Are radar detectors worth it?

[FearoftheNight]

Saw a good deal for an escort 8500 radar dectoctor. ANyone know anything about radar dectectors and whether they are worth it? Is it only useful for highways and interstates or also for local roads? Any help would be great as I am about to pull the trigger.....

Edit: Well usually if 55 zone i drive 70 and in a 65 i drive 80....is it still worth it for me?

 

[minendo]

I'm using a cheap Cobra and it has saved my ass on several occasions.

 

[wyvrn]

I used to have a radar, but the problem is they go off so often you don't know if the cop is coming your direction or it's just a bounced signal. Maybe the technology has gotten better, but I wouldn't buy one on past experience.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Valentine One, now. Step away from the sh!tty detector.

- M4H

 

[Saulbadguy]

I love mine. I've had it for over a year now, and no tickets. Its saved me on quite a few occasions. On local roads you hear X-Band alot, and that seems to never be a cop. When its on Ka band I always slow down. You get trained to the noises, when you actually know its a cop or not.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Valentine One, now. Step away from the sh!tty detector.

- M4H

I thought the Escort 8500 was a close 2nd to the V1 but at a much lower price point?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Valentine One, now. Step away from the sh!tty detector.

- M4H

Ehh.. V1 is overrated, dated, and over-priced. I would take a high end Bel-Tronics over the V1 anyday...

Bel 985 > V1

 

[FearoftheNight]

Originally posted by: minendo
I'm using a cheap Cobra and it has saved my ass on several occasions.

When you say several occasions: do you mean speeding like a maniac?

 

[LAUST]

Never used one in my life and still a perfect record

 

[m0rbid]

A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight

Originally posted by: minendo
I'm using a cheap Cobra and it has saved my ass on several occasions.

When you say several occasions: do you mean speeding like a maniac?

You don't need to "speed like a maniac" to get saved several times. In my town, they will write you a ticket for 35MPH in a 30MPH...

 

[marquee]

I've heard some cops have tried to combat the radar detectors by not turning their radar on until they visually see a car they think might be speeding. I doubt most of the cops do this though. And some cops use lasers to detect speed, in which case your radar detector is useless. Again, I don't think lasers are being used that often though.

However, rather than getting a radar detector, falling in to a false sense of security and getting pulled over going 30mph over the speed limit by some laser toting cop, I decided against it and just stick to my 10mph over the limit.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight

Originally posted by: minendo
I'm using a cheap Cobra and it has saved my ass on several occasions.

When you say several occasions: do you mean speeding like a maniac?

That or keeping up with traffic.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

Put a lot of thought into that statement huh?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

Go back to Mother Russia, Comrade.

- M4H

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

My radar detector also warns me of emergency vehicles on the highway as well as trains when coming to certain track crossings.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

My radar detector also warns me of emergency vehicles on the highway as well as trains when coming to certain track crossings.

Yeah, but seriously people don't buy RDs for that in 99% of cases. They use them to break the law. They SHOULD be illegal. I would personally like to have the Valentine 1, but I'm not paying $400, and I know for a fact that it would encourage me to speed. By all accounts I've heard, people get more tickets when they buy an RD, because they end up driving so fast.

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

*holds up a can of planter's peanuts*

see these nuts? suck on them awhile.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

My radar detector also warns me of emergency vehicles on the highway as well as trains when coming to certain track crossings.

Yeah, but seriously people don't buy RDs for that in 99% of cases. They use them to break the law. They SHOULD be illegal. I would personally like to have the Valentine 1, but I'm not paying $400, and I know for a fact that it would encourage me to speed. By all accounts I've heard, people get more tickets when they buy an RD, because they end up driving so fast.

My main reason for picking it up was because I constantly travelled through Ohio. The troopers on Route 80 will hand out tickets for doing 4 over. It was a hassle I wanted to avoid. Plus I refuse to do ~65mph on the interstate and have truckers on my ass the whole ride.

 

[dquan97]

I've had a Bel one for years and saved me a couple times from undercover cops with radar guns.

 

[m0rbid]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

Put a lot of thought into that statement huh?

It doesnt take a lot of thought to do or think the right thing.

 

[arcenite]

I have a cobra and it's saved me on many occasions... No i don't speed like a maniac.. not very often atleast It has saved me from many speeding tickets I would have gotten so in my mind it paid itself off the first time it went BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP (when it wasn't warning me of the doors at CVS).

Bill

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

My radar detector also warns me of emergency vehicles on the highway as well as trains when coming to certain track crossings.

Yeah, but seriously people don't buy RDs for that in 99% of cases. They use them to break the law. They SHOULD be illegal. I would personally like to have the Valentine 1, but I'm not paying $400, and I know for a fact that it would encourage me to speed. By all accounts I've heard, people get more tickets when they buy an RD, because they end up driving so fast.

My main reason for picking it up was because I constantly travelled through Ohio. The troopers on Route 80 will hand out tickets for doing 4 over. It was a hassle I wanted to avoid. Plus I refuse to do ~65mph on the interstate and have truckers on my ass the whole ride.

I have a radar detector.


Here's how it is useful:
over time you remember where the false signals are. After using it for a month or two when you hear a signal that wasn't here before you notice it at once and slow down.
It has saved me at least 7 or 8 times from *possibly* getting a ticket. It's not as useful in places where I don't travel a lot, but still works.


The point is that it picks up on radar when the cop point it at someone else, so follow someone by a couple hundred feet and you should be okay.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: m0rbid

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: m0rbid
A device whose sole purpose is to PURPOSELY break the law should be outlawed in all states.

Put a lot of thought into that statement huh?

It doesnt take a lot of thought to do or think the right thing.

Yeah it does. :evil:

- M4H

 

[Ausm]

I use a Bel 985 saved my ass numerous times


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