im a tech at a porsche dealership and i install the passport SRX all the time, actually installed one tonight on a GT3...either way if you want to spend some money (the go for around $600 and then to get them installed) is probably the best way to go...i talk to these drivers and not one that ive talked to has gotten a ticket yet, and this in Chicagoland, cops all over place

I may suck it up and install one in the TC soon. maybe do a write up too

i also hear great things about the 9500i

 

i never take mine down at stop lights....if a cop sees it, he can bite me, i dont care. its only when im tagged and im passing the cop. if he were to ever pull me over whether its that i dont hit my brakes fast enough or whatever it is...i feel id have a much easier time trying to get out of the ticket if the RD wasnt there. if he sees it and he knows i was going over, i can bet a few bucks that im gettin a ticket guaranteed. its like you're basically admitting, i like to speed!

 

thats a good point.

 

I have had the passport 9500i for about 6 months now and it works great for me. I'm not much of a speeder, but I do live close the the countryside where 10 to 15 over the speed limit is the norm on the proper roads. It identifies each band separately with sound and display (x, k, ka, laser). One of the uses of the GPS is speed display which I use as a heads up. I have it mounted in the bottom center of my windshield wedged between the dash and windshield. Its the best city radar detector I've used being that it blocks out most false alarms such as garage doors and security alarms. Any that get through can be easily blocked out at the press of a button(this being another function of the GPS). I can mark common radar spots too so that it will go off when approaching that spot(again, GPS) My only complaint is that its one of the more expensive ones on the market at around $500. Plus another $24 for the hidden cord from passport. Or another $300-$500 for the hidden front bumper / dash display. Overall though, this radar detector gives the least amount of false alarms.

 

I'd check out the new Cobra xrsr9, color display, looks like an ipod sort of. It can detect both radar and laser, and can detect cameras placed inside stop lights. Here are the specs, looks pretty sweet

http://www.cobra.com/xrsr/xrsr9/index.html

 

careful bout that....i saw it too...i say wait til radar roy gets his hands on it and runs a full test...get his word first....cobra's never put out anything good before so its best to see what he has to say.

 

good point exige, I'm interested to see how the performance stacks up.

 

here is some pix of mine

 

^^cobra? or am i mistaken

 

yes .. and for they last year it has worked great for me.. but i do wish i would have spent the money and gotten the one that talks.. sometimes the beeps drive me crazy..

 

good to hear. the falses dont drive you nuts on it?

 

at times they do.. but that just cause i keep the volume all the up to 10.. I don't want to miss hearing it when it does alert me of something i need to know about

 

yea i blare mine...even bought the external speaker for the 8500. then again my music is always played far from normal listening levels on a not-so-stock stereo

 

on my 9500i i have the volume at about 3/4 i never have a problem hearing it go off even with windows down, sunroof open at 75mph, with my stereo bumping (151.7db) once you learn the sounds your radar detector makes when you hear it, or think you hear it, you foot come off the gas and you look at it lol.

 

the talking ones still beep... the chick only says what type of radar it is, then it turns into beeping, different beeps for different radars...

 

The 9500i has an auto-volume feature that adjusts the volume based on surrounding noise levels. Works like a charm too. If I'm alone--ie stereo up windows down its loud enough to hear it over the stereo, and if im cruisin with my girl alongside with the windows up it makes softer tone. And if thats not enough, it also has Auto-mute, that will play the first tone at normal volume then mute.

 

i know alot of cops are using different kinds of guns now and radar detectors are pretty much useless

 

Whatever cops are using, the detector companies will stay on top of it. I just don't want to buy something obsolete.

 

um you're mistaken. All you're thinking of was the DSP (digital) guns that use a 0.3 second burst to get a fast reading but also widely inaccurate. These "pop" radar guns were designed to cycle on-off before the radar detector could sniff out the radar frequency. also the law will spell out that they need to hit you with a 2nd real radar burst for confirmation. Older detectors will pick up this 2nd confirmation burst. This digital "pop" is what you're talking about. And yes the newer, better detectors can pick this digital "pop" radar up, the detector manufacturers have kept up with the radar gun makers.

Sounds like you just are a cop or work for law enforcement, good try but your statement isn't true at all. The detectors out there CAN and DO sniff out cops, sorry but the Communications Act of 1934 does allow us regular citizens to keep up on what the cops do. Gotta love the law!

 

^^what he said.

the radar detector companies dont have any option but to stay on top of it. if they fall behind, people won't buy their stuff because it'd be useless. currently the RD companies have the lead due to the Bel STI being able to defeat all forms of Spectre.

the guns that are used today will never be more advanced than today's RD's for one specific reason....they all run on bands that are recognized by the RD's. all cop radar guns are either X, K, or Ka. There are NO other bands in use at this time in the states. In Europe, cops are also using Ku, but none of these guns have made it to the states yet. A couple RD's are already made with Ku detection, so if the need ever arises to add the band on it will be a pretty easy change.

The cops will never get guns so advanced that the RD companies can't keep up....the RD companies' lives depend on them staying up to date.