Anybody have a recommendation on a reliable, reasonable radar detector? Any to avoid?

Now that I'm ticket-free, I want to stay that way

2Gordons

 

I've always used Escorts and Passports. Just don't lean on whatever brand you choose too hard. They're definitely not 100%.

 

They are all inherintly the same. They may have different appearences or features. They all use radar waves to detect radar waves from Law enforcement guns. As far as reliability goes like buzzard said they are not 100%. You can always expect false alarms associated with some building security systems and other radar detectors as well as some greyhound buses (they have radar based equipment on board).
But, should you be issued a speeding summons you feel was unfair, you should be well versed on ways to beat a summons issued using a radar gun. YES IT CAN BE DONE. As I person who has issued a few speeding summonses myself (injury/retired), I can GUARANTEE that there are ways to beat them...........

 

I have a Uniden GPSRD http://www.uniden.com/product.cfm?product=GPSRD (uses GPS to avoid false alarms)

Before that I had a Uniden LRD777 (no longer made)

I have been saved MANY times by these units and would buy them again.

 

They are NOT all the same. Although it is pricey, the Valentine One is hands down THE best detector out there. I agree that all detectors pick up false signals (security systems, automatic door openers, etc.), but the V1 tells you WHERE the signal is coming from. It has individual arrows telling you if a signal is behind you, in front, or to the side. This is very important, because radar is ineffective from the side (something I did not know until I bought my V1). Radar beams must track you by bouncing signals off the vehicle, approaching or leaving the source, then it uses a mathematical formula to calculate your speed. In addition to the arrows, the V1 tells you how many signals it is picking up at one time, and the type of radar used (X, K, Ka, or Laser). This is crucial. For example, you drive past a section of road that trips your detector every time you pass it. Eventually, you ignore it as a false alarm. But, guess what, the cops know there is a false alarm there too. They can set up in that area, knowing that most people's detector will trip up here, and a driver, having seen this false alarm repeatedly, will not pay attention. BAM, he nabs you for a ticket. Now, with the V1, you would still get the everyday false alarm, but the signal counter would read "1". The day the cop sets up in that spot, the V1 will alert "2" signals in that area, and save you from the "Quota Kings". The V1 sells for like $300. If the unit spares you from just 1 ticket, it has paid for itself by saving you the fine & insurance surcharges. The V1 has won Car and Drivers' top award since it was introduced. The guy who invented it used to work for the Escort & Passport company. Check out the site www.valentine1.com.

 

Just a thought, "Instant On". Most police radar's allow the officer to ONLY transmit a signal when he believes he has a speeder in his sights, otherwise the unit will sit idle not transmitting a wave. Another point, when an officer approaches your vehicle and sees that you have a radar detector on your dash, your chances of talking your way out of the ticket just diminished greatly. He will likely assume you are a chronic speeder.

 

I got out of an 80 in a 55, even with the detector on the dash.

 

Rtp, by inherently the same, I meant they all function the same way. They ALL have different features (Valentine/arrows passport/actual radar frequency). And there are no such things as "Quotas". "Quotas" are Illegal.
They are "Performance Objectives"

As far as individual radar detectors being better or best, you CAN NOT rely on advertising alone.
Here is a sight that said the passport is better than the valentine.Click Here This guy shows videos of some of the tests. It all boils down to how much one can spend on a detector. True if you end up with a ticket it may end up costing you more than the original outlay. The only way to really know what works for you is to try them out. Most of the retailers offer a 30 day guarantee. Try it if you don't like it, return it. I do not mean go speeding around and see if you get a ticket. Try it in your area if you get to many bogus beeps, try another one.


Oh and if he is using LASER you are screwed, UNLESS you have a laser scrambler. They DO work unlike those bogus radar jammers you see out there. They are pricey though.

 

I agree with Rtp above. The Valentine One is by far the best. I've had Passports and Escorts and love the Valentine much better (the guy that started the company started at Cincinatti Microwave who makes the Escort/Passport). The Valentine One has two sensors-one if front and one in back, and it also detects laser. Its saved me many times.

 

Yes, the V1 is the best dash mount unit IMO. You can really go nuts and get a system that has front and rear bumper sensors & a central control / display unit. I forget the brand but they are ~ $1500. The V1 is around $400 new, and prob about $300 on ebay. Mine has saved my *** many times, but it is useless if the cop is using laser or "instant on" because you dont have any time to slow down. The good news is that the laser units are expensive so most small towns do not have them, the bad news is that the state police do


-AL

 

V1