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MadMonkey wrote:Slightly off topic but speaking of Grapevine... how's the 114/121 construction going? I've been out of the country for over 7 months, need to know how much longer to stay away

It's not all that bad. Traffic isn't any less than it was, but sometimes they'll close a lane down for something. There was one day where they closed it down in both directions for a few hours because of work being done on the Texan Trail bridge.

A lot of the time, if I'm headed to Elm Fork for instance (I live near 121 and Hall Johnson Rd), I'll just take Stone Meyers up to Mustang, make a right, and stay on Mustang until it becomes Airport Drive. I'll follow that all the way to Freeport Parkway and get back on the 114 there. It's almost as fast as the freeway on most days, and faster than the freeway on others, and you don't have to deal with the crazy stuff in the construction zone.

PUCKER wrote:One of these definitely helps, has saved my bacon more times that I can count (at least 23 times in a 1,900 mile trip last year), so does driving the speed limit ....

https://www.escortradar.com/store/passport-9500ix.html



Regarding the GV Connector - it's a *mess* but I'm amazed at the progress...I try to avoid it at all costs, using every back road I know! Definitely not a place where you want to speed, it changes all the time (lanes, exits, etc).

The "ghost-marked" GV PD Chargers are pretty sneaky...my head is on a swivel...especially when I see a Charger, always looking for the telltale LEO equipment.

I used to use a Valentine 1 for years and years... I stopped. It sits on the shelf in my office now. I may sell it.
The reason? Not that it's not the best detector on the market... no. It's fantastic, but the problem is two-fold.

The primary for me is the the message it sends my daughter. When she was very young, it wasn't an issue, but as she got older and started asking what it does. Then questions like, "why do you want to know when police are around?" Or, "are you trying to speed without getting caught?"
Yes, I'd explain that it helps for those times when you 'forget', but I think the wrong message was being sent, so I removed it from the car.

The secondary reason is minor... It's laser. They're worthless against the primary thing used on the highway today, and that's laser. Unless you get a shifter (scrambler) for laser, the detector means nothing. It only tells you when you've been hit.

Didn't I read one that Texas has one of the highest LEO to citizen ratio?

Anyone remember those first radar detects, the woodgrain box with the big light right in the middle?
Used one for years.

As for LIDAR vs RADAR, my observation is that LIDAR is mostly used in urban areas where they need to pick a vehicle out of a crowd. DPS is mostly using RADAR out on the interstates. It's the only thing that works from a moving vehicle.

I'd probably be interested in one of those detectors if it's a current model. I really don't speed much anymore (with notable exceptions), but I like to know when my speed is being monitored.

Scott in Houston wrote:The primary for me is the the message it sends my daughter. When she was very young, it wasn't an issue, but as she got older and started asking what it does. Then questions like, "why do you want to know when police are around?" Or, "are you trying to speed without getting caught?"
Yes, I'd explain that it helps for those times when you 'forget', but I think the wrong message was being sent, so I removed it from the car.

The secondary reason is minor... It's laser. They're worthless against the primary thing used on the highway today, and that's laser. Unless you get a shifter (scrambler) for laser, the detector means nothing. It only tells you when you've been hit.

No kids for me, but if you saw my car, well, it sort of sends it's own message about speed ('12 Corvette Grand Sport Centennial Edition)

I've been hit with a laser a few times and also have been alerted ahead of time as well. My experience with laser has been in urban / dense areas where going with the flow of traffic is about all you do. Pretty much what I detect is Ka with a K every now and then and of course, X, but that's primarily auto door openers.

PUCKER wrote:

Scott in Houston wrote:The primary for me is the the message it sends my daughter. When she was very young, it wasn't an issue, but as she got older and started asking what it does. Then questions like, "why do you want to know when police are around?" Or, "are you trying to speed without getting caught?"
Yes, I'd explain that it helps for those times when you 'forget', but I think the wrong message was being sent, so I removed it from the car.

The secondary reason is minor... It's laser. They're worthless against the primary thing used on the highway today, and that's laser. Unless you get a shifter (scrambler) for laser, the detector means nothing. It only tells you when you've been hit.

No kids for me, but if you saw my car, well, it sort of sends it's own message about speed ('12 Corvette Grand Sport Centennial Edition)

I've been hit with a laser a few times and also have been alerted ahead of time as well. My experience with laser has been in urban / dense areas where going with the flow of traffic is about all you do. Pretty much what I detect is Ka with a K every now and then and of course, X, but that's primarily auto door openers.

You're the guy that put the pictures here when you got that clear coat covering, right? I've seen at least 4 black vettes in the past month in the Grapevine area and keep wondering if each one I see is you.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

C-dub wrote:Don't know about DPS, but I have been noticing the Grapevine guys running those unmarked Chargers along SH121 more the last couple of weeks. They have a black/charcoal one and a maroon one that will just sneak right up on you. I always have my cruise control on the limit or +1, so I haven't had any trouble, but I've seen anywhere from 2-5 people stopped every day the last two weeks in that area. Irving police have also been heavily patrolling I-635 west of I-35E during this same time period.

I've seen the charcoal gray Charger before, but not the maroon one. Thanks for the heads up. I live just a hop skip and a jump off of SH121, and I use it frequently, particularly the on/off ramps for Hall Johnson Rd......although ever since Stone Meyers Parkway opend up through to Mustang Drive (right by where my church is), I take that route much more frequently now.

I do see the charcoal one more often. I saw him running radar underneath the 380 bridge as it went over 121 this morning. Since they're unmarked I'm not sure, but I think they belong to Euless.

PUCKER wrote:

Scott in Houston wrote:The primary for me is the the message it sends my daughter. When she was very young, it wasn't an issue, but as she got older and started asking what it does. Then questions like, "why do you want to know when police are around?" Or, "are you trying to speed without getting caught?"
Yes, I'd explain that it helps for those times when you 'forget', but I think the wrong message was being sent, so I removed it from the car.

The secondary reason is minor... It's laser. They're worthless against the primary thing used on the highway today, and that's laser. Unless you get a shifter (scrambler) for laser, the detector means nothing. It only tells you when you've been hit.

No kids for me, but if you saw my car, well, it sort of sends it's own message about speed ('12 Corvette Grand Sport Centennial Edition)

I've been hit with a laser a few times and also have been alerted ahead of time as well. My experience with laser has been in urban / dense areas where going with the flow of traffic is about all you do. Pretty much what I detect is Ka with a K every now and then and of course, X, but that's primarily auto door openers.

Nice car. I'm in a sedan that will keep up with ya. It's easy to get over the speed limit by accident, but no more detector for me.
When I used it, I turned X off. It's useless. Just K and Ka.
DPS will use laser too. Don't be fooled into thinking you're only gonna see radar out there. My last two tickets were from DPS and a laser on I45 between Houston and Dallas.

I see a boatload of DPS vehicles every day. There are also new SUVs with custom paint jobs and rear-window screens promoting recruitment; they do not look like LEO vehicles at first glance.

But then, I live fairly close to their major facility at 290 and West Road in northwest Houston. DPS is my welcome neighbor.

Scott in Houston wrote:The secondary reason is minor... It's laser. They're worthless against the primary thing used on the highway today, and that's laser. Unless you get a shifter (scrambler) for laser, the detector means nothing. It only tells you when you've been hit.

I used a radar detector from 1975 until 2005. In 2005, I got popped for speeding twice within a week of each other via laser. My first alert was the one that nailed me in both circumstances.

That is when I realized that they were now worse than useless -- that they gave a false and unwarranted sense of confidence.

I put it in the drawer at home and haven't used it since. Instead, I usually put the cruise control on 7-8 mph over limit and have never been stopped since.

C-dub wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:

C-dub wrote:Don't know about DPS, but I have been noticing the Grapevine guys running those unmarked Chargers along SH121 more the last couple of weeks. They have a black/charcoal one and a maroon one that will just sneak right up on you. I always have my cruise control on the limit or +1, so I haven't had any trouble, but I've seen anywhere from 2-5 people stopped every day the last two weeks in that area. Irving police have also been heavily patrolling I-635 west of I-35E during this same time period.

I've seen the charcoal gray Charger before, but not the maroon one. Thanks for the heads up. I live just a hop skip and a jump off of SH121, and I use it frequently, particularly the on/off ramps for Hall Johnson Rd......although ever since Stone Meyers Parkway opend up through to Mustang Drive (right by where my church is), I take that route much more frequently now.

I do see the charcoal one more often. I saw him running radar underneath the 380 bridge as it went over 121 this morning. Since they're unmarked I'm not sure, but I think they belong to Euless.

I see the maroon one all the time. It works the school zone on Ball st. near Cannon Elementary regularly and I see it all the time working between William D. Tate and Texan Trail general area. Its not really unmarked, it does have Grapevine Police in gold lettering on the side but its next to impossible to see.

Scott in Houston wrote: Nice car. I'm in a sedan that will keep up with ya. It's easy to get over the speed limit by accident, but no more detector for me.
When I used it, I turned X off. It's useless. Just K and Ka.
DPS will use laser too. Don't be fooled into thinking you're only gonna see radar out there. My last two tickets were from DPS and a laser on I45 between Houston and Dallas.

Do tell about your sedan!

My experience is that most cops go after what I call the "low-hanging fruit"...in other words, the easiest way to catch someone with the least effort on their part (sit in the median or the side of the highway and just leave the radar on versus using instant-on)...it's the "creative" ones you have to watch out for...like the motorjocks with the laser on top of the bridge, etc....

C-dub wrote:You're the guy that put the pictures here when you got that clear coat covering, right? I've seen at least 4 black vettes in the past month in the Grapevine area and keep wondering if each one I see is you.

Yes, the paint protection film / clear bra. If it's a fat guy in a hawaiian shirt, odds are it's me!

PUCKER wrote:

C-dub wrote:You're the guy that put the pictures here when you got that clear coat covering, right? I've seen at least 4 black vettes in the past month in the Grapevine area and keep wondering if each one I see is you.

Yes, the paint protection film / clear bra. If it's a fat guy in a hawaiian shirt, odds are it's me!

Well, couldn't possibly be anybody else around here that matches THAT description!!

sjfcontrol wrote:

PUCKER wrote:

C-dub wrote:You're the guy that put the pictures here when you got that clear coat covering, right? I've seen at least 4 black vettes in the past month in the Grapevine area and keep wondering if each one I see is you.

Yes, the paint protection film / clear bra. If it's a fat guy in a hawaiian shirt, odds are it's me!

Well, couldn't possibly be anybody else around here that matches THAT description!!

I know, LOL! So, to clear things up, I'm on the left in this pic. Had a really cool photo op this past Friday at the Corvette club meeting. A fellow member brought his *unrestored* 1957 Fuel-Injected Corvette out...so we had to get a "now and then" pic...his '57 is BEAUTIFUL...amazing lines/curves....

PUCKER wrote:

Scott in Houston wrote: Nice car. I'm in a sedan that will keep up with ya. It's easy to get over the speed limit by accident, but no more detector for me.
When I used it, I turned X off. It's useless. Just K and Ka.
DPS will use laser too. Don't be fooled into thinking you're only gonna see radar out there. My last two tickets were from DPS and a laser on I45 between Houston and Dallas.

Do tell about your sedan!

My experience is that most cops go after what I call the "low-hanging fruit"...in other words, the easiest way to catch someone with the least effort on their part (sit in the median or the side of the highway and just leave the radar on versus using instant-on)...it's the "creative" ones you have to watch out for...like the motorjocks with the laser on top of the bridge, etc....

Here she is when she was new...



My track car is here.... (I love cars and blue hah)




Hope it works. Doing this from an iPhone.