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Thread: Radar Detectors

  1. #1
    3Geez Veteran MessyHonda's Avatar
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    Radar Detectors

    hey i was just wondering if you guys had any radar detectors.

    what are you guys running and do they really work...if i end up getting one il prob be something sub~150

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    they are outlawed in some states, new laws that you find out about when it is too late, watch out guys

    Laser detectors IMO are useless since they can momentarliy shoot lasers and most of the time they are on before you can subtract 20 mph covertly. They have cameras on them now too, here at least they also work in teams with chase cars and the laser dude up on a bridge or in the air or woods in a four wheeler. or bike.. yea
    The standard KA, K etc, type work good for those small town speed traps, you can usually get a clue he is there well in advance of visable contact. Thing is though they go off at any motion sensor or RFID scanner, which would be grocery stores, cell towers, the warning is usually different sounding than real radar though.
    The best radar detector is your instinct, watch the other animals....

  3. #3

    Hash_man_Se_i's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Radar detectors are only good if you get the more expensive ones ie: Escort 8500 or bell RX65 i think its called... bell and escort are made by the same company.

    Also, if they use Laser in your state/area then a radar detector will be useless most of the time.

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    3Geez Veteran AccordEpicenter's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    No good radar detector is cheap. Youre pretty much wasting your time with anything less than a high end bel, escort or V1... nothing else works all that great. Ive owned cobras and stuff like that before, absolutely no comparison. And yes, laser detectors are pretty much worthless, once the detector goes off, they already know how fast your going, so you have practically no chance even with the best one. You have a shot against K and KA radar with one (nobody i know still uses X band) with a good detector, but the best idea is to not speed very much when you are the only car on the road etc, use your head. I try not to speed unless im in traffic. Also ive seen alot of instant on action from cops using K and KA radar lately so you really gotta be careful even with a detector.

    edit: I use an escort passport 8500 X50
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    yeah cops are damn sneaky haha. i chose not to speed on main roads. and also if the car in front of me is speeding i will follw it. that way he gets spotted 1st

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    2.0Si User cubert's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    i have one of the cobra ones...like roodoo said its enough to know when there are speedtraps and stuff like that...its been enough to save my ass on many occasions.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by wohdog
    yeah cops are damn sneaky haha. i chose not to speed on main roads. and also if the car in front of me is speeding i will follw it. that way he gets spotted 1st


    funny that you say that. My patrol procedures class is teaching us about how to stay off main roads, because people commiting serious crimes are on the backroads.
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by 2drSE-i
    funny that you say that. My patrol procedures class is teaching us about how to stay off main roads, because people commiting serious crimes are on the backroads.
    yeah here in northwest arkansas, its really rare to see cops on the highway. if they are on the highway, they usually stay in plain view. but they are all over the place otherwise. speeding isnt really an issue here though. they are more looking for drunk drivers and drug dealers.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    It's pricey, but the Valentine is generally considered to be the best of the best. $400, the price of one big ticket, not to mention the points and insurance increase.

    The best way not to get nailed for speeding is to drive smart. If you are the only one on the road, particularly at night, then you just can't haul ass...you'll be caught eventually. Cops, sitting by the road with their detectors in "instant-on" or "Pop" mode, see your lights coming. They know how fast you're going already, because they have watched so much traffic. They wait until you're in range, then ZAP. You have no chance. True, some are lazy, they sit there with the radar on, set to a threshold alarm, then bust people at their leisure, but sometimes not.

    Laser is real tough. The patrol car parked sideways is a dead giveaway, but they also put officers in mowing tractors, on bridges, etc. You have to be very alert, and don't come over hills etc at speed. Finding another car to tail sometimes works, but don't stay too close, you can both get zapped and pulled over together.

    IMO, the best situation to make time is a fairly flat road, with groups of traffic in the fast lane travelling at 10-15 over the limit. You can work your way through the group, then when a nice open stretch presents itself, accelerate to the next group. You can average good speed that way.

    In CT, reckless driving is 85 or over, which is nominally a criminal charge, but they will reduce it if you aren't going real fast. But over 100 you're on your own.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    very experienced speeder are you, W261 ? you nailed it

    mowing tractors, crap that is a new one I do not doubt

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by roodoo2
    very experienced speeder are you, W261 ? you nailed it
    mowing tractors, crap that is a new one I do not doubt
    I've had 2 speeding tickets in the past twenty years, both well-deserved. One was on the freeway coming out of San Francisco. I was in the left lane at 85, and drove right past a CHIP on a bike in the middle lane. We don't have many motorcycle cops in the east. But duh.

    The last one was about 5 years ago in upstate NY. I was on a slight downhill curve around a solid rock wall, with the music on too loud. When I finally said to myself "What's that screaming? It's...my...radar....detector...YIKES!" It was too late. Zapped at 92, but because I immediately pulled over and waited for him to catch up, he wrote me up at only 85. Again, inattention.

    I like the Valentine because, as the ads say, once you get used to the arrows it's hard to live without them.

    In the 1970's, when so many people had CB radios, that was really good because the truckers would warn each other about traps. I don't even know if truckers use CBs any more, but I keep meaning to find out, because that was a big help.

    Roodoo, I notice that you're from GA. In the 1950's, a town called Luduwici had one of the most notorious traps in the south. This was before interstates, and downtown Luduwici had a stoplight that was controlled by someone sitting in a building at the intersection. When a victim would approach, they would hit the yellow, then the red, so quickly that the sucker would end up running the light. The cops were waiting. AAA ended up directing people around towns that did stuff like that, which was a way to put pressure on the merchants. There were all sorts of cons, like in Chiefland, FL, where a loooong straight stretch had a very, very lightly painted no passing line. People couldn't see it, especially at night, and the long road provided good sight lines, so they would pass, and bingo. Also a favorite was the go-around-the-corner-and-there's-the-25mph speed limit sign with cop.

    I got clocked by an airplane in MN in the 70's. Not much you can do about that either.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    I forgot to mention one very important tip. If you see traffic ahead of you hit their brake lights, slow down NOW. It's a reflex action when they see the cop ahead.

    Any car parked on the shoulder ahead with it's trunk up should be suspect. By the time you see the light bar it's too late.

    I mentioned this a couple of years ago. The MA patrol had these Mustangs with radar firing out the rear windows. They would cruise the left lanes, and try to get people to hang with them, gradually increasing their speed until they were flying pretty good. Then they'd zap the follower. Now that's dirty pool.

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    3Geez Veteran MessyHonda's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    so you guys are saying to drive smarter. i still want to get one....i guess i have to save up a little more to get a better one. any one had any expirence with the corbra ones. they are 12 band while the high end escort are only 8 with a 300 buck price tag.


    w261w261 thanks for your impute...i only seen thoes valentine radar detetors on like car magazines like car and driver.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by w261w261
    I mentioned this a couple of years ago. The MA patrol had these Mustangs with radar firing out the rear windows. They would cruise the left lanes, and try to get people to hang with them, gradually increasing their speed until they were flying pretty good. Then they'd zap the follower. Now that's dirty pool.
    that is entrapment and is very much so illegal. if this happens to anyone, get the officers name, badge number, and car number. then file a formal complaint with the officer, the police department, and the city. under no circumstances are patrol officers allowed to bait other drivers into a speed contest then pull them over.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by evil88accordLX
    that is entrapment and is very much so illegal. if this happens to anyone, get the officers name, badge number, and car number. then file a formal complaint with the officer, the police department, and the city. under no circumstances are patrol officers allowed to bait other drivers into a speed contest then pull them over.
    It wasn't a speed contest, the victims were merely keeping up with traffic. It's just that the traffic turned out to be the cops. They did this all the time. Don't know if they still are at it...this was several years ago.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    seems that last time i was in MA, the average speed on the turnpike was about 95 anyhow........

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by evil88accordLX
    seems that last time i was in MA, the average speed on the turnpike was about 95 anyhow........
    That's why this whole speed enforcement thing is so morally bankrupt. Traffic moves at whatever speed it's comfortable doing, and 98% of the time that's ok. Then the other 2% is when a few sacrificial sheep get sheared. If you're one of the sheep, you're hurtin'. The other 98% drive by the traffic stop, briefly slow down a bit, then take it right back up.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    yeah really. i try not to speed anyhow. i have long hair and a goatee, so i get harassed majorly if i get pulled over. first two questions are always: "how much have you had to drink" and "are there drugs in the car". stupid cops. oh, and ive been pulled over while walking also.

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    3Geez Veteran MessyHonda's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by evil88accordLX
    yeah really. i try not to speed anyhow. i have long hair and a goatee, so i get harassed majorly if i get pulled over. first two questions are always: "how much have you had to drink" and "are there drugs in the car". stupid cops. oh, and ive been pulled over while walking also.

    i have long hair also...the cop that pulled me over said my front windows where too dark and that he could not distinguish if i was a male or female.....why the fuck does it mater if im driving good.

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    Cool Re: Radar Detectors

    In my opinion if you want a radar detector save some money and buy the Valentine One $399.00 at valentineone.com That's the best radar period!! That and the Passport 8500 X50, had almost the same sensibility range but the passport will give you more false alarms on Auto mode (mode that filters most of the junk signals) while the Valentine One in Logic mode will tell you treats only (very few junk signals) I have both so I know that the V1 is better but either one is over $300.00 Anything else that is cheap is going to be good for nothing.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by MessyHonda
    i have long hair also...the cop that pulled me over said my front windows where too dark and that he could not distinguish if i was a male or female.....why the fuck does it mater if im driving good.
    funny, i had a cop tell me the same thing. if they cant even distinguish an individuals gender, not that gender matters, why do we put such authority in these peoples hands? i dont know how many times ive blown a 0.000 on a breathazyzer because the cop didnt believe i hadnt been drinking. they depend waaaaaaayyyyyyy too much on their 'toys'; radar guns, breathalyzer, so on and so fourth. what ever happened to people using their common sense to assess the situation instead of relying on a machine that isnt necessarily always correct?

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Quote Originally Posted by evil88accordLX
    funny, i had a cop tell me the same thing. if they cant even distinguish an individuals gender, not that gender matters, why do we put such authority in these peoples hands? i dont know how many times ive blown a 0.000 on a breathazyzer because the cop didnt believe i hadnt been drinking. they depend waaaaaaayyyyyyy too much on their 'toys'; radar guns, breathalyzer, so on and so fourth. what ever happened to people using their common sense to assess the situation instead of relying on a machine that isnt necessarily always correct?
    I think it is the trend that seems to follow every occupation these days, too much training and not enough common sense.
    W261 Ludawici is still going last I heard...not with the remote stop light though. A lot of those small towns do a reduction in speed like from 60 , to 35 ,posted signs in a 150 ft. stretch.
    Yes truckers still use CB's and now they have some pretty nice ones with matchbox linears and such. You can tell something is up when they are grouped up with traffic lagging behind , if they are oncoming interstate. You really just need to be alert like watching the crows/squirrels in the woods, so to speak. A lot of the trucks have GPS systems though too that alert the supervisors when they are breaking the speed limiit. Also look for other cars using radar detectors... ha ha in Virginia they have radar detector dectectors and they will bust your ass if they catch you with one.

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    3Geez Veteran BITESIZE's Avatar
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    Re: Radar Detectors

    I simply just don't speed anymore.

  24. #24

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    I wouldn't waste my money and hopes on one. The best way is to pay attention to what's happening in front of you. Look for brake lights or headlights that people flash at you. I also look carefully in my rear view mirror when getting up onto the interstate for cops behind me. I pay attention to what's in the median or on the side of the road. I live in Ohio where the state symbol is the highway patrol car giving someone a ticket.

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    Re: Radar Detectors

    Ohio state symbol, that is funnny funny stuff there... lol

    I think MH , according to info his post in another thread, is just fond of hitting triple digits on the commute, thus needs countermeasure sonar..

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