Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Interested in radar detectors...

profile picture
Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
Anyone use one? I'm thinking about getting one for the truck, because i have a bad habit of speeding, and state patrol is starting to step it up around where i live. Any suggestions for any good detectors that actually work and arent shit?
Nov 7 2008 11:31AM
0 0
profile picture
LS.
Posts: 1841 - Karma: 858
i wouldnt go get a 500 dollar one, they all do the same thing just cruise down to wal mart and get one
Nov 7 2008 12:25PM
0 0
profile picture
invader7
Posts: 5756 - Karma: 49
there pointless. cops use radar guns most of the time. and you cant detect it until they pull the trigger. when they do pull it, it takes a half a second to get a speed reading so unless you have some super human reaction times. its pointless. oh and almost all cops will give you a ticket anyday over a warning if they see you have one.
Nov 7 2008 3:29PM
0 0
profile picture
Jwenz
Posts: 8893 - Karma: 7,633
that was a terrible comment. The ones at walmart will detect a cop from 100 feet. A good one (passport or valentine) will detect up to a 1/2 a mile i think? I have the red passport and I love it. Saved my ass a few times. Granted the cops don't always use radar...when they do you will love having it
Nov 7 2008 3:31PM
0 0
profile picture
cab509
Posts: 806 - Karma: 34
Check what your cops are using but most departments I know of are moving towards LIDAR now which a radar detector won't do anything for you. For that you'd need a laser jammer (which are illegal in I think all states right now but I know of a few jammers that are good if you want one I'll go find the website.


as for radar detectors, most cops these days don't just let the radar sit on all the time so you'd still have no detection until the cop turned the radar on you so the detector would just let you know you got caught.

IF you still want to get one though, go for the 3 big ones. Passport, Escort, and Valentine. I would get Valentine but that's mostly because i know the owner and I like him a lot personally.


BUT whatever you get, you can't trust it. You have to keep common sense and keep an eye out for traps. Detectors are there to help you, you  can't fully trust them.
Nov 7 2008 3:49PM
0 0
profile picture
Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
They are a big waste of money.  There is so many signals from all kinds of sources that fuck with them.  It will go off every 2 minutes until you throw it in the glove compartment in your rage.
Nov 7 2008 4:04PM
0 0
profile picture
k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,891
my parents have them. i don't know what kind the above posters are buying, but ours work fine. if we're speeding, and there is a cop nearby, the thing goes off, we slow down, then we spot the car hiding around a corner or something. we really only use it on the highways, my parents don't speed in the city.
Nov 7 2008 4:07PM
0 0
profile picture
PeterNorth
Posts: 1352 - Karma: 1,253
the cop doesnt have to be pointing it at you for it to work, he could be checking 10 cars ahead of u and it will pick it up, they work great. and if your do get pulled over you hide it.
Nov 7 2008 5:43PM
0 0
profile picture
KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
yea idk what people are saying abuot them but i have one i got at best buy...DO NOT BUY A 500$ RADAR DETECTOR COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY trust me it does work better not worth that moeny unless you NEED to spend 500 bucks i got one that is 130...a  cobra something and it works great and you would be suprised a lot of the time cops arent scanning and doesn thelp all the time cause of the radar guns as people stated before but def get one if you speed a bit like me and dont buy a real expensive one cuase its not worht it and don twork that much ebtter
Nov 7 2008 5:45PM
0 0
profile picture
MESKI
Posts: 942 - Karma: 220
i have a cheap one, got it for about 80 bucks and it has definitely helped me a lot. i really want to get a more expensive one for the range that they have... if a cop is using a radar gun way up ahead to check another car, it will go off... maybe only be for a second but itll give u a heads up no matter what... you cant rely on them 100 percent all the time, but they definitely come in handy... get a cheap one for the time being, it will help you a little bit.
Nov 7 2008 6:11PM
0 0
profile picture
japanada
Posts: 13784 - Karma: 1,957
I am going to disagree and say that you should invest money into a nice valentine or passport. Yes ALL radar decectors will go off when you are by a automatic door, but if you know how to use your dector, you can easily tell what kind of signal you are picking up.

The V1s also tell you from which direction the signal is comming from. That is b/c it picks up signals from BOTH the front and the rear of the unit.
Nov 7 2008 9:30PM
0 0
profile picture
tBatt
Posts: 9632 - Karma: 580
not true. granted you do get signals from security cameras and stoplights and shit, but thats not all the time. plus most have a mute button on them to shut them up. and it tells you what kind of signal you have. for example in my friends, x = cop  radar, and k = stoplights and security cameras.

and the kid who said dont get an expensive one was completely wrong. this is one majoorrr case where pretty much the more expensive the better. im sure once you find a good brand name you can find them for cheap on ebay/craigslist. i forgot who, but whoever quoted him was right.

Ender on here has one, and its saved his ass sooo many times, it only failed him once, and he got an 84? in a 50, not terrible..


Nov 7 2008 9:37PM
0 0
profile picture
BigRodRiley
Posts: 1265 - Karma: 36

i guess they are coming out with a type of gps that can pick up where cops are.  its like state of the art and i guess these radar detectors/gps things will be costing alot of money.

Nov 7 2008 11:15PM
0 0
profile picture
japanada
Posts: 13784 - Karma: 1,957
So sick, been wanting to see one of these for a long time!
Nov 7 2008 11:33PM
0 0
profile picture
Sean...M
Posts: 2450 - Karma: 14
yeah i was reading about them. Their expensive as fuck and i think it might be more of a gimmick


I use the valentine 1 radar. It's honestly saved my ass so many times. It picks up the laser too right away. I've been lasered speeding and had just a split second to press the brake enough. Other times, when their using their regular rader, i'll pick them up so far away, around a half mile or more. Dont get the ones at walmart, they suck.

They're regularly like $400 but i found one for like $300 in perfect condition. I know a guy thats selling one for cheap. PM me if your interested.


Nov 8 2008 12:00AM
0 0
profile picture
Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Yeah, everytime you go by automatic doors at like the super market it will go off and it's just really annoying.  They don't really help either. 
Nov 8 2008 1:20AM
0 0
profile picture
lushlaxstr
Posts: 3063 - Karma: 41
beltronics RX65 pro. i have one and it has saved me so many times
Nov 8 2008 4:48AM
0 0
profile picture
Parkboy
Posts: 2303 - Karma: 32
I had the Escort Passport 8500, but sold it when i moved to hawaii, the thing definitely worked good out here in CA, because the cops all use KA band. I would pick up CHP seriously miles away on open highway and freeway and around curves it gave me plenty of warning time. I thought it was worth it. I'm kind over those days when I was 18 and driving around at 90 mph now though. If you don't want to be picked up by laser, you can get a jammer. Keep in mind though that cops with their laser/rader off see you fucking flying, they can judge speed and still fuck you over. Good luck.
Nov 8 2008 5:15AM
0 0
profile picture
J_BISCHOF
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 1,449
All you need is a
VALENTINe ONE
Nov 8 2008 5:26AM
0 0
profile picture
lushlaxstr
Posts: 3063 - Karma: 41
the days of the valentine one are over. the beltronics rx65 pro and the escort 8500, and now the 9500, are $50 cheaper and in EVERY comparison test done, WAY outperform the valentine one. i do like the arrows that the V1 has, but i would much prefer the performance with the other two.

and to the kid that said they go off at all the time with tons of false alarms. that is only if you buy a shitty one. i have a beltronics rx65 pro, and it has a autoscan setting with a microprocessor in it that is extremely smart and virtually eliminates false alarms.

they do work, and they will save you from costly tickets. i have picked up cops from miles away, around turns and over hills. the two i am advocating also detects laser, but unfortunately as soon as they pick up laser your fucked.

Nov 30 2008 4:53AM
0 0
profile picture
KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
they def help a shitload i have one i got for 130 it works pretty solid picked up allt eh cops that are scanning in my area a good distance before cept sometimes its anooying cause like on the highwya or something they dont scan they just sit there
Nov 30 2008 11:05AM
0 0
profile picture
spliff.Life
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 1,549
yeah thats the point of em

if they didnt work people wouldnt buy them...
Nov 30 2008 11:11AM
0 0
profile picture
KarmaSkiier
Posts: 461 - Karma: 6
passports are nice
Nov 30 2008 11:25AM
0 0
profile picture
PhaedeD
Posts: 11498 - Karma: 327
passport 9500

saved me god knows how many times.
Nov 30 2008 11:39AM
0 0
profile picture
Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
theyre everywhere!
Click for larger image
Nov 30 2008 11:52AM
0 0
profile picture
bermbuster49
Posts: 7445 - Karma: 90
RIDE DURTY. get a jammer dude.
Nov 30 2008 11:52AM
0 0
profile picture
vtrider
Posts: 1988 - Karma: 41

Valintine 1.   Hands down, now questions asked, best radar detector I have ever owned. 

A couple things.  Good detectors will help you out big time, dont even bother spending money on a shitty walmart one.  You will get double the distance and half the false alarms with a good detector.  The V1 has "arrows" that point in what direction that your getting zapped from, you can tell if piggy wiggy is in front, to the side, or behind you.

the v1 has saved me countless times, I have never got a ticket with the v1 on my dash.  I drive approx 40,000 miles a year, and its worth every penny for protection on the road. 

Also, cops are lazy mutha fuckers.  tons of cops leave there radar on all day long.  and for the ones that dont, they pull the trigger on every car the whips down the road.  As long as there is someone within a mile in front of you, you will get a quick blip on the radar and know to slow down. 

Nov 30 2008 12:45PM
0 0
profile picture
kool.aid.man
Posts: 1416 - Karma: 526
id get a jammer and a detector. my buddy has those em in his evo. has jammers hidden in both rear and front bumper. it is almost undetectable unless you looked under the car and put your hand under it, which would never really happen unless you go to the boarder and try and take drugs.
Nov 30 2008 1:14PM
0 0
profile picture
lushlaxstr
Posts: 3063 - Karma: 41
like i said before, the V1's days are over as the best. the Beltronics RX65 Pro and the Escort Passport 8500, both, in every comparison review, perform better than the V1. and they are about $50 cheaper
Nov 30 2008 1:35PM
0 0
profile picture
MCIRONCOCK
Posts: 3094 - Karma: 30
Unless you think you're going to get $500-600 in speeding tickets without it, don't buy a super expensive one.
Nov 30 2008 1:39PM
0 0
profile picture
user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
Ya I have a 9500 too, it kicks ass.

You guys in this thread have some serious misinformation. Radar detectors work VERY WELL if you are smart with them, and YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Right now, the two best on the market are the Passport 9500 and the Valentine 1. With either of these you will stand a good chance. They can detect K, Ka, X, Laser and POP3 from in front and behind of you. There are a few different types of radar that you should know about.

RADAR:
K, Ka, X and POP3. POP3, K and Ka are cops most of the time, and X is usually automatic door and the like. Your radar detector will work almost all the time, and will work well. If you get a nice radar detector, they can pick up cops at over a mile away. My 9500 has easily done a mile and saved my ass MANY times. Radar jammers, which some people have, are VERY ILLEGAL! Radar detectors are legal in every state but 2, West Virginia and Utah I think.

LIDAR:
Lidar is the new Laser technology. It can get you in under a tenth of a second and is very accurate. However, the cop needs to hit a flat spot on your car and it can be hard to do. My radar detector tells me if Laser is in the area, but it's really hit or miss because of how specific laser is compared to radar. LASER DETECTORS AND JAMMERS ARE LEGAL! The Jammers are legel by FDA regulations because of potential eye damage due to lasers so you can legally have a jammer.

With that being said, nicer radar detectors also have different modes like city or highway that will filter out alot of the useless crap. If you do some research you can see that detectors are not a waste of money, and can be an incredibly good investment if you are smart and know how to use one.
Nov 30 2008 1:40PM
0 0
profile picture
biG_EaSt
Posts: 575 - Karma: 15
check out radarbusters.com

a bunch of different packages
jammers detectors etc
pretty good prices
Nov 30 2008 2:43PM
0 0
profile picture
user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
Actually now that I think about it I have a RX65 Pro. However, a couple of years ago Beltronics bought out Passport. So the Passport 8500/9500 is EXACTLY the same as the RX65 Pro. The only difference is a different display and a different color. The hardware is identical and they work exactly the same way.
Nov 30 2008 5:05PM
0 0
profile picture
4frnt_4_life
Posts: 183 - Karma: 10
jammers are pointless because according to this cop i talked to even if they cop doesnt radar you correctly or whatever they have degrees in speed estimation so they can guess your speed and give you a ticket if you were going over.
Nov 30 2008 7:28PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)