Are radar dectectors worth it?

[SLCentral]

Do they still work, and are they worth ~$200 to spend on it? I hate how obtrusive they are in the car, and how ugly they look with the wire going down to the cigarette adaptor. Can someone explain to me as to why they have failed to make an in-dash radar detector built-in to an aftermarket radio?

Bottom-line: Are radar detectors worth the cash, and if so, which one do I buy, or am I better off just looking for cops with my eyes?

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Got a heavy foot?

 

[j00fek]

if you know how to use them, they work fine

 

[EXman]

I don't think so much anymore the Eighties and nineties sure but now if they go off you're too late in many cases.

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Do they still work, and are they worth ~$200 to spend on it? I hate how obtrusive they are in the car, and how ugly they look with the wire going down to the cigarette adaptor. Can someone explain to me as to why they have failed to make an in-dash radar detector built-in to an aftermarket radio?

Bottom-line: Are radar detectors worth the cash, and if so, which one do I buy, or am I better off just looking for cops with my eyes?

Radar detectors are scams left over from the 1980's.

 

[J0hnny]

With the aid of a good radar detector and some "smart" driving (ie., slow down when cornering right and keeping a good eye on what's behind you), you will be able to avoid most traps.

I've already avoided being "caught" countless times with the aid of my $100 radar detector. The alarm usually rings early enough to give me a good amount of time to slow down.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

A friend of mine, well a few friends of mine, live by theirs. But, they like to drive excessively fast.
And the radar detectors they use are expensive ($300+), so they work well.
Cops generally do not pull you over for <10 here, so if the speed limit is 45, I go 50. Most people go 60. But I am not going to chance it. It's not worth it to get there 2 minutes faster.

 

[Skotty]

Been a long time, but a Car and Driver comparison many years back put the Valentine One far ahead of the competition. A few of the radar detectors worked well, a few of them didn't. As I like to say, you don't get more than you pay for.

 

[J0hnny]

Originally posted by: brandonbull

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Do they still work, and are they worth ~$200 to spend on it? I hate how obtrusive they are in the car, and how ugly they look with the wire going down to the cigarette adaptor. Can someone explain to me as to why they have failed to make an in-dash radar detector built-in to an aftermarket radio?

Bottom-line: Are radar detectors worth the cash, and if so, which one do I buy, or am I better off just looking for cops with my eyes?

Radar detectors are scams left over from the 1980's.

Then explain why cops still hide behind bushes with radar guns?

Radar detectors work well when you know what you're doing.

I've avoided many traps with the aid of one.
Example: Late at night, in rural NJ, the police like to hide their car with all their lights off on some sort of known fast straight-away for an easy catch, usually near a school or intersection. While driving, I would get some random alarms from my detector but as I close in towards the trap, the alarm gets louder with the strength meter going higher. Thats when my foot comes off the gas and go towards the brakes.

By the time I reach the trap, I'm at most 10mph above the speed limit which means no tickets!

 

[jiggahertz]

You can wire them directly into your car's electrical panel rather easily so you don't need the cord running to the cigarette adapter. They work well against radar, but if you get a laser warning, it's usually too late.

 

[SeminoleMarine]

Example from another perspective:

Late at night, no one around for miles. You come to a overpass, as you hit the top, bbeeeeeeepppppp. Result, too late, here's your ticket. If the police are waiting to turn on the radar as you approach, detectors are useless.

 

[FoBoT]

i don't see the point, i know all the hiding spots they use along my commute, a radar detector wouldn't help

 

[brandonbull]

Originally posted by: J0hnny

Originally posted by: brandonbull

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Do they still work, and are they worth ~$200 to spend on it? I hate how obtrusive they are in the car, and how ugly they look with the wire going down to the cigarette adaptor. Can someone explain to me as to why they have failed to make an in-dash radar detector built-in to an aftermarket radio?

Bottom-line: Are radar detectors worth the cash, and if so, which one do I buy, or am I better off just looking for cops with my eyes?

Radar detectors are scams left over from the 1980's.

Then explain why cops still hide behind bushes with radar guns?

Radar detectors work well when you know what you're doing.

I've avoided many traps with the aid of one.
Example: Late at night, in rural NJ, the police like to hide their car with all their lights off on some sort of known fast straight-away for an easy catch, usually near a school or intersection. While driving, I would get some random alarms from my detector but as I close in towards the trap, the alarm gets louder with the strength meter going higher. Thats when my foot comes off the gas and go towards the brakes.

By the time I reach the trap, I'm at most 10mph above the speed limit which means no tickets!

I guess hiding behind bushes prevents the radar detector from working? "Oh noes my radar detector didn't see the cop behind the bushes."

 

[JackBurton]

~$200 radar detectors? NO. IMO, you have three to choose from, Valentine One, Passport 8500 X50, or Beltronics STi Driver. That's it! If you can't afford any of those three, then don't buy one at all. If you want to get hardcore, you get a radar detector, some Veil and a laser jammer. You should be very well protected then.

 

[Shawn]

Yep. They work great. Saved me countless times.

 

[J0hnny]

Originally posted by: SeminoleMarine
Example from another perspective:

Late at night, no one around for miles. You come to a overpass, as you hit the top, bbeeeeeeepppppp. Result, too late, here's your ticket. If the police are waiting to turn on the radar as you approach, detectors are useless.

Bad example. Cops usually use a consistent-ON radar. Also, if coming over an overpass excessively speeding, then you're not driving smart. And even if the cop chose to fire the gun, he can only get you after you've crossed the top of the crest of the overpass.

 

[zeruty]

Originally posted by: SeminoleMarine
Example from another perspective:

Late at night, no one around for miles. You come to a overpass, as you hit the top, bbeeeeeeepppppp. Result, too late, here's your ticket. If the police are waiting to turn on the radar as you approach, detectors are useless.

radar detectors won't help all the time, but they do some of the time. The some of the time is worth it for me.
Also, one thing thats happened a few times: I am speeding on a highway, and I see a cop car hidden off to the side, and think 'oh sh**!" as I pass it doing 20 over. Then I realize my detector never went off, they didn't clock me! So it's saved me from havin to change my drawers a few times. And if they did pull me over, and claimed that they clocked me I'd know they are BSing.

 

[deerslayer]

Mine has saved my ass on multiple occasions. I usually end up with at least one person staying right behind me when traveling on the interstate. At least three times my detector has gone off, I hit the brakes, they pass me, and about a mile down the road they get pulled over.

I had one girl in a mustang follow me for about 45 miles on the interstate one day, right before we hit town I slowed down because there are usually cops in that area. Sure enough, the radar detector started going off and she passed me and got nailed.

Edit: I have a Cobra something or other.

 

[mugs]

They do work, in that they detect radar...

However, they can give you a false sense of security. Just because it's not going off, that doesn't mean you're safe. Cops don't have to drive around with their radar on, they can just turn it on and nail you when they see you speeding.

In my experience, reasonable speeding won't usually get you a ticket. Everyone speeds. Doing something to draw attention to yourself will get you pulled over - i.e. changing lanes frequently, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, etc. In my 8 years of speeding I've been pulled over many times, and I've gotten some tickets, but I've only ever gotten one ticket for speeding. And that one was when I was driving through another state. I think cops prefer to pull over people from other states.

 

[LS20]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Can someone explain to me as to why they have failed to make an in-dash radar detector built-in to an aftermarket radio?

sounds like this could make somebody a rich man...

 

[LS20]

My opinion used to be that they are worthless - they dont make you invincible, yet they are no improvement over acting smart and alert--being cognizant of possible traps, never leading a pack, follow the lead's signals, etc
(and the false alarm is annoying, too)

However, I've gotten tagged 3 times recently with my new car with some very, very shady speed traps. My convertible w/ HIDs is just more eye-catching than the old sedan I suppose.

Anyway, in those circumstances, I would have welcomed the alarm of a detector. Truth is, you cant be 100% alert and cognizant of traps at all times, and any extra "aid" in signaling off a possible trap is a good one.

 

[spidey07]

I've probably avoided 100s of speeding tickets thanks to my radar detector.

Good ones will be sensitive enough to catchy the reflections as he's gunning others. Plus most of the times it's constant radar anyway and you pick them up a few miles before you ever get there.

 

[Insomniator]

The best 'consumer level' detector you can buy.. the V1 still costs less then a single speeding ticket. That means if it saves
you ONE time, it just paid for itself, plus you get to have a cool toy instead of sending your money to the state.

Now that being said, you can't just continue to drive like a total maniac thinking your invincible just because you have a detector. My friend has gotten many tickets with his passport 850 and blames it on the detector but he is an idiot that doesn't speed cautiously at all. My dad and I have driven our car with an 850 in it for years and have never gotten a ticket going 90-95 on the parkway.

If you ease up around curves and hills, keep an eye out for what the people in front of you are doing and stay to the right as much as possible, you should be ok. A cop is more likely to give a ticket to a driver in the left lane doing 85 compared to a driver doing 95 in the
right lane.

Also, driving a yellow lancer or anything with a stupid ass wing increases your chances of getting a ticket by about... 8 thousand percent. Keep that in mind when buying a car.

 

[LS20]

my problem is deciding between V1 .. and passport 8500

additionally, ive got a sports car, and its only got a 12v jack back at the elbow area... that means having the power line cutting down my passenger cabin in half... and then the fact that my external GPS unit will compete for the charging...

 

[spidey07]

So wire it directly to the fuse box and hide the wire. Makes for a very clean install.