do they work att all? I dont have one. Has it saved any of you from a ticket. Also do you have to get one of those really expensive or do the cheaper ones work too?

 

they work, but only after the cop has locked on....IMHO

if a cop spots a radar detector in your car, he/she will most likely to give you a ticket rather than a warning.

drive carefully

 

Bel985. Saved me twice!

cops only lock on when they use laser. they use both laser and ka band on the highway. search on the web, bel 985 can be had for cheap!

 

I've heard of alot of people sayin that their asses got saved by a valentine 1. but its kinda pricey, so i've never purchased one... but if i had the cash i definitely would.. and hide the unit and custom mount the disply so it wouldnt catch a cops eye.

 

I have a BEL and it works great. It would pick up cops from over 1 mile away. I only use it when I go on roadtrips though. All that beeping it does when just driving around town is annoying as hell.

 

Disable X band on the Bel, and your all set! Thats what i did. I havent found a cop that has used X anyway.

 

Yeah, I get the annoying beeping too. Sometimes it's so bad that you don't even know if a cop is there cuz of all the other frequencies the detectors gets. But it is worth getting one. Saved me twice. Cost of detector: $60 Cost of "would have been" 2 tickets: $200+ not to mention traffic school and possible increase on insurance.

 

but once they you hear/detect something on your radar, more than likely they've clocked you anyways, right? so what good is it if they've locked on? lemme know

 

Are you serious??? When I lived in AL that's all they used. I have picked up X band from cops in TN, KY, and OH when driving through, so becareful before turning the X band off completely.

 

My Escort Passport 8500 has paid for itself many times over. The range that this detector picks up radar is unbelieveable. In some magazine tests it even out performed the Valentine 1. I even had a cheap Whisler before the Escort and that one even saved me a couple of times. There is mainly two instances where any radar detector will not save you and that's when they use "instant on" or they hit you directly with laser. I never drive anywhere without my 8500. Well worth it IMHO


[Modified by 01SilverGSR, 2:37 AM 3/22/2003]

 

Yeah the only problem is that they only go off when they are locked on you....although i got my passport 7500 in trade for grand theft auto 3

 

Yeah that is true, but you have to drive smart. If your out in front then if a cop hits you with radar then your done for. You always have to make sure there is at least one person driving faster then you are.

The reason the 8500 does so well in tests is because of its range. I've had the radar detector show a weak level Ka band and then it slowly progressively got stronger, and just about 2 miles later I pass by the cop.

 

yo the Escort PASSPRT 8500. THAT **** IS SOOOO WORTH IT. all the others are crap and a waste of metal. its 300 but if u drive hard and get lots of tickets ud be saving money in the long run. and y get a shitty radar neways?

 

the Valentine 1 has saved my *** many times... yeah it costs over $300.. but when you factor in the cost of the speeding ticket, traffic school (if your even eligible..once every 18 mos in CA... I'm not ) or insurance increase over the years, etc... its well worth it....

 

Get the Valentine One, and don't look back. If you're not prepared to spend $400 on a radar detector, then save your money, because anything less can't compare.

I don't care what tests say, I've used 4 radar detectors in my car, including the V1 and the Passport 8500 simultaneously. The V1 beats it hands down.

Also try seaching, there are a billion thread on radar detectors.

 

exactly why i want one... with 4 speeding tickets under my belt.... i cannot get another ticket. too bad i'm broke off my ***.... oh and i've seen a nice post in the past where someone custom mounted the remote display into the stock clock of our tegs. Looked hella clean.

 

I made the mistake of thinking that once. Well, it turns out that the only one here that uses X is State Patrol, and I got a ticket. In fact, they use an "Instant On" X-band that looks like a false alarm with detectors. But, I have a Valentine One now and it can easily tell the difference.

The V1 is by far the most advanced detector on the market. It tells you where they are, how many of them there are, and it's detection range is more than you should ever need. In fact, it's range is a bit overkill sometimes. I know some detector tests claim that other detectors have a slightly longer range than the V1, but that wont be useful and it'll only mean more false alarms. There is such a thing as too sensitive. At least with the V1, it's much easier to differentiate real threats from false alarms because of the amount of information it gives you.

$400, but it's worth every penny. It's saved me countless times, including against Laser hits (ie I knew when the car ahead of me was being clocked). Laser and Instant-On Radar will always screw you if you're the first car to get hit, so that's why you need to detect it when a car ahead of you is being clocked. The V1 is pretty good at doing that.

 

I don't know how true this is. Mine went off once when the cop was pulled over on the opposite side of the road writing somebody a ticket, so I doubt he was locked on to me. I guess it picks something up as long as he has it on.

 

I feel the same way, no doubt.

 

Unless the signal strenght is maxed on K or KA band the only to be locked on is Laser, and as far as X band goes, only good for headaches around NY.

 

Ya, same here in CT about X. You can NOT drive on i95 with x on, forget it, it goes off ever second, no lie!

 

why though? Radar detectors are currently illegal in passenger vehicles in Virginia and Washington, DC. There is a federal law banning use of radar detectors in any commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds. Radar detectors are also illegal on any military base.

so if u live anywhere other than Virginia and DC, then ur set. hehe

 

Thats because of the cameras we have on the highway that are every half mile.

I agree with the posts above about the Valentine 1. A couple of my friends have them, and I have personally seen them be saved by the Valentine numerous times. I think its the only one worth buying, plus its upgradable if you send it back to Valentine. I plan on getting one in the next few months and doing a hidden display in my rear view mirrior.

 

What are those cameras on I-95 used for anyways?

 

V1 is nice ... but there is better out there, if your prepared to spend BIG money. A company called PASSPORT .. not to be confused with "the passport" installs all digital systems in high end sports cars. It will run you about 1300-1500 install, but if the detector fails you ... they will pay the ticket. You can find the advertisement in Robb Report Magazine (that magazine for rich people with like 500 dollar dress shirts and ****). It has a brain and all that is mounted somewhere else, and a display the size of a turbo timer that reads out.

If your not "big money" get the valentine...its hella accurate and has a amazing reputation.