I'm just curious if anybody uses a radar detector and what your take is on them. I've searched the archives and there are two that are mentioned, the Valentine and Escort. Does anybody use either of these and what are the pros and cons? Any info would be greatly appreciated. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

 

George-

I have the SR-1 - worth its' weight in gold.

Front & Rear Sensors, X, K, Ka, and Laser detection. Although no directional indication of where the signal is coming from (ie Front or Rear like the Valentine model) - very sensitive - and screens out false signals very well.

hth-

 

I use satellite radar, with heads up speed display from Uniden

 

I don't have a radar detector- here in Florida, the police rarely use radar. Typically they either get speeders with aircraft or unmarked cars, and you have to be going pretty fast to get stopped in any case. 80 mph on the "Florida Autobahn" [I-95] gets no notice from the local constabulary at all.

I had a Bell in my Corrado, and it worked pretty good. The magazines seem to give them and the Valentine unit the best writeups....

Normy~

 

I use Valentine 1, have only one problem with it, when enter a town get a lot of false warnings, but on the road it is great has saved me a great many times <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />

 

I use a Uniden, I'm not sure what model but it was their better one 3 years ago, picks up laser etc. I have also had a Cobra meny years ago. I won't drive without one they have saved me a bunch, both in $$ and points.


<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

 

Normy,

I live in Florida too, but I've been stopped plenty by cops using radar and ticketed with a radar gun. If you travel outside the Orlando bubble, you will want to use a radar detector if you plan to speed. Sure, Florida state troopers like to hit the "high rollers" because anything under 10 mph over the limit, except construction zones, is such a small fine its not worth their time. My last ticket, by instant-on dradar I might add, was on I-10 and I was doing 117 mph in a 70 mph zone.

George C., check-out the Off Topic area for a great discussion about radar detectors.

Jim Nowak

 

I also use Uniden but CHP in California in my experience seem to prefer clocking you by their speedos rather than by radar from what I can tell. I've been pulled over once in the 3 years, and that was only because I was on an uphill blind onramp doing 100mph. Next thing I knew a CHP motorcycle was filling my mirrors. No radar. I regularly stomp on it when there's room to fly. If you are cruising to Vegas on a busy day there's so much radar everywhere that you'd never go 5mph over the limit! I averaged about 110mph from Palm Springs to Century City starting out at 6:30am on a weekday and the Uniden sniffed out one "Johnny." My highway experience with runs to Vegas and San Diego (Camp Pendleton/San Onofre stretch is a bonzai run) suggest watching your rearview mirrors is your best protection. Since the 928s seem more adept at high speed runs on highways than surface streets my illicit high speed activities are primarilly left to the california freeways where the 2-8's are at home. 0-60 in a 1980 automatic isn't that impressive anyway at 7.2 sec. Bottom line is that any cops that prefer to use instant on radar or lazer are gonna nail you either way... <img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

 

Jim- I-10!

I'll relay what Michael Hosenbackez told me about I-10 and his car.

Michael was my flight engineer last winter. He's about 50, has a couple of adult kids, African ancestry, and a mid '70's corvette.

He lives in Pensacola, and found himself being stopped in his [genuine imitatiom plastic] vette one day out on the I-10 by a local police. The cop wanted him to come into the police car- he decided to remain in the vette. He told me that it is routine for them to get people in the car, tell them that they are "arrested", take them to jail, and then later release them. And of course, their car gets impounded too-only a horrid and unimaginable crime has taken place in the space of time it takes to get the car out out of impound. Somehow....the wheels are missing, the stereo is gone, parts are pulled, etc-

Florida is the most corrupt state this side of Louisiana or Russia. And both of those places have somewhat valid excuses-

The point is- most places here the boys are really only interested in big crimes.

 

Thanks everybody for your replies. I think I'm going to research it a little more. The off topic forum was a big help. I'm not one to go speeding around the streets but I do drive the
I-5 from L.A. to S.F. and lets just say that the 5 is pretty much a straight shot all the way...and well you know the rest. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

 

You should consider a radar jammer in addition to a radar/lazer detector if you really want some additional protection. That combo will do fine if the fuzz is parked or coming from the opposite direction. If they use lazer I don't know of any jammers for that. Just be aware of youre rearview mirror or favorite hideouts. That's saved me way more than my Uniden. At nightime on the highways I tend to just accept the consequences that may occur....

 

Re: Traps. I don't have the url, it's been awhile since the incident, but a search on "speed traps" should find it. It is a national list, only as good as the data, but it might help. The "incident" was local dick, stop watch, totally dark, no moon, virtually non-existant lines on road, they said 62- in a 35. I went to court, judge reduced it and lied saying I wouldn't get any points, otherwise I would have appealed. Curiously, I got the notification of points one day before the 30-day appeal expired. Moral, this is penny ante, but don't trust anyone; corruption is everywhere; if you aren't outraged (this goes beyond speeding tickets), you aren't asking the right questions. Well, this is why I have the 928, it gives me pleasure and a diversion, if only from the minutiae, even when it is just sitting there!

 

<a href="http://www.speedtrap.com" target="_blank">speedtrap homepage</a>

 

Having just driven the family to MN from LAs Vegas. (not one 928 seen) i will say that the best radar detector is a good set of eyes and a good set of polarized sunglasses. Twice i saw the cop before he zapped me...The other method was pacing, i just had my cruise set. Who ever passed me at a higher speed i just paced them just under a 1/4 mile trail. Just close enough where my radar would blip if he got zapped. SURE ENOUGH! that worked as well!

Cruised across Nebraska at 94mph in the Exped.

Also be suspicious of closely grouped packs of traffic and the cars behind you.

The detector has saved my A$$ many times but my vigelance has as well. My .02 <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

 

Good points Tony. I always told my ex-wife that is was much harder to drive with a radar detector becuase I'm usually going substantially faster.

I have learned to slow if it even looks like it might be a cop. Several times while I was trying to decide if they were a cop, they turned on the instant-on. DOH! Now I brake for roof racks. LOL.

The problem with pacing someone is that I find few people who are travelling as fast as I am, so I have to concentrate on not looking like I'm going fast.

This includes slowing when passing so that the speed variance isn't too great. (within 10-15 mph.) I got a ticket once as I flew through a speed trap. The problem wasn't the radar, (they didn't turn it on in time), the problem was that I was doing 90 and the traffic was doing 55. It was pretty obvious. As it was they claimed they zapped me at 72, but gave me a ticket for failure to obey sign.

Also, if there is no fastish traffic in front as I crest hills, I've been slowing a bit, and looking on the shoulder and in the median before resuming speed.

And finally, I have seen too many cops sitting on the ON-RAMPS of freeways. This gives them a good shot at the back of your car, and you'll never see them. BTDT. So now, I make sure I don't see any cars sitting near the ramps also.