Saturday, May 31, 2008

Speed Trap Hunter Blog: The Definitive Real-World Speedtrap Encounter Travel Diary

Speedtrap Hunting with Beltronics STi-R, Escort Passport 9500ci, Valentine One v3.861
As many of my long-time subscribed readers already know, the Veil Guy is first and foremost a driving enthusiast at heart.

Over the years of our participation in the radar detector industry as a manufacturer of stealth countermeasures, I have shared my experiences with the best-of-breed products and have prepared radar detector reviews, radar detector buyer's guides, laser detector performance tests, laser jammer buyer's guide, and at every turn have tried to educate and illuminate would-be users of all these speed trap countermeasures of what works well and how to maximize their effectiveness in the real-world (and steer you away from bogus products proven not to work).

I have also tried to rally an online grassroots campaign to expose the underlying motivating factors driving the rapid spread of automated photo-enforcement throughout the U.S. by cash starved (in debt) state and local municipalities and to motivate drivers to join organizations dedicated to protecting and defending our driving freedoms.

My original radar detector review entitled (the ultimate radar detector review 2005) was essentially a collection of a series of travel logs comparing and contrasting the behavioral and personality differences between the top performing wind-shield mount radar detectors of the time (much of which still holds true to this day). The blogosphere had not yet taken form.

However, given that blogging is now commonplace and with the recent and intense amount of driving that I have performed over the last several months (some of which with the latest and greatest radar detectors ever designed by mankind) I have decided to launch another blog site, which will include the participation of a growing number of STH certified "speed trap hunters," dedicated to detailing some of these real-world encounters.

This new site will enable me to shorten my conventional reviews of radar detectors, laser detectors, laser jammers, gps detectors, and other articles by allowing much of the detail of my real-world driving experiences to appear there instead of in the actual formal reviews.

The purpose and story line of this rolling new travel diary is to enable readers, unfamiliar with the latest equipment to learn what it is like to live and drive with the products we use in the every day world, as we commute to and from work or travel on holiday by automobile.

Between this new blog and its related speed trap hunter forum, we hope to educate and inform the would-be consumer of these countermeasure devices to make the correct purchasing decisions, the first time out, and more importantly to provide education on how to properly use these products—setting realistic expectations as to the capabilities and limitations of each.

Our mission is to increase the awareness of the emerging traffic enforcement technologies (that in some cases are quietly spreading throughout this country and abroad) and the appropriate products that can successfully mitigate them.

Staged and contrived product tests do have their rightful place, however comparison performance charts can have their limitations, too.

In our pioneering format, we will attempt to accurately convey what it is actually like to live with these devices day-in and day-out.

Some established radar detector manufacturers may (from time to time) offer free 30-day radar detector test-drive trials. That's all well and good, but, if one doesn't fully understand the capabilities, the limitations, and how to properly use these devices, one may incorrectly assume that any given product does not work as advertised or expected, when the reality is that the owner of the purchased countermeasure may actually be to blame—as they may lack the context in which to properly use these sophisticated and often misunderstood driver safety enhancement tools.

If I threw you the keys to an Indy car and said to you, take the car out on the track and give me your best timed-lap, you'd probably want/need (at least) some tips on how to avoid hitting the wall coming out of a turn.

Our mission is to fast-track this education process vicariously (hey, we tend to talk about going 'fast', prudently, anyway), provide the proper context, and to ensure that your journey into the speed trap countermeasure world is the least painless and most rewarding as possible.

This new blog is about having a good time while becoming a more responsible, educated, and safe driver in the process.

Our contributors know that, in life, it's not the destination that's important, but the journey.
We hope you enjoy the journey!

...And remember, keep it between the lines.

Speed Trap Hunter Blog & Travel Diary

Veil Guy