does anyone know what they all mean. like x k ka all that... my radar detector is a escort x50, and idk what all the thigns mean, and it didnt come with anything that told me. i tried to google it and search here. thanks.




FOR SALE: (5) '95-'99 Z24 Rims

i never saw the point in radar detectors....if i get caught then i shouldnt have been doing it in the first place...but thats jsut me.

i dont know what they mean but usuallly the different types refer to pasive radar, active radar, automated sign generated radar, and such.......



I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.

its not something i have so i can do 80 everywhere. its so i can be out past cerfew and know when a cop is around....turn down my music, maybe turn before he sees me...stuff like that. anyway thanks. anyone knwo what each one actually means?




FOR SALE: (5) '95-'99 Z24 Rims

here are the specs with freqs:
http://www.radarbusters.com/products/escort/8500-details.asp
dot know if that helps



o and i wasnt bachins you for having one, jsut voicing my opinion...sorry


Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Monday, October 16, 2006 6:57 PM


I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.

X band is usually nothing police related. More like some automatic doors and things around towns/cities. K can be either. CVS, Wallgreens, Kroger, Walmart, these places which use radar on their automatic doors will set off your detectors K band. Some police cars use K band radar as well, so be leery. Ka radar from my experience is always a police radar.

I don't know how nice your detector is, but it also may detect laser, POP, as well as other radar detectors around you. You should check out the manual that came with your detector for all of this information.




Sold 6/30/06.

i really dont see the point in radar detectors either... most cops dont even have them... alot now are trained to do it by eye and are very accurate...

yeah mine says laser sometimes, which i guess is from like lasering . its a nice one, $250+ new....didnt come with manual though...thats why i asked. thanks eveyrone.




FOR SALE: (5) '95-'99 Z24 Rims

^^ BY eye?? wtf..in canada i know they have to have a reading of how fast your going..not a "oh you look like your going so and so speed" that sounds a bit fishy to me..phil

No cop will ever "eyeball" your speed. As long as you were not doing ridiculous speeds or driving out of control, you can simply go to court and fight it there. I hate to boast, but I know a lot about radar guns and detectors, so feel free to ask about them here. The X50, as you probably know, is one of the "Big 3" detectors and performs extremely well. I don't have the need nor the extra dough for a $300+ RD, so I bought a Whistler Pro-73 and I can say after about 6 months of use it truly is an awesome RD. Anyways, back on topic...

Think of the different bands like different types of cellular phone carriers. (Sprint, Verizon, etc. They all have their advantages and disadvantages, but the soul purpose is to make calls) The same thing applies to radar "bands" When a police dept. buys radar guns and speed signs, they have 4 main options, all of which are very effective at getting your speed.

X-Band: This is an outdated radar band, but police in smaller-sized or lower-budget towns may still use it. The New Jersey state police use it as well, as I get shot by them a fair amount of times. Like David said, when you get hit with X, it's almost always automatic door openers, like the ones at the big shopping centers, they emit radar. I personally have my RD's filter set so only strong X-band radar signals come in, in case there actually is a police officer shooting me with X.

K-Band: This band came out on the market in the late 70's and is still a widely used band of radar guns. They have an adjustable power setting, so sometimes a cruiser will be right next to you and you might only see a medium-strength warning. Generally, any K-Band radar in strengths above 50% are police vehicles or speed traps.

Ka-Band: This is the newest band of radar, and it is the trickiest radar band to catch. Roughly 22% of PD's out there use it. The gun itself, the Stalker II is typically the most used gun for Ka out there.

Laser: A growing trend in speed detection devices is laser (aka Lidar) When a police officer is "shooting"
his or her radar gun, radar frequencies 'scatter' all over the place. Even if the officer is only getting the speed of the vehicle in front of him, the radar can travel for almost a mile, which is why you can pick it up with your RD and slow down in time. However, with laser, the officer uses a scope (like this) to zero in on a reflective item on your vehicle (Generally the license plate or headlights) By the time your radar goes off (If it even does at all) the officer will have your speed. However, they are very expensive and not many PD's at all use them.

There is also a Ku band, which is in use over seas. The advantage to the police is not many people have radar detectors capable of detecting Ku. It should be comming over to the states soon, but many experts don't think that it will be too popular, because if a police dept. is going to upgrade their radar guns, they will simply go with laser and skip the hastles.

The key is mounting your RD properly, and making sure the front of it faces straight out, not tilted up or down. If you can, mount it in the center of your windsheild and low. Personally, I have mine mounted above my rear view mirror to the left, because I have it hard-wired. Play around with different spots. Anyone please let me know if I am mistaken on anything or if you have any tips!

nice write up rob...really informative

and yeah, the stalker II is a nasty SOB. damned thing defeated my valentine V1, cop had it on a switch or something, and was hiding behind a bridge, by the time the detector went off, it was too late.....got me for 82 in a 65. im not mad about it though, cop was just doing his job. just goes to show, best way to avoid tickets (besides not speeding) is a good old fasioned set of eyes, looking for the police

and yeah for mounting it should be parallel with the ground and mounted high








You'll never touch God's hand
You'll never taste God's breath
Because you'll never see the second coming
Life's too short to be focused on insanity
I've seen the ways of God
I'll take the devil any day
Hail Satan

(slayer, skeleton christ, 2006)

mikec2003 wrote:
and yeah for mounting it should be parallel with the ground and mounted high

That's open to debate. There are a number of people who say to put it low, and a number who say put it high. The main thing is to put it somewhere where nothing will be blocking it, front or back.

Check out any of these for more information.
http://www.radartest.com/
http://www.radarbusters.com/
http://guysoflidar.com

Theres no one "perfect" way to mount an RD, but something to keep in mind while you mount it is that radar scatter will be tward the top of your windsheid and laser will be at your lights and front plate. In my area no one is using laser (I think 2 or 3 state troppers are outfitted with them, and the rest use K and Ka guns), so I mount mine high.

true, it probably doesn't make much of a difference, and it may vary by brand.....my valentine owners manual said that at least with the V1 model, to detect the most threats, mount it as high and centered on the windshield as possible, parallel with the ground. but yes, the idea is to get it in position wiht an unobstructed view












You'll never touch God's hand
You'll never taste God's breath
Because you'll never see the second coming
Life's too short to be focused on insanity
I've seen the ways of God
I'll take the devil any day
Hail Satan

(slayer, skeleton christ, 2006)

Sunb1rd wrote:i really dont see the point in radar detectors either... most cops dont even have them... alot now are trained to do it by eye and are very accurate...

This is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. Cops would have no use for a "radar detector," they are the ones using the radar guns. Why would they need to sit there and detect themselves? If you were trying to say they don't use radar then I don't believe that either. You cannot tell me you could ever be trained enough to be going 70 down the interstate... look across at the other side and tell me how fast I was going by eyeballing it. Cops use radar detectors. Only post if you can help answer the question ask.

By the way I have the Escort Passport 8500 x50 mounted somewhat low on the windshield and level with the ground. Works perfectly... it is an amazing detector, well worth the cost. I stepped up from an average $125 Cobra and have had this for over a year. I'm extremely happy with it.

I don't really see why people get so bent out of shape over them... it's not like we're talking about an illegal thing here.




Sold 6/30/06.

Some people just need to stop jacking threads with their personal opinions and just answer the question that the individual is asking. And I agree with you! That is the dumbest comment I have ever heard! To all that answered the question asked for this thread, thank you!



SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!