Radar Detectors?

[50redvert]

I'm looking to buy a radar detector; looking at

Escort 8500
K40
BelTronics

[joe4speed]

I have a Bel Vector LR, I think it's wonderful. It's paid for itself a hundred times over! I recommend it highly!

[MikeWeber]

The newest Motor Trend has a test of high end ($200+) detectors. I get mine in the mail so I'm not sure when it'll hit the news stands.

[moc]

this is were it's at Baby
http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html

[stock89]

Gents,
Radar detectors work on the premis that the "cop" is using it appropriately. Most don't. Most ride around with the radar on, zapping everyone all the time, I don't know why they do that.

If a "cop" uses the radar correctly, there is a 5 step process that must be gone through.
1) Visually see the vehicle
2) Clear Radar path (radar grabs larger vehicle if 2 present)
3) Mental estimate of speed and click on radar
4) Get confirmation of speed on unit LED
5) Clear audio tone

Okay, now that we are all the wiser on the "process" we can eliminate that: If you are driving down the road speeding, a procedure-following cop having his radar off will see you, click on the radar and get you. Your radar detector will alert the second they let go of the hold button, but by then you're already clocked. A detector will not alert if the radar unit is not on, or is on "hold".

Any other questions????

[z3beemer]

Valentine 1 is suppose to be the best detector on the market. It's expensive ($400). But people I know who have them swear by them. Plus they are upgradeable. The owner of the company was the chief designer at Cincinnati Microwave, the company who originally built and sold Escorts and Passports. He went on his own and is the sole manufacturer and distributor of Valentine 1. They have a web site to check them out if your interested. My son has an Escort 8500 and it seems to be a good unit too and cost about $100 less than a Valentine 1. But like someone else said, the most important thing in using a radar decor is knowing how radar works and what the limitations of both the radar unit and the dector are.

[NO SLO PK]

Another thumbs up for Valentine 1. It has sensors in both the front and back, and it has an excellent filter for preventing false alarms. As said above, it costs $400, but it is the class of radar detectors. If you can afford the cost, I believe it's the best available.

[DirtKing]

any detector that does not show you where the cop is located is basically useless. that is what make the valentine as good as it gets...you know where the cop (or security alarm is). that being said, there is no defense for "instant on radar". When you are hit in this fashion you have NO warning and NO opportunity to check your speed and slow down if neccessary.

[cyberstang5.0]

I have the Cobra ESD 9550 Radar Detector and it is the bomb.

http://www.shopcobra.com/product.asp?sku=1756124

I didn't buy it cuz of the name, but it is one of the best on the market next to valentine.

[stock89]

Originally posted by DirtKing
any detector that does not show you where the cop is located is basically useless. that is what make the valentine as good as it gets...you know where the cop (or security alarm is). that being said, there is no defense for "instant on radar". When you are hit in this fashion you have NO warning and NO opportunity to check your speed and slow down if neccessary.

Dirtking,

I am glad someone understands! I absolutely, positively, guarantee that if the radar is not emitting any waves, no radar detector will pick it up. Think about it, if the radar unit isn't shooting out waves, how can the waves be picked up by a detector?? Unless it's hooked up to Dion's psychic hotline or something. LOL.

If a cop has the radar unit off or on hold (same thing), no radar detector will pick it up. The millisecond that the cop flips the radar on, you will get caught the very second your detector goes off. It's that simple.

Trust me, I have caught countless hords of people with radar detectors of all brands. Also- if a cop paces you at night, or during the day (no radar, just follows you), there is no escape and it's his/her word against yours- who'll win in court??

The best alternative is a radar detector type system that hooks on cop frequency bands and alerts you if a cop is within a few miles. Unfortunately that system is getting outdated due to all the digital and frequency hopping radio systems that are in use.

Best of luck to you all...

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

I have a Passport 8500 and am constantly amazed at its ability to alert me to the presence of all our local police cars. Every new Interceptor in my town has an in-car K- or Ka-band unit, and they seem to just drive around with them on, spewing out radiation.


The 8500 is almost immune to falses in my area, but every time it goes off, it seems, a cruiser isn't far behind.

[stock89]

Originally posted by stock89
Gents,
Radar detectors work on the premis that the "cop" is using it appropriately. Most don't. Most ride around with the radar on, zapping everyone all the time, I don't know why they do that.


Any other questions????

Jeb- Like I said above, it's an improper, sloppy and lazy, procedure which just goes to show that departments lack of officer discipline. At least it's good for you though....

[Musky]

I voted for other because I have a Cobra model radar detector and a few of my friends have them too. They work great and have saved my butt out of many a ticket therefore paying for itself many times over. In my opinion, spending $400 or so for a Valentine One, while awesome as they claim to be, is absurd for a detector. You can get a good Cobra one for under $150.

And yes, if a cop turns his gun on and zaps you, you WILL be busted before the detector can have a chance to go off. HOWEVER, most cops run around with them all the time on, or even more likely sit in a recessed location and get people when they drive by, in both situations a radar detector will save you.

[Jeb_Bush_2000]

I'm sticking my old Whistler in the back window...that solves the "where's the radar coming from" problem.


Front and rear RWRs. Some planes don't even have those.

[95mustanggt]

Car and Driver has a big Radar detector shoot out this month. The Valentine One came in at the top of the class, by a Big Margin. After reading it's features and benefits and reading the test data I know why. It's pricey, but you get what you pay for. The escort 8500 came in second place. They said it was a good unit, but still not the same as a Valintine One.