Was driving through the back streets of San Jose and got blinded by a bright flash.
Then noticed it came from a white mini-van parked on the right-hand curb.
Then noticed that the van with tinted windows had a strange antenna with a disc-shaped transmitter on top.

D'oh ! Radar Trap !

Then further down the street noticed the Speed Limit Sign with "Checked by Photo Radar"

Stupid me didn't bother to switch on Radar Detector. Never believed those signs before. Double-d'oh !

But then I didn't have my front license plate on either - ha ha !

Any ways - moral of the story:
- watch out for speed limit signs saying "photo radar"
- keep eyes peeled for tinted vans with strange attachments
- and leave detectors on even while not on major roads

VR

I was coming down Ashby in Berkeley (right in front of your house Ben007) and came on this roadside radar telling you how fast you were going...the thing was though the Valentine did not pick it up...also saw the same type unit in Palo Alto....anybody know why I couldn't "see" it?

I had a PNI & Bel that wouldn't pickup speed guns used for the signs even if I walked over and held it right next to the gun (yeah I got out and held it close ;-). But it could pick up CHP Ka from a couple of miles.

I switched to Escort (now have both Solo S2 & 8500) and suddenly could detect them all as K-band radars.

Something strange about new K-band radars ?
Dunno - but Escort is the best.

I have X band disabled and was getting onto the San Mateo bridge towards the east bay and saw it on the right shoulder. All the other "your speed is" rigs that I've ever encountered lit up the K band alert on my V1 but this one was the first on that didn't