radar detectors

i was looking to by a radar dectecter, what one is the best? im not to concerned about legallity becase i live in utah and i dont think we have any laws on them.

Valentine One is considered to be the best. But it's $300.

Valentine One is considered to be the best. But it's $300.
Agreed...I personally think it's worth it.

yeah my last ticket was 130 so it will pay for itself with like 1-3 tickets saved, so where can i find this? should i just search for "valentine one"?

http://www.valentine1.com/home.asp
or you could buy it off of a website like ebay.

I suggested to Igor that they try and organize a group buy on the valentine 1. I'm not sure if either party will do it, but check back every once in awhile if you're interested:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=170938&page=3

Valentine Sucks balls! It's not 300 it's $400! Get a escort passport 8500 X50. Or a Bel RX65. They are practically the same. Here is a website that is highly credible and does independent tests each year on all radar detectors. Hope you didn't get a valentine yet. If you did, they have a 30 day return policy. (I have an 8500 and it works very well. However, the best thing to get is a CB if you travel on interstates because truckers let you know where they are)

http://www.speedzones.com/

I like my escort passport Solo!

I got some old thing from JCWhitney several years ago. $99. Works great, saved me from many ticket over the years. I have never been a brand or price snob. If it works then I like it. They still sell some for around the same price under the Cobra brand.

I've got a Cobra, not sure what model number, but it was like almost half off MSRP at buy.com, so I got it for just over $100. Saved me from a couple of tickets. One of the nicer features is the "radar detector" detector. A lot of cops around where I live use these devices, and sometimes when they have the real radar off, the detector will pick up their "radar detector" datector first.

I am i understand you, clawhammer.... that the cops have radar guns that can detect radar detectors???? How can that be...a detector does not emit a signal. it reads signals...

http://www.spectre-rdd.com/spectre.html

That's just the spctre there's also VG2, couldn't find any links on that

But if you live in a state where its legal to have a radar detector, you don't need to have vg2 or spectre detection.Its useless. pay the money and get a passport X50

It's legal in Michigan to have a radar detector. My point was that they don't always have the actual radar on, sometimes it's just the RDD (radar detector detector) that you can pick up. It's sort of like an added protection, which I personally found very useful

I am still trying to figure out the purpose of the detector detector...so the cop knows you have a radar detector...big deal... I do see the need for it.

Well, I guess their thinking is that someone with a radar detector is more likely to be a constant speeder, such as myself. Even if you take it off and hide it when he pulls you over (like me), he is still able to tell that you had one. It's just that you're more likely to get a ticket if you have one. A lot is left up to the discretion of the officer.

Why would a state spend money on buying radar detector-detectors, if radar detectors are legal in that state? The only states that use these detector-detectors are states that it is illegal to own a radar detector. If detector-detector-detectors were THAT useful, the high end detectors would have them. Enough said about that.

I agree with Jparris.....as someone with an engineering background....radar detectors only are sensors...they do not emit signals...and i beleive these R-D-D are a bunch nonsense....I am fortunate to live in a state that does allow radar detectors and in California where I live, the highway patrol is not allowed to use radar detectos they use planes and time measure....

Radar detectors DO most certainly emit signals!
The emitted signal will interact with the radar signal and be altered. When this signal then reflects back to the detector the detector goes off. This is done to detect radar signals before they are strong enough to reach your vehicle. This emission is what the cops detect. If it did not emit anything then the cops would not be able to know you have them. So if you unplug it and put it under the seat they will never know it is there.

But I still like the cheap ones ;-)

I was under the impression that there were passive detectors and active scrambler type radar detectors. In any case even if they are legal, if a cop knows you have one he's not gonna be lienient so put them away even if your state allows them, just be carefull he dosn't see you hiding something or he's gonna think you've got drugs or a weapon or something. And if your pulled over make shure to suck up subtaly by keeping your hands on the wheel so he dosn't have to stop just behind you to scope out where your hands are at and wheather your a threat.

There is no such thing as an "active scrambler detector." You can install like a mini microwave thing that emits VERY STRONG waves and will scramble radar. But, all cops know when their radar is being scrambled or tampered with. This is also a felony and you can face heavy fines and prison time. Anyways, back to the point (what was it again?), hiding a radar detector will probably (like 90% of the time) not help your case. If you are speeding, chances are you are going to get a ticket anyways. Expecially if it is a highway or state trooper policeman. In the city, (depends if it is a poor or wealthy city), that might possibly help. But bet on if you get pulled over, you are getting a ticket.

Why waste money on a radar detector? My dads a cop and i've ridden with him countless times. He uses STALKER radar and it sets off only 3% of radar detectors at 3 car links. The last time i rode with him we could shoot the radar at cars over a mile away. Really its a waste for a detector. Do what i do and watch for the light bars on the squad cars, its not that hard, and even if its unmarked you can tell its a cop!

Damn, 3% that sucks. Oh well here in Florida most of the police department are too cheap to buy new radar. So my old detector still gets them most of the time. I just thought they had it turned off when I did not get a beep. I am getting old anyway, when it goes off I always look down at the speed-o-meter and I am usually right on the limit.

Valentine 1 here.... it's saved me quite a few times....

Around where I live, Laser is very popular. I'm happy with my radar detecor. In the 9 months that I've had it, I never got pulled over. Before, I got pulled once every one or two months.

graphicassult, your arguments do not coincide with each other. You say that "you dad's radar gun" can hit people at over a mile away and in the same statement you say, "durrr...do what i do and look for the lights on top of the cars, and even if it is unmarked, you can tell easily its a cop...Well, you must have superman vision to see a car over a mile a away that has lights on top of it. Because by what you just said, the stalker radar gun can detect cars a mile down the road..so you would basically have been gotten right??? And the 3% is completely fictional. Provide me with credible evidence of that and I will believe you then. Maybe if he uses POP mode, but according to www.speedzones.com high end radar detectors (except V1) can pick it up from more than three car lengths away. I hate to burst your bubble, but you provide inaccurate information. My 8500 has saved me from dozens of tickets, so it has proved its worth. Now, the guy who is talking about laser...Laser is bad news for everyone....But, laser jammers are 100% legal.....

Or the best way to combat the Radar gun and the so called radar dectector dectector is to go the speed limit!! LOL

Where is the fun in going the speed limit?

LOL....if you can not do the time do not do the crime!

Yeah, getting a speeding ticket is definately not worth it. Speeding is a bad habit. I do it just to do it and I don't know why...I'm not really in a hurry...I guess just for the hell of it. However, there are places that are ok to speed (middle of nowhere, nobody around) and some places where you should obey the speed limit laws.

On residential streets I usually do the speed limit, but on highways and mainstreets I usually speed a little.

Yes, speed is fun and it is exciting....And here in Dallas it is just not worth speeding, not because of the tickets, but because of the knuckle heads onthe free, that got there drivers license from Wal Mart. They will pull out in front of you without looking, signalling or putting down their phone! LOL

Not worth dmaging my car b/c of them...

But get me on an winding country road early in the AM or late night, what a blast...except yo have to watch out for Armadillo b/c they will wrecj havoc on your rims!!

I used to live near Dallas and I can second that.

that got there drivers license from Wal Mart.

that's funny, but I wouldn't be surprized if in like 10 years you'd actually get your licence from Wal-Mart. A driving licence willl probably be freely sold just like a hunting/fishing licence.

that's funny, but I wouldn't be surprized if in like 10 years you'd actually get your licence from Wal-Mart. A driving licence willl probably be freely sold just like a hunting/fishing licence.

LMAO!!!

I ca see it now...Isle 5 Driver livene and permits looks like the shopping cards, Isle 6 has hunting/fishing license and Isle 7 Beer and Wine

If you're going to speed, a radar detector will usually pay for itself in a few months. Watch out for instant-on mobile, it will kill you.

I think it is best to look for a popo and to have a radar/laser detector, relying on one of them alone is kind of dangerous when you speed well over the speed limit.

so i take it then the x50 is better and cheaper?

you know its funny ppl think speeding actually gets you where you need to go so much faster, but if you pay attention the guy driving 55 or 60 vs the guy drivign 70+ will usually arrive at teh same stoplight together down the road, even if you do the math on it, 55mph vs a 100mph driver you can only save like 10 minutes vs the guy driving 55or 60 mph....is it really worth it? radar detectors do help but in virginia they have detector detectors now and if they catch you with a radar detector they make you run over it with your car on teh spot as well you get a ticket with a fine up to i think 2000 dollars and to top it all off you have to still pay for whatever speed yoru caught at. Just dont seem worth it too me, drive the speed limit thats the best way.

I ca see it now...Isle 5 Driver livene and permits looks like the shopping cards, Isle 6 has hunting/fishing license and Isle 7 Beer and Wine

with the way some ppl drive out here i think they already are selling them at walmart lol.

They have the RDD because in some places the radar detector is illegal, and man, they will jam a hot poker up your butt for it. Radar detectors 'leak' a little bit of emissions (radio frequency emissions i forget the name for it), that's what the RDD sees. Unless it has that special shielding that the higher end ones have.

yup it just aint worth it eitehr way, and speeding dont save you any time so just try replacing your leadfoot instead of buying a new radar detector and i dotn know about other states but in va they will eat your azz up for hving one if yoru caught not to mentoin make you run over it on the spot.

you know its funny ppl think speeding actually gets you where you need to go so much faster, but if you pay attention the guy driving 55 or 60 vs the guy drivign 70+ will usually arrive at teh same stoplight together down the road, even if you do the math on it, 55mph vs a 100mph driver you can only save like 10 minutes vs the guy driving 55or 60 mph....is it really worth it? radar detectors do help but in virginia they have detector detectors now and if they catch you with a radar detector they make you run over it with your car on teh spot as well you get a ticket with a fine up to i think 2000 dollars and to top it all off you have to still pay for whatever speed yoru caught at. Just dont seem worth it too me, drive the speed limit thats the best way.


Well that is your opinion...now here is some math of mine. I speed...constantly. I drive to and from school every so often, 170-180miles. I make the trip driveway to driveway in 2 hours 20mins...regularly. I have even done it in 2:10. My mother, aunt, and a few friends do the trip semi-regularly...they all drive 15-25mph over the speed limit...as is generally expected on most highways. They do it in 2:45-3 hours. I don't even want to consider how long it takes the poor guy who actually does go 55 and 65mph respectively.

Now let's say I do that trip, there and back 6 times a year. At Christmas, Spring break, Thanksgiving, Summer vacation, and once just randomly each semester. That is 6 times x 2 ways x 25mins saved = 5 hours saved per year. 5 hours x 4 years in college = almost an entire day of my life that I can sit at home comfortably with friends and family and not be crammed into my car with my brother, his computer, and our laundry.

Then you have the whole aspect of actually enjoying driving fast...which I do.

I could conclude that speeding is worth it...especially since I have yet to recieve a ticket and have been doing it for years.

Now obviously, this is my opinion. Many of you may find fault in it, and that is fine. You all have your opinions and if you conclude speeding is a bad habit, or isn't worth the inherent risks...then so be it. But the original question is about radar detectors...so let's focus on that aspect of it. :biggrin:

well if you do the math on that, you actually on saving about 15 min compared to teh guy driving 55....15min at risk of gettign a reckless driving ticket and well over a 100dollar fine...not wroth 15min..and that is just my opinoin of course :)

I think you misread it

50mph (i was on a donut) took over 4 hours
55-65mph = time well over 3 hours(don't know, never tried)
85mph = 2:45 mins
90-130mph = 2:20 consistently with a 2:10 once. That means between me and the guy who potentially would do 55mph, I'm saving over an hour, maybe even over an hour and a half...my original math in the first post was taking conservative estimates...it isn't a 15min difference....

are radar detectors illegal in illinois?

well teh 15min was sarcastic your math thsi time is right on the money cept 90mph is 2hrs and the 130 is lil less than hour and half..now the 60mph driver is gonan run the trip ata round 3hours SO your rigth you save exactly 1 hour by driving 20mph ove teh speedlimit on most interstate highways, with excepttion for a few states. now that here at least is worth a wreckless driving ticket which is an extra 200 dollars on top of the 3dollars a mile per mile over teh speedlimit so at 90mph your talking around 260dollar plus court cost which is another 35bucks. so almost 300dollars by the time your done, not to mention a 4pt offense and a guarnteed insurance hike off wreckless driving....time wise its worth it but if you ever get caught its not. i just speak from experience personally , i used to be an avid speeder cuz i had a job that was over 50miles out and always seemed to be late, i even had a radar detector just in case, well i got caught doin 110 in a 60mph zone, of course he caught my detector hid under the seat, he made me run over teh detector on teh spot or get a 200dollar ticket for it, then he gave me the ticket for wreckless endangerment cuz it exceded 100mph. he could have empounded my car on teh spot but he was nice enough not too. i ended up dishign out about 350bucks by the time it was done not to mention the day i missed from work, and thats not including teh other many tickets on my record and my insurance after most of increased almost 30dollars a month more per ticket no matter who i went too for insurance. ive also done time in the slammer for excessive speeding racing, not teh smartest buy hey when your 17 and ppl eggin you on and you know you can win that 100 bucks on teh dash you race....but now that i grew up some i look back its just not worth all teh crap that i goign through now all these years later.....but you guys do what you want. the original thread ask about the radar dectectors...you want my opinoin if your gonna speed get one, but mount in a shady location. its kept me from alot of tickets in my time

Yeah I definantly get your points, didnt' mean to provoke, just wanted to say it's opinion based...as you pointed out in your last post. And I'd have to agree, if your going to speed, get one.

and if its illegal in your state to have one, make sure you find an old, broken radar detector and keep it in your car at all times so that if you do in fact get caught, and they make you run yours over, you can pull the old one out and run it over and still keep your good one...muahahaaa

lol wish i had thoght of that all those years ago, good one lol

hmm, radar detectors could be a bother. i can see where they could keep that running so they could watch people who have radar detectors as they'd be most likely to speed.

now, what we need, is a radar detector detector, that'll turn off our radar detectors when a radar detector detector is detected!

Isnt that was radar detectors with "VG2" do?

Isnt that was radar detectors with "VG2" do?

yes, but i wanted a reason to explain the need for a "radar detector detector detector"

Obviously, somebody has seen the Big Hit one too many times. Now was that really worth bringing back such an old thread...NO. Please check the dates before you resurrect a dead thread.

i bought a whistler 1744 for 70 bucks and has saved me many of times. the only thing it lacks in is rear detection. but radar isn't accurate from the rear so who cares.