I just picked up an Escort Redline 360 for a road trip after more than a decade of not using detectors. Was impressed by the new features and the range of modern detectors. If you haven't used one before there will be a bit of a learning curve to understand what bands and alerts to pay attention to but it will help you reliably identify real radar from day 1. I suspect all of the top choices are more or less similar with some variations at the margins - pick the one that speaks to you and drive on!

 

this is exactly why i chose the Redline 360 over all the other great choices out there. even around town, you know it's for real when it goes off. auto learn is awesome too

 

Be careful with the Escort 360. As Vortex Radar has covered, there's an issue with the Escort's alert responsiveness. So, part of the reason why you're not picking up extra alerts is you're not picking up some alerts, period. I was an Escort and Valentine 1 user for years, switched to Uniden and never looking back. Uniden R7 and R7 >>>>> Escort.

 

i try to say up to speed on radar detectors but might have missed this?. are you sure you're talking about the Redline 360? and not the other/older 360's (like the reg 360 or 360MAX)? i owned a 360MAX years back and kinda remember seeing/hearing about this (on Vortex). don't remember Vortex saying anything about this regarding the Redline 360?

 

I have no experience with any of these, but tangentially, if I was in the market, I’d find something with this level of integration sorely tempting:
https://www.midcityengineering.com/p...n-maxintp29v2/

 

+ whatever we're up to on this. Vortex is the guy.

Personally where I live, my Uniden R7 is amazing. I don't have a 991.x yet (looking to buy in June), but I've used it in my C7, '17 SS Convertible, and Audi A7 Comp.

 

To me this is so key -- where and how are you planning on using it? I live in a rural area and when I speed it's for fun on back roads with no one around and detectors are worthless -- literally worthless. Once I threw them out and relied on sight and common sense on where normal traps are, I have not received a ticket (knock on wood). Should I meet a trooper moving in the opposite direction on a back road it's just my time to win the lottery as he would have tagged me with or without a detector. I don't speed on the highway other than moving with traffic and don't see the need.

I just find WHEN the detectors are effective it makes no sense and is not fun to speed.

I suppose if I lived in crowded south Florida with mainly interstate driving I would feel differently.

 

I guess I have a different view on this. I agree that no technology can replace vigilance, focus, common-sense, good sight-lines, and pattern recognition. But, IMO, tech provides great additional information to someone employing those sorts of important driving traits.

I do roughly 10K per year of very "enthusiastic" pleasure driving, largely in the northwestern parts of NJ (with some forays into PA or NYS). The routes I drive take me through mostly rural areas with some suburban areas between. And I am 100% hyper-focused on driving if I'm driving particularly enthusiastically.

My radar detector (R3, for now) and Waze have both proven extremely useful almost every time I drive. Far from worthless for me. Most of the NJ patrol cars I encounter either keep their radar on all the time or off all the time. I encounter very little laser, and virtually no instant-on radar (used to see that more, but it's seemingly faded in use over the years).

What helps is that I avoid driving very fast where sight-lines suck. To me, that creates too big a risk for hitting a jogger or cyclist or deer crossing a roadway just around a blind curve or hilltop. And it also helps avoid laser traps due to laser's line-of-sight requirement.

But in my experience, even very early on a Saturday morning on rural NJ roads, there's usually enough NJ drivers out and about (after daybreak) to produce alerts even if a cop is using instant-on (using a good detector). Not always, so some luck is involved. But again, I experience very almost no instant-on use in NJ anyway. It's 98% Ka band and always on (or off - which is IMO the biggest problem).

On the highway, maybe the biggest thing I've found is it pays to avoid driving between 85 and 95. That seems to be the frequent ticket zone. The NJ state police often cruise around those speeds or just over, often in unmarked cars. So they'll come up behind not using any radar at all and just pace you for a moment, and you're busted.

 

I occasionally use a detector for both radar and lidar, although I am always on the lookout I consider myself lucky that I haven't been nailed yet. an unmarked car pacing you means toast. a car at the side of the road using vascar means toast. an airborne cop means toast.

 

WAZE is a great app. But only as effective in locating police as the WAZE user network is in reporting their location. As V999 mentioned the no-tech method of being paced from behind still is in use. No radar detector protects you from that. I've been busted by instant-on shot from behind where a patient clever cop (who shadows you because you're driving a Porsche) will use it sparingly so there is no momentary early waring picked up by detectors. Speed up, even momentarily, and he's got you shot from behind. Also the opposite side of hills and inclined bridges gives cover to the police radar and visually hides the police car.

 

maybe I'm just unlucky but every time I reach the spot where there is supposed to be a cop on waze he's nowhere in sight.

 

There are several states where jammers/shifters are illegal. https://www.the-sun.com/motors/40726...tate-revealed/

A cop drove up on me once - I was not speeding so no ticket. My wife didn't understand why my radar detector didn't go off . Maybe she's onto something - can someone design a detector that detects cop cars and not radar...

 

I’m in total agreement. I have a valentine one and use it with Waze. It’s a great combination. Been saved a number of times.
unmarked, black Dodge chargers are prevalent in my area. You definitely have to be on the lookout for them.

 

In New Orleans there is no traffic enforcement. The result of ‘Defund the Police’ idiots and the corrupt police department causing officers to leave. In this city and under these conditions a radar detector has become unnecessary. Drive whatever speed you want. Run red lights. Look out for the gangster that is looking for you to shoot while driving with his machine gun in his stolen car (hopefully not a case of mis-identification.) The only justice to reckless drivers is hitting a big pot hole that the city has no funding to repair. No detectors for this situation.

 

As others have said Vortex is the information site of choice.
Personally have been using at least 10 year old version 1 Valentine1 with multiple subsequent software updates and iPhone app customized per Vortex's recommendations running silently in the background to zero out false positives and learned GPS. Plus Waze.
Even that does not replace good old common sense and letting your ego deal with being the "follower" and not the "leader"
YMMV