Re: Valentine 1 stealth mounitng/laser falsing

["Chris Dinsmore" <dinsmoc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert,

Since "laser" or LIDAR works in the infrared spectrum, the color of visible
light coming through the CHMSL (center high mounted stoplight) lens should
not affect the falsing characteristics of your detector. In fact If you look
at most detectors, including the Valentine, the lens for the IR sensor is in
fact a very dark red.

For a CHMSL lens to affect your LIDAR detector it would have to change the
wavelength of the sunlight significantly. Police LIDAR is designed to be as
dissimilar to bright sunlight as possible so as to be functional during the
day.  The lens would also have to focus the light much more as sunlight is
very diffuse, and a quality LIDAR detector like the Valentine should not
report diffuse IR scatterings. Now if the design of the lens were correct,
and the dye used had a significant IR emissive component, it could cause a
false positive, it's pretty unlikely that this combination would occur. My
best guess is that either heat, or an electrical circuit near te unit are
causing it to give false positives

Unfortunately the CHMSL lens would seriously compromise your effective range
because the red dye used in the plastic reduces the transmissivity of light
through the lens by between 40% and 60% (rough estimate based on past
experience)especially becasue most red dyes absorb IR quite well .

Also you have to remember that even under the best circumstances LIDAR
detectors are quite poor at giving advance warning. Unless the LED is
pointing directly at you but beyond effective range (1/4 mile or so
depending on the weather), you probably wont get a warning before the police
have your speed. If you are lucky you will get a reflection off of a car
ahead of you but thats likely to only last for a fraction of a second.

Chris Dinsmore
================================
The eyes may be the windows on the soul
But the word is the doorway to the mind
================================

- -----Original Message-----
From: Mudry, Robert (CAP, AMR) <rob.mudry@domain.elided>
To: 'BMW Mail list' <bmw-digest@domain.elided>
Date: Monday, October 12, 1998 11:19
Subject: Valentine 1 stealth mounitng/laser falsing


Hey Gang!

Does anyone here on the BMW digest have a Valentine 1 radar/laser detector
mounted on the rear deck inside the third brake light assembly?  I have just
installed my V1 in such a way, and I'm getting an almost constant rear laser
falsing.  It seems to me that the red plastic changes the wavelength of the
sunlight and causes the detector to false.  (I can't wait to test that
theory at night)
Also, I just spoke with some tech guru at the Valentine Research and he
seems to think that it shouldn't cause it to false.  The guy didn't strike
me as knowledgeable on the subject so before I call again I'd like to get
some feedback from the list.  The car is an E36, and the third brake light
assembly has been modified (read: destroyed) to accommodate the V1 unit.  My
guess is that I'll have to cover the rear laser sensor and give up laser
protection. (if any...)  My front laser protection is obviously already
compromised so it's not a big deal if I lose the rear coverage.  TIA.

Rob Mudry
'96 328is
BMW CCA #135536

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