Radar Detectors: Which one do you have?

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SamurAchzar

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2006
2,422
3
76
V1 detector + Laser Pro Park against the LIDARs. Great combo, not cheap but the hassle of dealing with the police is considerable too.
 

JMapleton

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2008
4,179
2
81
You can get an 8500 for 150 on ebay, is that a decent deal?

I personally don't think so. You are looking at the 8500, not the 8500 x50, which is significantly more effective than the ordinary outdated 8500.

If you want something in that price range, I would rather have a new Beltronics 955.
 

shaolin95

Senior member
Jul 8, 2005
624
1
91
From what I have read a lot of people actually prefer the old 8500 due to some versions of the new one having "inferior" parts..?
Not sure, I got the X50 and I am happy but I read something like that in some radar forums.


Anyone here using the Cheetah C50? I am very tempted to get this...looks very cool.
 

JMapleton

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2008
4,179
2
81
From what I have read a lot of people actually prefer the old 8500 due to some versions of the new one having "inferior" parts..?
Not sure, I got the X50 and I am happy but I read something like that in some radar forums.


Anyone here using the Cheetah C50? I am very tempted to get this...looks very cool.

Avoid anything that's not Escort/Beltronics, with the exception of Valentine, which is mostly only great for rural and highway areas.

Escort/Beltronics together hold something like 90% of all the radar detector related patents out there. No one can touch them except Valentine, which is still prone to false signals.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,415
404
126
Escort/Beltronics together hold something like 90% of all the radar detector related patents out there. No one can touch them except Valentine, which is still prone to false signals.
Setting the V1 to Logic mode greatly mitigates this. Not looking to get into a pissing match and to each his/her own, but I greatly prefer the V1 and its directional arrows. Feel weird using my old Whistler Pro 78SE (in the 98 Cavvy that I gave to my younger bro).
 

JMapleton

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2008
4,179
2
81
Setting the V1 to Logic mode greatly mitigates this. Not looking to get into a pissing match and to each his/her own, but I greatly prefer the V1 and its directional arrows. Feel weird using my old Whistler Pro 78SE (in the 98 Cavvy that I gave to my younger bro).

I get you. If I lived in Ames, IA I would seriously consider the V1. It's just a pain in the city though, as with any other non GPS detector is.

Once you get a taste of the 9500ix's auto filtering of false signals, it's hard to like anything else.
 

OogyWaWa

Senior member
Jan 20, 2009
623
0
71
i've got an escort 8500 x50. it gets the job done except when cops are hiding behind obstacles and facing the same way as the flow of traffic.
 

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
60,801
10
0
I'll filter the signals myself, instead of letting the RD handle it. Besides, nice to have arrows, and possibly more importantly, signal count.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Heh, got a range of well over 3 miles today on Ka band. It's a construction zone, 55 Mph, double fine, and started getting one or two Ka bars. Kept looking for where he may be as there are no overpasses and really only a few places for them to be.

After it going of and steadily increasing for at least 3 miles I saw him parked on the right tucked in behind some barriers. Must have had the gun aimed backwards (towards oncoming traffic). I know it was at least that because normally when the alerts is constant like that for so long and just gets stronger it normally means one is driving behind you somewhere and slowly gaining. I kept looking in my rearview to see, but nope, it was this guy parked because the signal died pretty quickly after I passed him.

Absolutely LOVE my radar detector (8500 x50, blue)
 
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Hellotalkie

Golden Member
Sep 4, 2005
1,615
0
76
Sorry to bring up a dead thread, but I didn't want to make a new one since a bunch of information is already contained.

About to purchase an 8500 x50 from ebay (escorts refurb center). Anyone oppose? its going for 200
 

PhoKingGuy

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 2007
4,685
0
76
Sorry to bring up a dead thread, but I didn't want to make a new one since a bunch of information is already contained.

About to purchase an 8500 x50 from ebay (escorts refurb center). Anyone oppose? its going for 200

link to auction?
 

RockinZ28

Platinum Member
Mar 5, 2008
2,171
49
101
Don't know about the price, I bought my 8500 X50 new in like 2003 off ebay. But as far as performance, it's great.

It gives a lot of false alarms if you have all the bands enabled in urban areas, but I know the cops pretty much only use Ka band all around here, or at least use to, so I disabled everything else. Now it rarely even goes off, and when it does I usually see a cop parked somewhere. It has saved me from a few speeding tickets, and even a dui before I was 21 back when I was a dumbass. Easily paid for itself.

It makes me laugh when I'm on the freeway cruising in the fast lane and it starts going off. I immediately brake to the speed limit while moving over a lane or two if possible. People look at you weird and keep speeding on.
 

bruceb

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
8,874
111
106
You don't need to buy the hardwire kit. Make your own like I did.

You will need:

1 RJ-11 telephone plug & crimper tool
and
a piece of flat telephone 4 wire cable
1 inline fuse holder & fuse rated at 2 Amps (fast blow type)

You also need some heatshrink and whatever
kind of terminals or splice taps to hook into
car +12V and car ground.


At the RJ-11 Plug with the TAB facing AWAY from you
looking at the pins, wire entering from the Right Side:

The Red (Positive 12V connection) is the Second contact from the TOP pin #3

The Green (Negative / Ground) is the Third contact from the TOP pin #2

The fuse can be a 3AG type or a mini blade fuse with the correct holder.
 
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RPD

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
5,109
600
126
I had the 8500i in blue.. until it was stolen out of my car :(
I since need to get another but with a truck I find myself not driving as fast in my old 350z.

People that have bad stories or say radar detectors don't work either don't know how to use it (it's not a free pass) or bought a cheap on. Either spend $250+ or don't bother.
 

kevman

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2001
3,548
1
81
You don't need to buy the hardwire kit. Make your own like I did.

You will need:

1 RJ-11 telephone plug & crimper tool
and
a piece of flat telephone 4 wire cable
1 inline fuse holder & fuse rated at 2 Amps (fast blow type)

You also need some heatshrink and whatever
kind of terminals or splice taps to hook into
car +12V and car ground.


At the RJ-11 Plug with the TAB facing AWAY from you
looking at the pins, wire entering from the Right Side:

The Red (Positive 12V connection) is the Second contact from the TOP pin #3

The Green (Negative / Ground) is the Third contact from the TOP pin #2

The fuse can be a 3AG type or a mini blade fuse with the correct holder.

THANKS!! I was looking for this info for a while today. I just got my V1 and hardwired it to my Mirror on the C6.

I used these terminals from Radio shack on the phone cord

DSC01798.jpg
 
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Saga

Banned
Feb 18, 2005
2,718
1
0
My truck has a Blinder M47. Your pansy Escort's have absolutely nothing on me, and are all a waste of money.

They even pay a ticket if I ever actually get one. ;)
 
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Imdmn04

Platinum Member
Jan 28, 2002
2,566
6
81
For some reason my 8500 X50 always triggers the laser alarm whenever I press the horn. I did a little bit research on the net, and it is not uncommon either.

Having said that, I am thinking of upgrading to the 9500 as I am tired of hitting the mute button every time I drive through the same areas with all the automatic doors. Sometimes I am auto-programmed to press mute on my 8500 which makes it kind of pointless in real alarm situations.
 

JMapleton

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2008
4,179
2
81
My truck has a Blinder M47. Your pansy Escort's have absolutely nothing on me, and are all a waste of money.

They even pay a ticket if I ever actually get one. ;)

Blinder is only a laser jammer, it does nothing against radar. It's not even the best laser jammer on the market. You cannot jam radar.

Blinder is effective, but on most police laser guns they still see the jam codes (letting the police know they're being jammed). Laser Interceptor, which is an imported brand, shows the least jam codes, thus making your jamming secret to most police guns.

But like I said, Blinder isn't a radar detector, it's a laser jammer, it does nothing to detector radar.
 

JMapleton

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2008
4,179
2
81
Having said that, I am thinking of upgrading to the 9500 as I am tired of hitting the mute button every time I drive through the same areas with all the automatic doors. Sometimes I am auto-programmed to press mute on my 8500 which makes it kind of pointless in real alarm situations.

Make sure it's the 9500ix, not the 9500i. The i, you still have to press the button to lock out the false signal.