I'm in the market for a good inexpensive radar detector. I don't know much about them and was wondering if anyone has any exprience with them.

 

Let me tell you about instant on...If an ocifer points a laser gun at you and presses the trigger your Detector will light and beep in a fury of activity...It's kind of ironic being you just got owned for a speeding ticket.

If you are lucky it may beep momentarily as he shoots a previous car.

Buy the best you can buy. Cheap detectors cry wolf so many times that you can't discern when its a real threat. That, or you respond to every detector warning and subsequently drive slower than everyone around you.

There is a time to speed. 9 over will usually fall under the radar. Above that is always a risk.

They have come down in price...My advise is to buy one that gurantees to pay your ticket.

 

This has been discussed many times before.



Get a Valentine-1. End of discussion.

 

My Escort 8500 X50 has never let me down!

I slowed down while my co-worker drove right into a speedtrap with his valentine...that's ok though...he drives a mustang!

 

+1 on the Escort - but it's not cheap... but if you add up what a a ticket costs and insurance increases, etc., it's worth the money...

 

I got this for Christmas but have not used it yet. It will be in my Crossfire tomorrow. There is a GPS attachment you can add that will detect the camera radar zones as well. It looks like the latest technology to date in radar detection.

http://www.cobra.com/index.php?page=...ct_id=485&id=1

 

I also recieved a Cobra detector XRS 9430 for Christmas. Probably not as sensitive as yours. It will be fun to play with!

 

+1 more on the Escort. Been using them for over 20 years. Great units.

You get what you pay for...

 

That's because mustangs have weak brakes!

 

Absolutely! You realize that the original Escort was designed by none other than Mike Valentine . . .

 

I have a Whistler that I've owned for 10+ years. I have learned that there are three things that help you avoid speeding tickets.

1.) Watch where you are going. A cop using a laser gun has to have you in his line of vision. You can see him as soon as he sees you. But once he hits you with the laser, you're toast. Also, pay attention to where the cops in your locale tend to hang out. In Indianapolis they patrol any construction zone and any recently completed road work constantly. Just be smart. In most cases you will be able to avoid a ticket simply by keeping your eyes down the road. You should have at least 15 seconds of eye-lead time, meaning that you are looking down the road at a distance that will take you 15 seconds to reach. Farther is better, but sometimes you can only see as far as the next curve. But no matter what, your eyes will save you more often than your detector.
2.) Watch traffic around you. If people ahead of you are tapping their brakes, slow down. There may be a cop or some obstruction on the shoulder. Either way, slow down and see before resuming your speed. I see people all the time who swerve into the left lane in these instances only to fall right into a speed trap.
3.) Listen to your detector. You will learn what makes your particular radar detector respond at certain levels. Mine goes from 1-9. If it hits anything above a 2, I slow down.

I have not had a speeding ticket since purchasing my detector. (I bought it after receiving my one and only speeding ticket.) I don't think it makes any difference what you buy as long as it's not from the dollar store. Just use it sensibly and be safe.

 

Maybe someone here can help...
My Radar Detector has a direct wire option with a "in line fuse" on the + wire. It says to connect the + wire to a fuse that is powered when the ignition is "ON" and connect the - (ground) to the chassis.
I have a 04 Coupe and looked at the fuses in the panel just inside the drivers door and one of those fuses are for the instrument cluster. I connected the + wire to that fuse and connected the - (ground)wire to a screw holding the fuse panel , turned the key to "ON" and no power to the detector. I did test the wire by going directly to the car battery + and - and it works fine. any suggestions on another way to direct wire this thing to be on only when the ignition is on ??

By the way the detector works fine with the cord plugged into the cigarette lighter so it's not a problem with the detector.

 

i bought a cobra on sale at best buy for $99 plus tax. i'm not sure of the model. it will talk to you to tell you if it as detected any radars. so far so good. i never drive the speed limit.

 

Which of these are most commonly used today ??

6 RADAR SIGNALS
1. X Band Radar
2. K Band Radar
3. Ka Superwide Radar
4. Ku Band Detection
5. VG-2 Radar Detector-Detector
6. Spectre 1 Radar Detector-Detector


4 LASER SIGNALS
1. LTI 20-20TM Laser
2. Ultra LyteTM Laser
3. ProLaser
4. ProLaser III

 

Gary...if it were me...I'd connect the hot "+" wire inline with the cigarette lighter or the radio power supply.

With it connected to the dash it might only work when the lights are on!

 

can't speak for everywhere else.....but here in Michigan I see mostly Ka and miscellaneous laser.

 

Who's Mike Valentine?

 

Google him and check his V1. He invented the Escort.

 

Even with the lights on I had no power to the detector. That had crossed my mind though.
I might have to give that cigarette lighter hook up a try. The radio is probably always hot cause it works with the key off. I am not sure how to get behind the lighter though and I still need to ground the - somewhere.
I am trying to keep the wires all hidden from the top of the windshield to the connections.

 

h I think the best way is to run the wire through the firewall and plug it into fuse 31 under the hood. This link shows you how to go through the firewall the easy way.https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ad.php?t=19324