[raceyBMW]

For those with radar detectors, has anyone else noticed lately driving down I-25 or I-70 near downtown that their radar detector does this crazy K-band blast every so often? Its nearly instant on K-band, and then goes away a couple seconds later. I read somewhere that it may be radar based cruise control, but I am not sure about that.

I have been noticing it more and more, and its beginning to really annoy me. At least patrols around the area only really use Ka-band (or laser) to clock you, but still....

Am I the only one seeing this? If others are seeing it, which radar detectors are you using (I have V1)?

[liquord]

Infiniti is known to use this in their cruise control system.

[Dackz]

Yea, I noticed it too. I think its the damn speed detectors that the news stations use to determine speeds during rush hour traffic. I notice it at pretty evenly spaced intervals.

I have the V1 too. I end up just cranking down the volume.

[raceyBMW]

Originally Posted by liquord

Infiniti is known to use this in their cruise control system.

They use laser for their cruise control, not K-band...but yeah, that's annoying too.

I have thought about turning off K-band completely (have X-band off), but I have been to some small towns here that still do use K-band for their radars. The false reads around town here are getting bad enough that I am still considering it though.

[Nomad]

Seen it but I got the new Escort 9500xi for Fathers Day and it marks the false signals and I dont hear them again....man I love this detector - tells me when red light and speed cameras are around as well.

[raceyBMW]

I just don't know if I could live without my arrows.....

[Xiaofeng]

Hey racey, I've been getting the same thing with my V1. The signals would come on full blast and then fade to nothing, similar to a POP blast. Here are some of the most prominent ones that I've noticed in my daily commutes:

I-25:
-Between I-70 and US-36. A $#!+ ton of them in this stretch. The V1 goes nuts.
-Between Park Avenue and Speer Blvd.

I-70:
-By the Denver Colliseum.
-Just east of Colorado Blvd, by the "Bud's Warehouse" and Safeway plant.

I-225:
-About 1/2 mile south of the I-70 interchange.
-Between Alameda Ave. and Colfax Ave.


I'm sure there are a few I'm forgetting, but this is starting to get ridiculous. It used to be only a few falses that I could zone out, but now I'm finding myself getting de-sensitized to the V1, so much so that I'm starting to look at the 9500ix.

I too have been programming the sensitivity of the K-band, but it's pretty pointless when the signal comes on full blast. I hesitate to turn off the K band completely, just because I have seen a couple cops run K band. However, the vast majority of cops I see just pull over on the side of the road and use laser. Makes me wish laser jammers weren't illegal in Colorado....

[cadeucsb]

Not an e90 guy (e82 here), but was just reading through the rockies section since the 1addicts site for our area is a ghost town and was surprised to see this topic...

I have an older Bel detector and assumed it was just dying getting these full on blasts, then down to nothing all in about 1-2 secs...no ramp up or down in signal strength.

[Dackz]

Had this same thing happen to me in both Vegas and So Cal (LA area). I am almost now positive its how the early morning teams get their local traffic speeds. Thats the only thing that I can think of.

[raceyBMW]

That's just great.

On another note, I was sitting down at a stop light on Arapahoe heading east, and a sheriff was turning in front of me while I was stopped there, and he was giving off K-band!!

WTF, since when did they start using K-band again? I had to keep looking up at my radar to make sure that was right.

[Xiaofeng]

Yeah, I've seen a few cops run K band while in their cruisers. That's why I'm hesitant on turning it off entirely, despite the crazy amount of falses.

I've even seen a couple cops run X-band! Of course, this was in Dumas, Texas, so they're not much of a threat here in Colorado.

I've been looking around to see if there is anything that can integrate with the V1 that mimics the GPS lockout functionality of the Escort 9500ix. If V1 made an update that incorporated that feature into the current units, I would be beating Mike's door down to get the upgrade.

[raceyBMW]

Anyone drive E470 a lot? Just east of I-25, there is always a Ka band hit there, which is normally a cop, but its every time, and always the same spot...

Also, was on road trip last weekend...apparently all the electronic speed signs in Telluride use Ka band, guess they have that kind of money out there.

And finally, don't speed on E-470 going to the airport...the cops use laser....guess how I found out!

[Appropriate]

Man, I use a V1, and I've decided the thing is almost just a nightmare... it's always going off for some shit. A while back I drove from Denver to Salt Lake via 25 and 80, and I'm pretty sure the thing was going off solid between here and Cheyenne.

It worked pretty solid across Utah, but given the sparsity of traffic in front of you sometimes drawing signals you can detect, along with instant-on Ka, it's almost pointless... I just set it to 7 or 8 over and cruise (of course, in canyons I can't resist the urge to hit the gas :-).

The only time I see X or K band on it seems it's those signs which display your speed. It seems that when Ka band comes up, it's almost always a cop.

The laser detection seems to work pretty well, but if you detect it, your done. So what's the point?

[raceyBMW]

Yup, my V1 detected the laser alright...right before the cop put on his lights

I have completely disabled X band, don't even wanna hear that anymore. The speed signs around are usually K band, but like I said in Telluride they were using Ka band in their signs for some reason. I still will always take Ka band seriously though.

I am thinking no more than 10 over around town, and just really use the V1 for "special" occasions.

[Xiaofeng]

Bummer about the laser tag, Racey. I usually don't go past 10 MPH over the limit when in town. Too many damn CHP pigs going lidar happy these days. Right after the "s" curve on northbound I-225, between Colfax and I-70, the cops love to sit and ambush people with laser, and that's the stretch people usually go about 75 even though it's still a 55 zone.

Every time I drive by that area, I slow way the heck down (pissing everyone off behind me in the process), and about half of the time, there are the pigs on their Beemers. Likewise, virtually every time I drive by them, V1 says I get tagged (going 55), even though I'm not speeding. Probably one of the drawbacks of driving around in a bright blue car.

[raceyBMW]

Its just so damn difficult to go anywhere less than 80mph in this car.

[Dackz]

Originally Posted by raceyBMW

Its just so damn difficult to go anywhere less than 80mph in this car.

This is true. The faster it goes the smoother it gets I think. And when going 80 on the I-25 I can just squeeze it a tad and BOOM, hundo.

[liquord]

Originally Posted by raceyBMW

Its just so damn difficult to go anywhere less than 80mph in this car.

You gotta do something about that lead foot of yours... We law abiders only go five over. We swear!

[Xiaofeng]

Originally Posted by raceyBMW

Its just so damn difficult to go anywhere less than 80mph in this car.

I hear ya. I've found that with my 335xi, it's happiest cruising right around 80 MPH. There's enough power to get you going in 6th gear, yet you're returning close to the highest MPG while in cruise control. Slower than that, the engine lugs a little bit and you actually get worse MPG, and faster than that, drag starts to affect the car exponentially. I managed to go from Amarillo, TX all the way to Aurora, CO, on just over 14 gallons of gas while (mostly) cruising at 80-85 MPH. That's like 440 miles and 31 MPG!

Originally Posted by liquord

You gotta do something about that lead foot of yours... We law abiders only go five over. We swear!

Lol, that's right! Never more than 5 over! Honest!

[IN54NITY]

Has anyone seen Colorado police/sheriff/CHP use X-band at all lately?

[richpike]

Originally Posted by aleckzandr

Has anyone seen Colorado police/sheriff/CHP use X-band at all lately?

Highway Patrol - definitely not. They use KA when on the move, and sometimes Laser when stationary (although I believe that is very rare). I haven't seen X-band being used by any police officer in a LONG time - even officers in small towns like South Park, Ramah, etc. use K at a minimum, and sometimes KA or Laser.

-Rich

[raceyBMW]

No, I have X-band turned off. No one uses X band anymore.

K, very rarely...mostly in small towns and for the speed boxes on the side of the road that tell you your speed
Ka, this is what most cops will use
Laser, Cop has to be stationary, and shooting out his window, will not work through glass or while moving. But as I unfortunately found out, more and more seem to be using it.