Hello

[firebasecrosby]

Howdy. Great forum, wish I had been reading this in 2004-2005.

I am an Army officer who is married to another Army officer. We live in Korea right now but soon I will live in North Carolina (Fort Bragg) and she will live in Washington, DC (Pentagon). I recently bought a black 2009 VW GTI, and I expect to be driving from Fort Bragg to Washington and back at least once a month. She has our daughter and I will probably be doing most of the driving; asking her to drive 5-6hrs one way with a two-year old, and then go back, is a little much.

I have had tickets in the past, but I have lived in Korea for the past 2.5 years, so none since 2006. The last one in 2006 I beat in court, so I haven't had one on my record since 2004. I expect to have a mostly clean record in the future.

I know all kinds of stuff is illegal in VA, but I will be driving through VA to DC and I am NOT, say again, NOT going to drive 65mph for 6hrs just to make the cops happy.

I'm planning on getting a radar detector, laser jammer, VEIL, a scanner, the whole works. I am looking to get the best rig I can, mounted professionally in my VW GTI, and I am open to all suggestions on what I can get. My budget will be around $2,000-$3,000.

Any suggestions should be emailed to clamchowdah22 at hotmail dot com. Thanks.

[lidper24]

Welcome!

Virginia means you have three choices for radar detectors, depending on how much you want to pay. They are the only ones that cannot be picked up by radar-detector-detectors, which the cops there use:

Bel Sti-Driver: $500, windshield mount, simple, works
Bel Sti-R: Usually around $1000-1100, allegedly on sale at certain websites. Remotely mounted, so it'll be stuck to a particular car, but one of the most sensitive ones out there, and few cops know/care enough to get to it
Escort 9500Ci: $1500 or 1600, comes with a primitive laser defense system, GPS to lock out false alarms, etc. Some users complain about the GPS feature, which periodically locks out real cops who then give you tickets without you being alerted

[firebasecrosby]

The Bel Sti-R sounds like what I'll end up with. I don't want to risk getting caught with a dash-mount and I would prefer to hard-mount whatever I get. My wife won't be driving much so I'll need the protection more than her.

[tonyph55r]

welcome

[Stealth Stalker]

Welcome, fellow Army officer.

STi-R sounds like a good match for you. Laser jammer wise, there is a FAQ in my signature to help you understand what all is involved. If you're simply after "the best", then Laser Interceptor is the way to go, without a doubt. Veil on your headlights may or may not be absolutely necessary. And there's no way to know for sure without formal testing. However, it is always highly recommended as one more layer of insurance.

Scanners are practically useless as a countermeasure in the greatest part of the country. More trouble than they'll ever be worth. There is a Scanner FAQ in the CB/Scanner/Ham section for more info.

Instead of a scanner, a CB would be your best investment. On the open highway, there is no better countermeasure, bar none. Especially considering an entire effective CB set-up can be had for around a hundred dollars or less.

If you're determined to go all-out on countermeasures, then I would highly recommend the Cheetah GPS Mirror or Cheetah C100 GPS detector. Not only will they alert you to red light cameras before you get to them, they are also quite accurate at warning you of known speed trap zones across the country. It's saved my arse multiple times, and is well worth the investment.

You've come to the right place! Good luck!

[IXLR8]

WELCOME FIREBASE! This is definitely the best place I've ever found for the advice you're looking for, I would say you definitely want to stick with one of the 3 RD's mentioned, and for Laser SS is right, Laser Interceptor is the undisputed king. I didn't find out until after I already purchased my Escort ZR4 (which is what comes with the 9500ci).

Much thanks for your commitment and service to our continued freedom!!


BTW SS I have to ask... WU with the new avatar?

[Stealth Stalker]

BTW SS I have to ask... WU with the new avatar?

Ima firin mah lazar!

It's obscure and complicated, but it's a laser thing.

[IXLR8]

Ima firin mah lazar!

It's obscure and complicated, but it's a laser thing.

[firebasecrosby]

Great info here, thank you all.

SS-- any experience at Bragg? If so, shoot me a note at clamchowdah22 at hotmail dot com.

I've been trying to find information on professional installers in Virginia, around the Richmond area. Installernet doesn't seem to list locations; any help on this?

Opinions on the Laser Pro Park vs. the Laser Interceptor?

[djrams80]

Opinions on the Laser Pro Park vs. the Laser Interceptor?

Laser Interceptor is both a better performer and has better customer service. LPP customer service has just about vanished to be totally truthful. My suggestion is an LI quad and a Bel STi-R, since you are worried about the lockouts.