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Radar detectors, which do you run?

6K views 40 replies 15 participants last post by  Duece McCracken 
#1 ·
Just like the title. I heard the uniden r3 is great and I am heading to frys to get a radar detector soon as my car is done having the oil changed. But I would like to know what all of you run and what your experiences have been like. I personally am staying away from escort products because all the new ones require a premium app subscription for GPS lockouts and camera position updates after 1 year, unlike the now discontinued 9500ix (what I was going to buy) which didn't need the premium app service.

I don't want any fighting please, I know this can be an opinionated topic, but I want to make an educated decision on which one I buy.

Thanks in advance! :)

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#2 · (Edited)
This is my honest recommendation: just slow down. Don't be that guy (yes, I realize this is mostly a forum for "that guy"). Save it for the track. GO TO AUTOCROSS and get it out of your system there.

I have driven at 9mph over the limit right in front of parked Staties and have yet to be pulled over for it. You don't need to go any faster than that unless you're REALLY trying to pass someone quickly. Also, I don't hit the brakes when I see them. Most of the time, they're watching the traffic and looking for someone's headlights to dip from braking.
 
#3 ·
Sadly where I live there aren't any tracks or autocross, and the idea of going through my tires and brakes in one day doesn't sit well with me. I just want to make sure there isn't a cop hiding up ahead when I do a pull. I generally don't speed other than that. I also don't want to downshift if there is a cop up ahead clocking and he will think I am being a douche revving at him, then get a huge exhibition of speed ticket. I know radar detectors aren't cop detectors, but some help is better than no help.

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#4 ·
This is my honest recommendation: just slow down. Don't be that guy (yes, I realize this is mostly a forum for "that guy"). Save it for the track. GO TO AUTOCROSS and get it out of your system there.

I have driven at 9mph over the limit right in front of parked Staties and have yet to be pulled over for it. You don't need to go any faster than that unless you're REALLY trying to pass someone quickly. Also, I don't hit the brakes when I see them. Most of the time, they're watching the traffic and looking for someone's headlights to dip from braking.
Bald Wonder makes a great point, and 9/10 times if you don't break 10 over PST (posted speed limit) then you won't get pulled over due to it not being worth the paperwork. UNLESS you have dark tint, inspection is out, etc. To rack up a few tickets.

In Southern Cali, I'm unfamiliar with the technology they use and what bands they use in radar and if they use laser. My advice is to go to rdforum.org and do research and see what they use.

Here in Pennsylvania they use ONLY K-band. Nothing else. They're permitted laser in some districts but don't. Literally it's been recorded once in Philly like a few years ago but it's never used. Ka band is the most common and it isn't used here. So, I wanted good K band performance and could care less about the rest. That said...K band is what blind spot monitoring (BSM) uses...so if you get a cheap one it'll go off all the time and be annoying. I got the Uniden DFR6. It came in 5th in live fire testing someone did on the radar detector forum. Top 4 were distances of like 1.1 mile to 1.05 miles...DFR6 spotted it in like 1.03 miles...IF YOU NEED MORE THAN A 1.03 MILE HEADS UP YOU'RE GOING WAY TOO FAST ANYWAY.

It was only $200 and does the job with EXCELLENT BSM filtering once you turn it on. Only certain Mercedes and a single model of Acura sets it off sometimes briefly. Other than that it's whisper.

If you want to go for some of the top dogs for good off-axis detection (not straight in front of you...around turns and stuff) Radenso XP/PRO is great, the kings like the Redline and Valentine 1 work good still with firmware updates, and a few others that get tested do good. If you have laser around you, Radar detector won't do anything. If you get touched by the laser it's already too late even if it goes off and warns you. You need a laser jammer (only illegal in SOME states..so it might be a real option for you) to stop that. Those get installed in your bumper and once you get hit you hit a switch and turn them off once you slow down. Those are more advanced of course. My suggestion, get a Radenso Pro for 400 bucks or get a used one and call it a day. State of the art tech with amazing BSM filtering and awesome range/off-axis detection. The best all around detector.

Edit: Also, do you use Waze? There is no reason you shouldn't use it 24/7 if you are worried about it. It's highly useful even for stuff other than cops, but it's nice that people in populated areas mark cops as well. Totally free, doesn't eat data or battery too badly, powered by Google Maps. I run it with my detector and see things way in advance.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
I have the Valentine 1. I've had it for years. I like the fact that you can run the serial number and check for updates. I've had it updated twice over the past 8 years or so. The price for the update depends on how big of an update it needs. Most importantly, I've been ticket free for 8 years!

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#8 ·
I'll never, ever sh*t on the Valentine 1 or the Redline because both of them are literally the all time kings of Radar Detectors, but lets face it. They're old and they're just trying to keep them alive as long as they can...but they need to release a Valentine 2 or something with the current software plus hardware upgrades to allow for outrageous range, new-school BSM filtering and the off-axis ability of the Radensos. Then they would charge probably $600 for it though which would suck lol.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I mostly do around town driving, I don't have a long commute or any highway driving other than taking the freeway to get across town (about 3 cops on the freeway through my city though). And there are a lot of markets in my area as well as expensive cars, we get anything from audis to bmws to Aston Martin's and Lamborghini and Ferrari. So lots of bsm and lots of radar doors. I want a detector with minimal false positives but good threat detection, police are really sneaky in my town, they hide behind hedges and brick walls, in driveways between cars parked in them, you won't see them until its too late without a detector. That's how I got a 60 in a 45 ticket 4 years ago running late for work.

That being said I learned my lesson from that ticket and I don't speed around like Mario Andretti Jr anymore. But I don't like how sneaky the police are and I want to know where they are so when I want to do a pull, I can without worrying "is there gonna be a cop on that side street?"

Edit: sadly radar jammers are illegal in California.

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#9 ·
I just picked up my second V1 last year. The only reason that I got a new one was because my original was old enough that it could not be updated any more--but it was almost 10 years old, and still as reliable as ever. It could not be updated to the programming that detected and blocked the new blind-spot warning that a lot of the new vehicles have, and it was starting to irritate me. If not for that, I'd still have old faithful. Get a V1 and a BlendMount to mount it to your rearview mirror, hardwire it to fuse #85 and be done.
 
#10 · (Edited)
https://www.rdforum.org/index.php?threads/51945/

Looks like Ka and LIDAR (laser) are used primarily in Cali. Ka being most common most of the top options will keep you safe pretty well minus small changes in range/off-axis/etc. There is SOME K band but nothing like here in PA, so that mixes things up some for you compared to me. LIDAR, well like I said without a jammer you're f___ed if you get hit with LIDAR. The detector is merely telling you that you just got a ticket if it yells laser.

Your options are dependent on: Range, off-axis ability (if you have a curvy roaded commute), BSM filtering, and features like GPS.

Looks like the Uniden R1 is recommended a lot over options like Valentine 1:
https://www.rdforum.org/index.php?threads/62603/
Definitely read through that ^ these are people who live in Cali and eat/sleep/breath this stuff.

As well as my detector, the DFR6 apparently. If you disable the K band and run waze, it should be a non-issue and you won't get ANY BSM alerts. For $200... (I lied it's on sale for only $184 on Amazon wtf)
 
#20 ·
/subscribed

I have never owned a radar detector before and this thread might be what it takes to give me the information necessary to buy one that will work for me. I don't usually drive THAT fast on the roads, but if I am being honest, ever since I've bought the ST in January 2017 I find myself creeping up the speedometer.
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
well I decided it was time to upgrade today. I've had a 8500 x50 since it was brand new and I cant tell you how many speeding tickets it has saved me in the last decade plus. the x50 still works fine but its getting a little annoying when you get passed by a new Lexus or Mercedes drive by and sets it off with its adaptive cruise control or emergency braking systems so I decided to replace it with a Max 360.

I was hoping I could hold out long enough until escort offered its dealers employees special deals one one of their concealed detectors like the Max CI or the MAX 360 CI with sensors that you hide in the bumpers but its been a little while since they have done that and don.t want to wait any more and there is no way I'm spending $3k+ retail on one and its still hard to find even a 9500CI for under a grand...
 
#23 ·
+1 for using the WAZE app all the time when I'm driving. Police spotting and other hazards and traffic by users make it invaluable. I love tagging a stationary cop since it's better than just flashing your lights at oncoming vehicles.

For radar, I've been using a $110 Whistler that filters out the vast majority of the lane departure signals from other vehicles, and I have X band turned off. It hasn't failed to alert me to a real cop, even though with the sensitivity down it may not give a 3 mile warning. I am usually in the 10-20mph over the speed limit range, and the warning is enough for me to get back to the limit or close in plenty of time. While I do get a few false alerts, I just decrease my speed a bit and scan for a real threat. If it's the Audi in front of me, then I mute it until the Audi is out of range, but still stay extra vigilant for any real radar. Slowing down a bit for a false alert once in awhile isn't the worst thing in the world. :)
 
#25 ·
what model whistler are you running? I really dont want to break the bank if I dont have to.
 
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#24 ·
I've got a V1 and have had no issues. The times it didn't read that there was an officer posted somewhere is because he didn't have his radar on. Countless times then, I was way over and should have been pulled over. So, yes, they were just looking for your front to dip. V1 is still, imho, the best on the market. For the average person, you will never need a new one. Plus they do updates for you for a small price. GET a V1!!!
 
#26 ·
I have the Whistler CR 93 works well for the price.
 
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#31 ·
Originally I wasn't going to add to this thread, it was pretty much covered already, but I felt it needed a personal touch.

I run a Escort Redline, which I bought new in early 2015. It has saved me thousands of dollars for sure.

I do not run escorts dumb app stuff, just adjusted the settings myself, and have it hardwired to the car, nice and clean.


Running a quality radar detector with Waze, is the ultimate combo.

We all bought hot hatches, speeding happens, just be smart about it.

Waze keeps you informed of traffic and road hazards, and the detector lets you know there's a small town cop hawking the 35 mph zone like the ticket is funding the addition on his house. Adjust speed accordingly.

As soon as someone mentions these technologies, people assume that everyone is trying to set a land speed record and endangering everyone on the road. I use it mostly to get a heads up on the several small town police forces that pull people over for going 2 mph over the speed limit, and waste everyone's time. Cough* Helmetta, NJ * Cough

So just help the guy with a purchase, not a lecture on "Speed Kills"
 
#34 ·
none, I don't speed.

LOL
 
#36 ·
@Duece McCracken; Regular Redline, or the new Redline EX? I mostly do city driving, my commute it only a few minutes from my house, but I like to have some fun on the way there and I need a detector with minimal falses and enough warning to slow down or to let me know not to mess about (revving, downshifting, etc) because an officer is near. I dont really speed though, if I do it is only briefly after a pull from an on ramp or back road then I slow back down to normal speed. Unless I am doing a canyon run....then I am pushing the car, and I need to know if smokey is hiding around the next bend.
 
#39 ·
I run the regular, the EX didnt exist when I got mine, lol

It never get falses, per say, it does pick up everything you have it set to pick up though, lol. You can sort through all the bands, and freq ranges you want it to detect though. So you can tune out the riff raff.

Never had any problems with it, and it's still holding true. I was thinking of buying another one for my Extreme Offroad Camping Van.
 
#37 ·
I snagged a Beltronics RX65 on clearance a few years ago for $80. It's an old model, but it had fine reviews and for that cheap, I gave it a shot.

I have it hardwired, mounted high up under the rear view mirror with one of those big ass singular suction cup mounts.

It's good. Super bare bones, but it works. I turn X band off because that's worthless where I'm at. I would like to turn K band off but a surprising amount of towns near me drive with K on full time so it's worthwhile to just leave it on. I do get a fair amount of false alarms from other car's (specifically Audi and Acura), but whatever. It has saved me on 3 or 4 occasions from surely getting a ticket.

Lately, I keep it off when I'm driving around town when I'm daily driving to work. I just don't need it. However, when I go for a drive either early in the morning on weekends or late at night, I flip it on for obvious reasons. I appreciate it most on the highway. Paired with Waze, I am pretty comfortable hauling ass on the highway.
 
#38 ·
Its a great detector for that price. The main thing about that detector that I dislike is that it gives alot of false alerts because of the BSM from other cars.
 
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