I was driving a little over the speed limit on a highway when I saw a police car. At that moment, I wondered if the cops could tell that I had a radar detector. As my muscles grew tense, I waited for their response. Nothing happened. Still, it’d be a few minutes before I could completely relax. That’s what got me thinking about radar detectors.
Having a radar detector can be one of the most useful equipment that you can use in your vehicle. It can not only save you from some trouble but also prevent that you receive tickets. In short, it can be great equipment to have in your car. It’ll help you know when your vehicle is being tested by a speed detector for going over the speed limit.
So, can cops tell if you have a radar detector? Cops can’t detect your radar detector. This equipment isn’t leaking radio waves or any other detectable signal that could be traced by the police. Still, trained police officers know how to estimate your speed by looking at your car. So, depending on your body language, you could make them suspicious.
This is why it’s important that you know everything there’s to know about radar detectors if you’re considering getting one. Learn how to make sure that the cops won’t know that you have one and know how to install it and use it afterward. If you read till the end of this article, you’re going to learn all that and more.
Radar Detectors Don’t Give Off Detectable Signals Or Frequencies
First off, the most important thing that you must keep in mind is that radar detectors don’t leak enough frequencies or waves for them to detectable by any device. So, in short, cops or anyone else won’t be able to use a device to detect if you have one.
This is important because it means that there’s no scientific way to prove that you’re carrying a radar detector. So, the only thing that the cop can tell is to say that they used their instincts. This isn’t enough to prove that you have one.
Now, it’s also important to point out that cops that stay on the side of the road using their devices usually can estimate your speed limit. Their eyes are trained in such a way that they usually get pretty close to the actual speed. This is how they select on whom to use the radar.
So, you can rest assured that they can’t for certainty tell if you get this highly recommended a radar detector or not, but they are pretty good at estimating how fast you were going. All you have to do is to be careful in that scenario.
Signs You Give Off That You’re Using A Radar Detector
As you’ve been told you, the cops can’t detect your radar detector, but there are signs that you give off that lets them know you’re using one. For instance, you abruptly breaks and reduce your speed considerably. Then, your lights are usually activated when you do it.
These are immediate signs that you’re likely to be using a radar detector. Not only that but body language counts as well. If you’re driving by a police car and looking nervous is not a good thing. For instance, staring at the police officer or touching your neck are usually signs that you’re nervous.
The point is that the best you can do is to avoid those tell-tale signs that you might be giving off. Try to drive normally, obviously, below the speed limit. Still, don’t drive too slow as if you can tell that the cop has a radar device pointed at you.
So, if you avoid simple things like this, cops won’t be able to tell that you have a radar detector. It’s also relevant to point out that radar detectors are legal in 49 states. So, chances are that you’re totally fine by making use of them.
How To Install The Detector
There isn’t a lot of mystery in regards to installing this radar detector offered on Amazon. All you have to do is to turn it on and follow the instruction of the manufacturer. It’s usually done within a minute or two since the device is pre-set to work on its own. You’ll notice that it’s easier than it looks.
Now, what you’re likely to do is to have to set up the device. What you have to do is to mount the detector in the recommended location on the dash or windshield. Be extra careful so the device does not obstruct your vision in any way. Also, try to not make it as visible.
Then, once you make sure that the device is firmly attached to the car, you must take care of the power source. Take the power cord and plug it to the cigarette lighter or another power outlet that your car might have. Once you’re done, turn on the device and test it.
So, make sure that the radar detector is mounted to the dash or windshield. The radar detector usually comes with suction cups or adhesives that will make it easier to mount it to the car. Then plug it into a power source, and you’re good to go.
Place It On The Car Dash
You can theoretically place the radar detector on the car dash or the windshield. Still, the best place is the car dash. The reason is simple. It’s the place that hides it better and that it also obstructs your view the least.
Now, it’s important to point out that having a radar detector is legal in 49 states but, you still don’t want cops to see that you have one. It’ll only make you stand out. So, the best strategy is to place it in the least visible place.
So, you can put the radar detector on the windshield as well, but the car dash is the best location by far. It will make it also easier for you to see the signal from the device when it detects a radar being pointed at you. Just make sure that you do place it on the car dash in a way that does not obstruct your view.
False Alert Filtering
Radar detectors work by capturing certain frequencies and reading them as radars. Sometimes, a few devices may read this frequency wrong. This means that it’d be capturing the signal from a device that isn’t a radar but interpreting it as a radar. This would create a false alert. Now, if you have half a dozen false alerts, you’d go crazy and probably give up on using radar detectors.
This is why having a feature as false alert filtering so important. You can find this feature in a few devices. What it does is make sure that it filters those false alerts, so the device is not going off all the time. When the device eventually captures the signal of a real radar, it lets you know immediately and you’ll be sure that it’s not a false alert.
So, make sure that a radar detector like this one has this important feature. It’ll save you a lot of headaches. It’ll also make sure that you don’t become desensitized by all the false alerts that you’d be getting otherwise.
Final Thoughts
Make sure that you don’t give off the wrong signals, so cops don’t become suspicious that you have a radar detector. Remember above all else that they can’t tell if you have a radar detector by using some kind of device for that. Also, make sure that you install the device on your car dash in a way that doesn’t obstruct your view.
So, if you do this, you’ll be able to use a radar detector with no problem. Make sure you follow instruction and the device should work perfectly for you.