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Thanks for the tips, I remember the thread and I tried many things and it just kept false alarming and it was the latest rev and software. Worked perfect in the M4 but not in M2. The real only difference in the M2 vs M4 that i could figure out was the collision avoidance. M4 did not have it but did have the full exec & lighting package. Either way I sold it and not bought the R3 which should be better per the reviews

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by Spa2k

No, it’s the LEDs used for lighting and displays in the central dash - and the two overhead ones by the map lights

This makes no sense though. (I'm not calling you a liar, I'm just saying from a physics perspective, it doesn't seem right.)

LIDAR is infrared, at 904nm. The LIDAR detection circuit in a radar detector (V1 or otherwise) is tuned to look at that wavelength and nothing else.

Modern LEDs generally do not give off a wide spectrum of light - they are typically tuned for a specific wavelength (color).

[Spa2k]

I understand completely. All I can say is that I spent a long time last fall with one of the Valentine One staff discussing this (and testing different things with my unit in the car). Taping over the rear laser sensor (which is only a marginally useful sensor anyway) is the only thing that worked; I also have the V1 mounted low, an inch or two over the top of the dash, which is not the best place to put it - obviously, it should be as high as possible on the windshield.

We even tried things like mounting the V1 to the rear package shelf, powering it from the trunk, powering it from a source outside the car to make sure it wasn’t an electrical interference problem and a bunch of other things. This was the best, if somewhat bizarre, solution.

It’s frustrating that the company known for decades for producing the best detector on the market can’t solve this and hasn’t come up with a truly new product to compete in the marketplace, but the bottom line is even with a few nuisance alarms, the thing still works.

BTW, my M2 does not have the Executive Package, so the problem is not associated with any of the electronic nannies that are part of it. A lot of people automatically blame those devices, but that’s not right.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

You know with the V1 I had a blend mount, then I tried visor mount, then windshield mount but always upper half of windshield and across most of the span. Always was constantly going off. Never tried it down by the dash due to always being tole to mount it as high as possible for the best coverage. All those places i tried it went off....

I always thought it would be nice to have it lower and not hanging up in the way but never tried it......Sometimes I wonder if it really makes that much of a difference

[ZPrime]

For radar, traditional knowledge is that higher is better. For LIDAR, you actually want it lower... but again, detecting lidar is pointless.

IMO you guys should just get into the advanced configuration of the V1 and simply shut off the LIDAR detection. Mine works perfectly fine as a radar detector.

One of these days I'll mess around with the settings and re-enable LIDAR and see if mine goes nuts like the two of you experienced.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

For radar, traditional knowledge is that higher is better. For LIDAR, you actually want it lower... but again, detecting lidar is pointless.

IMO you guys should just get into the advanced configuration of the V1 and simply shut off the LIDAR detection. Mine works perfectly fine as a radar detector.

One of these days I'll mess around with the settings and re-enable LIDAR and see if mine goes nuts like the two of you experienced.

I am a beginner...why is LIDAR pointless

[dcmac]

Originally Posted by m2ruder

I am a beginner...why is LIDAR pointless

I assume because once you’re hit with LIDAR it’s already too late..?

Also.. keen to hear of your experience with your new R3, I’m considering an R1.

It’s so much cash to drop either way but I really want at least a bit of piece of mind during canyon runs...

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by m2ruder

I am a beginner...why is LIDAR pointless

detecting LIDAR is pointless.

As the guy above me said, by the time you detect it, they already have your speed.

Radar is radio waves, like VHF/UHF, wifi, FM/AM, etc. It bounces around and isn't all that targeted. The cops aim the radar gun at an area, and it tells them the speed of the fastest thing in that area, and they have to use their eyes to confirm which car is moving fastest.

Because it bounces around, radar detectors are great - they pick up those radar frequencies from 1-2 miles away, before you are actually in the "danger zone" by the cop.

LIDAR on the other hand, is laser light. Just like a laser pointer, but more powerful, and infrared (you can't see it). At 2000 feet, the beam from a lidar gun is only around 3-4 feet, IIRC. Basically, when the cop points the gun at a car, he knows he is getting the speed of that car. Additionally, the beam doesn't really bounce around the same way radar does. If you are behind someone who is being targeted, you might have a small chance of picking up what we call "scatter" (usually lidar that went through their glass and kept going), but again, chances of this are really low. Plus, in order to be able to catch it, the detector needs to be SUPER sensitive to lidar... which is why it is going off from some other infrared source inside the car. Or from other cars' laser cruise control...

The only way to effectively defend yourself against LIDAR is to either not speed, or to have a lidar jammer.

It's worth figuring out what is used in your area though - some places don't really use lidar, so you may not need to defend against a threat that isn't there.

[boostm3]

Originally Posted by MrKepan

Uniden R1. I have the the DFR6, which was the previous gen model. Saved me a ticket today.

This! I have the R1.. it just works.. Love it; replaced my classic V1 with it and couldnt be happier.

[randyt]

I have been using various Escort detectors for about 10 years. The addition of the GPS and its ability to reduce falses for stationary emitters greatly enhanced usability. Crowd sourced platforms like Escort Live and Waze are also useful if you can tolerate the "noise" generated once you get the hang of the data they provide.

More recently, I have been questioning the value of radar detectors as driver assistance technologies begin to proliferate.

Not long ago I was chased by an SUV that kept me 360 MAX generating falses for 30 min or so. I am sure they saw my detector and decided to tuck in behind me - ugh. Their collision avoidance system kept triggering my detector and I couldn't shake them driving reasonably responsibly.

I eventually turned my detector off.

Has anyone found a detector that does a good job of minimizing these falses?

[randyt]

I have been using various Escort detectors for about 10 years. The addition of the GPS and its ability to reduce falses for stationary emitters greatly enhanced usability. Crowd sourced platforms like Escort Live and Waze are also useful if you can tolerate the "noise" generated once you get the hang of the data they provide.

More recently, I have been questioning the value of radar detectors as driver assistance technologies have begun to proliferate.

Not long ago I was chased by an SUV that kept my 360 MAX generating falses for 30 min or so. I am sure they saw my detector and decided to tuck in behind me - ugh. Their collision avoidance system kept triggering my detector and I couldn't shake them driving reasonably responsibly.

I eventually turned my detector off.

Has anyone found a detector that does a good job of minimizing these falses?

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by randyt

I have been using various Escort detectors for about 10 years. The addition of the GPS and its ability to reduce falses for stationary emitters greatly enhanced usability. Crowd sourced platforms like Escort Live and Waze are also useful if you can tolerate the "noise" generated once you get the hang of the data they provide.

More recently, I have been questioning the value of radar detectors as driver assistance technologies have begun to proliferate.

Not long ago I was chased by an SUV that kept my 360 MAX generating falses for 30 min or so. I am sure they saw my detector and decided to tuck in behind me - ugh. Their collision avoidance system kept triggering my detector and I couldn't shake them driving reasonably responsibly.

I eventually turned my detector off.

Has anyone found a detector that does a good job of minimizing these falses?

Randy, the Escort stuff sadly is falling behind on filtering a bit. The Max360 should still be decent though - have you updated the firmware?

Check out VortexRadar.com - he has config / setup guides to help you get the best performance out of most detectors.

[randyt]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

Randy, the Escort stuff sadly is falling behind on filtering a bit. The Max360 should still be decent though - have you updated the firmware?

Check out VortexRadar.com - he has config / setup guides to help you get the best performance out of most detectors.

Just updated yesterday. Too early to know what difference it will make. I have used detectors for a long time and think I am pretty well set up but I can always learn. I'll take a look.

[stefan]

Uniden R3, best bang for buck. Funny you mention the V1, I also found it to be garbage despite its popularity. I had a 9500ix before this and its performance was so-so.

[cecaa850]

Anyone ever try Veil G5?

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by stefan

Uniden R3, best bang for buck. Funny you mention the V1, I also found it to be garbage despite its popularity. I had a 9500ix before this and its performance was so-so.

The V1 is a monster on Ka band and can be very good on K as well, if you don't mind it being "chatty." To quiet it down, you end up sacrificing some K range. All of this requires a lot of manual screwing around in the settings though - out of the box, a V1 is not as good as it can be.

The only sane way to run a V1 these days is with their bluetooth module and your phone though. I use an app called V1Driver that adds the speed-based muting (like the "Savvy" device, but from your cellphone instead), and it also does GPS-based lockouts that are auto-learned over time, like the Escort gear. The only downside is that it requires a phone to be connected & talking to the detector to enable all of this.

I'm running the V1 + V1Driver app as a temporary thing until I can find the time and money to get the stealth-installed systems I want put on the car.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by cecaa850

Anyone ever try Veil G5?

Veil helps cut down on lidar reflections off of shiny surfaces (chrome / etc), but Veil on its own isn't likely to provide a "save" unless the LEO was already rushed / not getting good targeting on the car.

Veil can't really hurt, but it's not gonna help much all by itself, you need active countermeasures for lidar.