Objective professional reviews?

[Stealth Stalker]

i said best detection and thats what matters most. its the reviewers job to determine that-- which was exactly my point. if theres something more important than that id like to know what it is.

No, you are correct about that. But it is exceptionally important to understand that range does not equal "best detection". They are not synonymous. Best detection is not a single measured parameter.

also, just because people are new here doesnt mean they are any less educated than you on the subject. talking to your members condescendingly contributes nothing to the subject.

I apologise if you felt that I was referring to you. But if I had been, I would have made that perfectly clear, not danced around it. I said you AND most n00bs. English comprehension FTW.

if you want to add actual information for all the noobs, that would probably be much more effective.

No problem. The raw sensitivity or distance at which a detector is capable of receiving a signal becomes almost completely irrelevant if that detector has delayed reaction time to those signals. Most RD tests are against constantly transmitting radar sources. Problem is, probably more than half of all police radar guns are not constantly transmitting. They are triggered manually against each target by the officer. Consequently, if you have a detector that takes a couple of seconds to determine whether or not it is going to report the signal to you or not, you will often miss that warning altogether. All you have to do is read the number of people who come here crying that they never got an alert for their radar ticket to know just how often this happens. It's a lot. So yes, you must have more than a detector which simply has range in order to have optimal protection. And with the multi-mile distances that today's top of the line detectors detect at, you would be much smarter to give up sensitivity for reaction time in order to achieve "best detection". Even then, you still get multi miles of warning, but you are less likely to be beaten by instant-on radar.

[category4]

There are a number of great detectors out there, but not one will meet the needs of all people. You may have to try a few to see which has the features, sensitivity and ability to translate that info into something you can use.

If money is no object then the best detector is actually a combination of detectors, The 9500ci and the V1. The 9500ci for raw sensitivity and GPS features and the V1 for arrows, QT/IO response. That will set you back about 2K. Now if $ are really a factor you have to figure out what you really need in a detector, what you are willing to sacrifice and what your budget really is!

[Riptide]

If money is no object then the best detector is actually a combination of detectors, The 9500ci and the V1. The 9500ci for raw sensitivity and GPS features and the V1 for arrows, QT/IO response. That will set you back about 2K. Now if $ are really a factor you have to figure out what you really need in a detector, what you are willing to sacrifice and what your budget really is!

I would go with importing an STi-R Plus to pair with that V1 for the best combination. Not sure how the price compares though TBO

[category4]

If money is no object then the best detector is actually a combination of detectors, The 9500ci and the V1. The 9500ci for raw sensitivity and GPS features and the V1 for arrows, QT/IO response. That will set you back about 2K. Now if $ are really a factor you have to figure out what you really need in a detector, what you are willing to sacrifice and what your budget really is!

I would go with importing an STi-R Plus to pair with that V1 for the best combination. Not sure how the price compares though TBO

Prices I have seen on the STi-R+ are $1300. If you check around you can find the 9500ci in that neighborhood. Heck with RB's forum discount you are close to that and you can have it tomorrow!!

[BullyDawg19]

considering the fact the all the GOL guys are from different regions, have different driving styles, and differing opinions on what is important - you can pretty much be assured that they are the best in the business and what they say is "golden". you would be well served to "just" listen to them. if you can think it - they have done it. they are some of the most well versed individuals on the subject as one might expect to find. when you have the best - you dont need to listen or read others opinions.

[Obsidian]

Purely objective, real world reviews done by humans are impossible. If the guy pulling the trigger of the gun or driving the car is a fan of one particular detector or brand, he may — even subconsciously — alter the results himself. Slow/late trigger pulls, slowing or speeding the car up slightly, etc.

Reading all the reviews and then combining that with your own real world experience is the best way to tell what detector is best — or best for you anyway.

[The Chariot]

considering the fact the all the GOL guys are from different regions, have different driving styles, and differing opinions on what is important - you can pretty much be assured that they are the best in the business and what they say is "golden". you would be well served to "just" listen to them. if you can think it - they have done it. they are some of the most well versed individuals on the subject as one might expect to find. when you have the best - you dont need to listen or read others opinions.

There is a flaw in their tests which skews the V1 results: The non-V1 detectors have pop-on, which slows their performance verses pop-off. Another issue is half the detectors came from the same retail source. If you had to pick only one source, GOL would be it. But you don't.... there's plenty of good research out there and on this site.

[snoopyc4]

There is a flaw in their tests which skews the V1 results: The non-V1 detectors have pop-on, which slows their performance verses pop-off.

On the 09 GOL test page, it says every detector was tested with "factory default settings". So actually, all the V1s (excluding the 3.813 of course) had POP ON. The Escorts all had POP OFF since that is their default setting and the Whistler's had POP ON:

http://www.escortradar.com/pdf/9500ixOwnersManual.pdf

http://www.escortradar.com/pdf/9500ciOwnersManual.pdf

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i...L000067031.pdf

http://www.whistlergroup.com/manuals...pro78seman.pdf

[The Chariot]

There is a flaw in their tests which skews the V1 results: The non-V1 detectors have pop-on, which slows their performance verses pop-off.

On the 09 GOL test page, it says every detector was tested with "factory default settings". So actually, all the V1s (excluding the 3.813 of course) had POP ON. The Escorts all had POP OFF since that is their default setting and the Whistler's had POP ON:

http://www.escortradar.com/pdf/9500ixOwnersManual.pdf

http://www.escortradar.com/pdf/9500ciOwnersManual.pdf

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/media/i...L000067031.pdf

http://www.whistlergroup.com/manuals...pro78seman.pdf

I stand corrected. The remark does stand though for the SE RDs, as they have been shown to perform better with pop off.

[djrams80]

I stand corrected. The remark does stand though for the SE RDs, as they have been shown to perform better with pop off.

Shown where? Is there test data supporting this? Link?