2018 Radar Detector Thread
04-07-2018, 09:00 PM
#1
2018 Radar Detector Thread
I'm looking to outfit my 991 with a top end radar detector before the driving season begins in my area.
I plan to use a blend mount with mirror taps which I consider to be the best setup out there for " windshield mount " units.
The only question is : What is the best one on the market right now? These days radar detector models seem to cycle about as quickly as smart phones.
My wish list would be prioritized as follows :
1, Little to no false alarms.
2. Laser detection ( to at least have a chance if someone is hit ahead of me or if the LEO is having a hard time targeting me).
3. Directional arrows.
4. Something that looks right inside a 991 in terms of display colors etc.
5. Ka / K band range ( they are all really good at this though)...
I know this is a loaded question with many opinions and preferences but please chime in with your experiences good and bad.
Thank you!
I plan to use a blend mount with mirror taps which I consider to be the best setup out there for " windshield mount " units.
The only question is : What is the best one on the market right now? These days radar detector models seem to cycle about as quickly as smart phones.
My wish list would be prioritized as follows :
1, Little to no false alarms.
2. Laser detection ( to at least have a chance if someone is hit ahead of me or if the LEO is having a hard time targeting me).
3. Directional arrows.
4. Something that looks right inside a 991 in terms of display colors etc.
5. Ka / K band range ( they are all really good at this though)...
I know this is a loaded question with many opinions and preferences but please chime in with your experiences good and bad.
Thank you!
04-07-2018, 09:24 PM
#2
Rocky Mountain High
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
The only units that meet your requirements are the Valentine V1 and the Passport Max 360.
Youll find strong support for both around here.
Youll find strong support for both around here.
04-07-2018, 09:33 PM
#3
Race Car
Do a search, there is a recent multi-page thread on the subject. Many recommend a Uniden R3, but it does not have directional arrows.
After owning a Valentine 1 for 10+ years, I purchased a new model to eliminate the false alarms caused by the other car's lane changing radar. I DO NOT recommend the new V1. It had more false alarms than the old model. When I called V1 tech support, they admitted that they were having difficulty with certain Cadillac, Acura and 2018 model car's radars - and they had no ETA for fixing the issue. And there is no free softwareupgrade program for V1. Unfortunately I sent it back as it is outdated technology without a industry-standard upgrade capability.
Next up for me is the Uniden R3, but I sure will miss the directional arrows.
After owning a Valentine 1 for 10+ years, I purchased a new model to eliminate the false alarms caused by the other car's lane changing radar. I DO NOT recommend the new V1. It had more false alarms than the old model. When I called V1 tech support, they admitted that they were having difficulty with certain Cadillac, Acura and 2018 model car's radars - and they had no ETA for fixing the issue. And there is no free softwareupgrade program for V1. Unfortunately I sent it back as it is outdated technology without a industry-standard upgrade capability.
Next up for me is the Uniden R3, but I sure will miss the directional arrows.
04-07-2018, 09:42 PM
#4
Three Wheelin'
You need the auto mirror dimming feature in order to use the mirror tap.
04-07-2018, 09:46 PM
#5
Max 360.
04-07-2018, 11:01 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Uniden R3. Best out there right now, imo. Just had mine installed, Blendmount. Was a long time Escort user, R3 blows them all away. Valentine is outdated
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04-07-2018, 11:46 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
I've had V1 for years and have updated them to the last version (last year). I've NEVER been caught off-guard with it. Ever. It can detect police miles away, and I've spotted them way before others, where I'm able to slow down and move to the right lane, only for the car(s) behind me being stopped a mile ahead.
If you read the manual you can tweak some frequencies if they are giving you more false alarms in your particular situation. I did that in my Macan due to the lane change assist and that solved all the false alarms for good.
It comes with a manual for a reason...
Highly recommended. Also had it installed with a blend mount and wired it to the fuse box. Clean and looks as part of the car. Turn on the car, and it turns on. Shut the car down and it goes off.
Also you can get the BOB so it does not act up if you have auto start/stop active.
If you read the manual you can tweak some frequencies if they are giving you more false alarms in your particular situation. I did that in my Macan due to the lane change assist and that solved all the false alarms for good.
It comes with a manual for a reason...
Highly recommended. Also had it installed with a blend mount and wired it to the fuse box. Clean and looks as part of the car. Turn on the car, and it turns on. Shut the car down and it goes off.
Also you can get the BOB so it does not act up if you have auto start/stop active.
04-07-2018, 11:50 PM
#9
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
04-08-2018, 12:01 AM
#10
Advanced
I have a R3 hardwired to passenger fusebox and it works great. The only thing it's missing in my mind is the auto GPS lockout like my old Escort 9500ix had (it worked perfectly). With the R3 you have to manually lock out falses.
Wouldn't trade it though...the filters and range are awesome. You can bet on it.
Side note...I backordered a blendmount but now that it's come in I'm partial to where the R3 is now with the plain old suction cup mount...just to the left of the mirror and snuggled up to the headliner...not near as noticeable from outside of the car. If anyone wants a brand new blendmount for a modest deal shoot me a PM.
Wouldn't trade it though...the filters and range are awesome. You can bet on it.
Side note...I backordered a blendmount but now that it's come in I'm partial to where the R3 is now with the plain old suction cup mount...just to the left of the mirror and snuggled up to the headliner...not near as noticeable from outside of the car. If anyone wants a brand new blendmount for a modest deal shoot me a PM.
04-08-2018, 12:57 AM
#11
The only defense to Laser is to install a jamming unit. If you are lucky, there will be a car in front of you that the LEO targets which causes your detector to warn you of the Laser. Otherwise, if your unit beeps with a Laser warning, it is too late, you have a ticket that is not going to be beat in court.
04-08-2018, 01:10 AM
#12
I would add that the region you live in can play into your decision making. I live in NorCal where Ka and Laser are the only real threats. My V1 is perfect here as X and K are turned off. My V1 stays silent until Ka or Laser are detected. For all intents and purposes, laser alerts in any detector are nearly worthless and in the age of Mazda and Volvo vehicles with their use of laser for cruise control, frequent false alerts on laser are commonplace. I may consider going with a laser shifter system and then just use Ka detection in the V1 which is superb. I have mine on a blendmount which allows the V1 front and rear antennas a good "view" of the outside world. The V1 is still a formidable unit, it doesn't have built in GPS for auto locking out falses on K but if the V1 in question is equipped with their newer DSP technology then the use of the optional bluetooth module and a smart phone app like V1 driver will give you that capability and a whole lot more.
I'm looking for another V1 so if anyone out there has a DSP equipped V1, drop me a line and I'll take it off your hands!
Tony
I'm looking for another V1 so if anyone out there has a DSP equipped V1, drop me a line and I'll take it off your hands!
Tony
04-08-2018, 01:48 AM
#13
Have an R3 in a Honda and it works just fine, although I get a lot of K-Band warnings from door openers etc. Was going to turn off the K-Band until I happened upon a hidden local LEO shooting K-Band at night in a black unmarked car. So for now I am keeping everything turned on. The R3 has incredible range, and no problem with 35 ghz. I think the R3 is a lot of detector for the money and would buy it again in a heartbeat. It has a laser detector as well, however as someone pointed out, if it goes off it’s only telling you that you are about to receive a ticket.
Just installed an Escort MAX Ci 360 in my GTS and I am super impressed. It remains silent in areas where the R3 would be going bonkers due to the door openers. Installation was not overly difficult but was time consuming and of course involved removing interior components for running wires, etc., which I did myself in my garage. Since I was going to the trouble of installing that system I also put in an AL Priority laser system which is also a stealth installation. I will get around to an installation write up of both systems one day soon. In the meantime if you’re interested in buying components for a similar stealth installation, call Nick at MUSICAR Northwest
One last thing, if you live in a state where radar detectors are illegal, both the R3 and the MAX Ci 360 are undetectable by radar detector detectors. I have had real life experience with that, having passed several State Patrol vehicles with no difficulty, and I know the majority of them have detector detectors. Have to say the first time I passed one there was a little pucker factor, but as stated no worries. And lastly, I have yet to be hit by laser so I cannot comment on the AL Priority system, although by most all accounts it’s the best one out there at this time.
Just installed an Escort MAX Ci 360 in my GTS and I am super impressed. It remains silent in areas where the R3 would be going bonkers due to the door openers. Installation was not overly difficult but was time consuming and of course involved removing interior components for running wires, etc., which I did myself in my garage. Since I was going to the trouble of installing that system I also put in an AL Priority laser system which is also a stealth installation. I will get around to an installation write up of both systems one day soon. In the meantime if you’re interested in buying components for a similar stealth installation, call Nick at MUSICAR Northwest
One last thing, if you live in a state where radar detectors are illegal, both the R3 and the MAX Ci 360 are undetectable by radar detector detectors. I have had real life experience with that, having passed several State Patrol vehicles with no difficulty, and I know the majority of them have detector detectors. Have to say the first time I passed one there was a little pucker factor, but as stated no worries. And lastly, I have yet to be hit by laser so I cannot comment on the AL Priority system, although by most all accounts it’s the best one out there at this time.
Last edited by flickroll; 04-08-2018 at 02:07 AM.
04-08-2018, 09:53 AM
#15
I have both the Valentine one and the Escort 360, and I prefer the Valentine one. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but I overall find the Valentine one more sensitive to Ka and Laser, and it is more responsive to a position change of the radar. In other words, as you drive by the radar source, the Valentine one reacts more quickly to the location of the source. Like Achtung6 I only use Ka and Laser on my V1, the remaining signals are turned off.
I also think that the controls on the front of the V1 make it easier to work. The Escort 360 is more updated functionally and it looks better to me. The Escort 360 is also less prone to false alarms. The App that works with the Escort 360 seems to be a Giant pain in the ***, and I turned that off within days of purchase.
I also started using my detectors with the Blendmount and the MirrorTap. However, I moved the detector up to the upper lefthand corner of the windshield on all my cars. This makes the device less conspicuous from the outside.
My 2 cents.
I also think that the controls on the front of the V1 make it easier to work. The Escort 360 is more updated functionally and it looks better to me. The Escort 360 is also less prone to false alarms. The App that works with the Escort 360 seems to be a Giant pain in the ***, and I turned that off within days of purchase.
I also started using my detectors with the Blendmount and the MirrorTap. However, I moved the detector up to the upper lefthand corner of the windshield on all my cars. This makes the device less conspicuous from the outside.
My 2 cents.