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PNI RX 5000 Radar Laser Detector with Digital Compass LCD $29.95

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Got mine and it's OK. After using BEL detectors for years, it's not nearly as good. We have a road speed display thingy in my area that uses K band and it seems to pick that up properly....no other testing for me.
 
For everyone that actually got this. How does the compass work? Is it accurate? Does it require constant recalibration? Did the ones you got, have the altimeter feature?
 
Originally posted by: justint
For everyone that actually got this. How does the compass work? Is it accurate? Does it require constant recalibration? Did the ones you got, have the altimeter feature?

The RX5000 does not have an altimeter, only the RX5010 have (a slightly higher model). All the ones being sold on buy.com for 29.99 is the one without altimeter.

 
Originally posted by: justint
For everyone that actually got this. How does the compass work? Is it accurate? Does it require constant recalibration? Did the ones you got, have the altimeter feature?

The compass seems to work fine for me. I've only used it for a day so I don't know if it needs recalibration a lot.

 
Be warned that shipping is SLOW. Mine was just finally delivered today, more than 2 weeks after ordering. I'll let everyone know how it works when I get the chance to check it out. If it sucks, oh well, I've wasted a lot more than $35 (w/shipping) in the past so I won't sweat it. If it works even marginally well, I'll consider it a great deal, as no radar detector is fool-proof.
 
just a heads up for all of you getting this, (mine took about 2 weeks) the compass wont work till you calibrate it (read the manual) Mine only said NE until I set it. It works off electromagnetic fields. Push the city button for 3 seconds, then turn your car in two cirlces, then push city button again. Its all in the manual if you read it. Theres no broken compases, only people who fail to follow directions.
 
I've been using it for a day and its great.

The compass works fine an displays 8 major direction in 5degree increment readouts.

The green displays are much more relaxing to look at than red displays imho.

Also I think the silverish paint just looks better than plain black whistlers.

There were couple of false alarms but you can tell because the signal is not strong and the chirping is also slow.

When I was passing by one of those speed indicators on the road it gave me a very rapid chirping and signal strength of 9, which means it'll probably do the same when I pass by a cop.

So all in all, I think this was a great buy for 30 bux.

All detectors have false alarms btw.
 
Mine is on the way to me...

I will see how it compares to my good, ol' cobra 6050LE. Some review sites rated this thing nearly as good as the v1 and bel 980, but we will see. I will probably have both up in my car at once to compare the two. For $30, I couldn't pass this up.
 
Mine is on the way also🙂...just ordered this morning. I wonder if i can use this as a compass when I go hiking.....thats what i really bought it for anyways.
 
Originally posted by: freebee
Mine is on the way also🙂...just ordered this morning. I wonder if i can use this as a compass when I go hiking.....thats what i really bought it for anyways.

Uh.... how do you plan to power it??
 
Originally posted by: gogeeta13
Mine is on the way to me... I will see how it compares to my good, ol' cobra 6050LE. Some review sites rated this thing nearly as good as the v1 and bel 980, but we will see. I will probably have both up in my car at once to compare the two. For $30, I couldn't pass this up.

Gogeeta- Where are these sites you are talking about? I have yet to come up with a site that says that the RX5000 is comparable to the Bel and the Valentine1...

Also if you operate 2 radar detectors at once, I think I read somewhere that it will interfere with each other, and you would get false signals.
 
Originally posted by: ShinSa
Originally posted by: freebee
Mine is on the way also🙂...just ordered this morning. I wonder if i can use this as a compass when I go hiking.....thats what i really bought it for anyways.

Uh.... how do you plan to power it??

You're right...forgot about that part. Though it was battery operated for some strange reason.

 
Dude, I don't know why you would skimp on a radar detector. It defeats the whole purpose when you still get a $400 ticket because you detector sucks.

Valentine 1 is the only way to fly.

Now I am off to get in my 320hp Audi S4 (lets just say its overclocked) and do 95 all the way home.

Haha!!
 
Originally posted by: skrill
Dude, I don't know why you would skimp on a radar detector. It defeats the whole purpose when you still get a $400 ticket because you detector sucks.

Valentine 1 is the only way to fly.

Now I am off to get in my 320hp Audi S4 (lets just say its overclocked) and do 95 all the way home.

Haha!!

And let this be a lesson to you kids of how NOT to drive. 😉 Just because you have a fancy radar detector doesn't mean your invisible to cops.
 
Good buy for me. I like the silver color and music when startup. Volume is fine for me but may be small for those with loud music. Good compass, and reliable alerts every times driving pass same few stores. Did consider jammmer but not sure 100% avoiding a ticket.
 
Hooked mine up for the first time today. Compass is easy to set up and works great. On the highway outside of town I got high signals in K and X at different times but it was dark and couldn't locate any police. I did pass one of those contraptions that tells you your speed and it went off pretty high. It seems to be pretty good so far.
 
Mine is on the way.

I have tried to access the product from buy.com today. I got the message saying "Sorry, this product is no longer sold at the buy.com website"

Does this mean - This product should not be sold/used because of the new laws in force? If so, will there be any problem if it is used?
 
Originally posted by: skrill
Dude, I don't know why you would skimp on a radar detector. It defeats the whole purpose when you still get a $400 ticket because you detector sucks.

Valentine 1 is the only way to fly.

Now I am off to get in my 320hp Audi S4 (lets just say its overclocked) and do 95 all the way home.

Haha!!

And you'd be an absolute fool. No radar detector is perfect and there is no protection from the "Instant-On."

That's why I went with this cheap one after having owned expensive Bel's in the past (the last one of which was stolen a few months ago 🙁 :| ). Radar detectors merely help you from getting a ticket by alerting you to a cop who (for example) might be sitting on an overpass targeting everybody. Sometimes the regular flow of traffic moves faster than the speed limit and this is where a radar detector will save you. They will not save you if you are obviously speeding and moving much faster than the flow of traffic. Not even a V1 will save you then. The cop will see you coming, turn off his radar, and then drill you with the Instant-On as you fly by. Your precious $400 V1 will light like a Xmas tree, and you'll slam the brakes just in time to pull over and sign for your ticket. I don't even know why I'm telling you this, I should have just let you find out for yourself.

Anyway, mine was waiting for me when I got home from work last night. Setup and calibration is easy, everything works. Noise level is adjustable (thank God). When calibrating the compass, make sure that you do 2 perfect circles, stopping after the 2nd one facing the exact same direction as when you started. Very important if you want it to be exact. Took a test run to the store and back last night, not a false alarm once, not even right in front of the automatic doors. IMO, well worth the $30 bucks.


 
I got in on this the first time....great radar detector for $30...I ended up buying 2 more yesterday for my friends that wanted one too 😀
 
Originally posted by: Halcyon98
Woah.. i ordered this yesterday and it came in today.. That is some pretty amazing shipping 🙂 UPS Ground rocks! ahha...

That sounds kind of impossible unless you live like right next to the buy.com shipping place... weird.

 
Very shocking to me as well. The packing slip said it was sent from Irvine, CA (unless they have a distribution center in Dallas which was where it was sent). Anyway, tested out the radar.

SO far....

the compass is VERY precise to within 5 degrees and is on the dot. Problem is, my headlights interfere and give the compass a 40 degree problem. Solution for me, is to calibrate it with the lights on, and just keep my headlights on all the time (otherwise the compass is always off -40 degrees.

Alarm has not gone off at all so either 1) no false alarms, 2) no alarm at all, or 3) cops don't use radars here.

I did get a K > 1 reading off of an automatic door though so I believe it is working 🙂
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
I just called a CSR at Buy.com and he told me that our radar detectors are backordered! Damn! :| Hopefully I'll get it in a week or two......
 
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