Radar detectors-Which one?

[XS650]

Unfortunately a laser alert normally occurs simultaneously with the cop getting your speed reading.

We have one fat little motorcycle cop in our town that hides on his bike and uses laser. Fortunately he's lazy and not very creative so doesn't use many spots. He picks a clear section of road with an unreasonably low speed limit and something to hide behind.

I didn't know about one of the spots until he lazed from from it. No ticket and I know one more of his hiding spots.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: XS650
Unfortunately a laser alert normally occurs simultaneously with the cop getting your speed reading.
. . .


Although not nearly as "effective," [as compared to radar] detectors with good laser detection can pick up the scatter from someone ahead of you getting shot. Of course, you have to respect a laser alert and respond accordingly at once. But yeah, you have a much greater chance of getting zapped in an instant by LIDAR.

 

[moribundman]

Every drive around the block becomes like a top-secret cloak-and-dagger mission into enemy territory. All that blinking and beeping really adds to the driving experience.

 

[BrianWC]

The V1 and the 9500i both have pros and cons. The V1 is remarkably sensitive and is the ultimate highway radar detector. But if you do more urban driving, the 9500i's relative quiet is a big plus. Many people, however, have a problem with the ramp-up on the 9500i. It typically goes from low intensity beeps to full alert with nothing in between.

For those who complain about the cost of the V1 and the 9500i, Bel's Vector line of detectors offers exceptional performance a notch below the 9500 and V1. The great thing about the Vectors is the differences in price across the Vector line is due to features, not increased performance. A Bel Vector 940 offers the same performance as a V995. I've owned a 955 since September and it's an amazing detector.

And remember, friends don't let friends by Cobras.

Try radardetector.net for the best real-world info. Also, guysoflidar.com for the best, no [censored] testing.

 

[Shannow]

Down here, Police are equipped with "Radar Detector Detectors".

$1000 fine if caught with a detector, and even more if you refuse to hand it over.

 

[surfstar]

Originally Posted By: BrianWC
A Bel Vector 940 offers the same performance as a V995. I've owned a 955 since September and it's an amazing detector.


Would you say the 940 offers the most bang for the buck? I'd like to get a good one, but don't want to shell out $300+

 

[BrianWC]

Yes it does. Although, for a few bucks more you can have a no X band city option on the 955. But yes, the 940 is a great detector. My advice on mounting, BTW, is high and in the middle. Lower gets better laser, but lets face it....you aren't going to get good laser warnings on practically any detector....

I've owned the "top of the line" Cobra XRS 9930, and it's embarrassing when you compare the range of it and my V955.

The key to proper use of a radar detector is to not let your detector blind you to good alert driving practices. If you KNOW a spot where cops setup speed traps, slow down, regardless of what your detector tells you. They may use instant on and give you NO warning. I have to say, once you have a good detector, you'll be amazed at how infrequently law enforcement actually drives around with radar on. In my area, all I get is "constant on" K and Ka band so I have a pretty fun drive these days.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: moribundman
Every drive around the block becomes like a top-secret cloak-and-dagger mission into enemy territory. All that blinking and beeping really adds to the driving experience.


Sure beats the heck out of blue lights flashing and sirens blaring behind you. . .

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Down here, Police are equipped with "Radar Detector Detectors".

$1000 fine if caught with a detector, and even more if you refuse to hand it over.


We don't have that "former penal colony" feel up here. Not just yet anyway.

 

[Johnny]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: Razl
I have both the V1 and Passport 8500 X50 "blue" and I much prefer the 8500. V1's arrows and sesitivity are very cool, but that's about it. There is no auto-mute on the V1 which makes it a deal breaker for me. The passport tweaks are very intuitive and easy to change on the fly. The V1 does allow tweaking, but restricts you in favor of sensitivity. The menu unit is almost impossible to program without the "cheat sheet" infront of you.

I have my 8500 siting on my dash with one of those no slide rubber pad. The V1's textured coating will not hold unless you use the supplied visor or windshield mount. The V1 is big too...the list goes on. I got to get around to selling the V1 on CList or ebay.


To my taste, the directional arrows and big, obvious "bogey counter" outweigh the lack of automute. I used an 8500 X50R myself before the V1, and was getting very tired of what I perceived as excessive false laser alerts from the 8500. I ended up deactivating the laser band on the 8500, and just made do without. No false alerts from the V1, but I found one odd thing: the V1 reads my multifunction display as laser. That's a "no harm" problem, as my mounting position (windshield) does not give the unit a view of the MFD. See what I mean:

Pretty bad when you have to have a RD in a Prius.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
We don't have that "former penal colony" feel up here. Not just yet anyway.

I post more as a public service announcement on these things.

At least we don't have to wear stripes (or red coats) these days.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
...

Pretty bad when you have to have a RD in a Prius.

Make no mistake about it, the jet black Prius itself is part of the stealth package. I mean, really, between a red Corvette and a black Prius, which is going to draw more of a LEO's attention? And while the laws of physics obviously apply to all cars, even running just above 80 all day long, which the car does without complaint, you still get great (but proportionally reduced) mpgs.

 

[Gary Allan]

I've often seen this notion put forth. My personal experience hasn't proven this. Then again, I've never owned a red Corvette.

A friend of mine and I were racing to NYC for some electrical/energy management convention/trade show in a 86 Corsica. He commented that "it would be pretty hard to get a ticket in this". My thought was that if I went through a radar trap @ 80mph, the cop would care less what I was driving. Now in some rolling survey of the traffic, I would surely attract less attention, but

 

[ekpolk]

Of course, if you're in the car that hits the radar beam at the wrong place/wrong time, you're probably had irrespective of what you're driving. But remember two things. First, if you position yourself so that someone ahead of you, by a workable distance, draws a radar shot from an enforcer, then you get the warning, and he gets the ticket, assuming there's one to be written. In my experience, I've seen this many times. Second, while I can't "prove" it either, I'm willing to assume that a red sports car will get more attention than a black Prius (or similar type of car). Of course that doesn't mean that the 'vette will get ALL the attention, and therefore, great care is always in order.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

White is an even better color then black. Minivans are just not noticed. White minivans are practically invisible. OTOH: SUV's are ticket magnets.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Of course, if you're in the car that hits the radar beam at the wrong place/wrong time, you're probably had irrespective of what you're driving. But remember two things. First, if you position yourself so that someone ahead of you, by a workable distance, draws a radar shot from an enforcer, then you get the warning, and he gets the ticket, assuming there's one to be written. In my experience, I've seen this many times.


That's what is commonly known as having a "rabbit." Preferably, a rabbit will have a shiny Cobra on the dash, cruising at some insane speed, thinking he's totally protected.

 

[ekpolk]

Brian:

I've always called my "rabbits" "point men". Hard to erase over a quarter century of Marine-think... The only slight disagreement I'd have with you would be that a good rabbit must not be traveling at an "insane speed", which I would interpret as meaning way to fast. The ones who really are traveling at insane speeds are worthless, because I'm unwilling to go anything close to a speed that will earn me a trip to jail (instead of a ticket).

I figure the insane fast ones can be counted upon to flush out the traps for several miles, but after a few minutes, they're gone, and you never know if they exited, slowed down, or what.

Far better is the steady rabbit doing just over 80 mph (at least for me).

 

[BrianWC]

True, true. But I like rabbits that you can be sure have flushed out the traps. If you get one going only slightly faster than you, you might have an LEO with an attack of "Hmmm, should I let this guy go? Well, I'll get the next one."

 

[ekpolk]

And this is where judicious use of a rabbit couples so well with a good detector unit. And why I particularly like the V1's arrows. When "rabbit-ing" the arrows help tremendously knowing whether your rabbit is about to be cooked, or whether you need to check six.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk
And this is where judicious use of a rabbit couples so well with a good detector unit. And why I particularly like the V1's arrows. When "rabbit-ing" the arrows help tremendously knowing whether your rabbit is about to be cooked, or whether you need to check six.

You need a heads up display with vectored threat analysis.