i have heard both sides of the story, are they legal or illegal here in PA ? i just moved here from maryland where they are legal

 

They are only illegal in virginia and washington d.c.

 

^^+1

 

The thing i dont get about radar detectors is some people swear by em some say they dont work and by the time they finally do work the cop has already seen/clocked you.

 

Depends on which one you get. The more expensive ones give you ample warning for radar. Laser is a different story because they have a greater effective distance than regular radar. I use the Phaser from Rocky Mountain Radar that is a jammer as well as a detector. Saved my *$$ several times.

 

Same here, I have never owned one but I hear such mixed results...?

 

well, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. You have to use your eyes and keep a watch out and let the radar do the work you can't. A radar detector isn't a free pass to drive however the **** you want because not all cops use radar and not all cops keep it on all the time. Its just a nifty tool to assist you, not to control you.

 

[quote]ORIGINAL: zeindog

They are only illegal in virginia and washington d.c.
[/quote

CORRECT! They used to be illegal in CT but that was repealed in 1998. Additionally, they are illegal in commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs in New York and Illinois. In Minnesota and California, if they're mounted to the windshield, they're illegal; If they're mounted to the dashboard, they're legal (who's the genius that thought up that law?)

 

i owned one and it didnt work well at all so i returned it. it was a cheap one ( about 125) so i wasnt expecting something amazing but i think the money can be better spent elsewhere. i dont speed too often cuz cops are everywhere here and i dont street race too often, once in a blue moon u pull up next to a ricer and have to remind him how slow his car is lol.

 

the results are mixed. But they are hugely helpful if you know how to use them.

If the cop is using "instant on" radar, and you are the only car on the road, then it is a ticket detector rather than a radar detector. It goes off to tell you that you are about to get pulled over. But, if you are not the only car on the road, and they "instant on" a car in front of you, then your detector will go off and give you a heads up. Also, modern detectors will give you a different signal for X, K, Ka, and Lidar, so you can guage the level of the threat based on the signal type.

I tend to disregard X band warnings when I use mine, but I don't use it in my state (VA), and thus I currently have 10 points..........(OK, there are numerous other factors at work there).....