So I used to own a radar detector years ago. Was a pretty cool item (made by BEL now Passport I believe) and it was fun to play around with it but door openers and signals would always trigger false alarms and so it was a bit annoying, however every time it would go beyond 3 bars it most likely was a radar alarm.

My question is - I'm sure they have come a long ways since then and so do you guys have one in your car and if so, which ones are the go to radar detectors nowadays? Which one is the king of detectors?

Would love to hear everyones input! And don't speed folks

 

I"ve got an Escort 8500I - is has GPS and remembers what it hears. If it sees the same signal at the same spot three times in a row, it stores it as a false signal and won't trigger on it anymore.

But with "instant on" mode in modern radar, Nick got nabbed on the last Dragon trip with me (and my detector) riding along with him. The RD helps, but it is not a cure-all.
And it makes me too brave - Nick is thinking of buying it and if he doesn't, I'm taking it to the Lawrenceville Hamfest November 1st and putting $300 on it.

 

LOL.... I won't comment on the detectors. I spent 30 of my 35 yrs defeating them. Two things they won't defend against is instant on, and VASCAR. They do help though. Once I would activate my unit, then everyone with a detector knew I was around. But, at that point, what does it matter as I have my target. It is what it is. You will get a lot of responses. I get a little tickled with those that think they were saved by the detector. When I was doing other patrols, I would just leave my unit on just to set off detectors. I would only take those 15 and over when patrolling. But, once stationary, and actually enforcing a limit, say a 30 mph zone, I would leave the unit off until I would see an obvious violator, then hit the button. My thumb beat a lot of feet.... They serve a purpose I guess, but driving alert is the best way, and never be the leader out there in the left lane...later.

 

Valentine1....its the only way to be sure....

 

I have an escort that is about 4 years old now. Has saved me many times. It does give false signals but if you turn off the x band you will get far less of them as cops mainly will only use k and ka bands. It is true that if you get lasered you are perry much dead to rights but usually you have time to drop your speed by 5-10 mph. I just got a ticket for the first time in over 2 years 2 weeks ago because I moved my radar into my crossfire and was driving my daily needless to say I was not happy.

 

I have a Cobra that is so-so....but I really like the Waze app. People share the locations of the police, speed cams, traffic cams, road blocks and accidents. And Doc is correct, instant on radar will beat the feet every time!

 

I've GOT to get back on my "Multiband Radar Jammer"....

Oh sure, it would be as illegal as can be - but who is gonna enforce Part 15 of FCC law in rural America?

 

Ya cobras aren't very good if your gonna buy one get an escort or valentine. But the jammers are real nice if you don't mind dropping 500 dollars and it being illegal...

 

About six months ago sold off all my Valentine 1 units (I have to say that they did hold their value well) and switched over to the Passport 9500i units. These Passport 9500i units also have the previously mentioned GPS feature that can block out persistent false alarms AND they have a database of red light camera locations announcing an alert as you approach an intersection with a red light camera. I think these Passport 9500i units are pretty much the current top of the line units and we have been VERY happy with them.

 

Yeah.. I ended up with a passport unit that would go off maybe 1/2 second sooner than my cobra when I put them both in the car.. and neither one ever went off by itself.. always both units hit... And only about a $300 dollar difference in prices..

 

I have a Whistler that I paid around $150 for. Doesn't false much and most of the time I use it there are no cops around. Don't use it really so I can speed, use it more so that if the cruise isn't set and I am speeding it's a reminder to check when it goes off. Radartest.com is a great site to read reviews about many detectors.

 

Totally get your point and agree with you. I wasn't really going to buy a detector to speed I just always have been intrigued by detectors and it was sometimes cool with my old one driving on the highway to Miami and the detector going off slowly but steadily and then finding a well hidden squat car around the corner
Would never rely on them for not getting a speeding ticket.
I used to wait for a porsche or vette to blast past me in the left lane then kinda tag on with enough distance but I actually have seen an officer in Jersey pull over 3 cars at the same time.
Oh an doc, I always look forward to your comments and advise! You being on the force for years explains the "dynamic" behavior when other people call you out on the Spring Booster (just messing with ya)

 

So, I had a detector a few years ago but it got moved around in several cars and I ended up giving it away. For a while now I have contemplated getting a radar detector again but have been using Waze and it's the reason I have been holding off. Before I ever installed it I always thought "well if troopers move around this tool can't pick them up" but I am simply fascinated on how accurate it actually is. I bet it has a huge following and therefore people mark speed traps left and right. Wouldn't rely on it completely either but it is the main reason why I wanted to see if detectors have become better and quieter and I therefore should buy one!

Do you have a cell phone holder in your car?

 

First, I agree with oledoc2 that instant on or laser will catch you, especially if you are the only car. I have a 5 year old Bel 795 and it has worked reliably many times. I would rather get several false alarms than a ticket, so any time it chirps I slow down. That has save my bacon many times. If a trooper is using instant on ahead of me, I often pick up the pulse 1/2 to a mile ahead and slow down in plenty of time. On the NYS Thruway, they seem to drive with the radar on which gives plenty of warning that they are coming. Mostly I stay in the right lane or back in the pack, and generally only drive 7-10 miles over the limit. I do a lot of OTR driving between MI and the east coast (and to FL next weekend), and the radar detector is a definite plus.


Secondly, any trooper with a knowledge of radar detectors (and they all do) would just set up next to one of those false alarms and use it to mask his signal. Gotcha. Even when I am pretty sure it is a traffic warning using K or Ka to trigger sign illumination, I still slow down since a clever trooper could be lying in wait, hidden by the radar you expect. They have a ton of these on the PA Tpk.

 

Some states do Mark, especially those pesky DOT cops, who have the detector detector.....lol
For those who don't know, they are illegal in all big trucks, detectors that is, jammers are illegal everywhere.

 

Yeah, Pa is not an easy state to speed in, it seems we have lots of Sherif Roscoe P. Coltrane types around here. It's just best to stay within 10% over and save your butt.

 

I'd have to say hand's down the Escort Redline. Selected for the recent Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award.

https://www.escortradar.com/redline/...141024123303:s

I own the lesser model PASSPORT 8500 X50 and couldn't be happier.
Wifey is using my old Beltronics Vector 955 which still works great 4 yrs. later.

 

War stories time.......you guys started it. Saturdays used to be ride along time for anyone wanting to hang out with a cop. Sometimes kids, sometimes a pubic figure, or a reserve officer. I would go to my favorite "fishin'" hole and set up. Wait patiently for my first target. Bang, got it. Boom come on the brakes and all that clutter in the car starts flying everywhere as they come down to the correct speed. My ride alongs always got a kick out of that. Me, well, I would shake my finger at them as they went by running now well under the speed limit...... It wasn't always about writing citations...cops have fun too, at your expense of course.
One more for the road. Many of you, as well as others before you have stated, It saved me many times. Did it? I have done this a long time. Many times I had in my mind for the area I was patrolling at what speed I would make a stop. On an open road, you would have to be 15 over, and many officers have this mind set, not just me. So, if you were 10 or 12 over, so what. Now in a school zone, or 20-25 mph zone, congested areas, that would drop to 5 over. So, many times, you weren't saved, you just weren't interesting enough. Hate to tell ya that. It wasn't to hurt your feelings. Cops are human too. We would only stop those that needed stopped. High speed, in and out of traffic, tail gating, aggressive driving.....that sort of thing. Just stay alert. Don't text and drive, don't read the newspaper, don't do your homework, put on your make up, or shave. I have had them all. And last but not least, K, Ka, the old stuff, usually had you tracked if we were interested long before that alert sounded. We never tell all our secrets. I will add a few more for you later to give you something else to think about when wanting to beat radar. Although radar is becoming extinct

 

I guess Passport is the way to go. I will look into it, read some reviews check out prices and maybe I'll buy one!
It would be pretty cool to have that GPS feature though as in my rural area I always get tons and tons of false alarms. It's not like you could really speed there anyways since the traffic is pretty bad but it just gets annoying when it goes off every 10 seconds.

 

I decided to try one of those Cobra iRadar detectors last year. Basically, it works as a regular old radar/laser detector but links via bluetooth to the software app on your iPhone whenever it sees that as an option. Once they pair, the app gives the detector more "intelligence", so it can give audio warnings about things like speed traps reported in the vicinity by other iRadar users and road hazards ahead.

It's not a bad setup, but honestly, so many more people use apps like Waze, they're more reliable at giving current info on the presence of cops or mobile speed cameras. It's really unfortunate Waze didn't partner with Cobra on this. THEN they'd really have something pretty nice.

Coupled with the fact the detector itself is just a Cobra (so not so great on detection and rejecting false positives), it winds up being kind of mediocre. I wouldn't buy it again, all things considered.