Looking for a good radar detector...

[SteelerEmpire]

I heard that theirs some device out (or in the making) that allows you to punch in a selected speed of your choice, say 60 mph, when your actually doing 75. It then sends a signal to the policeman's radar when it picks your car up that your actually doing 60...

[Galax Steeler]

Originally Posted by SteelerEmpire

I heard that theirs some device out (or in the making) that allows you to punch in a selected speed of your choice, say 60 mph, when your actually doing 75. It then sends a signal to the policeman's radar when it picks your car up that your actually doing 60...

I have never heard of that sounds pretty neat though.

[Bng_Hevn]

After posting here, I immediately went and googled radar detector forums and found many. There are forums outside of football. Hmmm, go figure.

Anyway, the Valentine 1, aptly known as V1, is the clear favorite.

I generally only do 8 MPH over the speed limit and don't speed much more unless i'm in a group of vehicles. I would just like to know what's around and I've never really trusted any detectors before so didn't want to spend the money.

So, I figure I'll get a V1.

Going X MPH, is it easy to spot them on the windshield? What I don't want to have happen is for a cop to pull me over and confiscate it. I drive a lot to VA where it is illegal to even have it in your vehicle. I'd put it away immediately there but if I were to forget I'd be screwed out of $400 ... if they were to take it.

Does anyone have a clear list of its use in all states? I tried googling it but (wow googling is a word that passes spellcheck???? Times are a changing) found garbage, nothing clear and at least looks like a "legit" source.

[MACH1]

This is what I found from a quick search. Not sold on the valentine.

http://www.radarbusters.com/belescor...inearticle.cfm

The Valentine does have the advantage of having dual antennas, allowing its directional arrows identify the direction that the radar is coming from. However, Radar Roy and other reviewers have all agreed, that the filtering on the Valentine 1 is inferior. So much so that in the November 2004 issue of Autoweek magazine's review, they called the Valentine 1 the "Chicken Little of radar detectors".

One of the best independent reviews we have ever seen concerning the comparisons between the Escort, Bel and Valentine radar detectors was performed by Bob (The Veil Guy) and his wife Lisa. It is titled The Ultimate Real-World Radar Detector Review '05 and is posted on his website LaserVeil.com. Bob and Lisa examined the real-world performance of these top three radar detectors during a 2300 mile trip that covered five states, in which they encountered virtually every form of radar/laser speed enforcement currently in use today. This extensive report covers price, quality, display, alert, performance along with other important features.

In Bob's report, he ranked the Beltronics RX65 as the the top performer " Think of the Bel as a high-performance sports car that can act as daily driver .

May just be an old article though.


Then of course you might just want to save the money you spend on a detector to pay your speeding tickets.

http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=1064

One of the best-kept secrets of the radar detector industry has been the substandard performance of many new detectors--regardless of brand or price--in countering the latest police radar guns. The new radar guns share three characteristics which, together, have been causing endless headaches for detector designers--not to mention lead-footed drivers.

These new "smart" radar guns use DSP, digital signal processing, making them lightning-fast. In a recent test of front-line police radars, in stationary mode (parked at roadside) I found it possible to put them on RF Hold, not transmitting but ready to fire and, when a target approached, with a press of a button I could transmit, confirm a target speed and lock it in less than 0.40 second. Clairvoyance isn't required to guess the outcome of an encounter like this.

These new digital radar guns are ultra-low powered compared to their forebears and most use Ka band, a lethal combination. The weak signal is tougher to detect and Ka band makes the job even harder because of its extraordinarily wide bandwidth, 2.6 Gigahertz, some 52 times wider than X band. Since radar can be anywhere within the spectrum, detectors must search the entire band looking for signals, a time-consuming process that dramatically lowers sensitivity--and detection range--if conventional signal processing techniques are used.

Many of the new radars have Fastest Speed, allowing the officer to press a button and clock the fastest vehicle, impossible to do with analog radar but easily handled by DSP. No more hiding behind 18-wheelers or slower traffic, bubba.

Not that even the best radar detector will make you invulnerable. Most new owners are thrilled when their detector goes off before a radar-equipped cruiser pops into view. But on other occasions the warning inexplicably is too late to be useful. And they're baffled by frequent K- and Ka-band false alerts when there isn't a police radar within 30 miles. Eventually they upgrade, figuring: If it's the most expensive, it must deliver the best protection, right?

Not necessarily. And if you happen to pick a model that's lousy at detecting POP-mode radar, you'll need divine intervention to get across some states with your license intact.

The only defense is to spot these new radars before they spot you, a job for a detector with superior Ka-band sensitivity. From an engineering standpoint this is hardly an impossible task although it definitely is expensive. Required are superior engineering, premium components, sophisticated programming and a lot of development time. But judging from the dismal Ka-band performance of many detectors in our past tests (some didn't go off until we were parked next to the radar gun) some manufacturers clearly hadn't responded to the challenge. This begs the question: have the manufacturers finally got a handle on this new threat?

To find out I gathered four high-end detectors from as many companies for a full test. Three were dash-mount models--the Escort Passport 8500 ($300), Beltronics (BEL) Vector 980 ($290, since replaced by the BEL Vector 995 model with similar features and performance) and the Valentine One ($399). The fourth was a three-piece remote that has the distinction of being the most expensive on the market, the K40 SS3000 (about $1400 including installation). (This model has since been replaced by the K40 Calibre model.

Here are the results, listed alphabetically.

Click the link for results. You may be surprised.

[Steelerstrength]

Originally Posted by AllD

I use a Golden Eagle II which shoots XA radar at target vehicles. Good patrol strategy can be used to defeat any radar detector. Remember, radar detectors are not a license to steal or "Get Out of Jail Free" card. They will improve your odds of avoiding a speeding ticket, but they will not guarantee it or increase your safety. Speeding is responsible for loss of control of your vehicle and reckless driving.

During commutes I often observe vehicles with radar detectors suction cupped to their windshields and purposely shoot at them from my unmarked. It is funny how some people behave and others are completely careless. I am a private subcontractor, but if I was an officer I could easily write tickets all day long specifically targeting detector equipped speeders.

There are plenty of us who are excellent drivers, and refrain from speeding near traffic and/or neighborhood streets. It also helps to have a well equiped vehicle.

Why would you drive around shooting your radar at cars equipped with detectors? Sorry but that's pretty lame.

[Steelerstrength]

Mach, what kind of radar detector do you have now? Why?

[MACH1]

Originally Posted by Steelerstrength

Mach, what kind of radar detector do you have now? Why?

None...Other than common sense. Haven't had a ticket since '89 (knock on wood) and I'm not exactly a stickler for going the speed limit. I keep it under check in town, but out on the freeway I try to get away with what I can. Just have to be a little smarter about it, keep your eye's open and pay attention. Stay away from the 'convoys' of speeders, best way to get caught around here is being in a group. A lot of the cops here don't use their radar guns out on the freeway if they're parked. They have points they time you between and that tells them how fast you were going. A lot harder to fight in court, especially when a guy can clock a tree doing 160 on a breezy day. If they're mobile, that's where paying attention comes in, most of the time you can see them far enough off that you can slow down in time. Bottom line just don't get to crazy or stupid and save the money for other stuff.

Last ticket I got was cause I was stupid. I found out drag racing is almost as bad as a dui, insurance wise. At least I won and the cop was impressed when he finally caught up.

[Steelerstrength]

Originally Posted by MACH1

None...Other than common sense. Haven't had a ticket since '89 (knock on wood) and I'm not exactly a stickler for going the speed limit. I keep it under check in town, but out on the freeway I try to get away with what I can. Just have to be a little smarter about it, keep your eye's open and pay attention. Stay away from the 'convoys' of speeders, best way to get caught around here is being in a group. A lot of the cops here don't use their radar guns out on the freeway if they're parked. They have points they time you between and that tells them how fast you were going. A lot harder to fight in court, especially when a guy can clock a tree doing 160 on a breezy day. If they're mobile, that's where paying attention comes in, most of the time you can see them far enough off that you can slow down in time. Bottom line just don't get to crazy or stupid and save the money for other stuff.

Last ticket I got was cause I was stupid. I found out drag racing is almost as bad as a dui, insurance wise. At least I won and the cop was impressed when he finally caught up.

Since '89?! That's what I call awareness! Great job!

I haven't had one for the last 12 years, but when I did get pulled over it was in my wifes car. I find seldom used, open roads for my ventures.

For me, the V1 is just another way to give me assurance that I'm doing everything possible to be safe, without having to be sorry for driving fast. (By that I mean not having to face unfortunate consequences of my own making.)

When you won, what did you beat?

My last run was with a Ferarri F430. He tried the old ricer "high speed blow by" when it was only he and I on the road. I dropped into 3rd when he was right along side and it was on! Once we hit 145 I had a car and a half on him, so he lifted. Good times!

Of course I do not condone street racing!!!

[MACH1]

Originally Posted by Steelerstrength

Since '89?! That's what I call awareness! Great job!

I haven't had one for the last 12 years, but when I did get pulled over it was in my wifes car. I find seldom used, open roads for my ventures.

For me, the V1 is just another way to give me assurance that I'm doing everything possible to be safe, without having to be sorry for driving fast. (By that I mean not having to face unfortunate consequences of my own making.)

When you won, what did you beat?

My last run was with a Ferarri F430. He tried the old ricer "high speed blow by" when it was only he and I on the road. I dropped into 3rd when he was right along side and it was on! Once we hit 145 I had a car and a half on him, so he lifted. Good times!

Of course I do not condone street racing!!!

It was a 68-69 dodge super bee. We both got caught that night. But it was from the last stop light on the way out of town. He pulled up and started the vroom vroom thing and of course being a youngster I couldn't resist. I had him by about car and a half and just shifted into third when I noticed the pretty lights behind us. After we received our trophies the other guy told me he would have beat me if his fuel pump wasn't going bad. My Mach isn't a freeway car or a long track car I guess ya call it. 1/4 mile is mostly what it's built for.


I took it up to Firebird in Boise about few years ago when a guy could sign waivers and race legally on weekends and my best time was 12.6 @ 124. Hoping to get that down a little bit this year with a fresh rebuild.

[Killer]

You need that speed in Idaho because it's a 100mi round trip to the "stripper" bar from Boise, and they don't even take it all off.