Radar technique: target Xenon headlights?

[joema]

Using radar at night against oncoming traffic, have any LEOs tried this technique: selectively target only cars with Xenon (high intensity discharge) headlights? These headlights appear bright blue and predominently on higher performance cars like BMWs, Porsches, Audis, etc.

Reasoning: Only a small % of cars currently have Xenon headlights. Targeting only these would minimize alerts to other detector-equipped cars. At night the target car can't see the LEO, yet the LEO can pick out the distinctive headlights far away. Also cars with Xenon headlights are usually higher performance vehicles and often going faster.

Is this strategy ever used? Have debated this with various people, curious to hear from real LEOs about this.

[Johninaustin]

You can buy these things at Autozone and fit them to just about any junker on the road. It's practically a uniform requirement for ricer Wanna-be's.

[acreature]

I target the cars that are travelling above the speed limit. No matter what headlights they use ;)

[acreature]

You are profiling based on headlights? :confused:

[darrell]

Only a small % of cars currently have Xenon headlights

EL WRONGO........ Cars are being produced by the big 3 with them headlights. Also try about half of the cars out there have them lights.

Also cars with Xenon headlights are usually higher performance vehicles and often going faster.

EL WRONGO AGAIN. How do you know this? We have a Dodge or Chrysler K car that has them in it. I highly doubt that car goes over 45 MPH down hill being pushed by a Semi Truck.

These headlights appear bright blue and predominently on higher performance cars like BMWs, Porsches, Audis, etc

.

STRIKE 3. They appear bright blue because they have a blue tint to them.

I bet you drive a Camaro with Yosemite Sam mud flaps, and a special Air Force Stealth paint job dont you? Either that or you like to drive way to fast using normal headlights and you want to see if the police would ignore your 30 MPH over the limit and only stop a foreign import with blue lights. I DON'T THINK SO BUB.

[acreature]

I bet you drive a Camaro with Yosemite Sam mud flaps, and a special Air Force Stealth paint job dont you? Either that or you like to drive way to fast using normal headlights and you want to see if the police would ignore your 30 MPH over the limit and onl;y stop a foreign import with blue lights. I DON'T THINK SO BUB.

D - Drink decaff!!!!! :D

[P01IC3M4N]

with real xenon headlights, the light itself has a blue hue to it. the fake ones use a light blue tinted bulb and are illegal here.

and it has absolutely nothing to do with working speed enforcement.

[joema]

First, thanks to the LEOs who gave serious replies.

Apparently there's some confusion about true Xenon headlights (which is what I described) vs the fake, often illegal, blue-tinted bulbs available in stores. True Xenon headlights are very expensive and currently found predominently on more expensive European cars. Xenon high beams are even more expensive, since it requires special technology to compensate for the slow Xenon ignition time. However the current installed base is still biased toward more expensive performance or luxury cars.

This is slowly changing as more automakers find ways to reduce the mfg cost of true Xenon headlights. E.g, new Nissan Maximas, new Acura TLs, etc.

If you do a Google search, there's more technical info on this in the article titled: "How do the blue-ish headlights on expensive luxury cars work?" (note the title)

It's true in some areas there are lots of Japanese imports with aftermarket blue bulbs. However in other areas these are less common -- in those places there's a 90% chance Xenon headlights will be factory equipment on a European car, or one of the new higher-end Japanese cars like the 2004 Acura TL.

As the above article indicates, there's still a strong correlation between true Xenon headlights and expensive, higher performance cars.

In areas where this is still the case, my question was do any LEOs target these at night as a means of minimizing their radar footprint, hence the alerts to other detector-equipped cars?

It is essentially the same principle as the new POP-mode radar guns: minimize radar footprint by using POP mode, switching only to regular mode once a violator is identified. Targeting only Xenon-equipped cars would give a similar advantage. LEOs often use many clever techniques intended to minimize radar footprint such as shooting downstream after car has passed, etc. In theory targeting Xenons is just another such technique. Was just curious whether anybody used this.

[txinvestigator1]

This thread is wee-todd it. Radar is not at all the least bit selective. The beam is too wide to target specific cars, and there is no aiming device on even on hand held models.

There is no way to "minimize" the radar footprint.

sofa king wee-todd it

[JD45]

Just my .02 cents.

Xenon headlights are brighter because they have a higher brighter rating, not because they have a blue tint to them. Check sylvania's website for more info there.

Headlights have nothing to do with radar enforcement. The radar or lidar (laser) needs something to bounce off of. You can't bounce it off of light for obvious reasons. As mentioned above the farther your target with radar the wider the cone is and the more targets you pick up. That's where FAST mode comes in handy. Lidar or laser minimizes greatly the widening of the cone as your target is farther away, but it, just as radar widens. But you still need something to bounce it off. I usually aim for the front license plate area. Never for headlamps....

[gdowkpc]

Is this a RADAR thread or a Xenon headlight thread.

I target any vehicle that is going above the speed limit, no matter the appearance of it. I am required by law to visually estimate the speed of the vehicle before confirming the speed with the RADAR/LIDAR. When I see the car moving fast, I zap it. I can usually estimate the speed to +/- 1 MPH.

Targetting only vehicles speeding is the best way to foil a RADAR detector. I use a RADAR detector in my car and have used one for 14 years. The purpose of it (since I don't speed), is to research what mistakes other officers make that alert RADAR detector users. I also see what works well.

I use a Valentine One to do this research. Having done so, I have written tickets to uses of the V1 (even with using RADAR on a busy freeway). I call it "Tactical Radar". Officers laugh, but they don't bring in the RADAR detector users like I do.

[joema]

...Radar is not at all the least bit selective. The beam is too wide to target specific cars, and there is no aiming device on even on hand held models.

There is no way to "minimize" the radar footprint.

Yes, understood the beam width is from 12-24 degrees. I didn't mean targeting a specific car as with Lidar. Rather staying radar silent most of the time, until a car with Xenon headlights appears. Obviously the same target selection issues apply as with any radar usage.

Re minimizing radar footprint, I meant by staying radar silent most of the time vs. zapping lots of cars. Each radar activation alerts any downstream detector-equipped car within a mile, so minimizing these alerts is an obvious way to reduce overall footprint. If you're familiar with submarines, it's the same principle as minimizing use of active sonar that would otherwise alert everybody to your location.

[txinvestigator1]

Yes, understood the beam width is from 12-24 degrees. I didn't mean targeting a specific car as with Lidar. Rather staying radar silent most of the time, until a car with Xenon headlights appears. Obviously the same target selection issues apply as with any radar usage.

Re minimizing radar footprint, I meant by staying radar silent most of the time vs. zapping lots of cars. Each radar activation alerts any downstream detector-equipped car within a mile, so minimizing these alerts is an obvious way to reduce overall footprint. If you're familiar with submarines, it's the same principle as minimizing use of active sonar that would otherwise alert everybody to your location.

'

Thats not footprint. Thats simply time on. I can drive down the road with a detector on, and if I know how to read it, your method of using instant on will alert me MILES down the road.

If you're familiar with submarines, it's the same principle as minimizing use of active sonar that would otherwise alert everybody to your location.

Yeah, I saw Hunt for Red October too.

Headlights have nothing to do with radar enforcement, as these kind officers have explained.

[steelcityk9cop]

I'm almost glad now that we arn't allowed to have radar here!

[joema]

Targetting only vehicles speeding is the best way to foil a RADAR detector.

I'm referring to a similar principle -- except using Xenon headlights as a possible clue about whether he's speeding. It seemed a useful technique to me, was curious if any LEOs used this.

I use a Valentine One to do this research. Having done so, I have written tickets to uses of the V1 (even with using RADAR on a busy freeway). I call it "Tactical Radar". Officers laugh, but they don't bring in the RADAR detector users like I do.

Your V1 research illustrates how some LEOs are very clever and hardworking in the radar cat and mouse game. I respect that and have no problems with it. Yet I've heard many argue that LEOs would never use this or that technique, as they can catch plenty of violators with simpler less laborious methods. Obviously not universally true.

My question was simply whether targeting Xenon headlights was a strategy any LEOs had tried. It seems the answer is no, based on the replies so far.