Best Radar detector/ What kind do you have?

[Chris Strahan]

Howdy!
I am looking for a new radar detector and it seems there are tons out there to choose from. I have heard that the Escort passport 8500 is one of the best, but dang, $300 smackers for it?
Anyway.... what kind do you have? Do you like it? What would you reccomend for purchase?

I appreciate any and all feedback!

 

[Jeff Snyder]

All of my traffic tickets came when I was using a radar detector. Haven't had one since, and I wouldn't spend money on one now. Many police officers have "instant-on" radar guns now anyway (or even laser, which is very difficult to 'detect' given it's very focused beam)... Such guns turn on and grab your speed almost instantly, or at least faster than you can slow down. Now, the legality of such a speed 'measurement' is not entirely defined yet, since I know some manufacturers even warn that a measurement taken this way should be only use as guidance. However, when you are 300 miles from home, you don't want to have to worry about developing a court case to show that the measurement was unreliable.

I won't condone breaking the law (i.e. speeding), but just be smart. Be attentive and keep your eyes moving (rear-view mirror, bridges, median, shoulder, etc) and you'll be just as well served. Sure, some radar detector manufacturers will "pay" for your ticket, but they won't touch the insurance rise that may accompany said ticket. Other detector are very sensitive, but that means more false alarms too. Just watch out for laser, instant-on guns, and other new techs (lidar, etc). Just my 2 cents.

 

[Mikel Shively]

I cannot comment on other states, but in Missouri, state patrol uses instant-on radar. I know quite a few troopers, and most of them say if they catch you speeding and they see a radar detector, you are getting a ticket...period. With the instant-on technology, a radar detector is more like a "you have just been busted" detector.

 

[Chris Strahan]

I suppose I should also state, that I do not intend on speeding, and am careful on not doing so, but my last ticket (now 5 years ago) came when I was just not watching and got caught. This is/was/might be used for those times when my focus is skyward, not speedometer wise.... :blink: lol

 

[Anthony Silver]

I was using the Cobra XRS 9430, but later found out that it was pointless to have, for the same reasons Jeff and Mikel pointed out. Once they get you with the instant-on radar or laser, you're pretty much screwed. Most of my traffic mishaps occured when I was using the detector unit.

My best advice-don't waste your money on one.

 

[David Wolfson]

I've had an Escort 8500 for two years and feel nekkid driving without it. But the other comments are correct, too. For me its proper use is as a safety tool, not a license to speed. With "instant-on" radar, any detector won't save you if you fail to slow a bit for approaching vehicles or zoom over blind hills -- neither of which you should be doing anyway. But usually the officers in those situations aren't looking to nail anyone they can or use the stop as a pretext to check you out and will give you the 10mph when it comes down to it.

But where it comes in handy is near towns and speed zones, at night, and roads that have enough traffic that the officer's finger gets tired hitting the "on" button all the time. Like the common scenario when it's after dark and you're tired and impatient to get to your motel two hours away. You come into Podunkville and the detector's alarm reminds you that the 40mph speed zone is a very good number in those situations. Or when a county sheriff is parked lights off in the middle of nowhere in a place that can see for miles with their radar on stealth, snoozing or something, until the radar logs a speeder and wakes them up. The Escort is good enough to detect stealth signals and photo radar in enough time to let you know if you're halfway awake.

Few officers bother to use Lidar, i.e. lasers, and a detector is just about worthless against it anyway, so I have the detector Velcro'd to the dash underneath a protective blanket of fabric. It's quite inconspicuous that way and quickly removeable if necessary.

 

[John Diel]

Radar Detectors are easily defeatable with the radar units made in the last 10 years. Almost all of them have a Stand By mode (Instant On) ans it's merely just a couple fo seconds for it to aquire the object being tracked.

For a doppler radar, it's really pretty simple. You're better off trying to questions the Officer's Operational training in radar rather than trying to beat the radar itself. I know that when I was running traffic, I would visually aquire my target, turn on the radar, distinguish (by sound) that it was being properly tracked, then track for 5 seconds before locking in the speed. All of this usually took about 7 seconds.

Other things to watch for, are large vehicles traveling in the same direction or directly away from you. The angle in which the Officer is pointing when he has the radar on your vehicle. Any bridges or large signs around?

When I was really bored (usually about 2 or 3 a.m.) I would sit over I-35 and turn the radar on, just for grins and giggles when a gaggle of fast moving cars came along. It was always interesting to see who had detectors and who didn't. Those that did would almost stand their car on it's nose trying to slow down, while those that didn't, would take a few seconds longer to figure out what was going on. I've locked in vehicles traveling at 105 mph on I-35 that early in the morning! Takes them a little longer to slow down.

Of course this doesn't take into account Laser systems. They are more precise, but I don't know of any yet that work in motion. The Officer has to literally pick his target before getting any kind of return. Some of the early Laser Units, the effective cone was about 6 to 10 feet at one mile. That's also why you see a lot of them have a rifle scope on them. Alsthough, I don't think they are used much over .25 mile anyway. Anything much further than that, it gets hard to judge the speed anyway.

If you do get hit with a ticket, take a look at a few things. Road conditions for one. Wet roads will reflect radar differently than dry roads. High Temps and the Mirage effect can also play a factor. Usually this will return a bogus reading to the radar and the tone will warble enough that the officer (if properly trained) won't be able to use it. Find out what the volume setting is on the unit itself. What was the traffic like at the time. If you were in a gaggle of other vehicles, how did the officer single you out. Is there something nearby that could reflect the radar energy back and create a bogus reading? Cosign Angle Error used to be a defense, though most often that error usually went in the Ticketee's defense. One of the things I had to what for was the dash heater fan. Part of the radar energy would get reflected down into the windshield vents and if the fan was going, I could easily pick out a car going a contsant 80 mph! That's why you had to listen to the tone. That would tell you more than anything else. Find out the last time the unit was actually calibrated, then compare that with the manufacturer's recommendations. Find out if the officer did an operation check of the unit with tuning forks or whatever method is normally used.

And finally... Don't waste your time on a radar detector. On extremely long distances, it may give you an edge, but in the shorter range, the officer already has you.

 

[B Ozanne]

Don't waste your money! Be alert and slow down in towns. Not that I condone speeding, but doing it on the open road is one thing, but flying at highway speeds through a little town is another. Cops know that too and tend to hit hard in urbanized areas.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Don't waste your money; most of the tickets I've seen with people I have chased with have come to those with radar detectors. One of our here in Colo has a radar detector and plenty of tickets to go with it. Just stick with the laws and be prepared to face the officer should you get caught speeding. Trust me, the radar detector isn't worth the investment.

 

[PaulChambers]

Most officers I have talked to say that you are just about guaranteed to get a ticket for SOMETHING if they see a radar detector. Even if you roll through a stop sign and they originally planned on just giving a warning, the radar detector is a ticket for sure.
It is best just to drive in a safe manner and obey the laws!!

 

[Mickey Ptak]

The best radar detector is to take the led out of your foot. Why waste your money? They are worthless and a BIG waste of money. Spend that $150-$300 on actual chasing if that is what you like of course. That radar detector will not bag you a tornado... ever.

Mick

 

[KMcCallister]

Howdy!
I am looking for a new radar detector and it seems there are tons out there to choose from. I have heard that the Escort passport 8500 is one of the best, but dang, $300 smackers for it?
Anyway.... what kind do you have? Do you like it? What would you reccomend for purchase?

I appreciate any and all feedback!
[/b]

As a long time user of radar detectors, their utility is questionable nowdays (for all the reasons above). I own radar detector from probably 2000? that I used extensively for several years, then never installed when I changed cars. During the past two years, it has never occurred to me to even hook the thing up. So...as far as storm chasing (or any other time) goes...essentially useless in my opinion. (I have never used the brand, so can't address the model you asked about, sorry)

 

[Jay Crane]

I will tell you to not even waste your time or money with these things. TRUST me I know very well. Why ? you may ask , because I use them if you know what I mean. There are settings on these guns that like most have said already( INSTANT ON) by the time your detector goes off YOUR BUSTED!!! On the older radar guns you would have to turn the gun off then turn it on real quick when a car was comming. The reason was because the older guns when turned on would shoot out a constant signal. The new ones have settings that WILL NOT shoot out those signals unless you set it as such. That is just the radar that I was talking about. If the officer was using laser , then you can forget it. Those are so accurate it's not even funny. I can even set it to where I can find out how far a sign might be from me and it will measure out how far!!! Good for working accidents too! Like everyone has said before keep you eyes on the road and check bridges etc.

Jay

 

[Caleb Lawrence]

CB radio would probably do you better on the highway. Monitor it when you can and listen for the good word from the truckers.

 

[J West]

CB radio would probably do you better on the highway. Monitor it when you can and listen for the good word from the truckers.
[/b]

+1

a CB is a much more valuable (and legal) tool to get "smokey reports" B) If there is a cop running radar/laser somewhere other than a single lane dirt road, it'll be on the CB.

Excellent post by John Diel also!