Need some insight, please and thank you! radar Detector

[vibes]

I want to buy one for the hubby's upcoming b-day. I don't want to pay over 200 bucks BUT I don't know which brand is the best bang for my buck. Thanks!

 

[Mighty AP]

Radar detector? Or do you mean sonar for his boat?
Never heard of a radar detector..........

 

[vibes]

radar detector...for the car.

 

[Mighty AP]

DOH!
Sorry, dont know much about them. Sure you can get him a real nice one for under $200 though. My girl bought me one years ago when we lived in L.A.............thing drove me nuts, constantly goin off, false signals. I used it for a couple weeks then it went into the glove box, gave to a buddy a year later. She just asked me "Whatever happened to that radar detector I bought you?" I hate lying to her but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do!

 

[jeff741972]

Radar detectors give a false sense of security, and most of the time once it goes off, you are already bagged.

 

[TheHarleyMan2]

The only thing a radar detector does is notify you that you are just got pegged to be pulled over and get a ticket!

Back many years ago radar detectors picked up signals from radar guns scanning an area, which send radio signals to an object and it bounces back to the gun to detect speed of the object. Now a days, they have lazor radar guns, which doesn't need a return signal to calcualte the speed. They aim at your license plate and once the officer hits the trigger on the radar lazor gun and hits the object on the car, they already got your speed calculated and then you will be directed to be pulled over for your ticket.

You can buy one, but you will be wasting your money.

 

[Arizona Bob]

This is what I use:

Valentine One! It's about $400.00 and well worth the money, IMHO. It tracks EVERYTHING: in front of you, behind you, side to side.

Probably the only thing better than this unit is a radar jammer. And radar jammer's are illegal.

 

[Bear]

This is what I use:

Valentine One! It's about $400.00 and well worth the money, IMHO. It tracks EVERYTHING: in front of you, behind you, side to side.

Probably the only thing better than this unit is a radar jammer. And radar jammer's are illegal.

I would respectfully agree with the above statement; as someone whom has used a radar detector (Valentine 1) as an indispensable tool in a former job I can attest to its sensitivity and accuracy as well as its ability, when properly used, to defend against traffic radar.
In approximately 5 years of driving 2100 miles a week the valentine 1 has provided over 1000 saves against various entities bent on using radar to supplement their respective organizations revenue.

Hope this helps,
Bear

 

[spartacus53]

Why buy them? It's much easier to make your car invisible to them and that's easy to do.

Line the engine compartment in Aluminum foil and place steel wool behind the hubcaps in each of the wheels, it wreaks havoc with any radar unit trying to read it.

 

[lonesomebob]

Invisible ? yeah right!!!!! Drive the speed limit use the cruise control, and drive decent. Bob

 

[spartacus53]

Invisible ? yeah right!!!!! Drive the speed limit use the cruise control, and drive decent. Bob

No offense, but I think you're the only person I have heard that drives the speed limit. What we need is an Autobahn, I'd be willing to pay a few extra dollars in tolls for that option

Try using your cruise control in the rain, or a change in pavement conditions and you may find that you are getting more than you bargained for. I prefer having control over my vehicle by driving the old fashioned way with brake and gas pedals.

 

[Frankn]

The Valentine 1 is the real deal! It even tells you how many radars there are! A trap used here in Md. is 2 patrol cars cruising in the same direction about 1/4 mi. apart. when you past the 1st car you think your detector is still reading the 1st. car and the second car gets you. Valentine 1 tells you there are 2 radars! You can tell the false beeps from the shopping malls because you are told that they are coming from the side and the type. They catch radar and laser from all directions. I have been using one for about 4 yrs.
As far as driving speed goes around here, the average is just under 10 MPH over the limit. The nock down speed around here is usually 10+ over posted speed. Yes I am 73 and as long as my reflexes hold I will be driving with the almost 10 over group.

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[greydigger]

I have a Cobra brand I got several years ago.
Will detect most all signals including Laser.
Thing about Laser is if you hear the tone - you're clocked.
Instantly.
Most LEOs here cannot afford them so use "always on" X band, K band, Ka Band, and such.
Yes lots of automatic door openers at stores set them off.
I don't break the speed limit in town but on open roads someone who looks like me may go fast where there is no traffic. Saved his a$$ a few times.
Worth the $100 it cost.
Grey

 

[Arizona Bob]

I want to buy one for the hubby's upcoming b-day. I don't want to pay over 200 bucks BUT I don't know which brand is the best bang for my buck. Thanks!

Vibes! Have you decided which radar detector will be hubby's b-day present? Tell us!

 

[packerbacker]

He's not alone Spart, I also go the speed limit. Saves gas, wear and tear on the car and I don't get tickets. I also don't spend extra money hoping that I can somehow break the law and not get caught. Kinda like a fake green card, it's called breaking the law. I'd sure hate to see him run over some little kid on a bike because he was traveling too fast to stop in time because the detector said he won't get caught. I'd feel even worse if I had bought it for him to celebrate his b-day.

 

[Arizona Bob]

I also don't spend extra money hoping that I can somehow break the law and not get caught...

For some of us, it's about "situational awareness"- we like to know what is going on around us. Radar detectors actually help us to drive in an extra safe manner. Obviously, if you don't own and use a radar detector, you won't be able to understand the concept of safe driving while using a radar detector.

What say ye, packer? If you don't own or use a radar detector, how do you know all about driving with one?

 

[Arizona Bob]

Vibes, I didn't think that your hubby might be a Tnet fan also. Since he might be reading this post, tell us about your decision after hubby's b-day!

 

[vibes]

Thanks for the input! A HUGE help!

I won't spend 400 bucks BUT will look at the one greydigger suggested

I'll let ya know what I decide...I still have a week or so BUT will definitely post the choice I made. he doesn't hang out on T-Net OR even MD, yeah it's amazing we've been together so long... :P

Thanks!

 

[packerbacker]

So Bob, you use a radar detector because it makes you drive safer? You don't know what is going on around you without the detector?? I would find it's beeping a distraction but, like you say, I don't use one so I'll never be able to understand how safe they make everyone drive that do have them. Maybe they should be installed in all vehicles like airbags and brakes.

 

[Arizona Bob]

So Bob, you use a radar detector because it makes you drive safer? You don't know what is going on around you without the detector?? I would find it's beeping a distraction but, like you say, I don't use one so I'll never be able to understand how safe they make everyone drive that do have them. Maybe they should be installed in all vehicles like airbags and brakes.

Jeeze, does almost every thread have to devolve into some politically correct direction? All vibes wanted to do was buy a radar detector for her hubby.

If you don't like radar detectors, why don't you start a new thread about how you don't like radar detectors?

Just to humor you packer, I'll give one example (there are many) of how my radar detector probably saved my life:

I was driving south to Mexico. Coming out of the mountains, there is a steep downgrade followed by a sharp (and blind) right bend in the road leading toward a bridge (over actual water). On the bridge, a gas tanker truck jack-knifed and slid on it's side then began leaking. A DPS unit was the first responder, and he had his radar and SWS blasting the road in every direction. Without a radar detector, I could not see the bridge/accident until I was at the bridge and probably plowing into the tanker. Because I had a radar detector (with SWS) I picked-up the signals at least a mile away and avoided making one accident even worse.