radar detector
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: salem ma
radar detector im looking to purchase one.any thoughts on whats best and what to look for?i had ones in the past but they seem to pick up alot of store alarms drove me nuts and when i did need it it wouldnt work well.
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, Michigan
See the links in my sig. We get together and test this stuff every few months or so...
Take a look at the Valentine One, Escort 8500 X50, BEL RX-65...those are all top-tier units. You'll also get similar performance from the BEL V995 and the BEL 895 (Radio Shack version).
If you are on a budget, the Whistler Pro58/Pro73 are good bang for the back for what you get, but they'll give you much lower performance than the ones I mentioned above. Some people also recommend the BEL 795 as a good budget unit, I can't recommend that as we haven't tested it fully.
As far as the detectors alerting to motion sensors at stores etc, you'll never eliminate that completely. Those operate on the same frequencies as police radar, and the signals are electronically identical. The best you can hope for is a detector with a city mode that cuts sensitivity some in urban environments, hopefully without hurting your protection from police radar too much.
Take a look at the Valentine One, Escort 8500 X50, BEL RX-65...those are all top-tier units. You'll also get similar performance from the BEL V995 and the BEL 895 (Radio Shack version).
If you are on a budget, the Whistler Pro58/Pro73 are good bang for the back for what you get, but they'll give you much lower performance than the ones I mentioned above. Some people also recommend the BEL 795 as a good budget unit, I can't recommend that as we haven't tested it fully.
As far as the detectors alerting to motion sensors at stores etc, you'll never eliminate that completely. Those operate on the same frequencies as police radar, and the signals are electronically identical. The best you can hope for is a detector with a city mode that cuts sensitivity some in urban environments, hopefully without hurting your protection from police radar too much.
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, Michigan
I know for certain there are POP-capable units in Michigan.
Since POP falses occur from leakage emitted from cheap detectors in other vehicles (Cobras!) or from "regular" police radar that is barely in range or from stray reflections, is difficult to say if the cops are actually using the POP feature unless you're in the car with the officer while he's using it.
Since POP falses occur from leakage emitted from cheap detectors in other vehicles (Cobras!) or from "regular" police radar that is barely in range or from stray reflections, is difficult to say if the cops are actually using the POP feature unless you're in the car with the officer while he's using it.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
BOSS APPROVED!
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis, Missouri
Radar detectors are great...but price = quality. Yeah, I picked up a shitty radioshack one and got a ticket the next day. Sold it, stopped being cheap, and bought a Escort Passport 8500 X50 and its saves my *** regularly. Seriously, spend the money and get a Escort or Valentine 1.
I also opted for the Passport 8500 X50 w ZR-3 Laser Shifter. Saved my *** alot.. though when I don't have it I don't nearly speed as much.. so technically If I didn't have it I probably wouldn't be speeding during the times it has saved my ***.
ive had both the escort passport 8500 and the valentine V1 now. I thought the escort was great when I used it, but it was nothing compared to the V1. The V1 costs more, but it picks up the same signals farther away and the arrows help alot too to know which direction to look for and if its better to coast or hit the brakes.
i still get tickets, but so far it has been when i either dont get clocked, or was the only one on the road and ran into a group of cops at night and they switch their radar on before i can get from 100+ down to 55. i got a v1 and it does its job, but in certain circumstances it does as much as tell me they got me already, like when i got hit with laser, nothing the v1 could have really helped me with...
if you speed you'll still get tickets, probably just not as many, i've been saved many times by the v1, i'd guess i've only recieved 20% of the tickets i could possibly have gotten without the v1 which is a pretty good estimate, its just a matter of time before you get pulled over though...
if you speed you'll still get tickets, probably just not as many, i've been saved many times by the v1, i'd guess i've only recieved 20% of the tickets i could possibly have gotten without the v1 which is a pretty good estimate, its just a matter of time before you get pulled over though...
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: La.
radar detectors escourt cordless-$350.00 but worth every penny. my old bel cordless saved me for 10 years & the on/off buttons finally wore out. I liked the bell cause it was smaller & lighter & would mount on the top of the mirror. Escort's larger & much heavier / bulkier but the bell is out of production. 
JIMMYZZ
JIMMYZZ 
I have the Escort Passport 8500 X50 as well, linked with the Escort ZR3 Lazer Shifter setup, and it offers more protection than the Valentine 1. I don't speed redicuously. 5-10 over on the interstate, other than that 5 over in the city, It's still saved me I couldn't count how many times. Are you 100% protected n, but a good setup will help you out. You can also buy a coating called Veil, and apply it to your headlights, and license plate, and it absorbs lazer signals versus reflecting them. www.radarbusters.com has good information on all fo the radar systems. I went with my setup because I have the ZR3 wired up in the Fbody, and can still take the X50 to my other vehicles.
