What's a good radar detector???

[BowdawG]

Just looking for a few opinions, I'm going to do a few road trips soon, and I'm looking to buy a radar detector. I hear they use laser in MI a lot too, but from what I remember of a MotorTrend article, you can legally block lasers since they are controlled by the F&DA :-off the ....true? I've heard the V-1 is a good unit, or the top of the line escort. What does everyone think??

[NewGTOFan]

Just looking for a few opinions, I'm going to do a few road trips soon, and I'm looking to buy a radar detector. I hear they use laser in MI a lot too, but from what I remember of a MotorTrend article, you can legally block lasers since they are controlled by the F&DA :-off the ....true? I've heard the V-1 is a good unit, or the top of the line escort. What does everyone think??

I bougt my V1 back in 98 and it STILL is the best I have ever used and I have used a lot. I just went on a trip over the July 4th weekend. It was able to give me advance warning across all types of speed measuring technology from plain old x-band to laser. It worked great. On the trip back, the cops were out like flies on sh--. It saw every one. Mosts were either instant on. The guy that owns/built the V1 started out at Cincinatti microwave and was the chief engineer for the original Escort. Good luck!

[acelam]

There will be many opinions on this subject.
The top three: the Passport 8500 X50, Valentine 1 and the BEL X65. The first and last are about $300. The Valentine is a bit higher. They all do a good job. The Valentine is not good for POP radar, a very quick on and off type transmitting unit. The BEL is generally better with the lasers. All three are good.

[jaguarcult]

I've used Escourt for years and now have thier X50, It's very reliable and doesn't false nearly as often as the 8500 I had before. The blue lights are really cool and impossible to see out the back of a tinted window. So you don't have as many 'fuzzbuster stowaways' tailing you and thereby increasing your reflective profile. I have a couple friends that have Valentine's and they like them also, the differences I have noticed are.

Valentine seems heavier and power supply seems to be warmer.
X50 Has Blue LEDs and PoP ( which DPS in Texas uses along with Lidar )
I acutally pick up DPS Lidar
Buttons seem better quality on Valentine
X50 is much less expensive and generally available.

I personally know that Cincinatti (sp?) Microwave's warranty service is excellent. And if you registered with an extended warranty and your detector is stolen, CM will repair and update the detector and ship it back to you. I know, because it happened to my Father about 8 years ago.

[Jodi]

I'm really liking the Passport SR7 remote I installed a couple months back. It is fairly expensive and then there is the installation though. Excellant range on Ka, K, and Laser so far(saved my arse just the other day on I-95).

[BowdawG]

Hmm, I think i'm looking at the Escort Passport 8500 X50 (how many names can they give it!?!?!) and the V1.
I like the X50's blue display too, but i think you can only get it from them directly, plus it adds another $40... time to go shopping.
I used to be one of those 'fuzzbuster stowaways' on occasion, but i figure with this car i need one of my own.- I would always look into a car's passenger window as they passed me to determine if they had a radar detector or not. How frequently to cops 'tail grab your ass' (Smokey & the Bandit...) and nail ya from behind??

[phobos512]

I have a V1.

I like it a lot.

And for you guys that worry about pop, what good is it knowing you just got shot with it? You're screwed anyway.

[bob_50]

I use the escort 8500 also. I also purchased the ZR3 shifter. The ZR3 is what you asked about. It picks up lidar and blocks it. The radar gun should come up saying 15mph, which means error. There is a push button that comes with it so you can unjam the radar (to make it less obvious of what you are doing).

[Red Devil]

I have the V1 and am very happy with it.

[Shocker]

I have a V1 and I love it its the best!!

[ROKS ROKET]

I have a Uniden LRD2900 it detects X,K,L and P. But where and how are you guys hooking them up? On my GP it had a little storage space up on top with a aux. plug in it. The GTO only has that aux. plug in the middle arm rest. I really don't want to run a wire down the windshield accross the dash and the shifter area to that plug, plus I use that plug for my cell phone. Maybe i'll order the ashtray/lighter setup. Or buy one of tho's two way aux. plug thing and find a place to mount it. Hmmmmmm

ROK

[stormguy03]

Bell or Valentine1.. have a Bell in the camaro, V1 in the vette.

both have saved me many times! :hail:

[Matt]

V-1 is great. I can no longer live without the arrows. Also, the only detector (I think) that can detect radar behind you.

[ydtrack]

I have the Passport 8500 and it has been a good unit. I picked it up online for around $250. The V-1 was just a little too pricey for me, but it is supposed to be an awesome unit.

Craig

[PadreGTO]

Technology will advance and you'll be spending another $250 next year to keep up.

I don't have one on my Goat. It encourages me to be a good boy. If I should be a bad boy and get caught, I'll pay the fine.

IMHO, Padre

[Walker]

Very happy with my V1, the directional arrows & bogey counter rule! :hail:

Used to have a couple Bel detectors, they'd send false alerts when on & pointed at eachother. Not cool. :rolleyes:

[Michael 04 GTO]

I have a Uniden LRD2900 it detects X,K,L and P. But where and how are you guys hooking them up? On my GP it had a little storage space up on top with a aux. plug in it. The GTO only has that aux. plug in the middle arm rest. I really don't want to run a wire down the windshield accross the dash and the shifter area to that plug, plus I use that plug for my cell phone. Maybe i'll order the ashtray/lighter setup. Or buy one of tho's two way aux. plug thing and find a place to mount it. Hmmmmmm

ROK

Valentine V1, mounted just below the rear view mirror. The power cord exits the center console on the passenger side, and runs up to the V1. The console/ armrest closes on it very nicely.

Eventually, I'll get around to hardwiring it in by running wires up the "A" pillar and across the headliner at the top of the windshield (Valentine makes a wiring harness for this sort of installation) but for now it's fine, and you get used to the cord being there so quickly that you don't even notice it.

I thought about the ashtray / lighter assembly as well, until I noticed that the owners manual cautions against using the lighter as an aux. power cord.

As for the cell phone, that's another wiring project:)

[phobos512]

The method Michael suggested works just fine for hardwiring the detector. I hardwired the V1 using the included direct power adapter and a Littelfuse adapter into the fuse panel to the left of the steering wheel.

Radar Detector Hardwiring Thread (http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325 5)

[PadreGTO]

Just to reiterate my earlier point.

I was driving up to the mountains on my day off this afternoon in my truck (since I carried along my 4 dogs).

I have an old remote-mount Passport SR-1 (from my WRX days) that I decided to put on my truck just for fun (didn't want to mess with mounting it on the Goat). I also put on my old Bearcat BCT-7 scanner with a cheap window-mount antenna (I like scanning the CB channels - great for traffic).

Driving along, the Bearcat goes off, notifying me that there is a highway patrol car within 3 miles. Now, I was going the speed limit anyway, but I kept my eyes out.

Couple of miles down the road, the SR-1 Laser detector goes off and within 2 seconds I see The Man gunning me down as I crested a hill. I smiled and waved since I was going the limit. :)

Point is. If I had been gunning it in the Goat I still would have been caught despite my radar detector. The Bearcat would have given me a better chance, but even then it's not perfect (e.g. it didn't detect any of the dozen Texas HP cars I saw on my recent trip).

So, be smart and safe, and if you play, be prepared to pay The Man. Because there is no fullproof way.

FWIW, Padre

[phobos512]

Just to reiterate my earlier point.

I was driving up to the mountains on my day off this afternoon in my truck (since I carried along my 4 dogs).

I have an old remote-mount Passport SR-1 (from my WRX days) that I decided to put on my truck just for fun (didn't want to mess with mounting it on the Goat). I also put on my old Bearcat BCT-7 scanner with a cheap window-mount antenna (I like scanning the CB channels - great for traffic).

Driving along, the Bearcat goes off, notifying me that there is a highway patrol car within 3 miles. Now, I was going the speed limit anyway, but I kept my eyes out.

Couple of miles down the road, the SR-1 Laser detector goes off and within 2 seconds I see The Man gunning me down as I crested a hill. I smiled and waved since I was going the limit. :)

Point is. If I had been gunning it in the Goat I still would have been caught despite my radar detector. The Bearcat would have given me a better chance, but even then it's not perfect (e.g. it didn't detect any of the dozen Texas HP cars I saw on my recent trip).

So, be smart and safe, and if you play, be prepared to pay The Man. Because there is no fullproof way.

FWIW, Padre

Does your RD not have laser det as well? And a scanner..What a novel idea.

[PadreGTO]

Does your RD not have laser det as well? And a scanner..What a novel idea.
Yes, it has a laser detector as well (front and rear). That's how I knew the cop nailed me. A laser detector is only good for saying, "You've been nailed!"

Padre

[GTO^MOE]

Your three best, hands down are Valentine 1, Passport Escort, and the current top of the line BELL electronics model (don't have it with me). These are by far the most reliable. Valentine is generally considered best, but also most expensive ($399). Only drawback in addition to it's price was it's POP mode sensitivity which I hear they have addressed on latest model. Passport for all intents and purposes is just as good...but fewer features (No directional arrows.....personal preferance though not really needed) and $100 less. THe BELL is CONSIDERABLY less and Motor Trend tested it to be VERY VERY close to the other two. I have a Bell 880. It's old. Never gotten a ticket with it in 4 years except for getting busted by airborne patrol....no radar detector will protect you from that.

My recomendation is the BELL hands down along with good judgement and common sense. The last two are most important along with good eyesight!!! My eyesight has saved me long before my detector did!

[phobos512]

What I like about the V1 is that all the versions since 1994 can be upgraded to the latest version. You send it in and a week(ish) later you get it back with all the latest updates.

Sheckih dou, man (http://www.valentine1.com/upgrades/)