Radar detectors obsolete?

[Chris Lovell]

I have been waffling for a couple of years over whether a radar detector is a good investment. I'm interested in the BBS opinion on whether police radar has gone to all "instant" (radar and laser) making detectors obsolete or whether there is enough regular radar to still make the $400 V1 investment worth it.
Thoughts.

[350HP930]

Its worth it. Mine has paid for itself lots of times.

Even with instant on there is going to be scatter from the people that get zapped a mile up the road from you.

[campbellcj]

Yes...a V1 still very much worth it in my (daily) experience...

Remember that even with instant on (Ka) radar, you will pick up residual signals when traffic ahead of / behind you gets scanned. And many officers around here just drive around with beams a' blazin' full time.

We have seen some laser around here recently, but it is thus far an almost trivial factor.

[Schrup]

This one claims to work against instant on. http://www.escortradar.com/x50.htm I am jaded toward detectors because the last time I used one, I got nailed by instant on about 8 years ago. But recently I discovered that a ticket for 5 over will set me back $91 Now I am reconsidering getting one.

[ZOA NOM]

Can't remember the last time I saw an instant-on. See lotsa regular Ka band. V1 gets 'em every time.

[RoninLB]

there is plenty of instant-on around.
going fast without getting tagged requires technique..
my routine is to follow the fastest car about 1/8 - 1/4 mi behind.
I saw a lot of the rear radar on I-5 on my last ride. The rear radar gives you plenty of time to slow.

[Pat S]

I have a Bel 980 and an Escort 8500. For some reason the cops in my town use a device that neither of these pick up.
Any ideas what they are using?

[MarkY]

Originally posted by RoninLB
my routine is to follow the fastest car about 1/8 - 1/4 mi behind.

Exactly. NEVER be the lead dog. Follow the rabbit.

[Tim Stevens]

No doubt the V1 is well worth the money. I can’t tell you how many times it saved me. I just watch my speed if I am the only car on the road. The time of warning you have blows away my old Solo. Good luck - Tim

[dean]

In my area I find that 1 in 4 cops cars have instant on radar. They all have radar so the V1 saves me

[jmz]

HIJACK of thread.

???best place to buy a V1 pricewise?

[cegerer]

I'm seeing more and more laser in Michigan. No way to fight it. When the laser detector goes off it means the cop has a direct bead on your car - you're dead meat. Got tagged 2 days ago - luckily, I was doing just under 80MPH (the ticket threshold in Michigan). Still wouldn't be without a detector - saves me 3-4 times per week from conventional radar.

[sweater914]

I bought my V1 about 6 months ago, I do alot of traveling from coastal mississippi to Grand Forks ND. The thing saved me through Iowa were the insterstate speed 65mph, most people do 75mph or better. It works really good in my Ranger, placing the unit on the visor helps the range. Most of the cops leave there units on, it's the one's with instant on that worry me.

[porschenut]

Originally posted by MarkY
Exactly. NEVER be the lead dog. Follow the rabbit.

The rabbit never seems to go fast enough.

[wcballance]

JMZ,

You could try looking for a V1 on eBay. Even if you get an older model, you can get it upgraded. V1 customer support is excellent, btw! If you don't find one on eBay, try your local PCA newsletter and check out the classifieds. I don't see them up for sale often, but they do occasionally pop up. I got one with my car when I bought it and quickly couldn't live without it so I bought one (purchased direct) for my wife's car too. I wouldn't own anything less and encourage others to spend the extra cash when they are considering a radar detector purchase. Put simply, they are worth it.

[RallyJon]

For radar, a V1 is the greatest. Even with instant-on, most cops are pretty clueless about strategy and just blast away at traffic. A disciplined cop who waits patiently past the normal traffic and only shoots every 60 seconds or so can still get you.

But the new frontier is laser. I'm beginning to wonder if laser detection is even worth it. Not only is it unlikely to prevent a ticket, but the laser false alarms are brutal on the V1. Several makes of cars and SUVs have LED tallights that cause it to false. Also, the new Lexus cruise control system uses laser which sets off the V1. The laser warning overrides the radar warnings, so the V1 is completely disabled when the laser alarm is on.

IMO, Valentine has been resting on his rep for years. He's got a good product, but really needs to do something about filtering out all the radar and laser falses.

[89turbocabmike]

I see instant-on every day here around my home, it's always a motorcycle cop "hidden" on a side street or shopping center driveway. He only aims as he sees potential targets.

On our weekend runs through the Malibu canyons we usually see CHP cars and they have their K-band unit on all the time, so you can't miss them if you have a decent detector. Luckily, the GT2/3 and TT's insist on being the decoys up front so that helps protect my license!

Only real source for V1's is direct. They protect their margins strictly. Even the old ones on ebay sell for as much as the new ones. Buy a new one, they're constantly tweeking their firmware. You can even send a old one in to get updated.

[thrown_hammer]

I have a Passport 8500. It tracks and displays several signals at once. So even if the laser alarm is going off it still shows K or KA signals. No arrows though.
I always run bait. There is always some bafoon that has to prove to the world he is faster than a Porsche. I just let him out about 1/4 mile and tag along.

[350HP930]

Originally posted by Pat S
I have a Bel 980 and an Escort 8500. For some reason the cops in my town use a device that neither of these pick up.
Any ideas what they are using?

Since they both have laser detection perhaps your placement of them is obscuring the sensors.

If not that then perhaps you have yet to pick up scatter or be directly illuminated.

[alf]

Does anyone make a laser foiling device? If taillights from certian could trigger a laser detector would it not also interfere with getting accurate readings on the cop side of the device?

alf