I searched for this but didn't find it, so if there's a thread out there, just let me know...

I'm looking to get a used radar detector, but I don't know much about them now (I had one years back, but haven't kept up with the new technology).

From what I remember, I need 360 detection, x-band, k-band, ka-band, ku-band, and laser

I'd also prefer to have one that runs off of the car, not battered powered, gives the direction of the signal.

I've hear Escort's and Valentine One are good, but expensive.
I've also heard Cobra's are decent.

That being said, what are some features that I should look for, and what dector do you recommend?

3/4/2008 2:03:10 PM

Whistler Pro 78 and XTR690




Whistler Pro78, Beltronics STI and Valentine One side by side, false alert management review.

3/4/2008 2:12:53 PM

oops, i meant to do this in the garage my bad. that would have answered by questions

/thread

3/4/2008 2:56:45 PM

Ku band is in Europe only...

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=508466

that should answer a lot of your questions, I was in the same boat a lil while back...

LOVE my V1

3/4/2008 11:40:02 PM

my 8500 x50 has saved me several times

3/4/2008 11:59:06 PM

i'm partial to V1. i say if you're going to rely on a detector, get the best--cost be damned.

that said, if you want to save a little money, i'd get an 8500 at the minimum, or i wouldn't even bother.

3/5/2008 12:11:36 AM

i think theres close to a bagillion threads on this

but just get he V1 and be done with it

3/5/2008 12:39:57 AM

yep. buy well, buy once.

3/5/2008 12:43:42 AM

Yea, or just dont speed so much. A cop can always turn his radar on after he sees you peeling up asphalt.

3/5/2008 12:58:14 AM

pm tnezami.....that guy knows all about these damn things...whatever he says is what you should get

3/5/2008 6:47:42 PM

radar detectors stop people from speeding by putting them in a constant state of paranoia inudced by auditory (beeping) and visual (flashing) distractions

3/5/2008 7:07:00 PM

Like I said in the last thread, I really liked my Bel until the sound went out on it, it provided excellent range.

Its a cheaper alternative to the V1.

Like the ad in Car and Driver says, "once you go with the arrows, you wonder how you ever lived without them" or something along those lines...

3/6/2008 1:01:59 PM

V1

I've had the escort..it seems a little more sensitive to me but having the directional arrows is worth it big time

3/6/2008 4:04:47 PM

thanks. i'm really leaning for the v1 now. but i can't pay texa$. I'm figuring $200 would be fair for a used one that's a year or so old

3/6/2008 7:44:16 PM

tickets w/ V1: 3

tickets w/o V1: 0

thats a bitch ain't it?

3/6/2008 10:52:13 PM

ok so could a V1 advocate answer this for me?

what is the huge advantage of the arrows (other than the obvious)?
i mean yea you do know where its coming from and i understand that bonus for piece of mind. but i mean once you get a high end RD, once it beeps, you basically slow down immediately regardless of which way the arrow is pointing, right?
owning an escort, i guess i just dont understand comments like this: "once you go with the arrows, you wonder how you ever lived without them"

it just that to me it seems the arrows dont help me at all, because i'm going to slow down anyway. maybe a real world scenario would help me understand

3/7/2008 12:11:52 AM

I guess the arrow would help you filter out false positives. I'm not really sure. If the cops aren't being lazy, the radar detector won't help you anyway.

3/7/2008 12:16:22 AM

^^

It's useful for identification of the source.

If you slow down for every beep a radar detector makes , as you stated, they are of no benefit.

[Edited on March 7, 2008 at 8:18 AM. Reason : .]

3/7/2008 8:18:07 AM

its handy to know if the cop is in front or behind you... about as simple as that. he could be behind you and gaining.. or you could be catching up to him.. both would sound the same, but the arrows tell you what is happening.

3/7/2008 8:20:54 AM

Quote :

"thanks. i'm really leaning for the v1 now. but i can't pay texa$. I'm figuring $200 would be fair [highway robbery] for a used one that's a year or so old"

3/7/2008 7:32:50 PM

^ or I've seen them for just over $200 on the Internet.

3/9/2008 10:15:32 AM

not a year old, you haven't.

maybe a 10+ year old one with none of the updates or something, but you won't find a year-old V1 for anything even CLOSE to $200.

If you buy a V1, just buy it new. You'll pay so much for a used one that it's not worth bothering--just get it straight from V1.



oh, and I'll give an example of the arrows paying off:

About a half hour after I plugged my V1 in for the first time, I was driving down the interstate from NC to FL. the detector went off, showing a single RADAR source, located ahead. A little ways down the road I passed a cop car (or maybe it was 2?) sitting fairly conspicuously in the median. As I passed, it kept beeping (no surprise), but the arrow didn't shift to showing the thread behind me...I thought, hmmm...this isn't right--and kept my speed down even though the cop cars I'd passed were no longer a threat.

Sure enough, around the next curve, there was a cop car running RADAR--by the time you saw him, you'd be dead in the water.

3/13/2008 8:45:19 PM

^ any radar detector would still be beeping... Rule of thumb: if its beeps slow down, stay slow till it stops...

My $50 radio shack works fine for me, saved me numerous tickets. Only ticket i got was going aorund a corner, he was passing me and used the trigger.... no radar detector can help you there

3/13/2008 10:29:24 PM

V1 and M-45 is a deadly combo.

3/13/2008 10:46:07 PM

Quote :

"what is the huge advantage of the arrows (other than the obvious)? i mean yea you do know where its coming from and i understand that bonus for piece of mind. but i mean once you get a high end RD, once it beeps, you basically slow down immediately regardless of which way the arrow is pointing, right? owning an escort, i guess i just dont understand comments like this: "once you go with the arrows, you wonder how you ever lived without them""

for me useful to pick out whether its a false alarm or not... if I'm driving down the road and the arrow for a radar in front of me starts going off and I see a place a cop could easily hide, I'm more cautious and slow my ass down.. if its right before a bridge (for some reason a lot of bridges, esp in SC and on I40 set radar detectors off every single time) and it's point forward, I know it's probably just the bridge. If I'm approaching the same bridge and the rear arrow starts going off, I know without a doubt it's pretty much a cop.

it's hard to explain all the situations but i promise you'll be happy with it

3/14/2008 7:30:32 AM

There is a certain infiniti SUV (looks like a giant shoe) that sets my V1 laser alert off repeatedly. Anyone else run in to this beast ?

3/14/2008 7:30:58 AM

trailblazer taillights trigger my LASER alarm

3/14/2008 10:16:25 AM

i have the passport 8500 x50 and for the first three years that i had it i might have heard the laser go off 5 times and now it is becoming almost a daily occurrence. anyone else getting hit with laser a lot now?

3/14/2008 1:04:15 PM

my guess is that it's a lot of false alarms, with adaptive cruise control being more common, etc.

neon lights will do it too, sometimes.

3/14/2008 2:34:55 PM

I've only had mine go off for laser like once or twice.. but I'm also in Asheboro now

3/14/2008 3:29:39 PM

^^ hmm i didnt even think about that...still scares the shit out of me when it goes off the damn thing is so loud haha

3/14/2008 5:14:59 PM

Quote :

"i have the passport 8500 x50 and for the first three years that i had it i might have heard the laser go off 5 times and now it is becoming almost a daily occurrence. anyone else getting hit with laser a lot now?"

i have the 8500 x50 too and i have not had laser go off on me once... i'm starting to wonder if it even works, ha. i'm in charlotte and see plenty of traffic, but not one alert to it.

and thanks for the responses about V1 arrows. i'm sure it helps, i'm just not convinced its worth an extra $100

3/14/2008 9:30:37 PM

not by themselves, but the arrows, threat counter, upgradeability and support, and generally superior range and azimuth detection are (at least in my book).

3/15/2008 12:45:32 AM