Looking to take a road trip this weekend and I need a radar detector. Anyone know of a good one for around $100 or a website that rates them cause I cant find one anywhere.
Radar Detectors
- Thread starter navyac
- Start date
I's say save your money and drive 70 - 75 max. Radar Detectors are a hit or miss proposition. It may save your tail, or it may just alert you that you've just been clocked. It probably will not get laser guns that the cop triggers only when you are in line of sight, and on interstates those are the primary weapon these days.
My brother-in-law is a state cop, as are two of my neighbors. In general they work the road as if the speed limit were 70 mph. In fact they do not recommend that anyone drive 55 on the interstate, as it is just not safe. If you are in the 70-75 mph range then you're very unlikely to get pulled over, as they are watching for the 80-90 crowd, of which there are plenty in the left lane.
My brother-in-law is a state cop, as are two of my neighbors. In general they work the road as if the speed limit were 70 mph. In fact they do not recommend that anyone drive 55 on the interstate, as it is just not safe. If you are in the 70-75 mph range then you're very unlikely to get pulled over, as they are watching for the 80-90 crowd, of which there are plenty in the left lane.
I used an Escort back in the day. I travelled in a lead-footed manner all over the Midwest and never got a ticket. I once made it to Chicago in under 3 hours (a modern day miracle, given my starting point), with the speedometer buried as often as possible. If I'd been caught, I'd still be in jail. Note: look for a jammer if you're concerned about laser.
Detector reviews
Ditto
Ditto 2
Detector reviews
Ditto
Ditto 2
bruceb
Diamond Member
- Aug 20, 2004
- 8,874
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If you want to stay Ticket Free on the major highways, stick to about 13MPH over the posted Speed Limit
or no faster than what most cars are going. ... If you are in a small town, I would keep it to 5MPH over
max, on small streets .. Most radar guns are only accurate to +/- 1MPH in Moving Mode & +/- 2MPH in
Stattionary Mode ... also in most areas, being ticketed for 1 to 14MPH over is usually a 2 Point Ticket ...
Police usually stop you at the next level which is 15MPH to 20MPH over & i s usually a 4 Point Ticket ....
this is how it is on most major roads .. small towns, may get you between 6MPH & 14MPH over ... they
want your money
or no faster than what most cars are going. ... If you are in a small town, I would keep it to 5MPH over
max, on small streets .. Most radar guns are only accurate to +/- 1MPH in Moving Mode & +/- 2MPH in
Stattionary Mode ... also in most areas, being ticketed for 1 to 14MPH over is usually a 2 Point Ticket ...
Police usually stop you at the next level which is 15MPH to 20MPH over & i s usually a 4 Point Ticket ....
this is how it is on most major roads .. small towns, may get you between 6MPH & 14MPH over ... they
want your money
- Mar 4, 2000
- 27,370
- 240
- 106
Just use your cruise control. Don't worry about speed - all you do is waste gasoline. We have a 75 MPH limit here in AZ on the Interstates - but by setting my CC at 62, I can average 30 mpg with my Buick minivan. Drove from Bakersfield, CA to Tucson on one tankful and had 4.5 gallons left!
Whoever said radar detectors are hit or miss OBVIOUSLY hasn't used a Valentine One.
I recommend it 100% worth every penny.
Even saved me on laser once or twice. (Although laser is pretty much once you pick it up, they got you)
Edit: Woops, didnt see you said $100. For $100 you will get what you pay for - garbage pretty much. Think about the price of tickets and insurance costs if they are counting on your licesnse and spend the $400 for the Valentine, well worth it if you normally speed. There is of course the alternative of not speeding
And before I get flamed from you people who live where there are 75MPH speed limits, I'm from NY and the speed limit on a lot of 6 lane highways is 50MPH and traffic moves at 70+ most times of the day - so you do the math.
I recommend it 100% worth every penny.
Even saved me on laser once or twice. (Although laser is pretty much once you pick it up, they got you)
Edit: Woops, didnt see you said $100. For $100 you will get what you pay for - garbage pretty much. Think about the price of tickets and insurance costs if they are counting on your licesnse and spend the $400 for the Valentine, well worth it if you normally speed. There is of course the alternative of not speeding
And before I get flamed from you people who live where there are 75MPH speed limits, I'm from NY and the speed limit on a lot of 6 lane highways is 50MPH and traffic moves at 70+ most times of the day - so you do the math.
bruceb
Diamond Member
- Aug 20, 2004
- 8,874
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You are correct about Valentine being one of the best. I have the Escort Passport 8500 X50
and am very pleased with it. However, as with all units, if say you are the only car on the road
and the cop is well hidden using Instant On, or comes up behind up at Night with Instant On, no
radar unit will help you. It is only good when traffic is moderate and the police are clocking everyone
using either steady state or checking just cars they think are going too fast with Instant On Radar.
As to Laser, your chances of evading a ticket if they are using Laser are extremlely small
and am very pleased with it. However, as with all units, if say you are the only car on the road
and the cop is well hidden using Instant On, or comes up behind up at Night with Instant On, no
radar unit will help you. It is only good when traffic is moderate and the police are clocking everyone
using either steady state or checking just cars they think are going too fast with Instant On Radar.
As to Laser, your chances of evading a ticket if they are using Laser are extremlely small
- Mar 4, 2000
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I don't believe in "flames."
I understand your pain - I commuted on the LIE for 11 years and know the area well. But - life is full of choices.For me the name of the game is driving economically. The time one saves by driving fast is not worth the cost.
Jeff7
Lifer
- Jan 4, 2001
- 41,596
- 20
- 81
I can usually tell if there's a speed trap ahead on a highway - everyone's brake lights mysteriously flash on briefly as they pass certain bridges.
Always amuses me. Stop driving too fast and it won't be a concern. Speed limits - another example of the government needing to protect citizens from their own stupidity, not to mention protecting citizens from other people's stupidity. If you want to drive fast and only crash into trees, that's fine. But once you start hitting buildings, power poles, and other cars, then your stupidity becomes someone else's problem. Hence the need for government intervention.
Sorry to rant like that, but careless drivers just piss me off. It's a large hunk of metal you're piloting, and it posesses considerable momentum even at low speeds. I hate the people who treat them like they're playing a game on the road with cute harmless toys.
Always amuses me. Stop driving too fast and it won't be a concern. Speed limits - another example of the government needing to protect citizens from their own stupidity, not to mention protecting citizens from other people's stupidity. If you want to drive fast and only crash into trees, that's fine. But once you start hitting buildings, power poles, and other cars, then your stupidity becomes someone else's problem. Hence the need for government intervention.
Sorry to rant like that, but careless drivers just piss me off. It's a large hunk of metal you're piloting, and it posesses considerable momentum even at low speeds. I hate the people who treat them like they're playing a game on the road with cute harmless toys.
bruceb
Diamond Member
- Aug 20, 2004
- 8,874
- 111
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The careless and idiotic drivers are the ones who think "well I am doing the speed limit so I can sit in the Left Lane"
Drivers that refuse to move out of the left lane create trouble by blocking traffic. Also, most area have laws that say
Keep Right, Pass Left but hardly anyone follows them, and they are almost never enforced. The highways are safest
when cars all move at the Prevailing Speed of most of the other vehicles. Vehicles that go too slow or don't stay to
the right cause more trouble for everyone.
Drivers that refuse to move out of the left lane create trouble by blocking traffic. Also, most area have laws that say
Keep Right, Pass Left but hardly anyone follows them, and they are almost never enforced. The highways are safest
when cars all move at the Prevailing Speed of most of the other vehicles. Vehicles that go too slow or don't stay to
the right cause more trouble for everyone.
heh, i use a modded under-dash valentine one in my g35. used an older escort 8500 before that. both are fantastic devices, but if you think you're invincible just cause you're sporting a $400 device that beeps and whistles, then you're in for some major disappointment.
I?ve had relatively good success with radar detectors (1 ticket in however many years of driving), but I'd say a good percentage of my success with them comes just from dumb luck. I've sped by speed traps in 45 zones at 60, the only thing saving my ass was the big f350 that had been gunning it down the road a half mile in front of me. i've been clocked at easily 83-85 on the thruway, the v-one not lighting up till long after i'd seen the cop with my own eyes (which basically means death/ticket), but gotten away simply because i was lucky enough to have an exit ramp a 1/4 mile away.
Detectors, particularly good ones, will do what they are designed to do ? pick up traces of radar/laser to give you a better chance at having advance warning about police, emergency vehicles, construction, etc. but there are so many ways to beat them that to rely entirely on them to let you drive five hundred miles at 90 mph, ticketless, is just stupid. Cops can hit you with laser and have a reading long before you can stomp on the brakes. They don?t HAVE to hit the trigger on every single car passing them?they can sit and camp the left lane and get you while you ?re passing.
Regardless, if you insist on having one ? scrap the idea about <$100 which won?t get you much more than those pos cobras you can pickup @ bestbuy, and be willing to drop at least $150 on some mid-range whistler. We all love to speed, whether it?s to push our cars, cater to our manhood, or simply arrive on time. Just realize you are indeed running the risk of a hefty ticket ? which I learned the hard way after being slapped with a $420 ticket (92 in a 50), on the busy turnpike ? cars on my left and right traveling at least 80-85. escort on high sens didn?t light up once.
I?ve had relatively good success with radar detectors (1 ticket in however many years of driving), but I'd say a good percentage of my success with them comes just from dumb luck. I've sped by speed traps in 45 zones at 60, the only thing saving my ass was the big f350 that had been gunning it down the road a half mile in front of me. i've been clocked at easily 83-85 on the thruway, the v-one not lighting up till long after i'd seen the cop with my own eyes (which basically means death/ticket), but gotten away simply because i was lucky enough to have an exit ramp a 1/4 mile away.
Detectors, particularly good ones, will do what they are designed to do ? pick up traces of radar/laser to give you a better chance at having advance warning about police, emergency vehicles, construction, etc. but there are so many ways to beat them that to rely entirely on them to let you drive five hundred miles at 90 mph, ticketless, is just stupid. Cops can hit you with laser and have a reading long before you can stomp on the brakes. They don?t HAVE to hit the trigger on every single car passing them?they can sit and camp the left lane and get you while you ?re passing.
Regardless, if you insist on having one ? scrap the idea about <$100 which won?t get you much more than those pos cobras you can pickup @ bestbuy, and be willing to drop at least $150 on some mid-range whistler. We all love to speed, whether it?s to push our cars, cater to our manhood, or simply arrive on time. Just realize you are indeed running the risk of a hefty ticket ? which I learned the hard way after being slapped with a $420 ticket (92 in a 50), on the busy turnpike ? cars on my left and right traveling at least 80-85. escort on high sens didn?t light up once.
Well, as others have said, you get what you pay for. But with that said, I personally feel that the best detector on the market for under $100 is the Beltronics E795. When it came out, it was one of the best available and it still has most of the necessary features. I picked one up a couple months ago and I haven't had any complaints. Great range, both in-front and behind.
Radioshack has it offered for $59 on their Outlet Store site because it has been discontinued. I did a search on there and found out that a couple of the Radioshacks near my house had a few in-stock. I'd call and check because you're not gonna beat this one without spending a lot more money. It's definitely better than any of the Cobra or Whistlers that are in similar price range.
Beltronics E795
Radioshack has it offered for $59 on their Outlet Store site because it has been discontinued. I did a search on there and found out that a couple of the Radioshacks near my house had a few in-stock. I'd call and check because you're not gonna beat this one without spending a lot more money. It's definitely better than any of the Cobra or Whistlers that are in similar price range.
Beltronics E795
I'll take fast drivers over idiots yapping on cel phones any day. Of course, the real problems are when you have someone in both groups.
bruceb
Diamond Member
- Aug 20, 2004
- 8,874
- 111
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You are lucky you only got a $420 fine for 92 in a 50 zone .... in most states 30MPH or more over the posted limit & you would be forced to go before
a Judge, and probably a mandatory suspension or driver ed course ... to say nothing of probably 6 points & a much higher insurance bill for 3-4 years
a Judge, and probably a mandatory suspension or driver ed course ... to say nothing of probably 6 points & a much higher insurance bill for 3-4 years
well, im driving from Florida to NC and I dont really spped that much but everytime i go through SC i seem to get pulled over, so I figure something is better than nothing cause ill probaly get one anyways.
BoomerD
No Lifer
- Feb 26, 2006
- 66,716
- 15,116
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The price range you want to spend isn't going to get you a very effective detector. You'd be better to either spend the bigger $$$ and get the Valentine1 or one of the other ones that are actually effective, or save your hard earned $$$ and drive closer to the limit. Seems like a waste of money to buy one that won't work well...
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