just went from silver to crystal red,wife says I need the best radar detector on the market……no argument from me.Opinions please

 

Much love given to Passport 9500ix.

 

If you want to get a big a$$ ticket get a radar detector.. I have seen so many people get them and think that they don't have to worry about getting a ticket. I was with my buddy when he got pulled over for going 86 in a 65 zone. The cop told him he would have gave him a warning if he didn't have a detector. I know there will be people chirping in saying that you have to use your head with them. Well what the hell is the use of having one if you have to worry about when it will work and if it will pick up certain radars. I'm sorry but I know guys that have tried the TOP 3 and they all say the same thing. I just watch my speed. Again what the hell is the point of having one if you have to watch your speed anyways?? OK I will give you that the lights are cool but don't count on them to keep you from getting a ticket. Anyone that says that they can get in their car and drive over the limit and not worry about it is full of sh*t..

 

Having had the V-1 and now the 9500ix I'll second the ix

 

Wow, rant much?

I've had a V1 since I got mine and it's saved me many times. Since I bought the car I have exactly 0 speeding tickets in it.

 

I have tried several detectors and when moving at such high velocitys the detectors just don't give you enough time to slow down before the police score on you. My advise to to keep driving things like speed, lane changes and burn outs reasonable. Side by side speed contests are triple jeopardy. Only go gunning when you can win . Vettes draw cops like bees are drawn to the sweet smell of a summer flower to be harvested. Judges agree.

 

A detector may help occasionally but the thing is they mostly use laser nowdays and they only activate it when they suspect they see a speeder so there is no signal to alert you until it's pinging your car. There are jammers available for laser and radar but i dont know how well or if they work.

 

I have a heavy foot and the radar is worth it even if I get one ticket. Would have a lot more if I didn't have one. I have the 9500ix and so far no tickets had it for a few years. Also bought a new one for my wife the max.

 

What? I think it depends on where you live, what equipment the cops use and the penalties. Here (BC) if you are going 40 kmhr (25 mph) over you get towed. $1500 bill with ticket. Then your insurance goes up. Makes a $400 detector a no brainer. Every cop here and most places are still using radar, so chances of detection are high compared to laser. Get the 9500ix or valentine.

 

V1 here too. saved many times, gives you the freedom to drive as you want to. also use Escort online. radar detector isn't a license for foolishness, give me a break.

 

They're a waste of money.

 

 

Wow, if they save one ticket then you're way ahead. As stated above if you drive unsafely then you'll probably get tickets. But if you're driving fast enough to maybe get a ticket then you'll still have time to slow down before being checked. I live in calif and most of the time it's still radar not a laser, say 90% of the time. Sometimes, even when they're using laser, I'll get a warning from my V1 in time to slow. I think that they've just checked someone else and my V1 picked it up.

Oh, by the way waiting for: "just don't speed and you don't have to worry". Let me answer that in advance: "Everybody either speeds to some extent or gets run over by all the other cars on the road.

 

Exactly!!! The people here saying they work so good probably drive 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit and think they are getting away with it. I'm not trying to start trouble. I just know they are not as good as some people say they are..

 

Radar detectors are only as good as the person using them. They provide you with information, but it is up to you to use that information correctly. Additionally, someone that uses a radar detector needs to learn how to drive appropriately. A radar detector does not give you an invincibility shield to getting speeding tickets.

First lets talk about the ways that cops can get a speed reading on you.

1. RADAR: a radio wave that is emitted that bounces off everything that it hits and goes back to the radar gun. The frequency of the radio wave that is received is slightly different than what is emitted this shift is due the speed that you are going. A good analogy is when you are playing baseball and are up at bat. The pitcher throws the baseball, the batter hits the ball. Depending on how fast bat is going when it hits the ball, the ball will change direction and speed. Now radar sends out a very wide beam, and hits many cars. Most radar guns will record two readings: fastest and strongest. Fastest is self explanatory. Strongest is the strongest signal received back by the radar gun. Sometimes it is the closest vehicle, other times it could be a larger vehicle that is farther away. An eighteen wheeler that is farther away will give a stronger signal than a closer corvette. Cops are taught how to interpret the information given to them by their radar gun and the environment to determine which car is the fastest and which car is the strongest signal. In traffic, the cops can often be wrong. Radar detectors generally can detect the radar at a distance before the radar can get a reading on you.

LIDAR: is a narrow laser beam that generally targets one car at a time. The beam is approximately 3 feet wide at 1000 feet from the LIDAR gun. The LIDAR will get a reading in under 0.4 seconds. When your radar detector alerts to LIDAR, the cop already knows your speed.

Visual estimation: the officer determines you speed by sight. Depending on the officer this could be a very inaccurate method.

Pacing: A cop follows you staying at a fixed distance behind (or in front of) you. Based in his calibrated speedometer, he obtains your speed.

VASCAR: a cop times you between two landmarks, sometimes lines painted in the road. Time divided by distance gives you speed. The cop can be following you, sitting on the side of the road or in a helicopter or airplane.

How to avoid speeding tickets:

Don't be a lone wolf. Just because a cop has a radar gun doesn't mean it is on all of the time. The cop may have the radar in standby (not transmitting). When he sees a car that he thinks is speeding, he will turn it in and record your speed. Use a rabbit. A rabbit is another vehicle ahead of you at least 1/10 a mile or greater traveling at the same speed as you. When the cop sees him and radars or lasers him he gets the ticket, your radar detector goes off and you slow down and don't get the ticket. Watch for cars ahead of you that all brake or slow down together. This is a good indicator of a speed trap.

Get the iphone/android APP WAZE

LIDAR: The only way to avoid a LIDAR ticket when speeding is the use of Laser Jammers. They work by sending a laser beam back to the LIDAR gun and confusing the LIDAR gun. Currently the best Laser Jammer is the Antilaser Priority followed by the Laser Interceptor and Blinder HP-905. The laser jammers must be installed correctly and tested using current police laser guns to ensure that they will protect you. PM me for more info about this. Never test your laser jammers with a police officer and when you get hit with laser immediately slow down to the speed limit and turn your laser jammers off.

For visual estimation, VASCAR and pacing you must be aware of your surroundings. WAZE is very helpful for these speed traps.

Radar detectors: Don't waste your money on Cobra, Rocky Mountain and K40. The best radar detectors are made by Valentine Research, Escort and Beltronics. Not all of the radar detectors made by each company are equal.

The best installed radar detector is the Beltronics STiR+. Don't bother with any other. It is an Escort 9500ci with out the laser shifters and is more tunable to give you much better radar detection than the 9500ci.

The top windshield mount radar detectors are the Escort Redline and Valentine1, followed by the Escort MAX. If you want to spend less money the Escort 8500x50 Black, Escort SmartRadar and Beltronics 300 are ok. The Wistler Pro series are also ok.

Radar detectors are not just take them out of the box and turn them on. Just like our cars, they must be customized through their settings and sometimes they should be used with an accessory for acceptable results.

The Valentine One must be used with V1Connect and YaV1 android app and programmed correctly.

The Beltornics STiR+ and Escort Redline must be programmed with RDR off and running segments 1 and 10 off.

It gets a little moe technical, but these are the basics. Feel free to PM me or ask questions in this thread.

 

V1 here for years in all my cars and motorcycles. Saved me thousands over the years in many states. Hand held instant on lasers are hard to beat but they are VERY seldom used compared to the dash mounted radar units most cops use (and) keep on constantly. That reminds me, here's a big thank you for all the LEOs that keep their units on all the time. Way to go, much appreciated!

 

Any Escort with the smart cord technology.
Also, it is a very good idea to run with the WAZE app on your phone.

Nothing is fool proof. If it is your day to get a ticket, you will get one whether you have a detector or not.

 

We have used Valentines for years, in all our cars. Works for me!

 

I've used Escorts since they came out with the first Passport. I can't even count the number of times they have saved my butt. Bought a new 8500 X50 for the '06. Just bought the newest 8500--Black, a couple of months ago. They claim a 40% improvement, don't know about 40%, but it picks up Ka miles away, around corners--even 90 degree, over hills, etc. Seems even better than my old one, and that was terrific. Escort makes more expensive detectors with bells and whistles that I don't need. Bought it on sale for $250 as a long time owner. You can't beat it, especially at that price. Put the older 8500 in my wife's '13 Civic SI. She never uses it, but I certainly do when I drive it. To me, it's a no brainer that it's worth the money. Lots of decent ones out there for $400 or less. But getting mine for $250 was a fantastic deal. I think they go for $300, generally.

 

wow! thanks for info will p.m you at some point for more info if necessary.