Radar detectors
 

I'm considering buying a radar detector but know very little about them. Two questions for the masses:

1. Do they work?
2. What brand is the best considering there is a budget ceiling to live within.

Thanks

Addional comment

Wow, great responses, thanks guys. I should have mentioned, main reason I am considering one is we have this law in Ontario (Canada) and it goes like this: if you get busted doing 30 mph (50 kph) over the speed limit, you get a one week impound of your car, up to 5000 yes 5000 dollar fine and don't even ask what happens to your insurance rate. Oh, and yes radar detectors are also illegal. Thought you might like them apples!

There are a couple sights, radardetector.com I believe is one that will tell you all you need to know. I find them useful but not full proof.

Chris

I don't think they are legal on Ontario. Big fine and confiscation.

They do work.

I had a radar detector quite a while ago (before I owned any Porsches), but they just weren't very effective in my case. I wouldn't exactly recommend them; they work but just aren't 100% effective.

Escort passport max can't beat it. You figure 1 speeding ticket 250+ fine and insurance increase, for a radar detector 500 bucks well spent and they (escort ) have a sale on right now.

Most are now instant on lasers, what that means is that it's usually to late. Had my radar on which picks up laser, bamo, detector lights up, tool late, ticket for me.

Def helps, esp. at night. I hasve a Valentine and it is great but so are the high end escorts. Peace of mind for me.

A CB radio works if you are on a highway used by a lot of truckers. They will tell you right where the police are.

Yes, I am old fashioned.

I use an STI Magnum and I find it useful here in BC. It has saved me from tickets many times as the majority of oncoming radar is left constant on. Instant on and Laser roadside will get you unless you have a jammer. You have to use common sense and use the detector as a tool as intended. It will not be insurance against a ticket.

Ken

Radar and Laser Detectors | Valentine One | Radar Detectors

Still the best.

My bro is po'lees and he says that radar detectors do nothing except cost a lot to purchase - if the detector goes off, that means you have been sighted - and not then getting stopped is simply because the officer chose not to stop you.

The new passport max links to your iPhone and pushes live updates into the detector through bluetooth and an app that cars in front of you are updating live. Its awesome.

Ronnie, my radar detector often will pick up at a mile out through corners and hills. I can assure you they work but not 100%.

V1 for me.

I've had a Escort Passport 9500xi for several years. As long as the cops are using K or Ka band radar, you will usually get enough warning to slow down, especially if you are judiciously using traffic to block direct view. It has saved me many times.

Laser is not common around here. Only the North Augusta, and Medical College cops, of all people, seem to have it, so I avoid those areas if I intend on trying to drive fast. Very urban around MCG anyway, so what's the use in trying.

For some reason the 9500xi does not like my 911. It gave constant false Laser alerts every time I used it in the 911, but never in the other cars.

I've been using bel radar deteectors over 25 years, never had a speeding ticket, they are well worth it, saved me countless times. I usually drive about 10 mph over. They offer almost no protection against a direct hit from laser, but if the guy in front of you gets hit at least it will save you. Most police in nj, pa, ct, ny use x, k or is bands, which radar detectors can pick up more than a mile in advance, well before they see you. Those that get tickets with radar either drive way too fast, ignore the warnings and/or dont know how radar works.

There is no need to spend anything beyond $160 or so.

Here is the one I've been using a few years. False alerts are minimal and volume is good. Make sure whatever you get has a good cord connection. Newer ones have a telephone jack type connection.

https://www.beltronics.com/store/vector-940.html

I believe the new radar detectors work in conjunction with radar jammers. When the police hit you with laser the detector goes off, you slow down, turn off jammer by hitting button on or near radar detector, police then get a reading on you doing the speed limit.

You need to turn the jammer off otherwise they don't get a reading and will know you are using the jammer. The story goes they could possibly charge you with obstruction of justice for preventing them from recording your speed??

I'm another Valentine 1 user. It's true that if you get zapped by laser, you're going to get cited. But where I live, laser is still rare. The V1 will, as already noted, pick up radar signals at more than a mile. Saved my a$$ more than once, thereby paying for itself. I don't use it around town, but out on the highway, you bet it's stuck to my car's windscreen.

+1 on valentine 1. But even that one can't detect the 'instant on radar/laser' they use today. Kept me out of trouble a couple of times, but stay alert anyway. Recently sent it in for a software update to ignore the laser systems in my Audi (which I love BTW!)

I don't use a radar detector but do have the app Waze on my iPhone.
It's saved me a number of times!

I use a passport, but I heard the valentine is great too. They definitely give you warning and mine has saved my ass more times than I can count. Here's why they're useful.

1) If it's non laser then you get lots of warning. Speed traps, etc.
2) If laser, often times police use the laser to check a car somewhere in front of you so you'll pick up the signal that way. If not, then the laser sensor isn't too useful, but then again laser isn't as common.

Sometimes an officer will be behind you on the hw. You can tell he's there if the radar on his car is on, so you know not to speed. This happens to me a couple times a year.

I do a lot of hw driving so I probably see hw patrol more than most. The bottom line is, the cost of a radar detector is usually less than the cost of one ticket + insurance hike, so if it saves you once it's already paid for itself :)