bamyi

iTrader: (2)

Since the MilehighZ.com site is down, I'll post some interesting results here.

First off, thanks everyone for coming out, with a pleasent suprise from Dave K....one leg and all.

We had 2 Valentine. I forgot to ask what year. Included was one Bell 9500.

The test was cut short due to unexpected events but here's what I learned.

All the units can detect the radar fairly well at neary 500 ft. away. Even when the Radar was emitting through some dense brushes, all the detectors were able to pick it up. Unknown on signal strenght and type of radar it showed.

We also did a test with the radar on AND the Ladar (laser) at the same time. I knew that the detectors picked it up, but I'm curious if they were able to separate the two. Did the Valentine showed "2" detections?

When the Radar was on "standby" mode, it was neither transmitting front or rear, however, all the units were able to pick up a signal. I believe this was from "Leakage" from the radar unit. I was also amazed that the units were able to pick up the leakage blocks away. When I turned the radar unit completely off, there were no more detection from the units, confirming that the radar was indeed "leaking". Very interesting cause when I'm driving around on "standby" mode, I thought I was invisible. Thanks guys for making me smarter!

Ladar was a completely different matter. All the units were able to pick up ladar the moment I locked them in. As we all know, detectors are only good if you are NOT the primary target. I have always suspected that detectors can pick up ladar reflections from other vehicles, thus giving the driver a heads up warning or that there might be a delay in the detection of the ladar by the detectors. Everytime I locked in a vehicle, all the detectors were able to pick up the ladar instanously.

On another test, Gary's Z had both the Valentine and Bell units. Next to the Z was another unknown vehicle. I was approximately 100 ft. away. Note that at 1000ft. the ladar beam is 3ft in width.

Unknown vehicle & Z, side by side at 37mph:

I locked in the unknown vehicle with the ladar, no detection from the Z. I pointed the ladar dead center on the grill on the unknown unit. When I pointed the ladar at the driver's headlights of the unknown vehicle, no detection. I then pointed the between the vehicle, no detection. When I hit the Z's passenger head light, the detectors picked up the ladar. I also pointed the ladar at the Z's lowest point of the front bumber, the detectors picked it up.

I got the same results with the unknown vehicle one car length ahead of the Z. This is interesting because it showed that the detectors did not pick up any reflection from the unknown vehicle, but yet when directed at the Z's lowest point it was able to pick up some reflection. During ladar/radar class, we were informed of the ladar's width, but now I wonder what's the height of the ladar. Hmmm........

On another test, with two Z heading in opposite direction. I was app. 500ft. away. I locked one Z in with ladar, the other Z later reported that they DID pick up a signal. So a nonprimary target can detect Ladar at app. 500ft or further, thus saving drivers from a ticket.

Later on in the day, the Bell unit malfuntion and was unable to pick up Ladar (rear or front), even at 3ft away!!! What was interesting was that at 10ft. away, the Bell could not detect the Ladar but both Valentine was picking up the Ladar! This made me confused as well since with the earlier test with the unknown car, the Valentine was unable to detect any reflection

WAIT!!!! Maybe.....the ladar does have "leakage" but it's so light that it can only be detected at a close distance.

All in all, it shows that the units were excellent in detecting and giving advance warning against Radar...whether you are the primary or nonprimary target. With Ladar, there is no safety if you are the primary target...but at 500ft. or more, it can provide some advance warning as a nonprimary target.

Since I was not in the vehicle, some questions I have are:

Did the arrows on the valentine worked?
Did the numbers system of the Valentine worked?
What unit picked up the ladar/radar first....Bell or Valentine?
If there was a time difference, how long?
How strong were these signals at certain distances?
How accurate were the mph readings on the radar/ladar compared to speedometer?

I don't think we know all the answers to all these questions since I didn't orgainzed this event really well. This sounds like we need to conduct more tests...in a more controlled environment.

If I had to pick a winner, I would pick the Valentines since they worked well for the two hrs. The Bell malfunction and could no longer detect Ladar. (Sorry Henry....your summons is in the mail.)

I'm happy everyone showed up and I'm sorry we couldn't do more tests.

Lets do another one in the future and hopefully, Kevin can bring his jammer.

PS. This test never took place anywhere in the state of Colorado. I received these information 5th hand and does not know of the ppl invovled in the test.

PPS. Gary, I know you're a racer and all, but the speed limit was 30mph...not 47!! (Your summons is also in the mail)

Amarao

such a thorough review!

Amarao

I have to say I had one hell of a time yesterday. If anyone had pictures or video they want me to host send me an email. sousa.amarao@gmail.com I really wish Dave, Bamyi and HR2Burn could've joined us for the second half of the day.

Mudd

iTrader: (2)

I think that blast up "Horsepower Hill" was fun............yet scary. Seeing the a$$ of Kevin's car slide out on him at 90mph in a big sweeper of a turn was crazy. I'm just glad there were no cars near except for the semi we were all trying to avoid on the right.

I am curious to hear Sean's thoughts on how he was driving his Z06 up the hill. That beast really impressed me.

Mudd

ohw

Excellent write up Bamyi. And thank you for setting this up. Now that we have done this once, we can try answering the specifics questions next time. I have to get the BEL fixed or exchanged for a re-test. I shot some videos that I can ask Amarao to help posted. They may also answer some of the questions you have. Before we paste them all over the internet, how careful do we need to be as some footage may have caught you in it?

Also thinking if you can ride in one of the cars while somebody else (like your partner?) is beaming next time?

It's too bad Bamyi can't come, we had a great time doing the drive afterwards. And thank you very much to everybody for watching out for this new guy. GOT to do more of these drives. Hope more people can come out. A stocker just doesn't measure up on the horse power hill, force induction came to mind .... I'll post some pictures from the trip.

ohw

more ...

ohw

more yet, picture size too big, have to cut them down, stand by ...

NY 350Z

iTrader: (9)

V1 baby!

ohw

this is before we start drinking ...

ohw

.

kevinapex

iTrader: (22)

OHW, great to meet you yesterday!, Great drive I'm glad I got to go. Fun times, Sean, that zo6 is cool az hell bro, good to have you along, any time you want to go fine by me. That damn hp hill on I-70 was NUTS! You came up that slow lane at the bottom, out of nowere!!! I have a few red paint smears along the right of my car
Lets do it again soon!
Side note, MUDD my kitchen smells of BEER!!!! (fun stuff)

ohw

last one.

ohw

Great meeting you too Kevin, I was too far back on 70, missed all the action when you decided to wiggle.

Did anyone see the source of the radar when we got close to 6? My unit was going nuts when the EVO was pulling up from behind. STRAATIEN signaled them to slow down, but I never saw where it came from.

hr2burn

iTrader: (1)

Man I really feel with all detectors you just have a false sense of security! I've got vids and pix of the radar/ladar test. I just don't want to risk getting anyone in trouble if I post them....
Wish I could have done the drive after, my non operating passenger window and no A.C. thing kinda sucks in the warm weather!!
How's your foot Mudd?

Amarao

Jebus, i need to pick up that nismo front and lower my damn car! Awesome pics OHW!

DevildogCO1

Looks like you guys had some fun. I miss the Colorado mountains.

GaryM05

Huge thanks to bamyi for organizing the event. It was a unique opportunity to test some hardware and have some fun. Thanks for the detailed write-up!

My answers to your questions:

GaryM05

My V1 is about 4 years old.

GaryM05

They only give you a false sense of security if you see them as a suit of armor/silver bullet, and use them as justification to drive like a moron.

If you understand the basic limitations of a detector, they serve as a useful source of information when you're on the road. I found that when I had to do without my V1 for a week a couple of years ago, I felt completely naked on the road, not knowing if there was an active radar source anywhere.

I'm sure I'll jinx myself by saying this, but I have yet to get a ticket in the Z, and I attribute a large part of that to the V1 (the rest I attribute to the fact that I try to limit the number of times that I drive like an idiot). The V1 has saved me from at least 5 potential tickets in the 4+ years that I've had it, so it's paid for itself.

Brigitte

NOTE: Using Brigitte's account as my account still does not work.

That hill climb was great. For the record, I've never been passed as quickly as Kevin passed me on that hill. Even my friend's 500 RWHP Z06 only walks on me. Kudos Kevin, well done.

Thank you sir. That was very exciting. I would be happy to join any driving event you gentlemen put together. Sadly, most of the Corvette owners I know do not drive their cars anywhere near their limits leaving me to find non-Corvette owners to drive with. Ergo, I'm happy to find fellow 'spirited' drivers like you, Mudd, and Amarao. Gary is the lone conscientious objector whom we can all count on to call the ambulance when we all go off the side of a cliff.


I did not. I wonder what those guys thought of us tearing up the hill? It would be interesting, granted the free time, to troll the Evo forums to see if they posted anything about us. Hmmm...