[kramermic]

I'm looking to buy a new radar detector. I don't want to spend $400. I've read great reviews on the Bel 955. They say is marginally inferior to the Valentine V1 and retails for around $200. I used to have the Bell Vecotr 95 and loved it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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[Nenehubert]

FWIW, i use the Whistler 73 Pro. It's cheap and pretty much reliable. It likes to scream at you, verbally. Can't say much about other detectors though.



http://www.myradardetector.com/

Edit: http://www.radarbusters.com/ this is the website i used, sorry.



This website compares a lot of today's detectors. It came in handy when i too did not want to spend 400 bucks.

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[Brian]

i bought the beltronics one that won all the shootouts.

but got it on ebay for about half the retail price.

no factory warranty, but the seller had his own warranty.

i've been very impressed with it.



i also stumbled across an article that mentioned a product you apply to the front of your car that makes you less likely to be picked up by laser. it may be common, but it was the first i had heard of it. can't remember what it was called.

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[Nenehubert]

[quote name='Brian' date='May 15 2006, 09:00 AM']i also stumbled across an article that mentioned a product you apply to the front of your car that makes you less likely to be picked up by laser.  it may be common, but it was the first i had heard of it.  can't remember what it was called.

[right][post="20995"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





http://www.radarbusters.com/products/coatings/veil.asp



Is this what you are talking about?

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[Bart]

I have the Escort X50. It works great, I don't venture on the highway without it. If I recall correctly the retail price is around $325. Here in the rolling hills or mounds depending on your perspective I routinely get 2ish miles of warning.



Good Luck!

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[whakiewes]

This may not be pertanent to YOUR radar detector decision, but here is my input.



I have had tons of radar detectors, and have used about every other one I haven't owned. Tickets with Bel Solo and Solo 2. Tickets with 850 and X50. Never had a single ticket or 'scare' with my V1; PERIOD. The 850 was very nice, and was a great buy at only a hair over $200, but on several occasions failed to pick up radar from behind and to the side. For traps miles ahead, it was wonderful, but from behind in which I got a ticket it did nothing. It did nothing until I could visually see the cop, and at the point it was to late. Solo/Solo2 was just as great, and the fact you don't have any wires is nice. The same though, except my Solo ticket was going over an inclined bridge, cop going other way clocked me at the peak of the bridge. This isn't saying that he just wasn't using his radar, but it was just X band, which isn't any KA instant on. Very disapointing! Using my V1, I averaged 104mph for 130 miles with no ticket or scare in my M3. The nicest features are the very clear readouts, the bogey counter, and the directional arrows. Also its very nice to be able to have it hardwired with the kit they include.



Not that you need to buy a V1, but I just have learned to trust nothing else. I also run a Uniden Bearcat BCT-12 just for tracking information. On many occasions I have been able to avoid an accident or speed trap by using it. If you have imagestation, here is a sample. I don't have any other hosts that I can use. http://www.imagestation.com/video/view.htm...4241878050&dl=1



Wes

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[ron1688]

Been on the fence for a while now about getting one... Well I just got hit with a ticket yesterday via Laser. So today, I finally went with the X50. I hope the price difference between the V1 wont bite me in the ass later...

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[kramermic]

Today at work i did some research. I also recall one of the car mags doing a test on all of the new radar detectors. I decided to go with the X50. I paid $320. Less than the V1, more than what I wanted to spend. As i recall, the x50 yeilded better test results than the V1 but i still have a hard time believe any detector is better than the V1 for real life everyday driving. Hopefully I'll get a chance to actually test it out tomorrow. I live only 10 mins from work...on back roads.

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[flash]

since there are so may different guns out there, it's really hard to tell whch one works best as an overall - each unit has it's ups and downs - i'm definitly not slagging the valentine, and it's still in the running for me



i am getting the monster escort for the porsche (all 1100 bucks worth), but am not sure yet about the bmw or the denali - i have a little more homework to do on which guns they use here, since that would be the majority of driving

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[Nenehubert]

[quote name='flash' date='May 15 2006, 09:27 PM']i have a little more homework to do on which guns they use here, since that would be the majority of driving

[right][post="21055"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



So clever, perhaps i should do the same as well. Always afraid of that "un-suspected" ticket and being young it doesn't help with insurance apparently. :-D

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[flash]

agreed - one speeding ticket raises my insurance nearly a grand a year - so, it seems to make sense to match the detector to the type of equipment they use where you would be driving most, and maximize the protection

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[flwbyu]

I have also been through this debate. Like others I have spent more money than I care to tell you on detectors. The Valentine V1 has been consistent in detecting most of the radar out there.



One of the things that was always important to me was concealment. This is one of the things Valentine does not do well. Yes, it has a separate module but you still have the main unit in your windshield.



There are several people out there who modify the V1 so that it has Multicolored LED's. This is a nice mod to have if you plan on buying the unit. I have put a couple of links below -



Valentine V1 Multicolor LED

http://www.radardetector.net/anyone-want-r...-LEDs-3487t.php



Radar Detector Jammer Forum - great resource

http://www.radardetector.net

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[Brian]

sorry for the slow response.



yes, the veil product is what i saw before.



anyone use it?



from what i understand, detecting laser is very difficult, unless you're already being shot because the laser signal is so direct.

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[mo30cpe]

If anyone is interested I am selling my X-50. Less than a year old and only used 1 week to drive form New Hampshire to California.

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[kramermic]

mo30,I wish I would have waited a few days. Next on my list is a laser shifter. Any reccomendations? I've heard The Blinder is the best, but i'd like to get the Escort shifter because it interfaces with my X50.

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[gryphon]

My Valentine1's are getting rather outdated so I think I may upgrade them--most likely with two more Valentines. I'm wondering if anyone has owned or tested the Escort 9500i as yet? Or if there has been an unbiased review lately. It seems that Car and Driver has given up on radar detector comparisons.

Tom

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[Ed Russo]

[quote name='kramermic' post='21232' date='May 18 2006, 10:57 AM']mo30,I wish I would have waited a few days. Next on my list is a laser shifter. Any reccomendations? I've heard The Blinder is the best, but i'd like to get the Escort shifter because it interfaces with my X50.[/quote]



I'm using the Escort SR 7 with shifters. I drive with confidence. Expensive at $1500. but you can find them on EBay for about $750.

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[gryphon]

That sounds like a great setup but a bit out of my price range for two vehicles. No experience with the Escort 9500i anyone?



Tom

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[Duckman]

M030 - Still for sale? Why are you selling? How much?

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[moses]

Speaking of Veil (the coating stuff) I bought a can a couple of years ago before a long road trip. I was thinking that in most cars there's so much reflective stuff that cops normally key on (chrome, forward facing headlights,...) that our cars must be relatively hard to "snapshot" in any case and if I just coated a few things like the license plate, back light cluster and front lights my 968 would be hard enough to zap that I might get a useful radar warning before I got nailed.



I still don't know for sure if that's true but at one point I was following about 1/4 mile behind somebody doing about 100 when the laser detector went nuts, one or the other of us had been snapped from behind a billboard, essentially invisible to oncoming traffic (but entirely too visible in the rear view mirror). I figured "oh s**t" but two cops ultimately went after the Mustang (or whatever) and left me alone, although breathing faster and driving slower.



It leaves a light grey coating and I never tested it with an IR diode or laser but I'm glad I spent a few bucks on it.

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