jdreynss
08-17-2006, 10:58 AM
If you are new to the world of police radar, and the various countermeasures...welcome to the board. Here you will find tons of useful information that will tell you basically anything that you need to know. If you have a question, try a search on your subject of interest, as there are most likely already existing posts on the topic that you seek. I will attempt to answer a few of the questions that new people often ask, in an attempt to reduce some of the posts that manage to pop up repeatedly.
1. A radar detector is just that,a radar detector... it is not a cop detector. If the Leo is not running radar, you will NOT get an alert from them, so please do not write a post saying that you passed a cop, but your radar detector did not go off, and asking what is wrong. This is normal.
2. The question of where to mount your detector is the most debated topic there is. There are advantages and disadvantages to each location, but mostly it is a matter of personal preference, and where YOU seem to get the best results.
Mounting Low...
Most manufacturers recommend mounting the detector low (with the exception of Valentine), mounting low will give you the best results on a direct laser hit, but unless you have a jammer installed, you are pretty much caught if you get a direct hit. Radar range will be good at this level.
Mounting high...
Mounting high can give you an advantage in radar detection. The theory being that if your detector is high, it has a better view of the road ahead, and the possibility of being able to "see" through the vehicles ahead of you. As for laser, with the unit mounted high, you are more likely to pick up laser scatter if a vehicle ahead of you is the target, hopefully giving you time to slow down.
Mounting in the middle...
Many people choose to mounts their detectors in the middle, right below their rearview mirror. This position provides some of the advantages of both the high and low mount. Slightly improved radar reception over the low mount option, while hopefully still being high enough to pick up laser scatter, but still low enough to detect a direct hit.
As mentioned before, where you mount your detector is largely personal preference, and what works best for you, try in in each of these locations, and use the one that seems to work best for you. If laser is not a concern in your area, then it all you have to do is figure out which position gives you the best radar performance. One thing that nearly everyone on this board WILL agree on, is not to mount you detector to the far right, or left..but to mount near the middle.
3. What is the best detector/which detector is right for me??
If you ask this question on this board, you will get several different answers. Obviously the top three are the best,(Escort 8500 X50, Bel Rx65, and the Valentine V1). Between these three, the Valentine has been shown to have the advantage in laser detection, followed by the Escort 8500 X50, and the Bel Rx65, and as far as radar detection, these three units are very close to one another. At this point, it comes down to features, as each unit has it's own unique features, and your own personal preference. There is now "perfect" radar detector, but these three are the "cream of the crop". Obviously, not everyone can afford to spend $300.00++ on one of the top three, and that is fine. I would however start saving up for one of them, because they WILL pay for themselves. Think about the price of a speeding ticket, and then think about the raise in you insurance premiums, and you can Easily see how after one or to saves from tickets, these units cab pay for themselves very quickly. So, you're one of those people who just can't or wont spend that kind of money...now what? Bel makes several models below the Rx65 that are very solid performers, such as the V995, V955, V940..These models run anywhere from $150.00-300.00 on average. Whistler makes some decent units such as the Pro58, and pro73. The Pro58 can be had for around $100.00, and both of these have gotten decent reviews. Many people on this board will tell you to never buy a Cobra, because the detection range is short, and sometimes they will set off the top 3 detectors because they leak their signal. I would say that a Cobra, couple with alert driving, is better than nothing at all...but the whistler would be a better investment. One thing that everyone here WILL agree on is this...NEVER, under any circumstances, should you purchase a product from Rocky Mountain Radar. These products DO NOT work as advertised, and you would be better served by flushing your money down a toilet.
So, decide how much you can spend, and then spend some time looking around this forum...No one can tell you which radar detector is right for YOU, all we can do is make recommendations based on what we like, and what we have experience with.
4. Where should I buy my radar detector???
There are many places that you can buy your radar detector. You can buy in-store, on-line, or from E-bay. The most important thing is that you buy from an authorized dealer. Especially if you are buying one of the top three. Escort and Bel WILL NOT honor warranties if purchased from an unauthorized dealer. E-bay IS NOT authorized, and you never know what you will get from there. That "great deal" won't be so great, if you get you detector, and it stops working, and you have to pay to have it fixed. Many E-bay sellers sell units as "unopened, new in the box". Many of these units are actually refurbished units from Mexico. Some of you will say "well, this guy on eBay says that that if anything goes wrong with it within three years, he will replace it". Many Ebay people offer their own warranty on these detectors, because they know that the factory will not honor the warranty, but, who is to say that in six months from now, if your detector stops working, that the person who sold you the detector will still be around?? People selling on Ebay come and go, and you never know when they will go. One of the best places to purchase a radar detector is here www.radarbusters.com This site is owned and operated by "Radar" Roy Reyer. Roy is a retired police officer, who is also a certified radar instructor. Roy has the best customer service in the industry, and is extremely knowledgable in the area of radar detectors. If you Buy from Roy, and have a problem with your detector, he will take care of the problem. Roy is also the one who hosts this forum, so any purchases that you make from him, also help keep this forum up and running. Roy is also known to give discounts to members of this forum.
In conclusion, when shopping for a radar detector, find the models you are interested in, and then do some research. Use this forum to your advantage, as there are many many knowledgeable people here that are more than willing to help you.
1. A radar detector is just that,a radar detector... it is not a cop detector. If the Leo is not running radar, you will NOT get an alert from them, so please do not write a post saying that you passed a cop, but your radar detector did not go off, and asking what is wrong. This is normal.
2. The question of where to mount your detector is the most debated topic there is. There are advantages and disadvantages to each location, but mostly it is a matter of personal preference, and where YOU seem to get the best results.
Mounting Low...
Most manufacturers recommend mounting the detector low (with the exception of Valentine), mounting low will give you the best results on a direct laser hit, but unless you have a jammer installed, you are pretty much caught if you get a direct hit. Radar range will be good at this level.
Mounting high...
Mounting high can give you an advantage in radar detection. The theory being that if your detector is high, it has a better view of the road ahead, and the possibility of being able to "see" through the vehicles ahead of you. As for laser, with the unit mounted high, you are more likely to pick up laser scatter if a vehicle ahead of you is the target, hopefully giving you time to slow down.
Mounting in the middle...
Many people choose to mounts their detectors in the middle, right below their rearview mirror. This position provides some of the advantages of both the high and low mount. Slightly improved radar reception over the low mount option, while hopefully still being high enough to pick up laser scatter, but still low enough to detect a direct hit.
As mentioned before, where you mount your detector is largely personal preference, and what works best for you, try in in each of these locations, and use the one that seems to work best for you. If laser is not a concern in your area, then it all you have to do is figure out which position gives you the best radar performance. One thing that nearly everyone on this board WILL agree on, is not to mount you detector to the far right, or left..but to mount near the middle.
3. What is the best detector/which detector is right for me??
If you ask this question on this board, you will get several different answers. Obviously the top three are the best,(Escort 8500 X50, Bel Rx65, and the Valentine V1). Between these three, the Valentine has been shown to have the advantage in laser detection, followed by the Escort 8500 X50, and the Bel Rx65, and as far as radar detection, these three units are very close to one another. At this point, it comes down to features, as each unit has it's own unique features, and your own personal preference. There is now "perfect" radar detector, but these three are the "cream of the crop". Obviously, not everyone can afford to spend $300.00++ on one of the top three, and that is fine. I would however start saving up for one of them, because they WILL pay for themselves. Think about the price of a speeding ticket, and then think about the raise in you insurance premiums, and you can Easily see how after one or to saves from tickets, these units cab pay for themselves very quickly. So, you're one of those people who just can't or wont spend that kind of money...now what? Bel makes several models below the Rx65 that are very solid performers, such as the V995, V955, V940..These models run anywhere from $150.00-300.00 on average. Whistler makes some decent units such as the Pro58, and pro73. The Pro58 can be had for around $100.00, and both of these have gotten decent reviews. Many people on this board will tell you to never buy a Cobra, because the detection range is short, and sometimes they will set off the top 3 detectors because they leak their signal. I would say that a Cobra, couple with alert driving, is better than nothing at all...but the whistler would be a better investment. One thing that everyone here WILL agree on is this...NEVER, under any circumstances, should you purchase a product from Rocky Mountain Radar. These products DO NOT work as advertised, and you would be better served by flushing your money down a toilet.
So, decide how much you can spend, and then spend some time looking around this forum...No one can tell you which radar detector is right for YOU, all we can do is make recommendations based on what we like, and what we have experience with.
4. Where should I buy my radar detector???
There are many places that you can buy your radar detector. You can buy in-store, on-line, or from E-bay. The most important thing is that you buy from an authorized dealer. Especially if you are buying one of the top three. Escort and Bel WILL NOT honor warranties if purchased from an unauthorized dealer. E-bay IS NOT authorized, and you never know what you will get from there. That "great deal" won't be so great, if you get you detector, and it stops working, and you have to pay to have it fixed. Many E-bay sellers sell units as "unopened, new in the box". Many of these units are actually refurbished units from Mexico. Some of you will say "well, this guy on eBay says that that if anything goes wrong with it within three years, he will replace it". Many Ebay people offer their own warranty on these detectors, because they know that the factory will not honor the warranty, but, who is to say that in six months from now, if your detector stops working, that the person who sold you the detector will still be around?? People selling on Ebay come and go, and you never know when they will go. One of the best places to purchase a radar detector is here www.radarbusters.com This site is owned and operated by "Radar" Roy Reyer. Roy is a retired police officer, who is also a certified radar instructor. Roy has the best customer service in the industry, and is extremely knowledgable in the area of radar detectors. If you Buy from Roy, and have a problem with your detector, he will take care of the problem. Roy is also the one who hosts this forum, so any purchases that you make from him, also help keep this forum up and running. Roy is also known to give discounts to members of this forum.
In conclusion, when shopping for a radar detector, find the models you are interested in, and then do some research. Use this forum to your advantage, as there are many many knowledgeable people here that are more than willing to help you.