Radar detector suggestions

I have an old Uniden Beartracker scanner that looks like a radar detector. It's got a built-in alert function that alarms whenever something nearby is broadcasting on a dedicated police channel. It's not much use by itself, but when you pair it up with my old Escort you get an almost unbeatable combination. Radar detector by itself: most likely false alarm, but slow up anyway. Radar and police channel radio traffic: bring it down quick!

The old Escort is more sensitive than any of the dozen or so other radar detectors I've tried to replace it with, so I finally just gave up and kept the old thing. It's huge size actually helped one time, the cop thought it was a CB in one state where I wasn't supposed to have a radar detector.

I'd recommend Escorts as the detectors of choice if you're not going to step up to the V1.

carguy123 wrote: If you're not going to spend the money for a good detector just go ahead and paste some hundred dollar bills on the windshield and let the passing cops just take what they want. It will be much less hassle than fighting tickets. There's a reason a good detector costs more than a cheap one - it works in ways to actually help you keep from getting a ticket.

How is that? They all beep when they pick up radar or laser. No one has yet to make a single argument as to how a V1 is going to keep you out of a ticket that the $40 walmart one would have kept you out of.

So what is this magical way that a $400 radar detector works in to keep me from getting a ticket??

andrave wrote:

How is that? They all beep when they pick up radar or laser. No one has yet to make a single argument as to how a V1 is going to keep you out of a ticket that the $40 walmart one would have kept you out of.

So what is this magical way that a $400 radar detector works in to keep me from getting a ticket??

Everyone's telling you, you just won't listen.

My car radio beeps does that stop me from getting a ticket? A beep doesn't tell you where the radar is or how many. Knowing it's in the rear requires a different reaction than one that is ahead. As several have mentioned there's always the possibility there's another one just over the next hill, a beep won't tell you that. You'll think the cop you can see who already has someone pulled over is it.

We have a new law in Texas that makes it a crime not to slow down 20 mph below the speed limit when you pass any type of emergency vehicle that is stopped so what we see all the time is one cop writing a ticket and another parked right in front shooting radar just over the top of the other cop to see if you do the required 20 mph drop. Tell me how a beep will tell you about that?

And then there's the range difference and the better falsing so you don't begin to ignore your radar detector when it seems to be beeping for no reason. The list goes on and on.

You're going to pay one way or another. I'd rather pay Valentine than the cop slime that hides in the bushes to pounce.

How many hundred dollar bill should I do? 10 to 15? Should I use duct tape or masking tape LOL

carguy123 wrote: If you're not going to spend the money for a good detector just go ahead and paste some hundred dollar bills on the windshield and let the passing cops just take what they want. It will be much less hassle than fighting tickets....

Entertaining reading this thread.

Back in the day, I used to speed a whole lot. Got the tickets to prove it. Used radar detectors off and on. Got tickets. Quit driving so fast, quit getting so many tickes. I think there's a correlation.

Situational awareness. Most of my tickets have not been radar tickets, but pacing or vascar type tickets. As in not noticing that cop that came up behind me as I went flying through town. Not that I haven't gotten some really dumb radar tickets. Like the time I managed to not notice the cop standing in the median strip several miles ahead. Only as I blasted past him, with him looking at me like I'm stupid, did I finally notice him.

When pulled over I have yet to have a cop congratulate me for running a radar detector and cut me a break because of it.

As for fighting a ticket because you're in the right, good luck. By all means, go to court if you wish. But being right has nothing to do with winning. The cop is a friend of the court, you are the enemy. The cop is right, you are wrong. The cop is honest, you are lying. That's just the way it is. So pay attention to the judge, learn what his/her foibles are, and play accordingly.

I've pled guilty to tickets where I wasn't guilty simply because it was a better hand. $20 fine and a pbj for pleading guilty vs a hammering. Hey, the judge told us that. It was Christmas eve and he wanted to go home. He told us we'd skate if we pled guilty, and be hammered if we fought. I watched, he was telling the truth, I pled guilty to a crime I had not committed.

True dat (New Orleans dialect for effect) Foxtrapper, I stated this earlier, but don't have problem repeating. I can get it deferred if I avoid a ticket for year. If I can increase my odds of not making a mistake (this is my first ticket after driving for 25 years, so I figure I know what I am doing. That also includes 10 years of crotch rocket. A lot of those years was with a cheap Maxxon Radar detector). I am human and will have distractions etc while driving. Like I said at the top the bottom of the hill 35 mph at the very top 30mph. Cop was lazering (or some sort of SMD gun) folks from about 1/8 mile way. I suppose he got me at the crest because I slowed on the decent, but I was not watching the speedometer

Truth be told. I would rather spend the $400 dollars on some new tires for my new Mtechnic wheels. So I am trying to spread the dough around. I figure it this way: $200 for a ok radar/lazer/jammer + paying attention + Mostly going the speed limit + Knowing where the traps are + Short distant to work = $400 Valentine 1 (which I would love to have but...)

When I do the Gun Ball Rally I will invest in the V1

foxtrapper wrote: Entertaining reading this thread. Back in the day, I used to speed a whole lot. Got the tickets to prove it. Used radar detectors off and on. Got tickets. Quit driving so fast, quit getting so many tickes. I think there's a correlation....

vazbmw wrote: Folks, I am not a speeder and have been driving for driving for 25 years. Well today I got my first speeding ticket. I was not paying attention to my speed coming down a big hill (wife was talking to me, but that is not my excuse). I was ticketed for 35 in a 30 zone. I was probably going closer to 40, the office gave me a break. Anyway I can have the ticket deferred, but I can't get any more tickets this year. I am looking to improve my odds of this. What is the best radar detector on the market? I am looking at Valentine 1, but at $400 that is kinda high. Is this unit worth the money? I figure if I get another ticket it will equal this price anyway, so it maybe worth the investement

I am in the V1 lovers' camp; the unit has good performance/detetction but the directional arrows really make the difference. Won't help you with instant-on radar other than to notify you that you have a ticket. (Not that I know this from firsthand experience.)

/Rich

rcl4668 wrote: ... Won't help you with instant-on radar other than to notify you that you have a ticket. (Not that I know this from firsthand experience.) /Rich

That is where buying the best may be over kill in my situation I now know what the best is: V1

I saw this cheap unit: Rocky mount Radar model RMR c435 with a laser/radar jammer. Does anyone want to slap this out of my virtual hand before I consider purchasing?

stan_d wrote: I have the RMRC 450 made in the US it annoys the local po I notice him reset his gun with it. Stan

The problem with Rocky Mountain Radar radar detectors is that they're either: In MASSIVE violation of the FCC...or lying about jamming radar.

For one, they're passive jammers, which COULD work, if they were big enough. But they're not.
Two, They're illegal as hell.

Oh, and the best inexpensive detector is a used V1.

I would consider myself a dedicated speeder but I have stopped running radar detectors. First, modern technology has rendered in my opinion radar detectors unfeasible since if operated properly, the radar detector will never catch up to the radar signal until they have locked in on you. I still remember sitting alongside the roadway with my old and silent Escort while the THP wrote out the ticket. You are really hoping that the radar will get the guy in front of you and give you a warning.
I have found that most agencies dont write tickets until you are 10-15 mph over the limit and in Tn, you can run 75-80 mph on the interstate without worry.
The real problem is the agency that is running radar for revenue purposes ie Blount Co on the Dragon. I had to go to Benton City Court Mon nite for a ticket that I got on the 4-lane section of Highway 411. It was obvious sitting in court Mon nite that money was the real goal rather than behavior modification. I will be attending the driving school recommended by the court. Hmmm As an attorney I have been able to keep a clean record by going to court and asking for either diversion or traffic school. You also might get lucky and find a Judge who is having issues with officers not attending court and is doing a blanket dismissal of "ordinary" speeding tickets that day. Most jurisdictions dont track who has attended driving school so you should always ask. I can tell you that most officers will tell you that operating a radar detector is the best way to get a ticket short of conduct that causes a "circled A" to appear on the top edge of the citation. My local court will not adjust a ticket that has such a mark on the ticket. That is the first thing that I look for when hired to appear in traffic court on behalf of an out of state speeder. Why? Because my fee goes up too!
Situational awareness is really the best way to avoid tickets. You dont want to be the fastest car on the roadway. Keep a car in front of you if possible. Watch for unrealistic posted speed limits when traveling out of your area. I was in Benton because a gun shop there had 9mm ammo at a good price and came over a rise on a 4-lane road with a 40mph post limit. Guess what was on the other side of the hill??? An officer sitting in the parking lot of the municipal building. A real honey hole!
Oh well, I will go to driving school and send them the certificate and $90 shortly. YMMV

fastmiata wrote: I can tell you that most officers will tell you that operating a radar detector is the best way to get a ticket short of conduct that causes a "circled A" to appear on the top edge of the citation. My local court will not adjust a ticket that has such a mark on the ticket.

Solution.

Personally I got more tickets with a detector than without. So I haven't had a detector for 15 years. I might have gotten 4 speeding citations in that whole time. I was getting 1-2 a year with a detector. I always go to court. The 4 in the last 15 years? 2 pbjs and 2 cops that didn't show. It's easier to get a pbj when your record is fairly clean in the first place.

LOL... Your car radio won't help you avoid a ticket because it doesn't beep when there is a cop. when you your detector beep does it really matter if the cop is in front or behind or to the side? If its beeping, SLOW DOWN. Jesus man you must have one hell of a lead foot and be in one hell of a hurry!! You think having a V1 is cool cause you can speed by cops with someone pulled over on the side of the road? Listen up genious, I'm not a huge lover of cops, but there are an awful lot of those guys getting killed on the side of the road from asshats like you that think your radar detector means you don't have to slow down when you blast by em.

I'll pay my $40 every 4 years, slow down when mine beeps, pay cops the slightest courtesy the law asks me to by slowing down and pulling over (as I do for any other motorist stopped on the shoulder, shooting radar or not), and continue to shake my head at people who think its their god given right to go whatever speed they want and having an expensive radar detector makes that safe and ok. sheesh.

I drive about 60-70K miles a year with a Cobra detector from Wal-Mart. I think it was $80.00. It has done a good job of showing me where the cops and the automatic doors are. That and paying attention to whats going on around you will do a good job at avoiding tickets. I haven't had one in over 25 years.

There isn't a radar detector made that will eliminate speeding tickets by itself. Don't run more than 10 over by yourself. Don't be the fasted car on the road. When the car half a mile in front of you taps his brakes to cancel his cruise control, chances are he has seen something you haven't.

Keep in mind what a Highway Patrol friend of mine tells people he pulls with $400.00 detectors when they wonder why they didn't go off. A $400.00 machine verses a $5000.00 machine. Who do you think is going to win.

And the best advice, Don't Speed...much.

When I had my GTi, there was a guy who used to advertise in the car mags showing a 'split' Escort, the big old beast, I had one. Like this one: He made a housing which went at the top inside of the windshield, a cable which went under the headliner and down the A pillar, the display was mounted inside the flip out ashtray. If you got pulled, you just pushed the ashtray closed and that not only hid the unit but turned it off as well.

carguy123 wrote: If you're not going to spend the money for a good detector just go ahead and paste some hundred dollar bills on the windshield and let the passing cops just take what they want. It will be much less hassle than fighting tickets.

So what's a "good" detector? V1 or nothing?

ya I am going to buy cheap and also not speed. I will get a cheap device as another tool, since I have some streets around here go from 45 to 25 and 20 in some rapid fashions. Thanks gang. You folks continue to be fun and knowledgable This forum should be a tv show

Jensenman wrote: When I had my GTi, there was a guy who used to advertise in the car mags showing a 'split' Escort, the big old beast, I had one. Like this one: He made a housing which went at the top inside of the windshield, a cable which went under the headliner and down the A pillar, the display was mounted inside the flip out ashtray. If you got pulled, you just pushed the ashtray closed and that not only hid the unit but turned it off as well.

K40 had an industry leading front and rear radar detector in the 80s that was similar.

I had the K40 on my Esprit when I bought it. It went into the trash and a V1 came in it's place. I mounted it above the rear view mirror:

vazbmw, you've asked questions, you've got a consensus, you've had several lawyers tell you you're screwed in court, you are ignoring all the advice. Good luck with that.

I wouldn't call it a "consensus". At least a couple of us in this thread aren't drinking the V1 Kool-Aid....

Here's my experience with the V-1 and why I think it is better.

1) Range. The V1 simply picks radar up faster and at a farther distance than anything else out there. (Yes, I tested it against other detectors using the speed signs at construction zones.) The V1 always gave me enough warning that I could slow down and get right well before a police car could notice it. My old Escort, a buddies Bel Tronics, a Wal Mart special, my dad's Cobra unit, another friends unit...all were well off the V1's range. And I am talking a few hundred feet notice for the others, a mile or two for the V1. You actually have to learn to trust the V1 because so often it beeps and you don't see any threat. The car is over the next rise, or hiding on an entrance ramp or overpass. Trust the V1, it will keep you safe. It also is sensitive enough to pick up scattered signals from Instant On radar way off in the distance. If you hear even a little chirp, take heed.

2) Direction - The arrows are more than a gimmick. When using Vascar, they let you know that someone is coming up from behind. This also works for Lidar and some other systems. I am notified that a threat is approaching from the rear, and I can slow down before he can tag me or follow me an determine my speed. It also protects against threats from side roads, entrance ramps, and around bends. I have also watched a threat that i could not see move from front, to side, to rear and only then did I see the car in the opposing side of the highway. Maybe he was no threat, maybe he was radioing ahead, but now I know where he was and I was slowed down.

3) Hit Count - The V1 tells you where, and how many threats are out there. There may me two radars ahead, once you pass the first, your inclination is to ignore the beep and speed up. With the V1, you get a numerical count and you know that there is one more threat ahead. I have seen the police wait just past one of the radar speed signs. You think the warning is for the obvious sign, so you ignore and press on. But the V1 tells you that there are actually two threats, so you cool it until you actually see the police car.

4) Types - The V1 has sensitivity settings to rule out false alarms, but it also tells you what kind of radar or laser it sees. If you cant see the threat, you may assume that it is a automatic door or static sign. But the V1 tells you it is laser or X-band so you know it cant be either, so you stay slow until you can determine what it is.

5) Hidden - The V1 can be hidden, with a remote display concealed. This is important when passing through Virginia for instance where detectors are a no no.

6) Upgrades - I have upgraded my unit with the latest firmware updates. There is a cost, but better than having to replace it.

7) Power - The V1 uses a standard phone cord for power. This makes it easy to mount it wherever you want to and run the cord behind trim. It even comes with a tap so you can connect it to a wire and not take up an outlet. I have always connected mine above the rear view mirror, and run the power up into the headliner. Clean, neat, hard to spot, and no dangling wires.

8) Speed Check by Planes - The V1 detects overhead airplanes that are tracking speeders and warns you...oh OK I made that one up.

I agree that situational awareness is your best tool. I slow down in areas that look like a good place to spring a trap. I remember if a tool recently passed me going 120mph, I may be safe for a while. I watch overpasses and bridges and curves where cop cars could hide. But the V1 gives me valuable input in knowing and predicting what is out there. It is not just an idiot box that beeps and I slam on the brakes. It is a partner in my driving. And for the record, I am not driving at triple-digit speeds. I am maintaining a brisk pace slightly above the legal limit. That means it doesn't take much to return to legal speeds in reaction to a warning. If you have to go from 150 to 55, you aren't going to get enough warning from any detector out there.

I've used escorts for 25-30 years,never broke one, a couple have been stolen. I've been very pleased. The V1 does look good & is highly regarded but next time my escort is stolen I'll probably replace it with another escort. If I couldn't replace it, I wouldn't sell it for less than a month's pay.

Just get one of these.

"but officer......"

I've used and Escort, two different Passports, and now have three (sort of) V1s. Two in my cars and one I gave to my girlfriend. Other detectors may have some aspect that rivals or beats the V1, but so far none of them have the entire package of features and solid reliability the V1 has.

Just like any other tool, success depends on how you use it. A detector is just that. A signal. More information for you to use to modify your behavior.

FWIW, I also use a CB on the highway or when pulling a trailer. Most of my driving milage is highway milage getting to or from an event, or visiting friends that live more than 2.5 hours away.

Valentine makes a nice unit, but it can't detect Vascar. There's no signal with Vascar to detect.