Radar Detectors: go big or go home

[Rotus]

Unless you can afford a decent detector (Valentine, Escort, etc.), don't even bother getting one. It won't really work that well and your swap meet detector is so 'dirty', it's setting off my V1.

While I'm at it, when you mount your detector, make sure it points straight ahead, not at the moon. Some of those brackets are meant to bend so you can level your detector.

</rant>

[.HYPE.]

my valentine 1 broke about 3 weeks after i first got it...

what a pleasant waste of money (nana)

[Rotus]

I've had three and their CS is second to none. I keep buying them and ppl keep stealing them.

Did they fix it for you?

[CWPspeed3]

I'm running a Bel i940 which is the exact same thing as the escort 8500 but less than half the price. Works great for me and its not such a huge piece like the V1 that I almost bought.

[VRMS6]

my valentine 1 broke about 3 weeks after i first got it...

what a pleasant waste of money (nana)

How did it "break" if it was a warranty concer you could have had it fixed/replaced by the mfg and no money would have been wasted.
If it got fried by improper install/dropped due to carelessness its not the mfg fault and you cant say the V1 was a waste...

[lestat13]

I'm running a Bel i940 which is the exact same thing as the escort 8500 but less than half the price. Works great for me and its not such a huge piece like the V1 that I almost bought.

Got a 8500 x50 CHEAP from craigslist and its great. I rarely get laser detection, so you still gotta drive smart and keep your wits about you. Plus it won't save you if a cop sans radar gun sees you driving like an idiot -> reckless enganderment

No, but for all radar bands its fantastic!

[Antoniogut]

i have a beltronics pro series but im gonna sell it cuz i dont really speed enough to have a need for it...

[6262MS3]

Hm, I don't agree. I've got a cheap late-90's Whistler radar/laser detector, I only use it on the highway and in my province the highway cops still use radar. This detector has saved my ass many, many times over the years. As much as I'd love having a V1 it would be a waste of money for me.

[Rotus]

Hm, I don't agree. I've got a cheap late-90's Whistler radar/laser detector, I only use it on the highway and in my province the highway cops still use radar. This detector has saved my ass many, many times over the years. As much as I'd love having a V1 it would be a waste of money for me.

Test yours out to see if it's dirty. Get a friend that has a V1 and see if yours will set it off.

There are times when I'm on the hiway and I'll get false hits because someone's detector is shooting microwaves. Invariably, this person will shadow me for miles. I can tell who it is by watching the arrows.

It's almost as annoying as the person you pass while using cruise control only to have them pass you back a couple of miles later, them slow down again.

[MikeHTally]

I have a Bel 995i in my 300C and a RX-65 I swap between the Speed and my Ram. Both have paid for themselves already. I bought the 995 the day after I needed it :( :( If I'd had it then, I'd have saved $186. (hand)

[hectik1]

I got what I could afford (new Cobra). It works, and I really don't care if it messes with the more expensive ones. You'd figure since it was so expensive it would address issues with it that you brought up. (hand)

[6262MS3]

Test yours out to see if it's dirty. Get a friend that has a V1 and see if yours will set it off.

There are times when I'm on the hiway and I'll get false hits because someone's detector is shooting microwaves. Invariably, this person will shadow me for miles. I can tell who it is by watching the arrows.

It's almost as annoying as the person you pass while using cruise control only to have them pass you back a couple of miles later, them slow down again.

That's a good point, mine claims to have a "stealth" design to make it invisible to detector-detectors (and presumably not set off other detectors) but that's probably a load of crap. I occasionally get false hits from others and I see how that could get annoying.

[ragindark]

Nothing beats the Valentine One.

http://guysoflidar.com/august-2007/radar-detector-test.html



I'm running a Bel i940 which is the exact same thing as the escort 8500 but less than half the price. Works great for me and its not such a huge piece like the V1 that I almost bought.

Huge piece? The Escort 9500i is the largest in size and the Beltronics STi Driver is the heaviest. The Valentine One is the smallest and lightest radar detector of the top five radar detectors made today.

Size (from smallest to largest):

Valentine One -> 16.20 cu. in.
Bel RX65 Pro -> 16.33 cu. in.
Bel STi Driver-> 16.33 cu. in.
Escort 8500 X50 -> 18.95 cu. in.
Escort 9500i -> 21.72 cu. in.

Weight (from lightest to heaviest):

Valentine One -> 181.5g (6.40 ounces)
Bel RX65 Pro -> 236.6g (8.35 ounces)
Escort 8500 X50 -> 253.7g (8.95 ounces)
Escort 9500i -> 269.2g (9.49 ounces)
Bel STi Driver -> 291.6g (10.29 ounces)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/43/valhandqv7.gif

[justanothermp5]

Test yours out to see if it's dirty. Get a friend that has a V1 and see if yours will set it off.

There are times when I'm on the hiway and I'll get false hits because someone's detector is shooting microwaves. Invariably, this person will shadow me for miles. I can tell who it is by watching the arrows.

It's almost as annoying as the person you pass while using cruise control only to have them pass you back a couple of miles later, them slow down again.

holy crap!! i thought it only happened to me

that pisses me off so bad, they think im racing with them cuz i have an exhaust or they want to race me or something and they always speed up when i pass them on cc, then i pass them, and repeat

[FrequentFlyer]

I got what I could afford (new Cobra). It works, and I really don't care if it messes with the more expensive ones. You'd figure since it was so expensive it would address issues with it that you brought up. (hand)

lol Had to chuckle at that.

[Rotus]

lol Had to chuckle at that.

Yeah, I guess I'm gonna have to get a radar gun so I can set off the cheap stuff at will. ;)

http://www.tableandhome.com/prodimages/77735.jpg

[CWPspeed3]

Haha too bad it only measures speeds up to 100mph... That would be funny as hell to see someone sitting there shooting radar with a hot wheels toy.

[Rotus]

When I worked for the CMRA, we used to use a Bushnell radar gun to enforce top speed limit on out junior motard class (under 11).

[xandrake]

Nothing beats the Valentine One.

http://guysoflidar.com/august-2007/radar-detector-test.html




Huge piece? The Escort 9500i is the largest in size and the Beltronics STi Driver is the heaviest. The Valentine One is the smallest and lightest radar detector of the top five radar detectors made today.

Size (from smallest to largest):

Valentine One -> 16.20 cu. in.
Bel RX65 Pro -> 16.33 cu. in.
Bel STi Driver-> 16.33 cu. in.
Escort 8500 X50 -> 18.95 cu. in.
Escort 9500i -> 21.72 cu. in.

Weight (from lightest to heaviest):

Valentine One -> 181.5g (6.40 ounces)
Bel RX65 Pro -> 236.6g (8.35 ounces)
Escort 8500 X50 -> 253.7g (8.95 ounces)
Escort 9500i -> 269.2g (9.49 ounces)
Bel STi Driver -> 291.6g (10.29 ounces)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/43/valhandqv7.gif

I thought size DID matter.(upbum)

My 9500i > my old V1. No questions asked.

Enjoy all of your false positives -- I just lock mine out. heh

[hectik1]

Yeah, I guess I'm gonna have to get a radar gun so I can set off the cheap stuff at will. ;)

http://www.tableandhome.com/prodimages/77735.jpgThat is awesome. Some black spraypaint and you could sit at the side of the road and really mess with someone.

[phillyb]

That is awesome. Some black spraypaint and you could sit at the side of the road and really mess with someone.

you don't even need the gun to mess with someone. my friend and i went up a mountain road one time and parked on the side of the street, got out of the car, and held our hands out as if we were holding a radar.

FOOLED EVERY SINGLE DRIVER

back to op, i want the v1 because of the reputation it has. i'm not familiar at all with other detectors. are there other ones that tell directions like the v1?

[Rotus]

you don't even need the gun to mess with someone. my friend and i went up a mountain road one time and parked on the side of the street, got out of the car, and held our hands out as if we were holding a radar.

FOOLED EVERY SINGLE DRIVER

back to op, i want the v1 because of the reputation it has. i'm not familiar at all with other detectors. are there other ones that tell directions like the v1?

V1 is the only one that has directional arrows.

[Rotus]

I thought size DID matter.(upbum)

My 9500i > my old V1. No questions asked.

Enjoy all of your false positives -- I just lock mine out. heh

I understand locking out false positives by location, but how does the Excort deal with a moving target as in my first post?

[redspeed3tk]

might want to check what radar is used around you i had a v1 and got slammed with a instant on radar in ny.. no dector can save you i got 86 in 55 it went off when i saw his lights so i sent it back to pay for the ticket ha too many false alarms for me anyways and it doesn't work if there up hills just drive smart and ya can save ur self $425 ish

[JCurry]

I also went and bought the new cobra....saved me alot of times!!