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  1. #1

    Default new to radar detectors, need help to choose!

    Ok guys, I have just started researching radar detectors but I still have no idea as to what I am doing. Therefore I am posting on this forum to see which radar detector I really want and how much of a benefit its going to be. Let me tell you my story real quick. Currently, I am commuting about 45 minutes on the freeway to my school and then back. So a total of about an hour and a half, I do this commute Monday through Friday. I just started this commute about 4 months ago, but have yet to get a ticket on the freeway. Where I have gotten tickets is in the city, but on my way to school. I have seen cops on the freeway and have gotten a feel as to where they normally sit, but I am still not positive as to where they will always be. So I now have two speeding tickets in a time period of only 1 week, I think its going to cost me at least 400+ dollars total. I always speed and always go over the speed limit and I thought a radar detector would help me A LOT. But I dont know how much a radar detector really helps and if it was worth it, but now after two tickets in the past week I have realized its time to purchase one. Money is really not an issue, especially seeing that the V1 is supposed to be the best but it is a whopping $400. I have seen there is basically a top 3 lists, but I think I have my mindset on the V1. Now time for my questions, I currently live in Los Angeles County [southern california], and I am wondering what type of guns the majority of cops use in this area are. I dont know which radar detector would be best for me to have, since I want to make sure it works both in the city driving around normal streets as well as on the highway / freeway. I do not know what most highway patrol officers have in Los Angeles but I am hoping some of you guys do. So basically, I am looking for a radar detector that will help protect me the most, in the city and on the freeway. Also, I am aware and normally see cops in advance, but there are those times that I am not paying attention or on the phone, but whatever the case, how much do radar detectors really help? I will keep looking on my post to see the responses I get, but sorry for the long post, just want to make sure I get the right radar detector and see the benefits of spending about 400 dollars is going to give me, thanks again!

  2. #2
    Yoda of Radar
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    I usually suggest the 9500i for LA, but any of the top RD's will work well. It's basically a matter of choice. CHP uses nothing but Stalker Ka 34.7 and LIDAR. Local PD's are more of a crapshoot of LIDAR, K and Ka band, either 34.7 or 35.5. I have never seen 33.8 in Cali. Here is a good place to start:

    http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=5200

    Also, look at this:

    http://www.guysoflidar.com/

    RD's are extremely useful on the freeway in LA, because 95% of CHP uses CO Stalker. Easy pickings for the best RD's. The other 5% is LIDAR though. That's much tougher, since laser gives no warning whatsoever, or if you are extremely lucky, very little warning. A laser jammer is needed for LIDAR defense, but that's tricky since they are illegal in Cali. The word on the street is that it is just a fix-it ticket though. If you go this route, learn how to use it wisely.

    No RD is foolproof, but used wisely will help a lot.

  3. #3

    Default

    Redono Beach - Laser (PL III)

    I just read that and thats my hometown. I am assuming in the cities surrounding me such as Torrance, also use the same thing. So you dont think getting the V1 is my best choice? I just want the best possible choice for my area as money is not an issue, and I dont know any of the terms you are using such as "Local PD's are more of a crapshoot of LIDAR, K and Ka band, either 34.7 or 35.5." How much of a benefit do RDs have on not getting a ticket, and how quick do they go off?

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by djrams80
    The other 5% is LIDAR though. That's much tougher, since laser gives no warning whatsoever, or if you are extremely lucky, very little warning. A laser jammer is needed for LIDAR defense, but that's tricky since they are illegal in Cali. The word on the street is that it is just a fix-it ticket though. If you go this route, learn how to use it wisely.
    I was considering getting a laser jammer but I have NO IDEA how to use it or how expensive it is or which one is the best. I would have to research to see what type of ticket it really is, and do cops know you have a jammer only when you jam their laser or? I am very confused on this subject but like I said, I do not want any more speeding tickets!

  5. #5
    Yoda of Radar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SeanDylan
    Redono Beach - Laser (PL III)

    I just read that and thats my hometown. I am assuming in the cities surrounding me such as Torrance, also use the same thing. So you dont think getting the V1 is my best choice? I just want the best possible choice for my area as money is not an issue, and I dont know any of the terms you are using such as "Local PD's are more of a crapshoot of LIDAR, K and Ka band, either 34.7 or 35.5." How much of a benefit do RDs have on not getting a ticket, and how quick do they go off?
    The V1 will be extremely noisy in the LA area due to the fact that it is the most sensitive RD out there. If you don't mind it going off a lot, then it is the best RD out there. The problem is that if it goes off too much you might start to ignore it. There is also the problem that most women(mine included) hate the sounds of our RD's. The 9500i will be much quieter in the city with slightly less detection sensitivity. Both will give you plenty of warning for CHP's Stalker Ka band radar. Basically, it comes down to a personal choice.

  6. #6

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    [quote="djrams80"]
    Quote Originally Posted by SeanDylan
    Redono Beach - Laser (PL III)
    The V1 will be extremely noisy in the LA area due to the fact that it is the most sensitive RD out there. If you don't mind it going off a lot, then it is the best RD out there. The problem is that if it goes off too much you might start to ignore it. There is also the problem that most women(mine included) hate the sounds of our RD's. The 9500i will be much quieter in the city with slightly less detection sensitivity. Both will give you plenty of warning for CHP's Stalker Ka band radar. Basically, it comes down to a personal choice.
    Basically, the highway is my biggest scare, but I am also very scared in the cities. Basically what your telling me is, since the V1 is so damn sensitive it will almost pick up anything while the 9500i is a bit less sensitive but almost performs just as well. Also, in the cities both will perform about the same? Because I really need a RD that performs equally as well but that doesnt always gives me false alarms, but I do realize false alarms happen regardless of which RD you have. I do know when RDs go off, it is very annoying, but I can deal with that. But I do understand what your saying when you say that if it makes so many false alarms, I will not know when it is actually a radar gun, thats a great point. Remember for everyone else, I live in the Los Angeles area.

  7. #7
    Yoda of Radar
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    [quote="SeanDylan"]
    Quote Originally Posted by djrams80
    Quote Originally Posted by SeanDylan
    Redono Beach - Laser (PL III)
    The V1 will be extremely noisy in the LA area due to the fact that it is the most sensitive RD out there. If you don't mind it going off a lot, then it is the best RD out there. The problem is that if it goes off too much you might start to ignore it. There is also the problem that most women(mine included) hate the sounds of our RD's. The 9500i will be much quieter in the city with slightly less detection sensitivity. Both will give you plenty of warning for CHP's Stalker Ka band radar. Basically, it comes down to a personal choice.
    Basically, the highway is my biggest scare, but I am also very scared in the cities. Basically what your telling me is, since the V1 is so *BEEP* sensitive it will almost pick up anything while the 9500i is a bit less sensitive but almost performs just as well. Also, in the cities both will perform about the same? Because I really need a RD that performs equally as well but that doesnt always gives me false alarms, but I do realize false alarms happen regardless of which RD you have. I do know when RDs go off, it is very annoying, but I can deal with that. But I do understand what your saying when you say that if it makes so many false alarms, I will not know when it is actually a radar gun, thats a great point. Remember for everyone else, I live in the Los Angeles area.
    With any detector, you will learn what's what after you get used to it. But there is a learning curve. The 9500i is slightly less sensitive than the V1 but not by much. There could be a rare case where the slightly less sensitive might miss an instant on hit ahead, whereas the slightly more sensitive RD might catch it. So instant on means just what it sounds like. The LEO's radar gun is off, then he pulls the trigger and it's on for a few seconds, then it's off again. If the LEO doesn't try to read everyone's speed and is only targeting a few cars going by, the signal is hard to detect. The 9500i is an extremely sensitive RD and the odds of it costing you a ticket that the V1 would have saved you from is remote.

  8. #8
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    Just to add, there's a difference between going off and a threatening alert with the V1. It's normal to get X/K-band alerts of strength 1 or 2 that last a few seconds and pass front-side-back when passing a mall. However, the real radar encounters that I get with the V1 in the cities last over a minute, often 15 seconds or more on full-strength solid tone.

    Just because it always goes off doesn't mean you can't tell if it's police or a door opener. However, it takes time and effort from YOU to learn the V1's alerts. If you are really interested in radar detectors and willing to learn a bit about police radar, the V1 can work in even the densest of urban environments. If you could care less and just want something that beeps when you need to hit the brakes, the V1's the wrong choice.

  9. #9
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    I live in Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles area) and I tried 9500i for a few weeks. In auto mode it was very quite driving on Ventura blvd or other big streets full of businesses. I didn't feel like I had to use lockout feature at all. And if one could turn off X band than you probably wouldn't here it at all. Yet it picket up many Ka band on the highway during my trip to Mammoth Lakes as well as laser.

    Do not speed at night times when you cannot see far ahead, leo ewill get you, unless someone is driving ahead of you.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdong
    Just to add, there's a difference between going off and a threatening alert with the V1. It's normal to get X/K-band alerts of strength 1 or 2 that last a few seconds and pass front-side-back when passing a mall. However, the real radar encounters that I get with the V1 in the cities last over a minute, often 15 seconds or more on full-strength solid tone.

    Just because it always goes off doesn't mean you can't tell if it's police or a door opener. However, it takes time and effort from YOU to learn the V1's alerts. If you are really interested in radar detectors and willing to learn a bit about police radar, the V1 can work in even the densest of urban environments. If you could care less and just want something that beeps when you need to hit the brakes, the V1's the wrong choice.
    so how do you react? Do you ignore first "beep"? Do you ignore second "beep"? Do you ignore third "beep"? So how many warnings do you ignore until you react?
    What if it is an IO and you are used to ignoring first couple of seconds?
    I am going to try V1 to see the difference myself between V1 and 9500i but would like to get other opinions.
    I am just debating with myself If I to ignore a couple of second of warning than why pay $400-$450. when I can get Bel V940 from Costco website for $140. and spent another $500 on Laser Parking.

 

 

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