Detecting of radar or lidar emissions depends on mounting of detector.In My experience it is best to mount it just above windscreen wipers.You must check if your detector is visible from license plate level. This is important for laser detection. For other measuring devices it's only important to be visible.Higher mounting facing downwards will reduce false X and K/Ka signals.It will reduce detecing of true as well, so it is all up to you.You must know that laser detecting only covers your car.It d'ont matter if a cop is 300m or 1800m away.X band has a large emission, and it is easily detected.K/Ka band is a pulse emitting and has a lot narrow detecting point.It is effective at max 800m.In ether case speed can be reduced 20-30 km/h in city, and 30-50 km/h on highway.
Another thing to realize is that it is a RADAR detector, not a COP detector. Cops know that people drive around with radars, so often you will find that they don't keep their radar turned on. They are trained to know if someone is speeding just by watching them drive by. Having a radar doesn't make speeding foolproof, it just gives you a little bit more freedom in doing so, but as with anything it has to be used in moderation and within reason.
Unfortunately, the Cobra ESD is a very poor detector. I had one at one point. It saved me from one ticket, but it was more false alerts than anything, and it won't detect instant on. The Cobra ESD is a leaky detector, meaning it has to filter some of its own K-band emissions out before detecting a signal. It will also commonly set itself off. There is a detector made by cobra called the XRS. The lower range of this model is around 70-80$. It is full band, great for instant on, vrry senstive as well. It also has a feature where if can detect your engine RPM's (called intelli mute) and mute the detector under a certain engine rpm (no more false alerts in the shoppingcenter parkinglot!). Its very sensitive with k-band. Great low end detector. Also, the whistler xts is a great detector around 80$. It has voice alerts, low leak, sensitive (alerts me to laser unlike most cheaper detectors). It has a 3 city modes and a hiway mode that makes it amazing for reducing false alerts. And whistler is KNOwN for being good against instant on.
However, with all this said, radar detectors arent fool proof. It takes a learning curve to read them, and it isnt a cop detector. Especially speed states like here in GA, they only turn on radar in a speed trap (doesnt help you run stop signs or do anything else illegal with a cop around if they dont have radar on). Also, lazer will ONLY alert if your vehicle is targeted. Even then mounting is key. With whistlers, high mount works best for laser. Most others, low is best.
But my 2 cents, get a better detector; give the old one as a christmas present to someone.
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I got pulled over 2 times in 20 min with lazar guns. My detector didn't go off either time. But It always does when necessary. Well anyways I now have from the 2 times getting pulled over 300 dollars worth of tickets. Why didn't it go off? and isn't there anything about getting that covered by cobra?
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