Yes, unplugging it does work. When a radar detector is on, it emits a frequency which can be detected by special police equipment called SPECTRE. However, spectre units are fairly pricey hence they're not installed on all cruisers. Also a spectre only detects the detector in the area, it cannot pinpoint where the signal is coming from, hence in heavy traffic it might be difficult for a police officer to figure out which car has it. As soon as a detector is unplugged it can no longer be detected by the spectre unit because it doesn't emit any more signals. There is a new radar detector out in the states which is magnesium shielded and cannot be detected by anything to date.

A detector ticket used to be $110 when I got one, then it went up to $170 I believe, I haven't heard anything of the $225 yet.

^^^ heres what they do...

they sit at the bottom of a hill with the laser off, see you come flying down the hill, or long stretch..let you get a little closer, and flick on the radar, see your front end drop when you slam on the brakes so that you don't get raped for speeding.

they then pull you over, stick out their hand and say "give it to me, or i search your car, rip it apart and leave you to put it back together"...

don't believe me? look up the search part in the HTA...thats just a little tip we got from our "sneaky retired police teacher" who would tell us some crazy stories of how he caught people, or what he used ot do

That won't work if you know how to use your detector properly. Remember, you still gotta use your senses. The detector is only for assistance and not be be relied on 100%. And with the story you've told above, that will never work on the 401 as the cop would have used the laser on someone else before most likely, and if thats the case your detector (if its a good one) would have detected him over 2 km before you even got there.

And by the way that's not enough evidence to tear up your car, you could have slammed on your brakes for many reasons and a hunch from the cop is not enough to rip anything appart. He's simply got no evidence and it will never fly, and I'm speaking from first hand experience. They will try to scare you but it will never fly.

i know that doesn't work on the 401, but if you are cruising down other roads, because i know for some you don't travel a 400 series highway only, it would work.

look it up, they will do it. if they have "reasonable grounds" to believe you have a radar detector, they will search your car.

reasonable gournds could be, driving and he turn on the laser, all of a sudden the car brakes really hard, or he sees it, whatever draws him to believe there is a radar detector in the car, he/she will search it.

here:

79. (1) In this section,
“speed measuring warning device” means any device or equipment designed or intended for use in a motor vehicle to warn the driver of the presence of speed measuring equipment in the vicinity and includes any device or equipment designed or intended for use in a motor vehicle to interfere with the effective operation of speed measuring equipment. 1996, c. 33, s. 12.
Speed measuring warning device prohibited
(2) No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle that is equipped with or that carries or contains a speed measuring warning device. 1996, c. 33, s. 12.
Powers of police officer
(3) A police officer may at any time, without a warrant, stop, enter and search a motor vehicle that he or she has reasonable grounds to believe is equipped with or carries or contains a speed measuring warning device contrary to subsection (2) and may seize and take away any speed measuring warning device found in or upon the motor vehicle. 1996, c. 33, s. 12.
Forfeiture of device
(4) Where a person is convicted of an offence under this section, any device seized under subsection (3) by means of which the offence was committed is forfeited to the Crown. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 79 (4).
Penalty
(5) Every person who contravenes subsection (2) is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 79 (5).

from : http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/S...08_e.htm#BK124

section 79.

I see what you're saying but there is a difference between searching and tearing up your car for a detector. If the cop can't see it in plain view, or under the seat, glovebox etc, he has to move on. They can't just start tearing off dash panels etc. Safest way is put your detector in your pocket etc, I know for a fact they can't search you for it, only the car and the cop will have to move on, if he doesn't find it.

ok, fair enough. and no he can't search you.

Originally Posted by 500k_93_civic

^^^ heres what they do...

they sit at the bottom of a hill with the laser off, see you come flying down the hill, or long stretch..let you get a little closer, and flick on the radar, see your front end drop when you slam on the brakes so that you don't get raped for speeding.

they then pull you over, stick out their hand and say "give it to me, or i search your car, rip it apart and leave you to put it back together"...

don't believe me? look up the search part in the HTA...thats just a little tip we got from our "sneaky retired police teacher" who would tell us some crazy stories of how he caught people, or what he used ot do

Obviously if you are out on a stretch of road by yourself...your the only one with the radar detector....then they have to know its you...Ive had friends with theirs taken if we go to Grand Bend when its not busy (through the week, late or mid day) Like said above you cant 100% depend on it.

Best way that we learned about in school is have a package beside you with an address on it, ready to be sealed. Make sure it's stamped, and then you just toss the detector in. Have some tape or something on it. When it's sealed, addressed and stamped, it's a federal package, and now needs a warrant to be searched.

lol..^^^ WAY TO MUCH THOUGHT ...and work...NOt worth the time or effort, If I know im speeding, and a cop pulls me over and does that standard,"do you know why I pulled you over" the first response without being a smartass, Yes, I was speeding, now how much did you catch me over?? I don't give tone, I don't give tude, I hardly ever ask why..lol.

On a side note, what a paralegal told me: If you ever plan on fighting a ticket, never say 'i was speeding'. If you get busted, and your intention is to 100% fight the ticket, and he asks "Do you know how fast u were going" or some shit like that, always say "the speed limit". Otherwise you've admitted to speeding, hence your defence is tossed out the window (he'll write everything down). If u say you weren't speeding, he now has to prove in court that you were.

[quote=And by the way that's not enough evidence to tear up your car, you could have slammed on your brakes for many reasons and a hunch from the cop is not enough to rip anything appart. He's simply got no evidence and it will never fly, and I'm speaking from first hand experience. They will try to scare you but it will never fly.[/quote]

OK, OK. First thing is first...RADAR and LASER are not the same. They are two totally different technologies. A RADAR detector can detect RADAR and only RADAR. Unless you have some sort of state-of-the-art military vehicle like a main battle tank, or jet fighter aircraft equiped with a laser warning web-style system you are not going to be able to truely detect a LASER strike. And even then if you do pick it up it will only be after it has struck (or to use the jargon "painted") you vehicle. And since light moves at 299,792,458 m/sec you are probable not going to be able to slow down before the laser beam bounces off your vehicle and returns to the laser unit displaying your speed to the officer. The difference is RADAR is emitted in a wide area and the strongest signal returns. So your RADAR detector picks up the signal in the general area. LASER is very precise and strikes only the target. For a LASER detector to work the part of the laser beam (concentrated light) would have to strike the detector itself. So unless the officer missed the target vehicle and just happend to hit your car, you might pick it up. This is the reason why LASER detectors on the market, work better at longer ranges than shorter ranges (the beam gets wider with range and "spills" past the intended target). Look at most of your tickets/disclosures and you will see that 100m - 200m is the usual range that you are getting picked off at. Coinicidentally, most LASER detectors start having a hard time picking up lasers at ranges less than 200m.
SECONDLY.... The search of the vehicle for a radar detector... What the ex-police foundations guy said (i think it was him) is true. All the officer needs is 'reasonable grounds'. And if you nail the brakes because your detector lit up like a christmas tree, thats enough grounds. Also the officer is entitled to search (not tear up) anywhere in the vehicle that is accessable by the driver (which includes anywhere your passengers could have reached).

^ God has spoken, he sheds his (accurate and proper) wisdom upon us. I'll sum it up for everyone so simple even a toddler could understand. Speeding is speeding, having a detector is like admitting You have a problem with speeding. I won't sympathize for anyone on here who has had a radar detector taken from them, its plain stupid (although I've always secretly wanted one, just because they are neat little units) to own one in canada with intentions to use it. Just drive the speedlimit or watch people infront of you for sudden brakelights, thats been My radar detecting device for as long as I have been driving and its never let me down once.

Originally Posted by Jowo72

^ God has spoken, he sheds his (accurate and proper) wisdom upon us. I'll sum it up for everyone so simple even a toddler could understand. Speeding is speeding, having a detector is like admitting You have a problem with speeding. I won't sympathize for anyone on here who has had a radar detector taken from them, its plain stupid (although I've always secretly wanted one, just because they are neat little units) to own one in canada with intentions to use it. Just drive the speedlimit or watch people infront of you for sudden brakelights, thats been My radar detecting device for as long as I have been driving and its never let me down once.

i think our chat here has helped mr. lets speed in the kids zone. He hasnt replied... oh look there he goes... 80 in a 50 now!

on the above topic about the laser being un detectable is right. Lasers are VERY concentrated, i doubt even 2 km away, a powerful laser would even spread more than an few inches wide. Chances are they arent that powerful, otherwise youd have random drivers getting a laser beam in the eyeball and going blind, haha. There are so many different light sources occuring at once during a driving experience, i dont know how the radar detector doesnt go off all the time.

Solution: Buy that james bond car that goes invisible. or stop driving like idiots.

LOL! I think you are right about Mr. Speeder.
However, for all those that care, a little FYI: the approximate size of the average speed detection laser beam is 3ft wide (circular to oval) at 1000 ft. So you can work out how big the beam was when it hit your car if you find out the range the officer tagged you at.
Just another FYI....