Radar detectors-Which one?

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I'll second Camu's recommendation of the V1. Although in raw performance terms, the V1 and Escort 8500 or 9500 are pretty similar, the arrows make a huge difference. It is SO cool to get the alert and be able to look ahead or to the rear with confidence (or take a more relaxed stance if you're seeing side arrows).

The V1's only downer is that unlike the Escorts, it does not automatically tone down the alert audio -- you must press the power button instead. IMO, a small wart on an otherwise outstanding product. I'd give the V1 and A+ if it auto muted; as it is I'll give it an A.
 
I know we're all recommending the V1 (including me!) despite your clear statement that you had narrowed the field to two other detectors.

We're just here to help a brother!
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Another awesome feature of the V1 is the concealed display module. I used this for years, very stealth at night and worth the extra $40.
 
There are radar jammers available for cars. They are very illegal because the involve illegal radio tranmission.

There are scammers selling devices that claim to defeat radar that don't involve a transmitter and are legal. They don't work.
 
I remember watching myth busters and they tried everything. From putting foil in the front of your car, hanging CD's from the rear view mirror, etc. etc. nothing worked, radar still clocked them.
 
Just save your $500, and drive a little slower. The high end detectors have gotten way too exepensive IMO. I couldn't justify buying one anymore.
 
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Drive a glass fiber bodied car painted with black ferrite paint (from Wal Mart). Even LIDAR will have trouble. Don't forget to defeat all the retro-reflectors on the car. And have a good collision and medical insurance policy, since your car will be hard to see.
 
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Drive a glass fiber bodied car painted with black ferrite paint (from Wal Mart). Even LIDAR will have trouble. Don't forget to defeat all the retro-reflectors on the car. And have a good collision and medical insurance policy, since your car will be hard to see.


Corvettes with the flip up headlights and no front license plate did have a lower radar signature than other cars. The sloped back radiator helped too.

I haven't seen any info on the C6 Corvettes, but those fixed headlights have to be bad news.
 
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
black ferrite paint (from Wal Mart)


I hope the USAF doesn't shop for paint at Wal-Mart...
 
Of those two, I'd go with the 9500i. It has a lot of interesting bells and whistles. The performance is quite nice too. The STI Driver is an option only if you drive where detectors are illegal.
 
Originally Posted By: Tempest
Maybe Lockhed will sell you some RAM?
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I'm waiting for the day when the stuff is sold in rolls at Walmart...
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Originally Posted By: Scott P
Of those two, I'd go with the 9500i. It has a lot of interesting bells and whistles. The performance is quite nice too. The STI Driver is an option only if you drive where detectors are illegal.


The 9500 should do well. It's a step up from the 8500 that adds GPS and uses that to "memorize" the location of bogus alerts and deletes them in the future.

I used an 8500 (it had no GPS feature) for a couple years (and have since bequeathed it to someone else). It performed well, and I liked the ability to opt for a specific frequency readout. This allowed the user to recognize stationary "false targets" along routes frequently traveled. In effect, it allowed the user to do mentally what the new GPS capable unit will do automatically.

All that said, having used both, I strongly prefer the V1. The directional "point to radar" arrows are more valuable than any feature I've seen on the four detectors I've owned in the last 24 years (starting with one of those big, bulky metal Escorts).

For the OP: you will ultimately make your own choice, and that's fine, since it's your money. If you want my opinion, I'd encourage you to spend the little extra for the V1. Being able to know whether to look ahead or look behind, and to react accordingly, can make the difference. The "bogey counter" feature is great too.
 
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: oilyriser
Drive a glass fiber bodied car painted with black ferrite paint (from Wal Mart). Even LIDAR will have trouble. Don't forget to defeat all the retro-reflectors on the car. And have a good collision and medical insurance policy, since your car will be hard to see.


Corvettes with the flip up headlights and no front license plate did have a lower radar signature than other cars. The sloped back radiator helped too.

I haven't seen any info on the C6 Corvettes, but those fixed headlights have to be bad news.


Car&Driver did a thing on radar back a long time ago. They rated a bunch of cars ..and a big rig. They had to squint to make out the big rig in the distance when they saw it. They had a pictorial of each car with a red tint over the image to show how it rated in detecting profile. The big rig was all red.

They also played with micro-wave shielding/abosorbing cloth/material. They took some slick car and adhered it to the nose in a manner that blocked most of the front end (if looking from straight on). They admitted that it wouldn't be much good if the cop just waited until you were within 100ft to turn on the unit.
 
Install a rotating corner reflector array, shielded so that the backward moving reflectors are visible from the front, and the forward moving reflectors are visible from the rear. Automatically adjust the rotation speed so that the reflectors are always moving 55 mph relative to the ground.
 
Gary was that the test that showed the original beetle was one of the best (even better if the headlights were removed) ?

Then concluded that owning a beetle prolly prevented more tickets than it's shape did.
 
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