I ran a search and didnt find anything completely similar to the topic i had in mind, so hopefully this doesnt get locked up and i dont get flamed too bad..

anyway, does anyone have any recommendations on a reasonably priced ($200-$400ish) radar detector? i have heard some good things about beltronics, but i really dont know much besides that.
actually, i dont even know what it is i should be looking for in the specs, or what to compare. any help would be appreciated... thanks in advance.

 

No doubt - Valentine 1 with the remote! Can't go wrong! Hardwire it after you get it so that it comes on when the car does! I know, I know...how right? SEARCH! LOL!

 

Escort Passport 8500 hasn't got me one ticket yet. Plus the new 9500 came out also.

 

and those are the 2 best radar detectors. arguments fight for pros and cons to both, but nothing else comes close.

 

invest in a hardwired laser jammer

 

There is only one logical choice. Valentine One.

I've owned radar detectors since the original Escort about 25 years ago.

The purpose of a radar detector is to avoid a speeding ticket. The smallest speeding ticket will cost you at least a couple hundred dollars for the ticket, and probably another couple hundred over the next few years in increased insurance premiums. Given that, it only makes sense to buy the best.

My V1's have saved me countless times.

 

You have Valentine One, Escort x50, Beltronics RX65.

Those are the top contenders.

 

I read a lot about the escort model and the rx65 model, I never really considered the V1 because it seemed too sensitive (flame away if this is wrong), from reading msg boards, and reviews.

I ended up with the Escort x50, because it seemed to provide the least amount of false alarms.

 

Can't go wrong with the above suggestions. But you might also want to consider the Beltronics 995, which runs about $250 (I got mine for $225 during a CC promo).

The 995 is roughly on par with the 8500 x50 but can be had for $50-100 less.

 

CC huh... circuit city?

funny you should mention that. i work there, thats why i was wondering about beltronics, we get an okay discount on some of their detectors.
i also read a bit about the V1, the site i was at said it was too sensitive and went off too much.
the only detector cc carries that is 'better', in other words more expensive, is the beltronics stidriver. the only thing sites say about it, tho, is that it is invisible to radar detector, detectors, which i really dont care about in oregon. i cant seem to find any info to compare the 995 and the sti driver... help?

 

When the car mags have tested and compared radar detectors, the V1 blew away the competiton. It wasn't even close. I too have had other detectors like the original Passport. The V1 is awesome.

One other benefit...Valentine allows you to do product upgrades. You can always go into their website, type in your serial number and it will tell you about product changes since you purchased yours. It will then give you a price (far less than a brand new) you would have to pay to upgrade your detector to a new one. Nice deal!

 

this should help: http://www.beltronics.com/radardetectors.html

 

I own 3 Valentines. All hardwired with remotes (this is key). I also own a Escort 8500 (sits in drawer in the kitchen).

The 8500 and V1 are both really good detectors, and you can't go wrong either way. I like the full featured V1 remote that I can mount out of site and then people or cops behind me can't see the lights on my detector at night. The 8500 does have a remote, but it's just a single LED. I also really like the V1 arrows. Like I said they are both good detectors and you can't go wrong. I've had top of the line Bel's over the past 17 years and they aren't bad, but I would pick the Escort or V1 over Bel. I think if you get a Cobra, Whistler, or Uniden you are tossing money out the window. Get one of the best (V1, 8500, Bel) or go home.

 

wow, that was extremely helpful... thanks a lot!!!
so it seems the rx65 costs 30 dollars more due to a hard travel case... interesting.
i think i will get the stidriver, discount comes to $370. not bad i guess. anyway, thanks for all the help, ill let you guys know how it performs

 

Valentine One, Escort 8500 x50, or the new escort I think its the 9500, Bel rx65. Can't go wrong with either. Saying which detector is the best is like starting a religious war (try asking with the best wax is).

Here's a couple of sites

www.radarbusters.com

http://www.radardetector.net/

I've had escorts and I have a V1, both are good. Nothing is going to help you with laser (except a blinder) and nothing is going to help you if you're going 100 mph in a 40 mph zone (you probably can't slow down fast enough).

Try www.invisicord.com for a really nice invisible hard wire, fits both escort and v1.

Dave

 

I've had mine for 7 years...no tickets...no problems with the unit.

I don't know how I got bye without the arrows?

Unidens: 2 both broke
Whistler: 1 it broke as well

TOTAL JUNK!

Get the V1 you'll be happy!

A-Train

 

Get the best, or don't get one at all.

Get the V1.

It is a very sensitive detector, but you can turn off X band completely, and you learn where the falses occur. All detectors false.

The arrows are awesome, it makes it so much easier to figure out if I have to slow down or not!

For example, if I'm on a divided highway going fast, and it goes off telling me the signal is in front of me and increasing in strenght, I know the cop is on the other side of the road coming toward me and therefore I don't have to worry.

Really, there is no comparison, the V1 has won about 99% of the comparison tests it's been in.

 

i got the valentine 1 it's the best so far!
~Jason

 

The new best according to radartest.com is the Beltronics STi Driver...beats it by a ton and is less bulky compared to the V1...the V1 now has met its match

 

Just buy this one and be done with it! My best friend bought the high end Escort and doesn't even have it in his car anymore. This thing has saved me over 20 times in the last few years! If you buy this and just get away with 1 ticket ... it pays itself off automatically because the insurance will charge you well over $400 dollars over the next 3 yrs (or however long they keep your points active.)

 

While the BEL did beat it in certain respects, it wasn't a full comprehensive test. We'll have to wait for that. I would be the V1 engineers are gettin on it now!

Also, the author had this to say at the end of the test:

"So does this make the Valentine One the world's second-best radar detector? Don't forget about those directional arrows, the rear antenna and great laser detection, V1 fanatics repeatedly rant. And they've got a point. Under proper conditions the directional arrows can pinpoint the direction of an incoming radar beam. And the rear antenna allows the V1 to detect radar coming from behind nearly as well as it does coming from ahead. It's also the best in the business at detecting lasers. "

 

The V1 is good. It depends on your area but for Ka radar is catches the radar signal very good from a decent distance.

I have no experience with the POP V1 models because mine didn't support POP...only X, K, Ka and laser.
In my old town the cops use to use X so it was obvious when they were close by but X is really rare other than that. K gets a lot of false alarms from many things in the urban area so that sucks....laser gets some false alarms too but I've caught some cops shooting laser so it helps.

But yea, Ka was the most useful for me because after a while you start to ignore K unless it's really strong then you get suspicious. California HWP use Ka

 

oh yeah, and make sure to mount your V1 (or whatever radar detector you get) high on the windshield to give the best possible sight. You can tuck the power wire on the top and run it down the left A-pillar to the fuse box to give it power (I've done this on a G35 not sure if it's possible on a TL). It gives it a clean look.

And if you want a more discreet look you get that mini display unit for the V1 and put it on the bottom (near your center console area). It turns off the lights on the main unit so others can't see the red on it at night and such. Plus, it makes it convenient to press the button so you can stop the beeping on false alarms or even stop the beeping on real alarms because damn a real cop radar alarm gets looooud when you are close :p

 

I went to this web site to read the reports. They do offer some good information, however, they have some strong biases.

One, they charge to read their test reports. What's up with that?!

Second, they sell radardetectors. All except the V1. Hmm....

 

I've been thinking about getting the STi too; you gotta keep me up to date on how you like it.

 

Ya I know about the directional arrows and thats cool in all but the distance, the distance!

Anyway all I know is that when it comes to a radar detector I am getting on the STi for sho.

 

Does tint with metal material in them affect the performance of these detector?

I only have my side windows tinted and it has some metal material in them. Does that affect the 360 degree coverage?

Thanks

 

ANyone have pics with the v1 mounted and the remote by anychance???

 

As far as I know, no.

 

Yes it does. So does the type of windshield with a heater imbedded in it.

 

According to the V1 website, the performance would be "greatly reduced" with the tint.
Check out www.valentineone.com , pull down "more information", and then "where to mount".
The website is a very good one, and answers many questions.

'05 6MT NBP
K&N Typhoon Intake
A-Spec suspension
245/40/17 Michelin Pilot A/S's
DeBadged rear
V1 on the lookout

 

thanks all.....I will visit the website again.

 

Will lumar tints cause a problem??

 

I vaguely recall reading that the Bel & the escort have the same internal workings?

 

whats good about the passports? why are they so good/expensive? i have $100 cobra... works decent.... but whats good about this one...

 

fantom, what do you say the range on your cobra is?

the instant you hear the noise, to when you first see the cop?

I had a whistler pro73, it was a 160~ RD and i'd get about a .25 - .50 mile range before i'd see the cop.

With the Escort x50, i get 1-2miles depending on weather condition and how the curve of roads are like.

So it does make a difference from different brands.. Those are my two comparisons.

 

wow... thats pretty neat... how about shopping centers tho? my cobra has an autosilencer.... so its not to big of a deal, but my buddy's dosent and everytime we go past a store with automatic doors, etc. .. the dang thing goes off... does the 8500 do that?

 

update:
i decided to try out the beltronics 995. it is almost completely comparable to the x65, except the 995 has Ku band. not used in the US thus far, but it came out to be 230, compared to the x65 at 330. no real feedback, i havent run into a cop clocking yet!!! i did pick up a photoradar at an intersection about a mile off, so that was pretty cool. the beltronics auto silences after the first two alerts, then it continues to alert 2-3 more times, but at about 10% of the original volume (customizable). there is also a mute button at the point where it goes into the power source, which completely shuts the thing up. not too bad at false alerts by malls and such, great on back roads. will let you know more when i encounter my first laser on the side of I5, haha.

 

On my average drive to work, the whislter had 5-8 hot spots that it would ALWAYS go off. With the escort i'm down to 1-2.

So overall, the false alarms have drastically improved. In reguards to the malls / stores it only seems to go off when i'm literally 100 feet away from the store, if its off from the highway it doesnt go off.

The x50 also has a feature where it shows you the ACTUAL band it's detecting numerically, so once you get good at understand the Police band numbers you can almost filter falses vs real alerts better.

 

oh okay - thats pretty cool... id most likley get one... but not for a while... i dont have the 400 to drop on it... plus im a big chicken with my car (as far as modding goes) and I wouldnt even wanna try to hardwire it lol