Radar Detectors

[capt512]

Hey Guys and Gals,

Well I got my first ticket in 26 years this past Saturday as I accelerated from an entrance ramp onto I-29S here in Kansas City. Traffic was running around 70 to 75 in a 55 mph zone as it usually does and I made the untimely mistake of hitting the passing gear at about 45 mph to get up to speed with traffic. I was no more than 20 ft onto the interstate when Mr. policeman stepped out to flag me over.

I actually think he heard me way before he saw me. These MM's sound great when they are wound up don't they?

Anyway he told me he clocked me 73 in a 55 and I told him that sounded right as I had to get in flow with all these other people he had lined up in front of me.

Was hoping for a warning but alas, not to be.

I went right out and purchased a Beltronics Vector985 and it seems to work really well. First detector I've ever owned and really the first car I've ever felt I needed one with.
Maybe its the sound, Maybe its the power.
What do ya think?

Just wondering how many of you are actually running Radar detectors, and how much they've helped.

Everybody have a great day,
Mike:cry:

[Seneca]

Hey Capt.. Yeah I got mine like a few weeks after i had the car.. I got caught doing 81 in a 55.. just being a bad boy.. I never drive the rauder without my detector on :D.. It's saved me a tone of times.. :D

[DetGeno]

Being LEO all we need is a shinny tin to prevent a tkt, BTW just ask MI2QWK4U got clocked for 108 on a 65 outside of Ennis and no tkt, but if I was not a LEO, I would never buy one because if you get pulled over, RADAR DETECTOR = GUARANTEED TKT. So there you have it, at least w/o one you have a chance for the police to exercise his/her discretion.

[Glenn]

My Beltronics 940 (which is a 985 w/o the bells & whistles, but just as effective as the 985 as well as the Passport per the various detector reviews) has saved me many times since I bought the MM in June. The laser warning actually does work. I have been driving home in the dark and a county cop parks on interstate #75 with his laser on each night. I keep forgotting he is there and each night my 940 reminds me to slow down. The highway hazard warning is also a neat feature of these new detectors. Locating the detector above the mirror on the dots is a very effective location that basically hides it from everyone. You can also easily hook-up to the power from the rear view mirror by tapping into the connector in back of the mirror. By the way, Passport recently bought Beltronics. The Beltronics 940 is the best deal for the money.

[SergntMac]

Depending on where you are standing, at WOT, this engine is louder than it's open pipes. The sound of raw power is awesome.

Mustang owners claim that my exhaust is too loud...LOL

Nice of them to hang back and listen, eh?

[MAD-3R's Wife]

We can't have one at all. They are illegal in Virginia.

[MapleLeafMerc]

Originally posted by MAD-3R's Wife
We can't have one at all. They are illegal in Virginia.

Alas, they're verboten here in Ontario too. :mad:

Larry

[martyo]

Originally posted by SergntMac
Nice of them to hang back and listen, eh?

Nice of them? Mac, I have driven your car and I would say they simply have no choice!

[Mikeenh]

I have used Beltronics REMOTE 975R for years. For you people in states where detectors are illegal, this one is undetectable. The sensor goes behind the grill and the head is under the dash. No blinking lights for the LEO to see behind you. I carried a badge for 15 years and still had a detector. Showing your badge was my last resort. NOBODY likes getting stopped.

[Ross]

I've been looking seriously at a Valentine. I've heard and read some good things about them. Teamed with a laser scrambler, it seems like a good combination, although a little costly when purchased all at once.

[MN6]

Valentine 1 is my choice, I have 4 - One in Each car, well worth the money.

[Murader03]

I transferred my V1 from my '99 Cobra which was traded for the MM. I've had the V1 since the early '90's and it has been upgraded once since then. The best detector I've owned. Have only gotten one ticket since I bought the V1, BTW, not the detectors fault! Have since added a K-40 Laser Diffuser to the mix, last spring, and have had no tickets from Laser either. Gotta love'em both!

[shannon corkill]

If you are serious about going fast , don't waist your money on a radar detector alone. Buy a uniden beartracker...I think mine is a BT-7...Haven't had a ticket in over 6 years now...But don't think a radar detector will keep you always safe...If you are driving by yourself on an open road, it just gives you a notice that you just got gunned...............

[Murader03]

That may be so, but I gotta tell ya' the V1 picks'em up with more than enough time to slow down. I've tracked radar units on the open road for better that 1.5 miles before he drove past me. Won't get the instant on, unless he shoot's someone else first, but it's good!

[JCMM]

I swear by the v1. Had one in the Q45, old school, Stillen mods. Blew the engine two weeks ago, pickup the MM used with less than 4k on the clock. Getting a new upgraded v-one for the MM. Remote read out on top of the steering column can't see it through the back light.

[Dr Caleb]

Welcome to the site JCMM!

[jgc61sr2002]

JCMM - Welcome to the MM site. You came to the right place. Good info nice folks.:up:

[woaface]

Here in SC, a police officers discression is "Well...he's not speeding TOO bad, I just won't pull him over today..."
Or at least my lucky few times. But the last chance I took was blowing by an undercover man doin 85 in a 45...he didn't have time to clock me, but he did follow me for two miles. I could have SWORN he wasn't undercover 5 seconds before that...but hey, I'm 16, I'm a dumbass...I'm goin for a Valentine by the way....

[DONP1217]

The Valentine 1 is the only detector to consider. I purchased an Escort Passport 8500 to see what all the hype was about. If I had never used a Valentine 1, I'd think it was great. I have used a V1 and there is not replacement for the directional arrows, bogey counter, and unparralelled detection range.

The Valentine 1 along with an Escort Passport SRX laser jammer is the only way to go.

[Marauderjack]

I have a "Hand Me Down" Cobra talking detector my cousin gave me!!:D He said it drove him nutso talking all the time but I finally got used to it??:rolleyes:

It works on 9 different bands and has an emergency vehicle alert....It works really well!! ;)

None of them will save ya with "Instant On" radar equipment.:mad: :help:

My CV was my salvation in that I had the black grill, mirrors and trunk panel with "Police Interceptor" badge like all the "Highway Boys" have and they frequently flashed their blue lights and waved across the interstate as we passed at 80 MPH!!!:coolman:

I'm gonna have to start paying more attention in the MM!!!:(

Cobrajack......Marauderjack:co ol:

[woaface]

WHOA! I was looking at the other laser jammers that were goin for like 3 or 4 hundred $, but I found an SRX system on e-bay goin for $750! What do they ususally run!?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3058981441&category=39767

[flescher]

I've run a Valentine since the month they came out. clearly the class (and price) of the field. Where can one find the K-40 laser diffuser?
Harold

[Murader03]

Originally posted by flescher
I've run a Valentine since the month they came out. clearly the class (and price) of the field. Where can one find the K-40 laser diffuser?
Harold
Harold..... go to www.K40.com The pictures showing the dash concerns the Diffuser. The page has a search function for dealers. I found a local dealer and they ordered it for me. I installed it myself in about a hour or so. The hardest part of the install is locating a level place for the diffuser. I wanted to keep it hidden and did not use the front plate mount.


:cool: :beer:

[RedMM]

Hey All! My Cobra radar detector will not stick to the black dots on top of the windshield. Everytime I accelerate the darn suction cups let loose and it flys off into the back seat, hanging by the power cord!! Do you think it's not enough suction or TOO MUCH acceleration?!?!:D:

[Heavy351]

ANY radar detector is better than no detector if it warns you even once. I have had one hard wired for years in all my cars. In earlier days, the CB radio was all you needed. Eventually went to a beartracker that alerts you to the radio repeaters located in patrol cars to boost the signal from the handhelds. At the same time I programmed channel 19 into the beartracker and got rid of the CB. The combination worked well for a few years but CB traffic has really dropped of and beartracker is not working anymore.

Can the LEOs here comment on why that might be? are you not using repeaters anymore or has radio technology changed so much this method cannot work?

The secret to not getting a ticket is to not drive like an idiot. If what you are doing is so different from the drivers nearby, you will get noticed...The radar detector gives you the "heads up" but if you are at 2x the limit all by yourself on an open road.

[Brutus]

I agree with DetGeno. Also being LE, Radar Detector= Ticket. I would also like to say if you do get pulled over, be honest. I really hate it when ppl say they have no idea how fast they are going. (I guess they are to busy talking on the phone!) Personally myself and most that I know wont even bother you unless you are going 15 over, this of course is out the window when the holidays roll around and the Federal Grant money comes rollin in.

[woaface]

Someone earlier mentioned the V1 stealth unit I think. I don't get the luxury of buying that piece since I'm not allowed to have a detector in the first place. I'll have to hide it every time I turn into the neighborhood before I'm within sight of the house: (. It's been a hassle trying to figure out how I'd do all this. But while most cops here don't mind if most people speed 5 to 10 over, I've had a few friends get tickets for doing as little as 3 to 5 over...they're really strict with teenagers here.

[Glenn]

Red MM:

Yes, you are correct in that some of the radar detector suction cup bases will not properly stick to the black dots above the mirror. I have found that the best detector base to use is the Radio Shack one for $5.00. It is the large square one with large suction cups (they have two types). I tried several bases and they were all junk including the one I got with my Beltronics 940. (I have deceided not to go into the merits of the Beltronics detectors anymore. Just look at the web radar reports. The 940/960/985 detectors are neck-to-neck with V1 and Passports.) Also, wire the detector into the rear view mirror power cable.

Back to the detector bases, the black dots are raised and present a suction problem for the bases. The larger the cups the better it will stick. You can even remove the standard cups and go to Wal-Mart and buy much larger cups for the bases. The buttons on them may have to be shaved down to fit the mounting holes in the base, but it is not difficult. Also, I have found that over a period of several months the black dots will present less and less of a problem (?). My base will also sometimes come off, but infrequently. The trick is to buy some black florist wire (again from Wal-Mart) and wrap the wire around the detector base and the mirror support hanger. If the detector comes loose it will just hang there and not "fly-off".

One more quick observation, I got a ticket 6 months ago for 12 over and I admitted I was speeding, was polite and respectful to the LEO. Paid the ticket and never received any points. My detector is used not to avoid tickets or even to speed. Honestly, it keeps me more alert to my driving when it goes off especially with all the night time driving I do.

Glenn

[Marauderjack]

I Velcro mine to the top of the rear view mirror??;) ;)

It has worked in every car I have had and if I ever get my MM I'll do the same!!!:D

Marauderjack :coolman:

[Glenn]

MJ:

The real advantage of using the "black dots" area is that this position will enable you to tuck the radar detector up behind the roof console which makes it nearly invisible from the rear. But, the top of the mirror will also work.

Glenn

[Brutus]

I cant speak for all LEO, but I will not give someone a ticket for something I do myself. Common sense. Every profesion has its "10%". 3-5 over is ridiculous. That could be attributed to speedometer error.

[woaface]

Hmm, that would make sense, as they don't have the nicest of cars. But now that I think of it, I had one friend get off (in court) for doing 58 in a 35. Cop never showed up!

[dwasson]

I've got two Valentine 1s and the only thing better is diplomatic immunity. I average 85+ mph on interstate trips and haven't had a ticket since I bought the V1 in 1994. Buying a cheap detector is worse than not having one.