Recommend a Radar Detector Please?!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 787
Likes: 1
From: Hialeah Florida
Recommend a Radar Detector Please?!
About 2 weeks ago on a sunday morning at around 2am I was coming back from a party. I was on the highway doing around 94mph with absolutly no traffic around. I was cruising. Just my luck a Metro Dade cop got me on radar. He gave me my very first ticket ever....no im not proud it just sucks. Gave me a ticket for 34 over. Sooooooo can anyone recommend to me a decent affordable radar detector? Ive never used one and maybe someone here has experience using them..
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 6
From: St Marys GA
Well, decent and affordable are 2 very relative terms, and in my opinion impossible to accomplish at the same time. If I were you, I'd get a Valentine One. It's the best you can get, and has detection ranges of about double most other detectors. Trouble is they run something like $450, and they don't get much cheaper used. Just don't buy a crap $30 one, you'll just get mad at it when you get your next ticket.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
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From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
Get the one you can afford.
There are few one that are in the Top 5
After owning the RX-65 for 5 years and saved over $10,000, I upgraded to the GX-65
I'm very happy with it.
There are few one that are in the Top 5
After owning the RX-65 for 5 years and saved over $10,000, I upgraded to the GX-65
I'm very happy with it.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
I use an Escort 8500 x50. I got it one and half years ago after a ticket and it hasn't failed or falsed EVER. Soon you will find out what band your cops use but most of the more modern police departments use Ka band. I disable X and K on the detector so I don't get Best Buy/other detector signals. I got it on craigslist for 120 and you can find them used on ebay for 130-150 now. It is unbelievably reliable and I will vouch for Escort, couldn't be happier with it. Whatever you do, don't buy something cheap, I've gone through 3 cheaper trash detectors before getting this one.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,444
Likes: 0
When I first got my vette 9 years ago, I bought a valentine 1 based on reviews here. Love that thing. It tells you what direction the radar is coming from so you know is it ahead or coming up from behind. Money well spent.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
Something that has been on my list of things to purchase for along time.
The brand that comes up the most in my car forum travels has been the Valentine One. My Porsche, Ferrari,Viper, M3 driving clients seem to like the Valentine's a lot too.
The brand that comes up the most in my car forum travels has been the Valentine One. My Porsche, Ferrari,Viper, M3 driving clients seem to like the Valentine's a lot too.
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 45
Likes: 2
For me the Escort 9500ix is currently the best out there. Yes, it's expensive, but the gps feature gets rid of the annoying false alarms and warns you of the photo radars. The V1 arrows would be nice, but if this goes off and you have accidently let your speed creep up you'd better slow down because it doesn't matter which direction the radar is coming from at this point.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
I asked the same question on another board and the same general consensus was found. The 8500 is great but the 9500ix is definitely the better investment for a unit that keep giving for years.
Escort also has a trade-in worth 80 bucks off the price of a new unit.
Not cheap, but neither are tickets and the insurance premium that follows for the next three years. Do the math, its less than one ticket will cost you.....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 765
Likes: 3
From: Holland MI
I found this site looking the other day.
http://radartest.com/DetectorSelector.asp <--that allows you to pick one out according to your area.
I had the Escort Redline come up as the best for me, but at $500, I can't justify that.
http://radartest.com/DetectorSelector.asp <--that allows you to pick one out according to your area.
I had the Escort Redline come up as the best for me, but at $500, I can't justify that.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Walsh MA
I just have a cheap $100 cobra which is not great but enough to give the heads up when i need it. But something you should know is that you CANNOT count on these radar detectors. alot of cops are smart and leave there radars off untill they see you and then turn it on. and not only that but when it comes the the highway, cops often use laser, and most radar detectors do have laser detecting in them but, if your doing 94 on the highway and the laser detector goes off, you mind as well just pull over because they most likely got your speed if you picked up the laser. Not trying to bring you down about this, im just giving you a warning. They fore sure are GREAT though! saved me many many times! good luck with you buy!
Check out this site!!! - http://www.guysoflidar.com/ it great!!!!
Check out this site!!! - http://www.guysoflidar.com/ it great!!!!
Last edited by Mrmatt2009; Jul 26, 2010 at 10:00 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,736
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From: WAY UPSTATE NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,677
Likes: 812
From: Saskatoon Sask.
I just have a cheap $100 cobra which is not great but enough to give the heads up when i need it. But something you should know is that you CANNOT count on these radar detectors. alot of cops are smart and leave there radars off untill they see you and then turn it on. and not only that but when it comes the the highway, cops often use laser, and most radar detectors do have laser detecting in them but, if your doing 94 on the highway and the laser detector goes off, you mind as well just pull over because they most likely got your speed if you picked up the laser. Not trying to bring you down about this, im just giving you a warning. They fore sure are GREAT though! saved me many many times! good luck with you buy!
Check out this site!!! - http://www.guysoflidar.com/ it great!!!!
Check out this site!!! - http://www.guysoflidar.com/ it great!!!!
With "absolutely no traffic around" any radar detector is just going to tell you you are about to spend some money. More times than not, the warning they give you is the detector sensing someone else around you getting "shot".
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 441
Likes: 2
From: Morristown TN
I've used v1's since about 2001 or so. If I had it to do over, it would be the 2nd thing I bought, right after my first car. I have 4 of them, one for every vehicle me and my wife have.
I've gotten as much as 2.5 miles warning out of mine before under certain circumstances. Usually it gives you are least 3/4 of a mile or more of warning. Sometimes it gives you enough warning that you are almost ready to dismiss the alert as false and start speeding back up, but then you finally see the sneaky coward hiding in the trees somewhere. It gives you plenty of advance warning so you can have your middle finger already out the window well in advance.
I've gotten as much as 2.5 miles warning out of mine before under certain circumstances. Usually it gives you are least 3/4 of a mile or more of warning. Sometimes it gives you enough warning that you are almost ready to dismiss the alert as false and start speeding back up, but then you finally see the sneaky coward hiding in the trees somewhere. It gives you plenty of advance warning so you can have your middle finger already out the window well in advance.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,518
Likes: 1,304
From: Windermere FL
I have both the Escort 9500 and the Valentine-1. I had the Valentine-1 for many years and my wife likes it much better because of the arrows and she is used to it.
That being said, the Escort has a lot going for it. It gets rid of most of the every day door opener alerts with its GPS. Plus the red light feature I find useful if you pay for their updates. Beware that there are red light cameras not in their DB.
Either is a good choice.
That being said, the Escort has a lot going for it. It gets rid of most of the every day door opener alerts with its GPS. Plus the red light feature I find useful if you pay for their updates. Beware that there are red light cameras not in their DB.
Either is a good choice.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 767
Likes: 1
From: Ponce Inlet FL
Ihave had one for about 4-5years and it works great. The price is worth it. It hardly ever false alarms, and when it does it can be programmed not to false at that signal again.
It tells you that speed cameras are up ahead as well as red light cameras. I love it.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,075
Likes: 77
From: Elgin, IL
Anyone have any experience with the Bear Trackers that monitor the police radio and tells you if a cop is in the area regardless if their radar or laser is on at all. I always thought that was the best option if it worked.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 656
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth TX