Radar Detector Owners Inside
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From: Nashville, TN
Radar Detector Owners Inside Tell me what kind you've got, where you got it from, and how much you paid, and also if it's saved you at all and if it was worth it. I moved from Tennessee to Kentucky recently, and I've gotten four tickets in TN (three speeding, one u-turn), and I went to traffic school for all of them, and now I've gotten my first speeding ticket in Kentucky. I have slowed it down in the last half year and settled down alot. I just so happened to have been changing a CD while going down a hill, and lost track of the speed I was picking up, and sure enough the one time I slip up in months and months, there is a cop sitting there waiting for me. So while I rarely if ever speed anymore, I want a detector just to give me a little extra warning to watch what I'm doing. Thanks for any help.
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Classically the best Radar Detector is the V1, Valentine One. That may not be spelled right, but anyway. Its about 400 bucks when I lasted checked, but it is basically the high end of radar detectors that everyone is trying to beat. Most people say it is well worth the money. It will tell you how many radar signals are coming from the front, sides or back of the car. They also make a concealed display option that mounts in the gauge area.
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From: Albuquerque NM - The Land of 8000ft DA
I have the PassPort 8500. After doing some research the Valentine and the Passport were very close as far as performance.
I bought the Passport at Best Buy and paid $300 for it.
I have only gotten 1 ticket since I have bought it and thats because I didn't have it on.
Performance is GREAT. The cops can play tricks by activating their radar at the last minute but when they leave it on I have picked up radar signals as far as 1.5 mi ahead and around a mountain! It has saved my *** numerous times as I constantly speed.
I travel from El Paso to Albuquerque (260+mi) doing 95-100mph maybe a dozen times, during the night and day, and the radar has worked great.
I also keep my eyes peeled for anything ahead, like I said sometimes these guys don't turn on their radar til the last minute.
Another thing, nothing on the market will help you against a laser detector. If your radar goes off, whatever you buy, its to late and you've already been pegged. The only thing you can do against that is remove reflective material and buy a laser jammer, thats a another bag of potatoes.
I bought the Passport at Best Buy and paid $300 for it.
I have only gotten 1 ticket since I have bought it and thats because I didn't have it on.
Performance is GREAT. The cops can play tricks by activating their radar at the last minute but when they leave it on I have picked up radar signals as far as 1.5 mi ahead and around a mountain! It has saved my *** numerous times as I constantly speed.
I travel from El Paso to Albuquerque (260+mi) doing 95-100mph maybe a dozen times, during the night and day, and the radar has worked great.
I also keep my eyes peeled for anything ahead, like I said sometimes these guys don't turn on their radar til the last minute.
Another thing, nothing on the market will help you against a laser detector. If your radar goes off, whatever you buy, its to late and you've already been pegged. The only thing you can do against that is remove reflective material and buy a laser jammer, thats a another bag of potatoes.
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From: Eastern MA
Here is a good article from Car and Driver.
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1
Its a bit old, but detector selection hasn't changed much.
Detectors are illegal in some states, so watch out.
Jammers are illegal in all states. Dont get caught using one.
Police now have equipment that can detect detectors and jammers.
--VIP1
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1
Its a bit old, but detector selection hasn't changed much.
Detectors are illegal in some states, so watch out.
Jammers are illegal in all states. Dont get caught using one.
Police now have equipment that can detect detectors and jammers.
--VIP1
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From: Waco, TX
I have a Beltronics 918. I paid $99 for it at Fry's and it has paid for itself many times.
As mentioned before cops can wait to the last minute before they turn on their radar (instant on), which makes having a detector useless since there is no advanced warning, but I have a way around that. I always start out my trips doing the speed limit or about 5 over. It never fails that a speeder will pass by me within several minutes. I just speed up and pace them about 1/8 to 1/4 mile back. When we come to a cop with instant on radar, they get zapped first and my detector starts going off therefore giving me time to shut it down to the speed limit.
I used to be the speeder that leads the pack, but in my old age I have become more cautious and perhaps a bit smarter since I'm not the one paying for the speeding tickets anymore.
As mentioned before cops can wait to the last minute before they turn on their radar (instant on), which makes having a detector useless since there is no advanced warning, but I have a way around that. I always start out my trips doing the speed limit or about 5 over. It never fails that a speeder will pass by me within several minutes. I just speed up and pace them about 1/8 to 1/4 mile back. When we come to a cop with instant on radar, they get zapped first and my detector starts going off therefore giving me time to shut it down to the speed limit.
I used to be the speeder that leads the pack, but in my old age I have become more cautious and perhaps a bit smarter since I'm not the one paying for the speeding tickets anymore.
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Actually, Jammers are not all illegal. Active Jammers as illegal, passive are not. However, Passive jammers don't really work. If it does work it is too late because it didn't jam it until after they got your speed. Laser jammers can work, and are not illegal.
Bigvic is right on about driving to avoid tickets, and is a lot of the time better then the best radar detector.
Bigvic is right on about driving to avoid tickets, and is a lot of the time better then the best radar detector.
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From: Boca Raton, FL
I did a ton of research and it was between the Valentine1 and the Passport 8500. According to all the research I've seen...these two are very close in performance, probably not much of a difference to justify the $100 extra for the V1 in the real world.
Also, anything other than these two was not even close. I'm not exaggerating.....I mean....1 mile range for a certain band on the v1 and 8500 and maybe a 1/4 mile on anything else. Don't waste you money on anything else.
I got my 8500 on sale last December for $280 at Best Buy. I love it because it has a mute feature on the cigarette plug...when it goes off while you're sitting at a light or something...you press the button..and no more noises..it's great!!
I have received no tickets (knock on wood) since I've gotten it. Of course....a good detector means nothing if you don't know how to use it. If you get a lot of tickets in general....a detector won't save you. You have to drive smart and be alert at all times...stay in the right lane whenever possible....always follow a rabbit aka...somebody who is driving faster than you...and slow down for any car in front of you or behind that has super dark tint and extra antennas!!! Don't get me wrong...I don't drive like a grandma....always 80+ on the highway...you just need to be alert.
Oh..and on the highway...watch out for any planes flying above you....they may be timing you for a trap set up ahead of you.
Good luck!
Also, anything other than these two was not even close. I'm not exaggerating.....I mean....1 mile range for a certain band on the v1 and 8500 and maybe a 1/4 mile on anything else. Don't waste you money on anything else.
I got my 8500 on sale last December for $280 at Best Buy. I love it because it has a mute feature on the cigarette plug...when it goes off while you're sitting at a light or something...you press the button..and no more noises..it's great!!
I have received no tickets (knock on wood) since I've gotten it. Of course....a good detector means nothing if you don't know how to use it. If you get a lot of tickets in general....a detector won't save you. You have to drive smart and be alert at all times...stay in the right lane whenever possible....always follow a rabbit aka...somebody who is driving faster than you...and slow down for any car in front of you or behind that has super dark tint and extra antennas!!! Don't get me wrong...I don't drive like a grandma....always 80+ on the highway...you just need to be alert.
Oh..and on the highway...watch out for any planes flying above you....they may be timing you for a trap set up ahead of you.
Good luck!
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Valentine 1, I love the directional feature, I had a cop sitting in a long line of traffic behind me the other day and after a while the laser alarm goes off,arrow pointing to the rear, this thing lights up like a christmas tree when a laser pulse is picked up, I gave the cop a thumbs up LOL I think she wanted to see if it picked up lasar radar( it is plainly visable from the back hatch)
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I have had a BEL until it was stolen and a Uniden since that time and they have been great, picks up radar so far away it gets annoying going the speed limit until you se the cop. Like everyone else I agree that heads up alert driving is the key to not getting stopped, I have had three tickets in 3 years, one was laser and im fighting it as we speak, one i was paced from the rear and not paying attention, the other i was on my cellphone and he was in opposite lane coming towards me, my detector was going off and i just wasn't paying attention to it. Read up on lasers they are most effective but have a lot of flaws to them, they have to be parked to use, at a distance need to be tripod mounted, they cant get you from the side only the front or rear of your vehicle, and most can only be off 10 degrees from head on, meaning they can only accurately tag you from directly the front or rear of your vehicle. Both the detectors I had were great both about $200 dollars but the best insurance is being alert and understand the limitations of there equipment.
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From: Albuquerque NM - The Land of 8000ft DA
Just to add what 2000WS6Vert stated.
The Passport can track multiple signals. And if you mute it, if it picks up another signal it will kill the mute and warn you.
If you read the website you'll see they tested the Passport in El Paso (my home town), LOTS of false signals.
For awhile the police were running a program to crack down on speeders, speed traps GALORE it was absolutly SICK. Cops about every mile, no bullshit, on both sides of the freeway. Not only that there were clusters of motorcycle cops, usually 2 on each side and then another 2 pairs 1 mi. down. If they caught one person there was another one ready clocking people.
My passport was going NUTZ, and picked up on every single one of them. I think It hit 4 on K band and 4 on Ka at the same time.
I don't think you could go wrong with either of them.
The Passport can track multiple signals. And if you mute it, if it picks up another signal it will kill the mute and warn you.
If you read the website you'll see they tested the Passport in El Paso (my home town), LOTS of false signals.
For awhile the police were running a program to crack down on speeders, speed traps GALORE it was absolutly SICK. Cops about every mile, no bullshit, on both sides of the freeway. Not only that there were clusters of motorcycle cops, usually 2 on each side and then another 2 pairs 1 mi. down. If they caught one person there was another one ready clocking people.
My passport was going NUTZ, and picked up on every single one of them. I think It hit 4 on K band and 4 on Ka at the same time.
I don't think you could go wrong with either of them.