Radar Detectors

[Viggen]

Time to get an active countermeasures system - if there is such a thing.

[RacerX1166]

V1 without a doubt. Car and Driver has done two tests in recent memory on this thing and the V1 always comes out the victor. The nice thing about a V1 is that you can send it back for firmware upgrades for a small fee so it's always up to date.

Also, depending on what kind of car you have, there's likely a message forum like this that'll show you how to hardwire it so that there's no ugly cables for a nice neat install.

I don't leave home without mine.

[markcic]

Okay guys, I've narrowed my choices down to the Passport 8500 or the Valentine 1. What am I getting for my extra $150 bucks with the V1? Is it really *THAT* much better than the 8500?

Yes.

Why?

The direction arrows are a nice feature. It doesn't seem to false much and you can turn off X-band if no one runs that around you. Although I did get a ticket a few weeks ago. First time in 3 years of having a V1. It was the perfect setup. I was doing 67 and crested a hill and the cop was right below the crest as the speed limit dropped to 55. He wrote it up for 65 in a 55 and "waste of finite resources" which is a $25.50 fine and no points.

[dcarter]

Ok, Shooter Grrl, Let me give you my PROFESSIONAL opinion. I give out tickets for speeding all day long. As a matter of fact, I just wrote Chad Johnson on I-75.

I can't speek for all officers, but I can tell you this, I won't even look at you funny for anything less than 15 over the posted speed limit on the freeway. Inner-city is about 10 over. All that aside, they don't make a detector that I can't get around. Laser or radar, If I want you YOUR MINE. If you want to know that an officer has just got you, then by all means, spend the money. But if you hear your detector going off it is almost always too late. As far as laser goes, I can pick you up as far out as 2000 ft (or more) and your detector won't even hick-up. EricW has the right idea. Let some other idiot who is going faster than you lead the way. I'll get his/her butt before I get you.

[Shooter Grrl]

That's good to know DCarter. But I happen to know that many of your *state* comrades don't feel the same about 15 over

Do me a favor and post your shift times so I know when it's safe to *fly* over to Kenwood

[driver8M3]

If you want to know that an officer has just got you, then by all means, spend the money. But if you hear your detector going off it is almost always too late.

i dont agree with that at all. sure, sometimes that's true. but i get radar warnings of real speed traps all the time. it isn't always what saves me from a ticket (using your eyes is often the best defense), but a radar detector only needs to save you from 1 or 2 tickets to make it a worthwhile purchase.

[Scooter]

This one has been debated endlessly on the car forums. The 8500 users swear by them. The V1 users swear by them also. I've owned a V1 for a long time now. At least in California, I shut off X and K since no one uses those frequencies except the signs that tell you how fast you're going. All the chippies use Ka.

[Overkill]

"The V-1 is the chicken little of radar dectors."

All I need to know....the reason I stopped using one was all the freakin' false alerts. A Bell RX65 will probably be on order tomorrow. Tired of heart failure from the Revenoooers, er State Patrol on the way to work every day.

I've only ever used the Valantine and it rocks. Its saved me several tickets and several days in traffic school.

With the V1 it makes sense to reprogram it to eliminate detections from the X band and possibly the K. I eliminated the X and I'm thinking of muting the K. In the 6 or so years I've been rolling behind one I've never seen a X or K band radar associated with cop car. Those bands are used in the automatic openers for doors at malls and stores so they go off all the time driving around town or on a freeway that goes past a mall. I think with the advancing state of technology there is little chance a prosecution on a X or K band legacy unit could stick in court. The only hits the V1 has ever pointed out that I could associate with a cop were Ka band and Laser.

IMHO the directional info provided by the V1 are critical. After using one for a while you get a good intuitive feel for what a hit actually means in the traffic conditions and terrain you're in; the radar intensity meter also gives you feed back on how far away they are. If you get a low level hit behind you that kind of just floats there not getting stronger except when you're on a rise, not going away except when you're in a dip, it a cop behind you somewhere going in the same direction as you. If you get a low level hit in front of you that goes away, then comes back a little stronger, then goes away, then comes back stronger again...its a speed trap ahead of you. If that were on the flat straights its probably instant on radar....if you're in the hills or curves its probably constant on. If you get a 2 or 3 radar hits that it cant isolate as either front or back and there's a Dennys nearby, you've got several cops are having lunch and they left their radars on. You actually see that pretty often.

[Overkill]

Laser or radar, If I want you YOUR MINE. If you want to know that an officer has just got you, then by all means, spend the money. But if you hear your detector going off it is almost always too late.

You should ride behind a V1 for a while. In most normal driving situations it will pick up radar use at levels far far far below your ability to identify it with an individual car. If I cant see you and wont see you for another 30 or 60 seconds there's no way you can associate your hit with me. Part of my commute has me on a long mostly straight section of road maybe 6 or 8 miles long with lots little dips and hills....its a stretch from the foothills going down into the valley. I'll get notice of any CHP Ka band radar literally miles in advance even if they're instant on. The CHP are getting wiser about not emitting when they're not using it, but they still tend to use radar instead of using their pacing and clocking skills and as soon as they go constant on the gig is up. If they're sitting at the top of the overpass with the thing on while they do paper work they might as well put a sign 3 miles back up the road saying "Speed Trap Ahead".

[folsoml]

Ok, Shooter Grrl, Let me give you my PROFESSIONAL opinion. I give out tickets for speeding all day long. As a matter of fact, I just wrote Chad Johnson on I-75.

I can't speek for all officers, but I can tell you this, I won't even look at you funny for anything less than 15 over the posted speed limit on the freeway. Inner-city is about 10 over. All that aside, they don't make a detector that I can't get around. Laser or radar, If I want you YOUR MINE. If you want to know that an officer has just got you, then by all means, spend the money. But if you hear your detector going off it is almost always too late. As far as laser goes, I can pick you up as far out as 2000 ft (or more) and your detector won't even hick-up. EricW has the right idea. Let some other idiot who is going faster than you lead the way. I'll get his/her butt before I get you.

Absolutely correct. There are enough people out there that I don't even look twice at someone not going 20 MPH over the limit.

Kat, what you describe as "bleed" is probably the unit detecting an officer ahead using the on/off mode. If the unit is not on, nothing "bleeds" (unless it is some kind of older model I am not familiar with). With the on/off mode, the officer is selecting certain vehicles to check. He is watching for vehicles that appear to be going a certain speed. When he sees such a vehicle, he is turning the unit on to verify the speed, then turning it back off. If you are lucky, this will already be going on up ahead of you. Your unit will detect the instant the officer has his unit activated and will alert for the brief period of time his unit is on. You will then know to slow down until you pass him (if you are luck enough to see him). If you are unlucky, you will be the first vehicle he encounters and will get no warning at all.

With lasers, you will get no warning until the laser beam is hitting your detector. By then, it's too late.

Oh, um, 20 over?!?! Too skeered for that. I keep it at 15 over cause I think I heard somewhere *they* are less likely to add on/trump up the ticket.

Frequently I will stop people, but write them for the least possible violation (seat-belt or no insurance card, instead of speeding). Rarely more than one ticket per stop. I will never give a speeding warning to someone with a radar detector, as their speed was obviously premeditated.

Edited May 21, 2007 by folsoml

[BDH]

I agree with the 'let someone else lead the way' model, and try to drive that way all the time, but especially at night. I also agree that lasers are a real drag, but my V1 did save me from a ticket recently heading up I-75 to the Dayton airport before dawn. They shot someone a several hundred yards in front of me, my V1 warned me about laser, I hit the brakes (still could not see the trooper), and ended up way in the clear.

The other thing about any of the radar detectors is that at least they let you know that 'someone' may be nearby watching. Last Fall I was coming home late from a going away party. It was late and due to road construction, I had to take a road that I normally avoid because 1) the speed limit drops from 40 to 25 mph right over an overpass (which is a natural trap), and 2) it's windy with several stop signs. Anyway, I was rolling along in no traffic, but being careful to watch my speed, and come to a full stop at the stop signs. I came to a four way stop, stopped and proceeded, and had just one quick beep out of my V1 with the arrow pointed behind me. Since I had driven this route before, I knew that there were no false alarms around here, but there were no headlights in any direction I looked either. Alerted, I proceeded carefully, and made sure to drop to exactly to 25 before entering the speed zone. Shortly afterward, I thought I caught a silhouette of a car behind me. Sure enough, one of our local Sheriff's had come up from behind me with no headlights.

I'll never know what he did in his cruiser that made my V1 light up just with a single chirp, but whatever it was... being alerted not only to something being not quite right, but also, to the direction of concern definately saved me a ticket, and potentially even more...

[38superman]

Okay guys, I've narrowed my choices down to the Passport 8500 or the Valentine 1. What am I getting for my extra $150 bucks with the V1? Is it really *THAT* much better than the 8500?

Kathy,

Do the LEOs in your area use Laser? If so, nothing will help. I learned the hard way last week. Our City PD just converted to Laser (a very advanced one). The officer got me and I never got a peep out of the radar detector. He told me that the laser is emitting a beam that is 8 inches wide at 300yds. He aimed at the grill of the vehicle and the signal never came near the detector. He told me he had pulled people with all kinds of detectors and they never had a chance. Bummer. I just learned that our Highway Patrol will be getting them soon, too. Take care.

8 inches at 300 yards?

Aimed at the grill of a moving car?

Wow............Here's a cop that can aim a hand held laser gun better than I can aim a rifle.

[folsoml]

8 inches at 300 yards?

Aimed at the grill of a moving car?

Wow............Here's a cop that can aim a hand held laser gun better than I can aim a rifle.

You could not hit the grill of a car driving pretty much straight at you with a rifle from 300 yds?

[al503]

The sensor that would pick up the laser is only about 3/4" x 2.5" big. The laser could probably hit 90% of the car and not hit the sensor.

Regardless, I just sold my v1. They hold their value very well. I purchased it a few years ago for $440 (with the concealed display) and just sold it recently on Ebay for $355.

I had a couple of Passports before then and the v1 is the best available. The only reason I sold it was because I don't really use it anymore as I don't drive like a madman. Guess old age and the price of gas are taking their toll.

As others have mentioned above, I pace a faster car about a 1/2 a mile back on the highway.

If you're going to get one, get the V1. You won't regret it.

[996fan2007]

Okay guys, I've narrowed my choices down to the Passport 8500 or the Valentine 1. What am I getting for my extra $150 bucks with the V1? Is it really *THAT* much better than the 8500?

Yes.

Why?

The direction arrows are a nice feature. It doesn't seem to false much and you can turn off X-band if no one runs that around you. Although I did get a ticket a few weeks ago. First time in 3 years of having a V1. It was the perfect setup. I was doing 67 and crested a hill and the cop was right below the crest as the speed limit dropped to 55. He wrote it up for 65 in a 55 and "waste of finite resources" which is a $25.50 fine and no points.

You speed in Sierra Vista? Radar detector or not, you are a brave man. Between the MPs, town cops, state cops, and border patrol, I've never seen any town with a higher concentration of police just itching to give out tickets.

[bountyhunter]

drive the speed limit and you'll save the money save the gas, and be a more responsible citizen.

Five extra points if you got that all typed without cracking up.....

Okay guys, I've narrowed my choices down to the Passport 8500 or the Valentine 1. What am I getting for my extra $150 bucks with the V1? Is it really *THAT* much better than the 8500?

Kathy,

Do the LEOs in your area use Laser? If so, nothing will help. I learned the hard way last week. Our City PD just converted to Laser (a very advanced one). The officer got me and I never got a peep out of the radar detector. He told me that the laser is emitting a beam that is 8 inches wide at 300yds. He aimed at the grill of the vehicle and the signal never came near the detector. He told me he had pulled people with all kinds of detectors and they never had a chance. Bummer. I just learned that our Highway Patrol will be getting them soon, too. Take care.

Exactly. Detectors only work when the radar is "always ON" kind, but today most cops use a radar gun similar to a Juggs speeed gun. Point and click and the speed appears in the display. The radr is only on to clock you, the detector (even if it does go off) will only be announcing the fact you just got nailed.

BTW: they use red-dot sighters (same kind we do) to aim the guns so that they can pick a single car out of a pack.

The key to using a detector effectively is making sure you have a "pigeon." Let yourself get passed by someone who's going about as fast as you want them to go, then let them run ahead while you follow. Driving 20 over all by your lonesome is not the smart way to do it.

Oh, um, 20 over?!?! Too skeered for that. I keep it at 15 over cause I think I heard somewhere *they* are less likely to add on/trump up the ticket.

Yep, if you go too fast they can add reckless driving, endangering the public, etc....

I am a firm believer in "You get what you pay for" and radar / laser detectors are not the kind of item you buy the "cheapest" model just to save $100. I know it sounds like alot ($150) but you'll be glad you spent the extra money.

Neither of the models I'm considering are cheap. They are both the absolute top of the line. They both CLAIM to function the same. I was hoping someone here could explain to me the $150 difference. My gut feeling is that the Valentine is overpriced for no good reason!

My question is why people buy radar detectors at all since all the PD I know of switched over to the "instant ON" kind a long time ago. If you do get a hit on your detector, it would be a stroke of blind luck.

[ranger]

I faced a similar decision - V1 vs Escort Passport 8500 - and I chose a Beltronics 995 unit. I found out that Beltronics and Passport are owned by the same company now. I found a Beltronics 995 for sale on Circuit City (equivalent unit to Passport 8500) for $222 with free shipping. I have used that unit for a couple of months now in radar-rich Georgia with good results.

If you do not believe me, call Beltronics and tell them you are considering the 8500 or the 995 - they will offer to sell you whichever one you want since they make both!

Amazon has the Beltronics 995 on sale right now for $221.

The police have the upper hand now with the latest versions of laser and radar - I agree with letting another drive lead the way to sniff out the traps.

Edited May 21, 2007 by ranger

[ima45dv8]

....I agree with letting another drive lead the way to sniff out the traps.

Around here we affectionately refer to them as "bear bait".

[driver8M3]

My question is why people buy radar detectors at all since all the PD I know of switched over to the "instant ON" kind a long time ago. If you do get a hit on your detector, it would be a stroke of blind luck.

b/c i'm almost never the only car on the road...and they're always trying to nail someone, so i'll often get a hit when they try to get someone in front of me. also, they seem to like to drive around with their units on trying to get people going in either the same direction or the opposite direction (moving radar). i run into that quite a bit. a radar detector is $200-$400. in maryland, anything over 85mph is at least a 5 point ticket. avoid just one of those and it's more than paid for itself.

[Overkill]

My question is why people buy radar detectors at all since all the PD I know of switched over to the "instant ON" kind a long time ago. If you do get a hit on your detector, it would be a stroke of blind luck.

Because when they shoot some guy half a mile ahead of you, that beam, even if its only on for an instant, will bounce off that guys car, and the cars and buildings around him casting microwave reflections all over the neighborhood. The V1 will pretty easily pick these reflections up and alert you to the fact that some things up. If you're out on the open road all by your lonesome and the cop is running instant on you're hosed. But if there's other people around he's interested in you stand an excellent chance of picking him up long long before he can see you.

[Nik Habicht]

Around here we affectionately refer to them as "bear bait".

I thought he was moving to Colorado.....

[38superman]

8 inches at 300 yards?

Aimed at the grill of a moving car?

Wow............Here's a cop that can aim a hand held laser gun better than I can aim a rifle.

You could not hit the grill of a car driving pretty much straight at you with a rifle from 300 yds?

Slight exageration perhaps, but I was trying to make a point.

Looking across my parking lot, I seems the average grill size is about 1 1/2 to 2 ft wide and maybe 6 to 8 inches tall.

Thats way smaller than the average whitetail and they make a pretty small target at 300 yds.

I am a mechanical engineer and often use a hand held laser meter to measure distances in factories.

Its harder than you think to hold a laser steady enough to take a reading off of something the size of a clipboard at much more than about 100 feet.

900 ft.? ..... I won't say it can't be done, but its a pretty good trick.

Tony

Edited May 22, 2007 by tlshores

[Scooter]

Having a radar detector doesn't mean you should rely on it 100%. If you know areas where cops like to watch the traffic while they eat their donut, you should still slow down regardless. A radar detector is just another tool to have.

My main reason for getting the V1 was because of the local PD love to set up speed traps and nail people for doing 27 in a 25 mph. No one drives that slow on a wide open road, heck I don't even ride my bicycle that slow.

[dcarter]

Having a radar detector doesn't mean you should rely on it 100%. If you know areas where cops like to watch the traffic while they eat their donut, you should still slow down regardless. A radar detector is just another tool to have.

My main reason for getting the V1 was because of the local PD love to set up speed traps and nail people for doing 27 in a 25 mph. No one drives that slow on a wide open road, heck I don't even ride my bicycle that slow.

Hey, Hey, Hey....No donut jokes. I drink the Coffee but I don't eat donuts! To answere your question Shootergrrl. I work 3rd shift. That is 11:00pm to 07:00am.

[XRe]

My main reason for getting the V1 was because of the local PD love to set up speed traps and nail people for doing 27 in a 25 mph.

Now that is just uncalled for Heck, at that speed, the calibration of your speedometer, the exact diameter of your tires, and the calibration of their equipment might just be enough to make the difference. Sorry... that's just an a-hole move, IMO.

Suffice it to say - there's no fooproof method anymore. Personally, I don't even both with the equipment. When I sat down and figured out how much time speeding would save me on the bulk of my day to day travels, it turned out to be a ridiculously small amount of time (5 minutes or less across the whole day), so I essentially just stopped doing it around town. On a big trip, it definitely makes a difference, but as others have noted, if you want to go fast on the open road, there are more reliable methods - though a detector may not hurt in that case. I pay attention to cars as far up the road as I can see, too - inevitably, if someone sees a cop, they jump on the brakes....