Radar detectors-Which one?

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Originally Posted By: John-r
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: John-r
Never seen one that worked, there a waste of your hard earned money.


You haven't seen or used a Valentine One. All detectors, from the cheapest to the priciest are vulnerable if you are the unlucky one who happens to drive into an isolated instant-on trap. If so, you're done. The vast majority of the time, however, the officer is shooting others with his I/O radar, and decent detectors give you plenty of warning. The V1 even tells you the direction that the radar beam is coming from. Works very, very well. Save you money if you don't feel you want or need one, but don't generalize your preferences into one-size-fits-all proclamations. My V1 works, and it has paid for itself several times over.




I have written many, many tickets over the years to people that have them in their vehicles, doesn't seem to help.
When I see one in a vehicle that I've stop, I always ask if they work very good, most of the time the answer is NO.

And if they tell me they work, well I guess I just got lucky that time.

Slow down, or save your money to pay the tickets.


John:

I'm sure you have caught many detector users. Many, many folks think that a detector is the equivalent of the Romulan cloaking device. Obviously, as your experience teaches, they're not. Used without some human intelligence and common sense, they're probably worse than worthless. Now, obviously, one can make a pretty good argument that drivers should simply drive the speed limit, and then no "supplemental electronics" would be needed. But as we all know, things just don't always work out that way, for any number of reasons. I always adjust to the conditions, drive with almost fearful awareness of danger, but when I decide it's time to make time, well, I admit it, I do. And by using a detector, AND some thought with it, knock on wood, I've not found myself discussing the V1's effectiveness with a LEO. And I intend to keep it that way. No, I'm not going to tell you my plate number!
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Originally Posted By: benjamming
It's rather humorous, in a sad kind of way, when man-made items are declared infallible. What arrogance!


Several years ago, I posted a picture of my hand-held GPS, which I had mounted in the Camry I was driving at the time. It was showing a trip top speed of 187 mph. Granted, I had a V-6 version, but for heaven's sake, not even on a really, really good day...
 
Originally Posted By: John-r
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: John-r
Never seen one that worked, there a waste of your hard earned money.


You haven't seen or used a Valentine One. All detectors, from the cheapest to the priciest are vulnerable if you are the unlucky one who happens to drive into an isolated instant-on trap. If so, you're done. The vast majority of the time, however, the officer is shooting others with his I/O radar, and decent detectors give you plenty of warning. The V1 even tells you the direction that the radar beam is coming from. Works very, very well. Save you money if you don't feel you want or need one, but don't generalize your preferences into one-size-fits-all proclamations. My V1 works, and it has paid for itself several times over.




I have written many, many tickets over the years to people that have them in their vehicles, doesn't seem to help.
When I see one in a vehicle that I've stop, I always ask if they work very good, most of the time the answer is NO.

And if they tell me they work, well I guess I just got lucky that time.

Slow down, or save your money to pay the tickets.


What did you tell the ones you didn't ticket because they had a good detector and knew how to use it?
crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: John-r
Originally Posted By: ekpolk
Originally Posted By: John-r
Never seen one that worked, there a waste of your hard earned money.


You haven't seen or used a Valentine One. All detectors, from the cheapest to the priciest are vulnerable if you are the unlucky one who happens to drive into an isolated instant-on trap. If so, you're done. The vast majority of the time, however, the officer is shooting others with his I/O radar, and decent detectors give you plenty of warning. The V1 even tells you the direction that the radar beam is coming from. Works very, very well. Save you money if you don't feel you want or need one, but don't generalize your preferences into one-size-fits-all proclamations. My V1 works, and it has paid for itself several times over.




I have written many, many tickets over the years to people that have them in their vehicles, doesn't seem to help.
When I see one in a vehicle that I've stop, I always ask if they work very good, most of the time the answer is NO.

And if they tell me they work, well I guess I just got lucky that time.

Slow down, or save your money to pay the tickets.


Same here and I've been doing it for over 28 years now. A radar detector in the vehicle is an absolute,100% quaranteed ticket getter. No warnings and no roadside plea bargaining it down to a lower speed category to save points or fines.

I had one guy get so mad that it didn't save him from my VASCAR mounted in an unmarked purple Camaro that he actually threw it into the woods. Had another one stomp his into a pile of junk on the shoulder.

Sometimes this job is so much fun that it's hard to believe I get paid for it.
 
Originally Posted By: farrarfan1
. . .
I had one guy get so mad that it didn't save him from my VASCAR mounted in an unmarked purple Camaro that he actually threw it into the woods. Had another one stomp his into a pile of junk on the shoulder.

Sometimes this job is so much fun that it's hard to believe I get paid for it.


I hope you wrote those guys for littering too...

Hey, if I get zapped, and I agree I was doing the speed, I'll pay the ticket and move on. I contested one I received when I got hit while being passed by an 18-wheeler that was doing at least 25 mph more than I was. It happened on that Christmas day about 20 years ago when SeaTac airport was so badly fogged in that no one could fly for days. I got the ticket on I-5, adjacent to the fogged in airport. I was doing roughly 35 mph because the fog was so soupy you could hardly see over your hood (and that was too fast, probably). But the officer wouldn't listen to me, and wrote me for 65 mph, AND wished me a Merry Christmas. I ordered my first Escort the next day.

But I digress. Again, my experience teaches me that it's very easy to get a ticket WITH a detector, especially if you don't use it in a tactically sound manner. If you DO use it correctly, it greatly diminishes your chances of being zapped, but certainly not to zero.
 
Originally Posted By: ekpolk


I hope you wrote those guys for littering too...


Nope. The one that stomped his into oblivion picked it all up and threw it into his trunk while his wife yelled at him. The other one landed out of sight in some woods. He never said a word, just got out of the car, threw it, then sat back down. Very polite gentleman.
 
Oh yeah, I forgot to add to my last: on the one I contested, I drove two hours to go to court, and I was prepared. I'd done my research, had diagrams, etc. Was able to show that at the distance where I was hit, the beam width from the radar gun was wide enough to cover 2.5 lanes of traffic on the interstate. The bored prosecutor was completely unprepared to deal with a traffic defendant who had a case. The bored judge overruled his objections to my testimony, probably out of morbid curiosity, and found me -- Not Guilty. Right then and there, I knew I was headed for law school some day (which would turn out to be six years later).

Giving it some thought, it was Christmas 1985.
 
FWIW, most folks who actually KNOW how to use a detector successfully will help propagate the myth that detectors are useless to keep everyone from buying one.

I had a nice over-the-hill C/O K save this morning.
 
Originally Posted By: XS650

What did you tell the ones you didn't ticket because they had a good detector and knew how to use it?
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Didn't tell them anything, I didn't stop them.
If I stop someone that has a detector they do get a ticket.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: John-r
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Didn't tell them anything, I didn't stop them.
If I stop someone that has a detector they do get a ticket.


Is it illegal to have a detector in MI? Just pulling your chain as I realize it is a game.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming



Is it illegal to have a detector in MI? Just pulling your chain as I realize it is a game.



No you can have them.
 
Just tell the office who pulls you over for speeding, "Sorry, officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in."
 
Get the V1. Make sure it stays plugged in. And then don't worry about having conversations with cops.

Just got in from the 200 mile drive back from New Orleans. V1 to the rescue one more time. Highway patrol guy in Alabama was shooting instant-on from the tree line in the median of I-10, and it's dark, so no chance of getting a visual on him in time to react. He illuminated several of the cars ahead of me, each as they entered his "kill zone." By the time I arrived there, I was doing a respectable non-ticket speed. Pretty amusing to have him light me up at pretty much exactly the place/time I expected.
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I have owned both V1 and Escort 9500. I have to agree wholeheartedly with ekpolk, the V1 has saved me many times over to pay for it self. The thing I like about the V1 is obviously the arrows but it also has a longer range to warn you in more than ample time. This is something that was lacking in the Escort. It had a much narrower warning time and sometimes picked up the radar at the last minute. The only negative to the V1 is that it does pick up more falsies than the escort but if you never take the V1 for granted it will save you more times than not.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
Just tell the office who pulls you over for speeding, "Sorry, officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in."


Most of the time when driving it's to get from point A to point B. The time spent in between is usually an irritant. The only real pleasure I derive from travel is "speed", "stickin' it to the man". While my irresponsible actions may endanger you or a loved one, and I'd feel really bad about harming innocents, that off chance won't slow me down.

Having used various "elcheapo" Walmart special detectors over the years with overall excellent success, I'm ready to go for a top of the line unit. With it's high regard here, and being a $100.cheaper than the Escort 9500 or Bell STi, I think Valentine's at the top of the pile. Probalbly give them a call Monday.

Bbo
 
Actually, Bbo, the joke was that you might not need a radar detector when throwing the above line at a cop in THE SOUTH.
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Originally Posted By: alreadygone

Having used various "elcheapo" Walmart special detectors over the years with overall excellent success, I'm ready to go for a top of the line unit. With it's high regard here, and being a $100.cheaper than the Escort 9500 or Bell STi, I think Valentine's at the top of the pile. Probalbly give them a call Monday.

Bbo


Huh? $100 cheaper? The 9500 and the STI can be found for $449. Either way, I'd go with the V1 as well.
 
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