budget radar detector

[TimPoet]

Anyone know of a good quality radar detector at a good price?

Are laser detectors necessary?

[HAL9000]

I'm out of the loop on radar detectors.. but a few tips on them...

1) first of all... useless on open road... radar detectors are only really usefull in a traffic area where you are picking up the cop using the radar on people ahead of you. If you're the only one on the road, it's only going to go off to notify you.. you've been busted.

2) Second, since they are only truly effective in a traffic situation, if you're not the fastest person, no problem

3) Cheapest way to "get" and "use" a radar detector... follow the other guy with one and let him get the ticket.

4) Cheapest overall method... don't speed


As for laser radar... if the officer is PROPERLY trained on usage... the radar detector won't do much good either. They use a scope sight to aim on a flat surface on the car, usually a front mounted plate if available and it's an instant on, instant off scenario.. pretty hard to pick up on IF used properly.

Hal's right on the laser part, if your detector goes off, they already got ya nailed on speed. I use the Escort 8500 and Escort 8500X50 and they both detect laser. Try this link, good info: http://www.radarbusters.com/.

[Lespaul20]

From what I heard on the news most departments use laser now and radar detector would be less effective. I know the Iowa State Patrol uses laser.

[TimPoet]

I think NV uses radar...


EDIT

I am mainly gonna need it for inner city freeway driving...

[glc]

Originally Posted by TimPoet I am mainly gonna need it for inner city freeway driving...

Then you don't need one, just blend in with the flow of traffic. When the road is empty (if that ever happens) your speed limits are high enough you don't need to destroy the speed limit.

[doubledragon5]

Radar dectors are not as good as they use to be.. When driving my work truck I find myself doing 70 past cops all the time, and they seem to look the other way.. It is funny they only seem to stop the cars...

[rspassey]

We sell escort and some cobras in our store. The k40 line by caliber is really popular and no too expensive (they cover non reckless driving tickets for a year). Like most, they do all band, laser / radar detection.

If you are looking for a shifter, the srx is the only way to go. It is a total discrete system that has shifters and detectors mounted in hidden locations on the vehicle. It isn't expensive - just around $1500 - a little more for install. If you want more details, PM me and I can send you the phone number of our store.

[David M]

I don't see how any radar detector can protect you if the radar gun is not on and the cop then turns it on when he sees you. Apparently it takes less than a second to determine your speed which is much faster than you can decelerate down to the speed limit....radar or laser.

I wonder what percentage of cops leave the radar gun on and what percentage have it off and then turn it on when they see you?

[TimPoet]

Well, I think the device will detect the "splash" of the gun being used on the cars ahead of you, giving you time to slow down.

[HAL9000]

I just found them to be annoying.. I had one in my younger days and sometimes motion sensor alamrs in businesses will set them off for a false positive.

[backithink]

lol i found they are pretty useless if the cop wants to nail you your too late, they are either going to look the other way or pull you over. it all depends on how bored they are and how much paper work they already have for the day, i am pretty good friends with most of the cops in my town in fact they like to watch the highway just off my street from my driveway they can have a good view of the road and still be somewhat hidden. it doesnt bother me too much, most of the time tho they are either talking on their cell phones filling out reports or fidling with their laptop, its only when they are bored do they get the gun out, usually they leave it mounted on the dash and glance up at it when it beeps, even then unless you are going crazy fast they will probably ignore you especially city cops who have to deal will calls all day and have enough paper work as it is.

[SARGE]

Why don't you just go the speed limit? Speeding won't get you there any faster - do the math. 10mph over the limit, if held steady for an hour, will gain you 10 miles in an hour. Break it on down - how much time do you actually save????

[TimPoet]

Sarge, don't confuse me with facts.

[shadowpr]

lol.

[rspassey]

It may not save any time, but it sure is fun to drive fast - especially when you have a vehicle that an handle it.

All the 2 grand shifters and detectors we install are always in corvettes or M6's or something - and most of the time we find out they have gotten 3 or 4 tickets for going 100+ in a 65/70 zone.

My job had me do alot of traveling the last three years, almost 60,000 miles and say what you want about a detector I've never gotten a ticket so I swear by mine. That "extra" 10 miles an hour I got added up when I was driving 10-12 hours a day.

[Chazell29]

didn't read many other replies, but this is coming from someone who works for a police department. We (at least here, and almost everywhere else) no longer use radar guns. We use laser. So buying a radar detector is worthless. Also, lasers wont' be detected, until you've been hit.

also, someone said you don't get pulled over for doing 70, here, we only pull people over for doing 15+ over the speed limit on GOOD weather condition days.

[TimPoet]

What's a shifter?

And a Corvette is on my horizon.

[David M]

As much as I hate getting a speeding ticket I love it when others get speeding tickets on my street.

The speed limit on my street is 25 MPH because it is a residential street although it is a very wide street for a single lane street so the temptation is to speed. People use my street as a freeway frequently driving 45 MPH. Call me a little sadistic but I love it when the motorcycle cops with laser guns pull over the speeders right in front of my house. I secretly cheer inside and sometimes give the cop the thumbs up. I think it helps make a cops day when they know that the community appreciates what they are doing. Too often they are thought of as the bad guy for enforcing the laws.

[HAL9000]

Originally Posted by TimPoet What's a shifter? And a Corvette is on my horizon.

I think he is referring to a gizmo that will actually return a false reading to the radar gun.

[Chazell29]

Originally Posted by HAL9000 I think he is referring to a gizmo that will actually return a false reading to the radar gun.

won't work with laser!

[glc]

If you are getting a Corvette, drive it exactly at the speed limit. Seriously. Those are the biggest cop magnets out there.

[HAL9000]

Originally Posted by Chazell29 won't work with laser!

That's why I specified "radar" gun.

Originally Posted by glc If you are getting a Corvette, drive it exactly at the speed limit. Seriously. Those are the biggest cop magnets out there.

Second that!

[TimPoet]

Been debating tween yellow or red, cuz I know red makes cops more motivated to get ya.

[glc]

Either color, you have to keep a low profile. That means you have to totally blend in with traffic, or when there is no traffic, you have to play grandpa in the right lane.

[HAL9000]

Even then you can get pulled over.. years ago my dad and brother went to Ontario to purchase a 69 GTO.. the speedometer was screwed on it and while it said they were going 80Mph, they were in reality barely going 50Mph... the RCMP pulled them over as they were concerned that in a hot car they were going so slow that something might be wrong.

[TimPoet]

Hahaha! Sometimes you just can't win...

There is no device that I know of that can jam a radar gun not to mention that its illegal. There are however several legal devices that can and do jam laser guns very well. If your interested in some test results that were done in March of this year in Wickenburg, AZ, here is the link. http://www.radarbusters.com/lidarlas...ingarticle.cfm

[glc]

Back to the original question - if you are even going to bother getting a radar detector, forget all the cheapies. Get a Valentine-1.