Re: CB and Radar Detector combo

[kappa@travelin.com]

On Tue, 10 Sep 1996, Alexei M Voloshin 
<Alexei.M.Voloshin-1@tc.umn.edu> wrote:
>
>You might also consider a BearTracker II, by Uniden - 
signals when you 
> are within 3 mi of Highway Patrol vehicle by monitoring 
their 
>communications 
>and location homing devices installed into every HP, COP 
car. 
>Also works as full CB/Police/Fire... scanner. It is also 
small in size 
>and has an antenna identical to the cell-phone one mounted 
on the back 
>window so you can use it in states where scanners are 
brohibited... 
>Just a thought...
>
>Alex
>
>
>On Tue, 10 Sep 1996, Igor Kessel wrote:
>
>> Yep, I have an identical combo: Valentine1, hidden behind 
the green window 
>> stripe, wired permanently to the sunroof, and a CB.
>> I got busted @92mph on Ohio tpk last year with a laser 
and my beloved 
>> Valentine stayed mute. A friend suggested to get a CB. 
Never had a ticket 
>> since (I am knocking on my head, er wood). Those truckers 
DO warn you about 
>> the traps with acuracy of up to 0.5 mi.
>>  
>> Igor Kessel,
>> '89 200TQ, chipped and MOMO'ed all around,
>> in Tornado "arrest-me-officer" red.
>> '88 Fox "a FOX-machine"
>> 
>
>

  Had to reply on this one.  I ran the BearTracker II for 
the last month to see how well it would work.  Cute little 
unit, but that's where my admiration stops.  I should 
qualify the follwing remarks by saying I travelled over 5000 
miles with the unit, through ME, NH, VT, MA, CT & NY.

They claim the unit will alert you to police units within 
three miles.  They do this by detecting a signal between an 
officer's portable radio and the in-car repeater.    
Drawbacks:
  1) you may pick up units say three miles to your side, not 
     in front or behind per se.  (minor detail)
  2) the darn thing doesn't actuallwork mist the time.  I   
   drove by more police units without the things giving so  
    much as a peep (big detail)

The scanner portion works fairly well, though the internal 
speaker leaves much to be desired (as expected) and an 
external antenna is required if you want more than the 
occassional garbled transmissions.  The unit is 
preprogrammed for Highway/local police frequencies for all 
states and provinces.
Drawback:
   1) you can't tell which frequency you're listening to
   2) you can't choose your own frequencies aside from      
 locking out unwanted frequencies.

Overall, impression.  Neat toy, nice for it's size (slightly 
thicker than a typical radar detector), but if you want a 
scanner, but a good scanner.  Stick with a good radar/laser 
detector, and perhaps a CB...  Returned this unit to 
manufacturer today.


-Stott Hare      '84 4Ksq  (black, and waiting for turbo...)
Biddeford, Maine

harest@allenbrook.iix.com
kappa@travelin.com