mainroman

Anybody uses a Radar Detector of some sort?
What can you recommend?
Do they help?

brt3

I would guess about 50% of us use the Valentine One, while the other 50% use one of the Passport models. Most of us V-1 users think this unit is the best thing since sliced bread, and suspect that the Passport owners are insane to use such an inferior product. Oddly enough, most Passport users claim that we V-1 owners are equally demented...

:p

DerekFSU

The V1 will tell you the direction of the radar and it will tell you 3 miles from the gun while the Passport will tell you only 2.5 miles from the gun. Not a big difference to me. The Passport has stealth install models which were more important to me.

ImaginAsian

take a look at www.radartest.com - best radar detector site out there

im looking to get the BEL RX75 remote install myself here shortly...nothing irks me more than a detector hanging on my front windhshield, especially with the beauty of our AMGs

MikaelSS

I had access to both before making my choice, and decided on the Passport X50. To me the display on the V1 is too hard to read.


Also, the Passport can be had for $275 new, i think the V1's best price is upwards of $400.

brt3

You can also search this forum, as this topic has been discussed ad nauseum. Passport guys love their units; Valentine One owners (like me) really love the fact that you get a readout with arrows that tells you the exact number and location of radar sources. This is crucial where I live; when the CHP sets up shop you often hit another radar setup within a couple of miles. Also, V-1 will update any of their units to current spec for a price much lower than buying a new unit. I really like their customer service...

DerekFSU

Get a V1, those cords look hot in our cars. I'd rather get tickets than have visible radar cords/wires in an E55.

RobertG

With any unit there is not much protection against a very popular lazer gun,once he points it at you and taggs you they got you and the detector will just let you know that you'll be pulling over soon.Some states have cruisers that look for people with radar detectors - instant revenue.

DerekFSU

Very true. Outside of laser "shifting," which I will be testing whether it really works or not next month, your only hope is a lazy cop who leaves the radar on all the time or one that is shooting at a car up ahead. If he waits for you before he pops it on ya, it's too late. Most around here do not leave it on thus mine only REALLY helps in 2 or 3 times out of 10.

mainroman

Anyway, if it helps at all, it's worth the money.
And I liked that upgrade thing with V1.

I had a Cobra back in Russia, and it worked pretty well,
but hell, cops in Russia are creamy pies...10 bucks and off you go,
or 15 minutes of yelling at a cop if you don't want to pay or not in a hurry.
But here this won't fly. And E55 is pretty quick car, so radar detector is a good idea.

What are those POP type radars everyone is talking about?

And what about jammers/scramblers? If you hide it under the hood somewhere, you can probably use it even in states where it's illegal.
Do you know how well they work?

RobertG

Dont forget the eye in the sky too , they will time you and radio it down .Unmarked units can pace you without any gadgets and nail you.
I know cause i've been burned many times by different methods, and the detector never even beeped.I've been a bad boy :v

RobertG

jammers give radar false signals and it displays strange readings like 999mph
btw they are illegal cause of the frequency band ,I think its similar to the hamm radio which means you need a licence .

DerekFSU

Outside of a f-16, I've never seen a radar jammer that works. As I understand it, it would require tremendous amounts of energy to do so. Plus, Mythbusters couldn't get it to work either. I'm testing a laser jammer next month and will report back.

oblax4

I've got the Escort / Passport SR7 Plus (with laser shifter). Complete stealth, nothing visible. Not cheap. I had the dealership intall it because I'm not good with wires.

Derek, is this the one you are testing next month? Let me know, because I have no idea if this thing works. I've only picked up a laser signal a couple times since I got it in April. It works pretty well detecting radar from a good distance, though.

oblax4

Sorry, I have an SRX, not an SR-7 Plus (duh!). Here's a link with a review:

http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleID=1048

NVESTMNT

^^^ nice car!!! Have any more pics??

Get a true hardwired system, like a K-40.

mainroman

Yeah I just read about that Time distance thing. Nice website that radartest.

I think it's wrong. They measure your average speed there,
so once you see the markings you can slow down to 45mph and never get caught, and by doing this you will create perfectly legal dangerous situation on the road, which makes that method unacceptable.
And that bull**** when cop just measures distance on his own????
This is just wrong.
And the whole approach to speed enforcement is wrong. First of all you cannot use it to generate revenue, this is not what the cops are for.
This goes completely opposite way with beloved "freedom" termin, everybody screams about on every corner. ( No one is free in the USA, this country is by far one if the most un-free countries in the world. Government does really good job on brainwashing people to believe otherwise. My opinion though.)

Also in my opinion if a cop cannot proof that it was you in your car speeding, he cannot give you a ticket. They should have proof. A certified photo radar, with high resolution digital camera that takes picture of you, car, surroundings, speed limit sign, and shows YOUR speed at the time, not speed of an eagle, or debris or any other car in the flow. And Only if officer has all that, only in this case he can pull you over and issue a ticket.

And what's with the "under paid" cops thing? I think they overpaid. What are they making? 25-30k per year minimum, how can you call this underpaid?
And what do they do all day? Coffee and donuts - for free!

Anyway the whole traffic enforcement approach should be revised.
It's just to unfair and too wrong.

RobertG

They are using high resolution cameras now ,ez-pass gates and intersection , they can tell you how many cavities you have

RobertG

They need to generate money to pay for new uniforms that they grow out of

DerekFSU

Slowly put the crack pipe down and back away. No more The Wall either.

E55AMG99

That's funny! Except in CA the CHP doesn't get any of the ticket revenue. Our outrageously high DMV fees pay for them!

mainroman

Seriously, Cops do nothing.
Even if you watch the COPS show on tv, they do nothing in there too.

All they good for is to fix noisy neighbors. I use them all the time for that.
Anything else, they dead end.

I have friends, their house got robbed, there were witnesses, they knew approx who did it e.t.c. All cops needed to do is to fingerprint the house and go get the guy match it and that's it.
All they did, - stopped by the house, drank coffee, nodded his head trying to look smart (detective) and drove off, guys never heard from them before.

Some crack head stole my stereo once, cops never came.
Never took clear nice 10 fingers from my glass. (Frame less windows).
They told me, that if there is no dead body, they don't fingerprint.

And many many more real stories like that.

Question: Why do you think 99% Motorcycle cops have moustache?
I first thought to filter the bugs and flies from coming into the mouth when cruising on the hwy, but that cannot be it. Or can it?

Noredline

I have had a K-40 radar detector, and laser diffuser in my E since the beginning of the year, no tickets yet.

I just installed a Passport SRX in my Viper due to the advice of my installer who has the same unit in his E55 that the SRX is more sensitive, and has two laser diffusers up front and one in the back. One of the guys on the Viper board with the same unit just had an instance where he passed the cop who was looking quizically at his laser gun, as he had no accurate reading.

I think they are both good units, and both pick up "left-over" radar signals for miles, almost irritating cuz you are driving along seemingly forever until you find the source

lbE55

SergC