Do these things really work?? I mean, I remember in the old days those radar detectors that would just squeek and beep incessantly for no good reason. Are the ones out now any better??

What radar bands are in use?? What should I look for when buying one???

Had a passport 8500, cost about $300 when I got it. I was on a very heavily patrolled stretch of highway for a 30 minute commute every day. It saved my ass many times and payed for itself. I later moved and really didnt see a need for it since I wasn't running the gauntlet every day anymore. I threw it on ebay and got 80% of my money back out of it. It was great for the situation I had, or a long road trip, but for everyday use around town, it was really annoying.

For it to work   you really need to know how radar is run by the LEO.

A good operator will turn it on when he sees a vehicle approaching  --that is speeding , and only then.
When he does that , if he does that, if your behind the target vehicle -- you have a warning. If you are the target vehicle -- your screwed.

Yes there are false alarms  -- still. Alarms, door openers at stores, micro wave towers, all kinds of stuff, even old radar detectors will set mine off.

So do they help --------- well they have helped me, problem is when you get busted -- it is a real ball buster most the time. And the officer will note on the ticket: Subject had a radar detector, to let the Judge know you a speed law scofflaw.

All in all I am glad to have one.

Valentine 1.

yes it is expensive (~400 with remote display) & yes it is better than the others and yes it does pay for itself after the 2nd avoided ticket (or first depending on just how fast you drive & how much ins you carry) and yes it is what those who take driving seriously swear by.

http://www.valentine1.com/

(no, I do not get a commission, and yes, I have had others and it really is that much better)

Anyone have experience good or bad with the Escort Passport 8500?

Go with the valentine.

Do you mean 8500? If so, yes - I have one on my motorcycle and my car. Both the 8500 and the V1 are very good. Personally, I don't need indicators like the V1 has to tell me where the threat is coming from.

The main thing with the detector is that it is supplimental. Someone said that if you are the target car you are screwed, which can be but is not always the case. If you slow down fast enough some units have trouble locking on to your speed. So you can get 'less' of a ticket or none at all. The threat must be in front or behind you or very close to the road on the side, or else you run into discrepancy due to cosign theory which will give an untrue readout - not to say there will never be a cop inside the cosign area because there might.

But mainly, you need to use the detector in conjunction with good driving skills and situational awareness. The detector will not allow you to go speeding blindly down the road and you should not think you can with one. It is meant to help you drive and alert you.

Now if a cop is cycling his radar and spotting people, then you should get several small warnings with increasing strenth before you reach the threat zone. If you are the only car on the road then yea, you will get a ticket.

the best use of the detector is to use it as a microwave map of your driving route. It will go off on certain points of your drive, such as a business or a stop light. This will become normal to you, and you will have a pattern that occurs every day as you drive that will happen in the exact same spot every day. If the pattern differs, then you know there is a possible threat. If you are driving in unfamiliar territory, then it is not as helpful, and you do need to be more careful, but if you are going on a trip, you can back up the unit with a bearcat police band scanner - which will pick up and alert you of all police car communications within a 2 mile radius. This combination works well, and I was able to average 90+ miles an hour on a trip I took with no problems.

Laser is another story. Now auto manufacturers are using laser on vehicles to help with distancing (as in backing up and cruise control) so a laser hit may not be from a threat. Fortunately, lasers are not common at this point with most small towns not having the funding to purchase them.

Just learn what is used in your area, and know your radar pattern when you drive. couple that with smart driving and knowing when you can speed, and you will be ok.

Even a $40 Cobra will do the job.  Mine even talks...

$40 investment = no tickets...DUH!!!

Quoted: Do you mean 8500? If so, yes - I have one on my motorcycle and my car. Both the 8500 and the V1 are very good. Personally, I don't need indicators like the V1 has to tell me where the threat is coming from. The main thing with the detector is that it is supplimental. Someone said that if you are the target car you are screwed, which can be but is not always the case. If you slow down fast enough some units have trouble locking on to your speed. So you can get 'less' of a ticket or none at all. The threat must be in front or behind you or very close to the road on the side, or else you run into discrepancy due to cosign theory which will give an untrue readout - not to say there will never be a cop inside the cosign area because there might. But mainly, you need to use the detector in conjunction with good driving skills and situational awareness. The detector will not allow you to go speeding blindly down the road and you should not think you can with one. It is meant to help you drive and alert you. Now if a cop is cycling his radar and spotting people, then you should get several small warnings with increasing strenth before you reach the threat zone. If you are the only car on the road then yea, you will get a ticket. the best use of the detector is to use it as a microwave map of your driving route. It will go off on certain points of your drive, such as a business or a stop light. This will become normal to you, and you will have a pattern that occurs every day as you drive that will happen in the exact same spot every day. If the pattern differs, then you know there is a possible threat. If you are driving in unfamiliar territory, then it is not as helpful, and you do need to be more careful, but if you are going on a trip, you can back up the unit with a bearcat police band scanner - which will pick up and alert you of all police car communications within a 2 mile radius. This combination works well, and I was able to average 90+ miles an hour on a trip I took with no problems. Laser is another story. Now auto manufacturers are using laser on vehicles to help with distancing (as in backing up and cruise control) so a laser hit may not be from a threat. Fortunately, lasers are not common at this point with most small towns not having the funding to purchase them. Just learn what is used in your area, and know your radar pattern when you drive. couple that with smart driving and knowing when you can speed, and you will be ok.

Thank you, yes, I meant the 8500.  

supposedly if you drive a commercial vehicle, they are illegal.

Quoted: supposedly if you drive a commercial vehicle, they are illegal.

Nope, Corvette C5.  

Like others said, you need to combine the radar detector with situational awareness.  BEL and Escort put out nice detectors, but expect to pay $225+ for a decent one.  Valentines are good, but overpriced.  You can get better detectors for cheaper.  Oops, I just checked and it looks like they dropped the price on the Valentines.  I remember them being $600+.

I sprang for almost $300 for my BEL a couple years ago and it paid for itself many times over.

I did get 1 ticket, came up over a hill on the interstate doing 85+ and saw the state trooper.  Hit my brakes just before the radar detector started screaming (instant-on radar).  I saw him pull out to run me down so I pulled the detector off the dashboard and ditched it under the seat before he came too close and he was never the wiser--even cut me a break so I wouldn't get points on the license.

If you take your driving record seriously, find some online reviews of detectors where they put a car out in the desert and shoot radar at it to determine which unit detects the radar first.  This will take some time searching around on google before you find a site with free reviews.  For another site, check radarreview.com but you have to pay to get the good info.

I will also say that someone I knew bought a BEL on my advice and it was mis-calibrated out of the box she had to send it back to get it serviced.  Mine recently shit the bed after 2 1/2 years of service I will now have to send it back to the company and pay them $75 to repair it.  So BEL may have some QC issues.

-Nick Viejo.

I've never used a radar detector but have always been curious about them.
There's a 3rd party BMW display interface available that integrates the V1 with instrument cluster LED's, radio display, or NAV system and uses the steering wheel controls for mute/etc.  
I'd love to have this combination installed if I could figure out a way to mount the V1 itself so it'd be hidden.
www.jaricdesign.com/products.htm

Quoted: For it to work   you really need to know how radar is run by the LEO. A good operator will turn it on when he sees a vehicle approaching  --that is speeding , and only then. When he does that , if he does that, if your behind the target vehicle -- you have a warning. If you are the target vehicle -- your screwed.

Which is why I highly recommend the Valentine One.
It does the best job of sniffing out radar at distances, so if the operator is clocking cars ahead of you with instant on, you will likely come out the winner in that battle.

If you happen to be the lead car in a 1 1/2 mile gap since the last time the operator turned on his RADAR, you're toast.

Also,
Kuston RADAR has "QuikTrac".
I've tested it with my wife's V1, and I can lock her speed in so fast, the V1 doesn't even blink.

All the more reason to always drive at a speed where same direction traffic is visible ahead of you.

And never impead faster traffic:
They are the one's who will get nailed.

Jay  

Quoted: Anyone have experience good or bad with the Escort Passport 8500?

Don't do it.
Get the Valentine One.

Jay

Quoted: Even a $40 Cobra will do the job.  Mine even talks... $40 investment = no tickets...DUH!!!

Sorry,, but that's just too damm funny!!!!!!

Jay

Two more quick things: Your Valentine 1 can be upgraded, others can't (the model I purchased over 5 years ago COULD be upgraded, but Mike Valentine indicated it wasn't "Necessary" - that's honesty, he could have said oh yes, it's due and made a quick $150-200. (you can enter in your s/n on the site and it will indicate if upgrades are available and warranted) btw, my V1 was $400 then, + 50 or something for the remote display.

Be VERY careful with "objective radar test" sites on the web, at least one is run by a shill for another company (whose products *SURPRISE* always come out best while the V1 gets trashed... funny his "test results" don't agree with Car & Driver (who don't try to extort money from manufacturers for their "consulting services"). Not to say that other detectors are bad, but the V1 has been top dog for over a decade now. Check any enthusiast board (BMW, Audi, NSXPrime & of course vette, and you will see an overwhelming preference for the V1, and for good reason. The directional display is addictive, once you use it, other detectors seem naked, and you can remote the display to lower your visable "signature"

Good luck & no tickets!



(sheesh, I should get a discount on my upgrade after that post!

Way back when, before the instant on and lazers they worked like a charm.

A buddy threw his in the can when he got two tix in two months - all it did was to let him know when he got caught.

Here in jacksonville florida - the highway patrol is donning the orange vest and hardhats and mounting their lazer on a tripod to look like some one is operating a transet.  a half mile down the road will be a bunch of motocyle coppers handing out the double fines for speeding thur a construction zones.

speeding is not worth it. - spend your money on somthing useful ie a aimporint or eotech or mag etc.

Later,

Badredfish

I used to use a radar/laser detector back when I was running bail bonds for a living.  I learned that LEO are trained to leave the gun off until they see a potential target and then zap it when its too late to slow down.

Only prob is that as other cars ahead of you are getting zapped, they are giving away their position.  The detector that I had also seemed to pick up on some sort of ambient emmission of the radar/laser guns and would do a really slow chirp for about half to a mile away from the LEO, punctuated by the times when the LEO actually lit up a car, so I had plenty of warning and never ever got a ticket.

Another thing I did was learn to recognize the front and rear profile of every type of vehicle used by LEO along the I-5 corridor running the length of the puget sound.  When driving at night, constantly look in your rear view mirror for cars that match the headlight setup of the LEO cars and that are quickly moving up through the rest of the cars behind you.  If you see that, there is a good chance that its an LEO on the prowl and he won't even have his radal/laser on.

A good trick I used to do is wait until sombody was driving like a bat out of hell, and then follow them at about 400 yards behind. I called them my "roadrunners", and I can't tell you how many times I let them take the hit while I was driving 80 right behind them and I never got a ticket.

Radar detectors are good, but driving smart is better.  Sure you can speed when you need to, just keep your eyes out, watch out for obvious speed traps, and let dumb little ricer kids take the hit so you don't have to.

I spent two years playing cat and mouse with the Washington State patrol and many county and city LEO during my time running bail bonds and the only tickets I ever had were when I was off work and I got distracted. One was for speeding, and the other was for a rear end accident that took place at way under the speed limit during rush hour traffic, so it had nothing to do with speeding.

Chris

Waste of money.  The solution is really simple: obey the speed limit.  That's the best defense against an honest cop.  For a dishonest or prick cop  (e.g., NJ) you could be going backwards and they'd ticket you to make the quota or buck for promotion or the new squad car.

V1, nothing like know where the threat is coming from. Saved my ass a couple of times. get the remote display unit and mount it low, that way you won't get any radar trolls

Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows.

Quoted: Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows.

this is true. Reflective tints and very dark tints will defeat this. I have 15% on my car and the detector still works well.

Quoted: Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows.

Damn

You might have to go with a externally mounted sensor if you have the metallic tint in the windsheild but you also need to keep it clean and bug free. They are also mounted low so it won't have a early detection advantage

I bought my V1 in Dec 99, after I left the Army. I live in IL and have traveled to ND,KS,NY many times in the last 5 years to visit buddies and ex-girlfriends. Alot of trips and not one ticket. The V1 works and you must have common sense.

v1 is till triggered by door sensors and annoying crap but I like the directional abilities and the bogey counter usually separates the BS from the real thing.
Example: a friend of mine was in another car and we where doing the usual run to work and had our ham radios with us. We passed a spot that always sets off the radar detectors and I slowed down and he asked what I was doing. I told him the counter always said 1 bogey but this time I got 2, sure enough there was a unmarked sitting a half mile down the road

Quoted: Do these things really work?? I mean, I remember in the old days those radar detectors that would just squeek and beep incessantly for no good reason. Are the ones out now any better?? What radar bands are in use?? What should I look for when buying one???

With laser and Ka band, if you are lucky, it will go off to let you know that you are going to get a ticket.  There is no chance you will get a warning if you have a detector in your car when you are stopped.  I have used Laser.  You stand NO chance of beating it.  Slow down and live longer.

I have an Escort Solo, the cordless one that runs on batteries.  I have a truck, so the Solo can mount above the rearview mirror in the tinted area of the windshield.  You can't see it from the front and its up high.  The higher your mount your detector, away from the hood, the better.

Do tests with a neighborhood radar trailer the high mount gets me another 1 to 1.5 seconds at 45 mph.

Quoted: Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows.

I have not found this to be true.
Mine work great from all directions with legal tint all around.

Windshields do however play a role in detection.

This link to V1 is an article from C&D testing windshields.
www.valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt1.asp

Jay

Quoted: Quoted: Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows. I have not found this to be true. Mine work great from all directions with legal tint all around. Windshields do however play a role in detection. This link to V1 is an article from C&D testing windshields. www.valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt1.aspJay

I follow the logic, but Valentine One's own technical support personnel talked me out of buying one after I called their 800 number with the same question. And they did so with an honest and forthright opinion that the metallic tint did in fact adversely affect the directional sensing of the unit. (Give them an "A" for honesty, even if it did cost them a sale)

Passport 8500 beats them all, Ive had mine for 2years and could not be anymore happy with it.  I had a Valentine 1 but I feel the 8500 is better.

Has anyone heard of wrapping a flourescent bulb in copper wire and soldering to the connections on each end of the bulb?
It is supposed to jam the radar.
What do you think?

Jim

A GOOD BIRD DOG IS USELESS WITHOUT SOMEBODY RUNNIN' FRONT DOOR .............

AGNTSA

everyone swears by the V1, fuck motor trend and consumer reports, I can't tell you how many calls I have received from clients that I have installed for, telling me I just saved their ass, time and time again.  IMO this is state of the art .

K40 sonaradar undetectable with front and rear laser diffusers. That equates to 5 mile front and rear hidden detector heads X, K, KA standard radar with custom hidden visual/ audible indicators, with front and rear laser diffusers.

How the hell are you gonna hit me with instant on when i can detect it up to 5 miles away? when it goes off/  slow down. until you pass the POPO. laser=jammed.

It's not inexpensive

AGNTSA

Get a Valentine 1.

Nothing else to say.



2002 WRX

Quoted: Valentine 1. yes it is expensive (~400 with remote display) & yes it is better than the others and yes it does pay for itself after the 2nd avoided ticket (or first depending on just how fast you drive & how much ins you carry) and yes it is what those who take driving seriously swear by. http://www.valentine1.com/ (no, I do not get a commission, and yes, I have had others and it really is that much better)

+1, +2.  I own two. pick up active radar over a mile away on highway and not much less in city.  Has smart filters you can select to filter out false alarms and stuff.  saved me many times.

no guys the 8500 is the best!!!!

I've run the gauntlet from northern NH to Westchester Cty NY for 5 years in a turbo car visiting the home office. I run a 7500 and it has saved my ass many, many times. The Passport is maybe not as sexy as the Valentine I, but it is definitely a workhorse. And it has filtering technology to limit false hits. That alone is worth the price (which is far less than the Valentine).

You do indeed need to drive with an understanding of radar operations (I'm a former cop), but the Passport will definitely keep you safe and sound if you drive OPPORTUNISTICALLY. Meaning, of course, that you have a "rabbit" in front of you going really fast - they'll take the hit.

The 7500 works so well that I haven't felt the need to upgrade to the 8500.

Save some dough for ammo - get the Passport.

Quoted: Quoted: Valentine One seems to be the popular choice, but beware that the surround detection offered by Valentine One will not work if you have heavily tinted windows or if you have any type of reflective metallic tint on the sides or back windows. this is true. Reflective tints and very dark tints will defeat this. I have 15% on my car and the detector still works well.

It is the reflective type that it doesn't work with.

Most good tint will just be smoke and the % won't matter as mine is 20% and it works great in my truck and my wife's Accord.

Since you asked about "Radar Locater's" there is only one worth the money.

www.valentine1.com/

You will not be disappointed!

BigDozer66

I have been ticket free since 1998 (?) after purchasing a V1.  This is not to say that it's the hands-down best on the market -- I lack the appropriate credentials to make such a statement.  But as a happy customer I will unhesitatingly recommend the V1 without denegrating the 8500 or other comparable radar detectors.

Someone mentioned that radar detectors are ineffective against Ka band radar.  I dunno but my V1 has saved me multiple times against Ka band.  The DE state police use Ka band radar.  I live in southeastern PA and my family lives very close to the PA/DE border so I am often in DE.   The DE state police will use instant-on but to be fair I have found that most of them just keep their radar running continuously, as do many of the PA state police (who use K band instead).  I've never had an issue with the V1.

I think it's worth reiterating that no radar detector, no matter your favorite brand, is a license to speed.  If you unplug your noodle and expect the V1/8500/Cobra, etc. to save your butt then you are toast.  Your mind is your best weapon and situational awareness is paramount.  The detector is only a supplement; it can see things you cannot (radar waves).  It cannot do everything for you!

Quoted: no guys the 8500 is the best!!!!

Wrong Answer !!!!!

Jay

Quoted: Anyone have experience good or bad with the Escort Passport 8500?

Yes.  Its an excellent radar detector.  

Its auto feature is good but I still get some false alarms (like having it on while driving through a parking lot when those automatic door sensors are on a nearby buidling).  I travel quite a bit and have used it in my home state, IN, IL, LA, KY, MO, KS, OH, etc. without getting a ticket.  It has saved my rear many times.  

Read the instruction manual that comes with it, informative, but there is much more info on the web.  The police use many different types of radar with the ones I know being X, K, Ka, and then lasers.  

I bought the 8500 becuase no one had the Valentine in stock and I was leaving for a road trip in a few hours.  I had traveled for years wihtout one and now never hit the road without the 8500.  

Once you make your choice of detector and start using it you will see that radar is used on many construciton devices and those damn annoying "your speed is" signs that show your speed as you approach it.  Most of those seem to be K band.  With the hills and curves here in PA I can still pick out a decent radar signal up to 1 mile away (depending on weather).  

Different police seem to run speed traps differently all across the country.  I've seen troopers sititng on an overpass shooting the cars below with several chaser units a few hundred yards to miles down the highway.  In PA on the turnpike state troopers like to sit behind berms and behind bridges.  It matters to you because depending on how they setup speedtraps, and how they use their radar (such as instant on, fastest speed) will affect how easily they are detected.  A stationary sign aiming directly at you will be easier to detect than a hidden patrol car shooting only suspect vehicles.  You may get a short burst of radar and the detector will show it, but it will quickly go away.  Time to slow down as a trap may be around the next bend.  

Slow down and live longer.

Spare us the bullshit lectures.  Speed limits in the US are ALL a joke as none are set to conform to the 85th percentile rule.

Another thing I did was learn to recognize the front and rear profile of every type of vehicle used by LEO along the I-5 corridor running the length of the puget sound.  When driving at night, constantly look in your rear view mirror for cars that match the headlight setup of the LEO cars and that are quickly moving up through the rest of the cars behind you.  If you see that, there is a good chance that its an LEO on the prowl and he won't even have his radal/laser on. I spent two years playing cat and mouse with the Washington State patrol and many county and city LEO

+1

I've been a professional speeder ever since I bought my first car in 1986, at the height of the 55 mps NMSL bullshit.  I was a pround member of the National Motorists Association when the 55/65 mph NMSL was repealed and 70 MPH signs went up almost everywhere.

I used to live near Bremerton, and drove all over Washington on weekend trips and ski trips.  Having your head on a swivel is paramount, along with situational awareness.  Now that cops almost drive 100% Crown Vics, the threat ID is so much easier.

This Saturday I was headed to the Miami Rifle & Pistol Club for some rifle practice.  I just gon on I-75 just north of Tipp City and I'm doing my ususal 70 in the center lane when I spot (it's still dark) the unmistakeable headlight/parking light profile of a white OSHP cruiser creeping up.  I slow to 65, and he runs next to me in the outside lane until the Vandalia exit.  Another ticket saved due to having situational awareness.

I stopped using a detector soon after I moved to Kansas in 1995.  Traffic moves so fast there, and there are so few state troopers for such a vast area that it was simply uneecessary.  Now that I live in Ohio, I don't drive nearly as fast (mostly 60 on state roads) and 70 to 75 on freeways that I find most people passing me anyway.  The fact that I'm no longer the fastest out there, plus the higher vantage point of a 4WD pickup, plus nearly 20 years of professional speeding have made having a detector not so much of a necessity.

I have a radar and laser detector that was given to me and it's doing a damn fine job of collecting dust in my glove compartment.

The speed limits here are mostly 75 and 80 is fast enough for me. That, and I make certain that I'm rarely-if ever-the fastest vehicle on the highway. If someone wants to go faster than me, by all means have at it. Go ahead and troll for cops ahead of me.

On city streets I have no problem with 5MPH over the speed limit and occasionally I'll do 10 over in the proper situation.

I've never been pulled over once due to this hi tech method.  I drove an 88 tercel for 6 years.  It couldnt go fast enough to break any laws, and believe me i tried

Thanks for all the great input everyone!!! I went ahead and purchased the Escort 8500 X50. The reason I went with this model over the Valentine mainly came down to the fact I could just go down to the local Best Buy and pick it up. A lot of the independent tests have Valentine and Escort 8500 neck and neck as far as performance. I don't know if I will miss the directional arrows or not, we'll see.

Quoted: I've had a Valentine One for four or five years now. Knowing where the radar is coming from is just as important as the signal strength, number of signals, and band of the radar - all displayed by the V1. I don't drive like an idiot doing 25 miles an hour faster than traffic but I am able to drive with traffic, typically 20 miles an hour over the limit crossing the desert toward 'Vegas) without having to worry that I'm the one in the pack that's getting the fine. My local city is very aggressive with motor units working in hunter-killer groups. They've got four cycles with two of them with radars. The hunter will sit back off his bike on a cross street shooting down toward traffic. The killer will be a block or more down the street sitting behind a parked car. Though the business areas the streets "feel" like 45 but are posted at 30 or 35. I try to stay under the limit but traffic is sailing though the area. I wish would keep the pressure up on the red light runners, I've seen guys sail though the lights 10 or miles over the limit three or four seconds after the light changed green in my direction. That's just asking for a t-bone

+1...What Paul says!
Ran one for years when I had a Vette, many many saves.
Bud of mine got busted twice running the Escort & switched to Valentine.
Haven't talked to him in ages so don't know how it's working for him...