Membership Subscription Question

[Seldoon]

I must agree with you. Radar detectors and laser jammers are illegal in VA. I think radar detectors are illegal in VA, DC and seems lie one other place. Actually the USE of radar detectors is illegal in VA. If you got stopped and the officer wanted to search your car and found a detector in the trunk but the detector was sitting there, not connected to anything, obviously out of reach so that you could not possibly use it while driving he could do nothing. But if it were connected in your car then he could issue you a citation. But I was just thinking out loud of stuff I find interesting. Since an infrared unit costs over $2,000 that probably would be something of all that much interest either. The infrared units aren't illegal as they help you see down the road to avoid such obstacles as deer or maybe moose as in Montana. But maybe throwing out these ideas of things might inspire some other ideas that might be more legal. Maybe something on rims for cars. Maybe something on how to convert you car to run 24 inch wheels (just kidding). Racking my brain on some more serious suggestions but not coming up with much right now. Believe it or not one thing that pops into my head is a head light dimmer switch that mounts on the floor. Cars used to have that but now it is on a stalk by the steering wheel. Sometimes going around a corner, at night, I meet an oncoming car and have a little trouble trying to steer and dim the light at the same time. In other days I could have had my foot on the button and dimmed the light with no loss of steering control. I don't hit anyone, really don't have all that much trouble but would rather have the button. So an article on how to install and dimmer switch on the floor (really clutching at straws here but would like to do that seriously). I had better quit now as I am sort of at a loss.

[probkauz]

I actually have my radar detector installed in my car above the sun visor with the wiring hidden behind the pillar cover, then under the dash, hard wired into my console cigarette lighter. You can't see the detector or the wiring, works great.

This is what I found about legality:


Radar laser detectors are legal to own and operate in passenger vehicles in the state of Oklahoma.
Currently the only state that it is illegal to operate a radar detector is Virginia and Washington D.C.
Laser jammers are illegal to operate in the states of: Nebraska, Minnesota, Utah, California, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado and Washington DC.
Radar jammers are illegal to own and/or operate in all 50 states per the Federal Communications Commission.
Radar detectors are also illegal in commercial vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds in all fifty states, per Title 49 Transportation Act.
Radar detectors are also illegal to operate on any military base.

So, it's not illegal where I live, but it does make them angry if they hear it going off, lol

[ejmsvo]

These are all good suggestions, there is no such thing as a stupid question, same with suggestions. I would hesitate to include things such as laser jammers or license plate blockers, red light jammers, because in many places those are illegal. But many of your other suggestions could be valid.

As for the receiving of the first issue, or any issue, if you are having a problem, please contact the Editor or call the 800 number on the website. When my car was featured in the magazine in APril 2009, I simply called and they sent it right out.

Probkauz:

Thank you for the tip.

I took your advice and called MCS 850 number.

I was informed by representative that my First Issue would be March 2011.

Suggestion to MCA Membership Committee -

It would be nice if a New Member was informed as to WHEN the Club magazine subscription would start WHEN he or she signed up.

That said, it is my opinion that almost two months from membership sign-up to receipt of magazine is a bit long.

Particularly in view of the $50 Membership fee. (Which is not an inconsequential amount.)

And perhaps more so in today's economic environment.

I believe that goes to better Communication with Club Members. Which I have been told by some existing members has been in need of improvement.

ejmsvo

[probkauz]

Glad I could help, EJ

[Seldoon]

I have two radar detectors. I have the Valentine1 which I bought about 15 years ago. It is NOT built in. I had Safe & Sound rig it for me. The V1 has a remote display unit but the main unit supposedly needs a good view out of your car window. And so what I did was have Safe & Sound (sounds like a stupid name but the safe is alarm systems and the sound is stereos) install a wire to my passenger sun visor and install the remote display unit on the console. So to use the V1 I take it out of my house, clip it to the passenger visor, plug in the wire which powers the unit and connects it to the remote display. The main unit lights momentairly, then goes out and the remote unit comes on. And the Escort which is built into the car has a little control unit also on the console. But I kept worrying that if I DID get stopped for speeding and a cop came up to the car he could look in the window and see the two detectors there on the console. And like you said, a book on avoiding speeding tickets written by a cop said that all cops interviewed for the book said if they stopped a car for speeding and had ANY doubt about giving the driver a citation, well that doubt would go away if they saw a radar detector in the car. Safe & Sound thinks they can hide both displays in my drink holder which has a little door that closes over the top?! Oh yes, V1 has updated the unit one time in 15 years. I KNOW that unit HAS to be getting outdated. And while newer units will say Laser, or X-band the V1 says BEEP, like trying to understand R2D2.

And the stupid Escort unit. You can't shut the thing off quickly. I was next to a Sherrif's car the other day and the Escort unit thought it was picking up a laser (which it always does) and started saying FRONT LASER SHIFTING (meaning that it detected a Laser hitting my car and was trying to jamb it). So the guy in the Sherrif's car started looking over at my car, we were sitting at a stop light side by side. So I press the off button on the Escort and it repeated Front Laser Shifting at least once if not twice after I pushed the button and said in a loud voice POWERING DOWN. So I told Safe & Sound that I wanted an on-off switch installed where when I turned it off it would immediately power off that STUPID escort. When I want it off, I want it off. No delay and then a loud POWERING DOWN.

Oh don't mean to piss you off but couldn't help but think of something along what we had a heated discussion before. But I hope you will see it as funny and not get mad at me. Anyway when Microsoft developed an new version of Windows they called it Windows NT, the NT standing for NEW TECHNOLOGY. So then later on when they came out with another version of Windows they said the new version was based on Windows NT technology so if NT stands for new technology then what they were saying was the new version of Windows was based on Windows New Technology Technology. And when Windows starts it doesn't say that it is starting but that it is starting UP.

Oh yes laser jammers. There is a neat web site and a neat graph on page 8. http://www.guysoflidar.com/july-2008...mmer-test.html

[Xorak]

And when Windows starts it doesn't say that it is starting but that it is starting UP.

oh?

[Seldoon]

Well maybe they fixed it but windows XP sure says it is starting UP. Not starting down mind you but starting UP.

[Xorak]

Windows XP is also 10 years old. MS fixed their grammatical error in 2007 with Vista.



However, a computer shut down is a viable term, and what is the opposite of a shut down? Start up?

[Seldoon]

I hear people talk where they talk like this: "Like he never said that like I didn't do it, but like he wanted to like know what was going on, like why everyone was like acting crazy". It is difficult to listen to someone talk like this. And if you listen to other people talk they are UP abusers. They say start UP, stir UP, heat UP, blend UP, sweeten UP, cook UP, plate UP, grow UP, pile UP etc. For a great UP abuser listen to Rachael Ray. So Windows starting is sufficient. As far as windows shutting down I must admit that Windows shutting sounds like something hanging. Maybe Windows closing.

People abuse DOWN just like they abuse UP. I hear people say that something is dropping DOWN. Well if something is dropping which way do you think it is going. It is going DOWN so down is redundant. Just like Black Flag says that its insect spray kills bug dead. Well kill dead is redundant but Black Flag is doing it to be funny or make you remember their slogan. Like people saying VIN number when the N in VIN stands for number so saying VIN number is like saying Vehicle Identification Number Number, same as PIN number. Like Microsoft saying that their new Windows is based on Windows NT technology where the NT stood for new technology. I worked for Army for a time and they had their "products" and a table which showed codes related to their products (the products were computer programs) and their table was called product control table or PCT but guess what they ended up calling it, their PCT table. One test of something it if you hear the term cooling down. Do you ever hear someone say cooling up. Or heating up. Do you ever hear heating down? And starting up. Does something ever start down? Well I have heard that used in climbing that they started down but then they are distinctly talking about going up and down. I do cave exploring and often a hole in a cave is termed a drop. And you read of someone dropping down the drop, pretty bad. But some people like being redundant. The rain is falling down. I killed him dead. I killed the engine dead. I started up the engine running, going around. Etc. Maybe you are the redundant type?!

[probkauz]

I do declare, Seldoon, you do enjoy beating a dead horse! Don't make me take back your presents!