Best Radar Detector?

[Nose Nuggets]

think of the radar detector as an invisible sphere that surrounds the car. depending on your detector your sphere looks different. some are larger then others and they are all varying shapes. when radar enters the sphere it sets off the detector.

now, regardless of detection device, if a cop points the gun directly at your car as you approach then there isent shit you can do about it. but thats rare. usually a cop will sit in a static location and have the radar pointed in a given direction and they will monitor the traffic. so, while the cop is seeing the speed of the person 12 cars in front, you are alerted to the presence of the radar, and can act accordingly.

police don't have radar detection

[Longshot]

I see what your saying so I take it the more expensive ones have larger fields or detection ranges to alert you earlier. Thanks for the clear explanation nugs.

[Nose Nuggets]

yeah exactly. they also support different radar types. since the inception of radar guns for speed monitoring there have been many advancements and subsequently there have been more radar types or bands, as they are referred to. the orignal X band is super easy to detect so most cops have moved to the K or Ka bands. And there is also Laser.

[Longshot]

Do they make laser detectors yet? Also do you know of anyone who uses a deflector or jammer which I know are illegal?

[robert.lshoc]

Radar Detectors | Radar Scramblers - Rocky Mountain Radar Official Website
dont get much better than erasen the pig

[Nose Nuggets]

most modern radar detectors have laser detection. jammers and blockers are illegal in all states. im not sure about scramblers, i dont even know what scrambling a laser does, to be honest.

[b7g]

Originally Posted by Nose Nuggets

yeah... like pennies more.


although i have not owned one i know many who do, and i think the V1 is top notch. im thinking about picking one up now that i have to drive 12 miles down a 4 lane freeway that is 55mph for some mystical reason i cant get a straight answer on.

can anyone provide a review where the V1 does NOT get exemplary marks or another detector is reviewed as superior?

The Great Detector Test - Features - Car and Driver February 2002 valentine 1 is the winner...
2004 Radar Detector Test and Buyer's Guide - Motor Trend
passport is a best compromise for the price and features.

[jwtarbaj]

Originally Posted by Nose Nuggets

can anyone provide a review where the V1 does NOT get exemplary marks or another detector is reviewed as superior?

There aren't really any legitimate ones. I just saw a Youtube video where they were conducting a test and discovered a competitor that pushes Passports hid a radar gun to fark up the testing.

The best thing you can do against laser is turn on your headlights. The light washes the beam out and is obviously not illegal. They supposedly aim at the headlight/low windshield.

Frankly when your laser detector goes off you can consider it a warning that you are about to get a ticket if you were speeding. laser doesn't have much range and it doesn't go over hills or anything so even with ideal flat ground you get about 1000 feet range.

[LLP]

great thread thanks guys...

[Ovencleaner]

Hi, I just happened to notice this thread, and had some suggestions for all of you.

First, check out this website:

Radar Detector Tests and Reviews by Guys of LIDAR

100% independent testers of Laser Jammers and Radar Detectors!

Detectors I would trust against all police radar:

Valentine Research:
Valentine One 1.7 and 1.8

Escort:
9500ci (Don't use truelock, you can lock out real radar!)
9500i (Don't use truelock, you can lock out real radar!)
8500 x50

Bel:
All the Vectors starting with 9
RX-65
RX-75 (Custom Installed)
STI
STI-r

Whistler:
Pro 78 (Rev C with POP Off)
XTR-690 (Rev C with POP Off)

Cobra:
THEY ALL SUCK! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Rocky Mountain Radar:
See Cobra. They do not jam ANYTHING.

Uniden:
See Cobra.

K40:
Does not work as advertised at all.... They sue all who criticize them. See Cobra.

Other brands:
See Cobra.

Always follow someone going faster or the same speed as you. Instant on radar gives no advanced warning if you travel alone, only if the person in front of you gets tagged. For street racing, V1 has the best raw sensativity, and is probobly your best choice even though it falses alot.


Against Laser, you need a jammer. If you are targeted over 1000 feet, you may have time to slow down from a detector alert(depending on how reflective your vehicle is). At closer distances, lock is almost instantaneous. Jammer performance depends on how reflective your car is. Front plates are huge targets, same with headlights. Products like Laser Veil and Laser Shield increase jammer performance by covering these points. These products can be used alone as a "Cheap" jammer at long ranges.

These jammers have been independently tested and shown to work well against all laser (Check GOL for exact performance):
Laser Interceptor (Had customer service issues until new US rep)
Laser Pro Park
Antilaser (Reliability problems here)

Ok performance(Time to slow down, nothing more. Sometimes it will not even give you that:
Escort ZR3/4
Blinder M20/M25/M40/M45
Laser Mask

Old Units:
Lidatek
Target laser track


To use a laser jammer, get hit, slow down, and turn it off. The cop won't know what hit him

To find what Laser guns are used in your area, check this:
List of Laser Guns in what states - Radar Detector Jammer Forum


If you have any questions I can answer them for you

[tuner ready]

Whats the next best thing beside the valentine 1?

[Ovencleaner]

Originally Posted by tuner ready

Whats the next best thing beside the valentine 1?

Where do you drive? There are alot of factors in determining which detector is best for you. There is no "Best" detector for everyone. Different people need different features.

Do you drive in:

Dense commercial areas (Strip malls, Walgreens, Shopping centers, tons of stores)
Highways out of the city
Highways in the city
Residential Areas

[Ovencleaner]

Originally Posted by Nose Nuggets

most modern radar detectors have laser detection. jammers and blockers are illegal in all states. im not sure about scramblers, i dont even know what scrambling a laser does, to be honest.

Not true.

Radar jaming is a federal offense (Felony) by FCC guidlines.
Laser is governed by the FDA. There is no national ban on laser jammers, a few states have banned them

STAY AWAY FROM ROCKY MOUNTAIN RADAR IT IS A SCAM AND DOES NOT WORK!

With that said, I know people who use laser jammers in illegal areas. Just slow down and turn them off... the cop gets a speed and everyone is happy

USA Laser Jammer Laws - Guys of LIDAR

[tuner ready]

Originally Posted by Ovencleaner

Where do you drive? There are alot of factors in determining which detector is best for you. There is no "Best" detector for everyone. Different people need different features.

Do you drive in:

Dense commercial areas (Strip malls, Walgreens, Shopping centers, tons of stores)
Highways out of the city
Highways in the city
Residential Areas

I mainly want a radar for highway use. Which one is the best for highway usage?

[Ovencleaner]

Originally Posted by tuner ready

I mainly want a radar for highway use. Which one is the best for highway usage?

Without a doubt Valentine One is the weapon of choice for highway... The arrows and bogey counter on the highway are extremely valuable... Throw down the extra money for it, you will not be sorry.

If you want the next best in performance but for cheaper, the Bel RX-65 and Escort 8500 x50 are both excellent choices. They both will run you around $329.

If you want even cheaper, the Bel Vector series are a good choice, they are all equal in sensitivity, but have different features. 955 has the ability to disable X band which most people consider very useful, so I would start out there on the Vectors.

Whistler Pro 78 is a great detector for your money as well. You can find it on ebay for around $130. Make sure you buy revision C, and disable POP radar, and you will have quite a beast. That is what I use in my current car, it has not let me down (My main threat is Ka radar). It is the best bang for the buck. The current guys of lidar test does not show the newest version which is improved almost 30% in performance. It is also great at detecting short blips of radar like Instant On. It has the most options of any radar detector in its league. You cannot go wrong with this detector, it is customizable and detects well. It is the ONLY detector I would trust under $200, the Bel Vector series can miss some instant on hits as shown by GOL. Instant on is a big problem where I live.