chowdah

Got my LI in the recent GB (group buy): dual head, regular power, version 8.7.

Conditions:
- straight empty road, 65deg F, sunny, no wind, some tree shade
- runs from ~1750ft to gun, at 10-15mph

LIDAR guns, operated by a generous and well-informed soul at another forum (one consistent shooter):
1) Kustom Pro Laser II (reputedly harder to jam, but harder to aim)
2) Laser Atlanta R (has zoom, thus easier to aim)

Aim points:
Side) This means the area between the turn signal and the fog light below it
Box) This means the full path: fog -> headlight -> side mirror -> roof line -> other side mirror -> other headlight -> other fog -> original fog
OffAxis) This means LIDAR operator is on the side of the road, shooting at a slight angle, instead of head-on

I built a rig to test the following orientations at the kidney grilles:
a) horizontal, bubbles out
b) slanted (approximating the 3rd outermost slot angle), bubbles up
c) vertical, bubbles up
d) slanted, bubbles down
note) I have no intention of using the under bumper horizontal mount

Runs (gun + orientation + aim points):
1-a-Side: JTG (jam to gun) driver's side
1-a-Side: JTG passenger's side
1-b-Side: JTG driver's side
1-b-Side: PT (punch through) @ 900ft on passenger side turn signal
1-c-Side: PT @ 900ft on passenger fog light
1-c-Side: JTG driver's side
1-b-Box: JTG
1-d-Box: JTG
2-d-Box: JTG
2-d-OffAxis: JTG
2-b-Box: JTG
2-a-Box: JTG
1-b-Box: JTG

Runs not detailed above:
I don't have a front plate, but we did some center testing, all JTG. Also, some of the above were n=2 (sample size).

More on the JTG's:
Outbound, these guns were setting off my V1 (Valentine) and getting readings as I was shot in the rear. Inbound, as I turned to avoid the shooter, these guns were getting readings at ~30ft.

More on the PT's:
You can see the mixed result on config (b). We were unable to reproduce it the 2nd or 3rd time I switched to that orientation. It is possible that the top screw was not tight enough the 1st time, to keep the head flush with the board. It is possible that one of my heads is more(less) sensitive than the other. It is possible that the Box vs Side linger time is meaningful.

More on my V1 behavior:
My V1 is mounted on the driver's side of the rear view mirror. It only warned when/if the shooter was targetting the driver's side. This would generally confirm the ~36" LIDAR cone at 1000ft. My V1 seemed to consitently alert before the LI; however, with the JTG performance, the LI audio alert probably just has a lag.

Personal conclusions (for these testing conditions -- YMMV):
i) Orientation (a) is probably the best, if you can stomach the uber-obvious exposure of the heads.
ii) Orientation (d) seems to cover the fog lights better than (b).
iii) True vertical -- in the plane parallel to the side of the car -- does not appear to be critical.

Miscellany:
The heads I received were smaller than I expected, and quite scuffed from production/transport. However, they work, and perform as advertised. That is the important part. Cliff has been super responsive to questions. I have other people to thank with respect to advice on install. I'll post mine in detail, later. I figured this subject had more immediate usefulness.

ChaoticZen

I am going to have my LI installed this weekend, this test could not have come out at a better time !! Thanks for the testing...was wondering about which orientation would be the most effective.

__________________
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DouglasABaker

Awesome - thanks for the writeup Now I know I want my bubbles down on my grille mount!

d-

chowdah

Follow-up: I was able to validation test the above, post-install.

Conditions: same road, same shooter, cloudy, 60deg F.
Lidar guns: both previous guns, plus a new gun -- the LTI TruSpeed.
Orientation: d
Aim point: box

Results: 2 runs per gun x 3 guns = 6 runs, all JTG.

REKIII

Thanks for this awesome test. Too bad you didn't do the rear, I'm fighting with how I want to install those.

There really is only one good spot, under the trunk ledge above the license plate, but they block the plate a bit and the plate lights making the little boxes very obvious.

Still working.

I think this was asked before, but the whole face of the box needs to be unobstructed, not just the bubble, correct?

__________________
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2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7 HEMI
2001 Dodge neon - Slomatic winter beater

DouglasABaker

Yes - whole face needs to be visible. One end is the receiver - other end is the transmitter IIRC.

crazyviking

awesome write up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

chowdah

Had my first live-fire LIDAR experience on return from NYC. Sniped twice between exits 9 & 8 on I-95 aka NJTurnpike. Medium traffic, ~11pm (yes, at night).

First was across from a northbound-side rest stop. I slowed and shut down the LI before it could fully voice the warning. LEO turned out to be well off-angle. I was in the cars-only lanes, LEO was on an access road to the far-side of the cars+trucks lanes. Shooting distance was anyone's guess; I'll say 1000ft+. It took all powers of observation just to find the LEO.

Second was several miles later. I was already at a safe speed, and this time I let the LI complete its sentence: "...LTI Marksman" was the gun. This LEO turned out to be nearly dead ahead, hiding against an overpass, shooting me from closer, say 500ft+.

Was too surprised/pre-occupied to recall what my V1 was (or wasn't) doing at these times, sorry.

Be wary, fellow travellers.

JTB

Unless the V1 is targetted or there is something to scatter the light (car in front) it will not go off. This used to happen to me whenever I was shot with laser. My jammer, however, always proved effective

Before I purchased my jammer I received a ticket. While talking to the officer I mentioned the my V1 had not gone off. We ended up discussing where he aimed and why the V1 didn't signal. About 1 hour later on the same road I happened on him again; this time at the speed limit. He actually bothered to shoot my V1 and then waved as I passed.

My V1 does, however, go off when I follow a Chevy Trailblazer....