RodC

I am in the market for a radar detector after a couple of lucky incidents in which I should have received a speeding ticket but didn't. I don't drive like an ásshole, but I don't see much harm in going 10 or 15 over the limit on a quiet stretch. I saw some videos on YouTube of radar detectors warning of cops around corners and over blind hills, and I said damn, I want one.

Questions: Does anyone have a radar detector mounted in their tC? If so, where? Pics of mounting location? I don't really want to stick it to the windshield, but I want it to at least be in a location where it can function effectively. Also, is anyone familiar with California law? I'm pretty sure detectors are legal, and so it should not be a problem to have it in plain view, right? Finally, any brand recommendations? I heard that some models do laser detection in addition to radar, and apparently a lot of cops are using laser these days.

cwayne

They're not very effective. I had one and it went off all the time. It wasn't the cheapie kind too. By the time your detector goes off, it might already be too late.

Besides, if you get pulled over for speeding a cop sees you have one, it's almost certain he'll give you a ticket.

taboxuser

get a v1 (valentine 1) its the best radar you can get....but its a little pricey...i think around 400 bucks.

RodC

Hmm, why did it go off all the time? Do they get set off by other things in addition to police radars?

Ace83

iTrader: (6)

I suggest products of beltronics, passport, and valentine 1. There's a good review at radarbusters.com it was done few years ago but should be good still. I personally have beltrnics rx65, works great.. I was pulled over once though when I passed a cop at 85mph around 4 am and him not using his radar lol I though he was just a biker.

a_german_named_hans

eh. I agree and disagree with cwayne. They're really only effective on Highways and what not. I've had mine save me once, and go off a couple times. Always goes off for the "You're driving XX mph" signs which is a good sign. Went off on a cop that was behind me but I wasn't speeding so didn't care much for it, and a couple more occasions. One time tho, I was coming home from work at mid-night and was doin about 80 on an empty highway. Was taking a blind corner and it started to go off, So I slew down to 5 above the speed limit and sure enough there was a trooper around the corner.

It's not effected in the city too much because there are too many factors. Automated Doors make it go off and some other factors as well.

That being said I would recommend getting one, If it saves you once, that might be enough to pay for itself (it did in my case) However just because you have one, Doesn't mean you're always protected and will always be alerted. Radar detectors HELP avoid some speeding tickets, They don't prevent. I have an Escort Passport 8500 X50 btw.

RodC

I definitely think it would pay for itself. I received a ticket for 75 in a 65 in my last car, and speeding tickets aren't cheap. That cop was hiding under an overpass, so I couldn't see him until it was too late, but I am sure a radar detector would have alerted me way in advance.

Macavely

I have a cobra S .. it works great for me.. in my celica I have a K40.. it works great for me.. you just have to know where to place it.. and also the mounting location it the most important thing. .. you have to mount it in the center of the dash..as close to the window .. and as low on the window as possiable..

Jdub86

iTrader: (3)

I have a Cobra XRS, I am very happy with it. It usually only goes off when a cop is somewhat near me. I would recommend it because it was only $130.

RodC

As low as possible? I thought it was supposed to be as high as possible, right at the top of the windshield.

draxcaliber

whether or not you have a radar detector visible when you get pulled over by the police doesn't really influence whether or not. i've been pulled over MANY times, in different cars, with and without radar detectors. doesn't make a difference. if they want to give you one, they will, and if they don't, they won't.

also, yeah, they go off all the time, but you learn which ones to heed and ignore. on the places you go on a regular basis. but when you hear a new one, you know to hit the brakes.

also, there are lots of speed camaras these days, here in gaithersburg, they keep moving this van with a speed camara in it that i pick up a mile away. totally worth it.

Macavely

yes as low as possible cuts down on mis reads.. I the Cobra S i have in my tc is the 4th one i have owned and they all have the same basic instructions for install. i'm not goring to get into reasons why this is so. I'll let the engineers that designed them answer that. I just know I have fallowed the owners manuals on how to install and understand what beeps mean what. and in10 years of driving I have only been pulled over for speeding 3 times. 2 times I had no RD in my car.. and the last time.. it was a speed trap .. i was only doing 4 over the speed limit if that.. but I knew the cop was there cause my RD was going off half mile before i was able to see him.

exige

low as possible is correct. cwayne....if you havent driven on an empty highway before then you dont quite understand the value of a radar detector. i live in cincinnati, oh. we have no speed cameras or anything of the like. we are a not city known for abusive cops etc. this summer alone i received alerts and visually verified over 73 cops located on i-71, i-74, i-75, and us-50. for me, my RD has paid for itself many times over. i simply dono how i was driving without one before. most of these cops were on the same highways that i routinely traveled each day or every other day.

the key to an RD is knowing how to use it correctly. EVERY RD will receive false alerts. i dont care how much it costs....it will receive them, and it will let you know about them. i own a passport 8500 x50. same unit as the 9500 minus the gps capability. since i live in cincinnati, OH, ive walked into both the valentine store and the escort store since they are headquartered in my area. after researching thoroughly and speaking with company reps for both companies.....the x50 was the clear choice for me. at 100 bucks less than the valetine, it provided the same radar and laser detection capabilities while being much smaller (less obtrusive) and convenient to use (frequent take-downs). the arrows dont do ____ on the valentine IMO. its your own eyes that count. so what that the valentine can pick up 5 million different signals all at once.....it doesnt matter cause you're never gonna get more than 1 at a time. lastly, i could never buy from a schmuck such as mike valentine. if you ever look at his car and driver ads of a year ago (before escort came out with the 9500), he tried to imply that the v1 was way better than the 8500. sure...of course it was. but that's what the common consumer missed....just that lil x50 next to the 8500 changes the ballgame completely. he tried to sneak you into comparing the x50 to the v1 when really it was the old regular 8500 vs. the v1.

valentine wants you to buy their detector because it has "front and rear radar detectors...the only RD in the industry to have this incredible feature!" once again...it doesnt mean ____. the reason that Bel and Escort dont use a front and rear is cause there's no need to. a radar beam is so wide and so far reaching that if the cop is behind you, the beam will project forward and the RD will ALWAYS pick it up without a rear radar detector. a laser beam is only 6 ft wide....escort and bel do have rear laser beams as you WOULD need those for full protection. however, the chances of a cop nailing you with laser from behind is about 1 in 100,000. the cop has very little to aim at and not enough time to react and get his car on the road to chase you. ive never seen a cop nail me from behind with laser....its ALWAYS from the front.

if my position is not obvious yet....i HATE valentine. their sales reps were _______s. the company president is a con artist-assshole. and the whole bunch of them are just ____tty liars. dont fall for their tricks. if you're gonna spend 400 or more for a unit, either get the Bel STI or the Escort 9500. the RX-65 and the X50 are essentially the same unit inside....bel and escort are sister companies. lastly...dont buy anything BUT bel or escort (i guess valentine is acceptable if you find it used and UP TO DATE!! for 150 bucks...so long as your money doesnt end up in valentine's pockets). i made the mistake of buying a cheap one at first (a cobra), then moved to a midprice when the cobra wouldnt pick up cops or anything and falsed like crazy....the whistler 1793 or osmethin like that. the whistler was great in terms of picking up cops...but it still falsed just as much as the cobra. i then moved to the escort 8500 x50 and i have absolutely no plans to change that. it cut down on falses TREMENDOUSLY and it picked up cops very very veryyy well. its my unit of choice and i see no need to bump up to the 9500.

im not a bel or escort employee lol....i simply want to pass on the truth about what ive learned. i hate valentine and everything they stand for. if im gonna spend 350 bucks on an RD, i want my money to go to someone who isnt a liar and who will improve their product from time to time. valentine tells you they'll update your unit for you when a new version comes out....yeah...for 283 f'in bucks. thats what a last gen valentine unit costs to update the last time i checked about 2 months ago.

my final piece of advice is RESEARCH THOROUGHLY.

head over to radar roy's......he is THE authority....no one better, no one more fair than he.

www.radarbusters.com

o...he doesnt retail valentine either....because valentine doesnt want dealers...and roy doesnt like valentine. just an fyi.

jasunto

i get excellent performance from beltronics, just as good as my buddies escort

exige

as would be expected! which bel are you using?

Deathwish238

I have an Escort Passport 8500(I recommend it and the Valentine 1)...I'm quite happy with it and it's payed itself off many many times. I make a lot of trips between Austin and Ft Worth which is about a 3 hour highway drive. Speed limit is 70 and I generally do about 85 to 90. Today alone it picked up a cop that was waiting for someone to fly by.


You can't just buy a radar detector and expect it to only tell you when cops are around. You'll get plenty of falses...you just have to learn how to tell what a cop looks like and what a false looks like. As you learn your area....you'll notice certain places always make the radar detector go off. Things like banks, gas stations, large stores, etc.

Now, usually Ka band is always a cop. Very very rarely is it going to be another building. In Austin and DFW at least, K band is usually a false. There are only a couple of states where cops still use K band primarily. However once every so often I'll pick up K band and the signal will get very strong, very quickly...that's usually a cop. If the alert doesn't go higher than about half way...it's probably a false.

Drive around with your radar detector out, even if you don't plan to speed. You'll learn what falses look like and where they commonly occur...that's key to learning how to use your radar detector as a good tool and so you're not slamming on the brakes everytime you hear a beep

Deathwish238

Bel is owned by Escort...

sciontc_mich

Yes Bel is owned by Escort been like that for 5-10 years.

Also to say a radar detector is pointless, is a joke. It's not pointless, many many times I've been alerted to what I thought was an automatic door opener, only to find a cop hiding out behind some trees! Radar detectors do false, but the world isn't perfect. When a radar detector fails to tell you that you've been targeted or radared, then that's the time to find another unit!

My recommendation would be either Bel or Escort. You'll be happy with the ProRX 65 I believe is the number. Their top of the line. Very good, has a tech display which displays the actual radar frequency number the unit is picking up. Memorize these and you'll be able to know what kind of cop it is. county, city, state. Most depts use different frequencies. very cool feature!

blazeplacid

I owned a Passport 8500 and It did notihng for me

all the local and highway use laser. I think it worked ONCE when I wasnt driving the car. It did help but it was 2 am and no traffic so it was easy for the radar to spot it.

I took it back.

To me A radar isnt worth the money. I hardly speed. I usually just do 70 on the highway (speed limit is 65)
$300-$400 for a device that MAY save you,no thanks

all4degame

I'm a proud owner of a Valentine 1, and would recommend it to everyone! My buddy also got an Escort 8500 x50 and loves it. I heard that the BEL RX65( i think thats the model name) is pretty good as well. Any of those 3 will do you good.