FYREANT

I know many of you have a lot of radar detector experience and am hoping you can give me some good advice. I'm looking to finally get a radar detector and am looking for recommendations. Here are the basic features im looking for:

- Smart capability - I travel the same area frequently. Hoping they have sone kind of function similar to Waze where I will know where the speed trap is before it registers that they just zapped me. I've heard they work in a mesh network now where all the radars basically talk to each other ao you know where they are at scanning

- Needs to be able to pick up laser since we have a lot of that here

- Mirror tap available

- Blend-mount capable would be nice but not required

- Would prefer to not go over $250 for the radar.

Thanks guys!

Ant

red62vette

A used V1

DrDyno

Without question... ESCORT 8500 X50! Been using them for years and haven't had a ticket in over three decades!

dvilin

Zedred

Call Valentine ask for a returned V1, be sure its the newest model, that will save you 10%.

Skidplate

Laser detection is a bit useless. By the time you detect the laser, your speed has been recorded unless you are traveling in a pack and you get flashed while the laser operator is hunting around for a target. That was the only time my laser alerted and I lucked out.

'Merica

Spend the money and get a good one the first time around. Uniden R3 is what I bought and it's unbelievably good.

PatternDayTrader

Keep in mind all radar detectors are totally worthless if you don't take the time to understand how to use them. There will be a learning curve before it becomes genuinely useful. Blind spot monitors, traffic flow sensors, and tons of other things cause false alerts. On some sections of road, non-stop full alarm alerts can make you think a detector is actually broken. I went through this just this morning on I30 north of Texarkana.
Knowing all this, my vote is the Uniden r3. Yeah its a bit more than 250 bucks but its worth it. Presently, it is now accepted as the best long range detector available at any price. My experience reflects this. A detectors range requirement is relative to the speed you want to travel. The faster you go, the more range you need. Here's some free advice from someone who knows. No matter what you buy, if even one chirp of a Ka band alert sounds, you better be on the brakes until you find the source. Also, go ahead and shut X band off unless you travel in Ohio. Turn off K POP. Don't use Ka narrow, use Ka wide to sweep for all frequencies including out of tune guns. Speed traps are a very easy problem to avoid, the most difficult thing to avoid, is catching up to a moving police car at night. Be really careful traveling over 100 mph and don't weave in and out of slower cars if you do, people just call 911 ( trust me, I know). Lastly, don't use gps lockouts (on any detector) to silence falses coming form those stupid signs that blink your speed when your over the posted limit. Just remember those spots.

joemessman

^^^This guy knows what he is talking about! spend the $399 and get the Uniden r3. The best there is right now.

eagle7175

remember you get what you pay for, one speeding ticket will cost you more than the few extra dollars needed to get a top of the line model. personally i have a escort 9500ix for dd and a escort redline for the vette.

LT4CMG

I don't speed often, but when I do, it's not "I'm ticketing you for speeding" speeds, it's
"you have the right to remain silent" speeds. Of course, this is usually late nights on empty roads, in Mexico, but regardless, I too am interested in this topic. Subscribing.

tpawlak

Being in a "pack" does not matter as laser does not "hunt" for a target as it a very narrow bear that must be deliberately focus on only a single target. Given that you are still not helpless as unlike radar it is legal to block or shift laser which will give you time to react before it can achieve burn through and lock on.

DALE#3

Bracelets will PARK the corvette.Always when these threads come up.It's a definite MOD.Top 5 for sure.
Mirror Mount with wire tap another Must.Big Ears

BobFic

I recently picked up Uniden DFR7, it cost slightly less but has circuitry design of higher end detectors.
Uniden DFR7 is one of the best bang for the buck radar detectors you can get. Against the radar frequency used most around the US (Ka band, 34.7), it offers performance comparable to detectors that cost $100-200 more, it has some of the best blind spot filtering available at any price, plus it offers all the important GPS features you need to make this a well-rounded radar detector suitable for both highway and city driving.

PatternDayTrader

LOL ... Yeah I can relate to that !

LIStingray

The Blendmount on the C7 (or C6 for that matter) just integrates the radar detector so nicely into the car, which has limited windshield space, I wouldn't go without one.
I am a V1 guy and have been for the last 16 years, but other detectors may be just as good.
I find around my area, the NY State Police hardly ever use radar - it is mostly laser, which means you need to be ultra vigilant -they need to see you to shoot the car, so you will be able to see them too. Local county police and NYC Highway Patrol use radar more, but it seems to always be the left on type, and pretty much any detector will pick that up in time; Instant on radar just isn't common anymore. NYC has speed cameras, and those seem to be all x-band radar.

Allen_B

Question on the Blendmount- Like the clean look and fitment but how cumbersome is it to remove/re-install the detector?

Asking since it would go into a convertible and just too easy to ****** anything in plain view...


Allen

BLKTA

I agree. Once set-up it's great.

FYREANT

Lots of great responses, thank you all! It looks like the three most used are the Uniden R3, Escort 9500 IX, and Valentine V1. Some of those are rather expensive, but I understand the logic of do it right or do it twice.

I too spend many a night at white knuckle speeds in Mexico.. lol

Regarding Laser - I know how it works, and that its not left on all the time so you can't just pick it up ahead of time. Thats why I want to make sure whatever detector I get will talk to other peoples "detector network" that already got hit with Laser so I know where they are before I even get there. Like I said, similar to how Waze works.

Do the three mentioned detectors above do that?

'Merica

Uniden doesn't talk to other radars. I'm happy it doesn't, people report the dumbest **** on wade, I've turned everything off except police reported ahead and just run that with my Uniden.