What radar is used in Calgary's speed traps?

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by ryder_23 (in another thread)
Moving laser does not exist. Laser requires being fully stationary, and even when shooting while stationary, it is still hard to get a reading. Their is such thing as moving radar(radar not laser), which the rcmp use. CPS does not use any moving radar devices (ka, k, x) they might pace you or fully just estimate your speed.

I could type up pages of stuff why moving laser wouldnt work, but i feel its irrelevant to what is going on.

Ryder_23's post got me thinking about what the cops use in Calgary.

I have a Passport 8500 and I get some false X and K band signals even in city mode and low-sensitivity X-band mode. But this radar detector allows me to switch off detection of any of the bands, so I'm wondering if X and K are still used in Calgary. The speed traps I encountered in the city over the past year were laser and Ka.

Also, what do the RCMP use on Highways 1 and 2?

Would you switch off certain bands or just live with the false alarms?

[kenny]

In Calgary they only use Ka and laser. Of all the RCMP speedtraps I have gone through, all of them are Ka. In edmonton the cops are a bit more shady and use K band as well. I say they are shady because the K band is so polluted.

On my radar detector I only have Ka and Laser enabled.

[cujo_cjc]

so then what would be the cheapest radar i can get for use in calgary with Ka and laser?

[ryder_23]

rcmp use from what i've experienced last 3 years (live outside the city), is that they use K band and Ka the most, with slight use of laser.

Photo radar is a "small beamed" Ka band frequencie, which is hard to detect, however, u have an advantage because its always on

RCMP in their cruisers have either k/ka moving radar (little dopler thing on dash), which they have on standby and can flick on at a momments notice, giving you little to no warning (this is refered to "instant-on" radar). If your on a hwy, and u get a weak signal lasting roughly 2 beeps, it will most likly be an rcmp unit running instant on on people up the road. RCMP also have handheld radar units both (k, and ka bands), but with the handheld units they must be stationary.

with radar, it isnt very good to use in heavy traffic, UNLESS, its rcmp which have moving radar, showing fastest vehicle. Which means, it shows faster car being radar'd, and officer just looks to see which one that is. The cps handheld can only track 1 at a time, and with heavy traffic it is pretty much useless. City police prefer laser, because they can accuratly pick out invididuals, only down side is, its very difficult to get a reading compared to radar. RCMP prefer radar for hwy use, and for their lazy sorry ass's :D.

As for the old X band. It is rarely used, however, out on hwy 8, i was once clockd by an rcmp unit, using X band, so the threat is still out there.

I have used a V-1 for the past 2 years, and thats where i got my knowledge of what bands they were using.

I could go on and on about all this stuff, i've done a boat load of research on it, why? i had nothing better to do i guess. But if u have any questions, i will be more than happy to answer to the best of my knowledge

BTW: on hwy 1 /2 etc... you will most likly encounter K-band / Ka band :thumbsup: as for disabling, if your really getting anoyed, you can take off the X-band.

[pixil9]

he is right.. I had a passport 8500 and it goes Ka with abbout 3-4 bars. Most of the time i didn't even notice thinking it was false but then I'd see the minivan

[FiveFreshFish]

Thanks for the excellent replies, everyone. :thumbsup:

I'll disable X and K, and hopefully remember to enable them for highway trips.

[EnRich]

Originally posted by FiveFreshFish


Ryder_23's post got me thinking about what the cops use in Calgary.

I have a Passport 8500 and I get some false X and K band signals even in city mode and low-sensitivity X-band mode. But this radar detector allows me to switch off detection of any of the bands, so I'm wondering if X and K are still used in Calgary. The speed traps I encountered in the city over the past year were laser and Ka.

Also, what do the RCMP use on Highways 1 and 2?

Would you switch off certain bands or just live with the false alarms?

Yo dude... I've got the same passport... I find mine detects traps but doesnt give me a good enough warning before actually going into the traps... The radar goes off once I've passed the car with the photo radar in it...

[FiveFreshFish]

^^^ I get the same thing in City Mode. Now that X and K are disabled, I'll switch to Hwy or Auto mode (never tried them before) to see if that gives more advance notice on photo.

The photo radar's signal strength is very weak because it doen't have to go very far.

[R-Audi]

Thats why you go V1! It detects the Photoradar before, and mine is an older model!

[EnRich]

How sure are you guys about the X and K ???

[AllGoNoShow]

Yah go with a V1, Im also looking into a laser/radar jammer from the states that supposidly jams all the bands everyone ha sjust stated, lemme find a link again.

[ryder_23]

Originally posted by EnRich
How sure are you guys about the X and K ???

I know cps doesnt use K or X band.

X band is spread out over a wide area
K band is less spread out

Both are useless in traffic

Ka has a smaller spread pattern then both, which is somewhat usable in traffic.

I know rcmp have used all 3 bands in canada.

Just think of radar beam X is widest, Ka is smallest. :thumbsup:

My v1 was excellent for picking up photo radar compared to other detector models. It picks it up before i pass them, however, Photoradar Ka is very very difficult to pick up, and you of course have a better chance with more people on the road reflecting the signals