Are the little cheapie radar detectors good? Id like a V1 but theres no way I'll spend that much on one. I'm usually pretty good about watching speed, but I'd like something for a little piece of mind in theose occasional speed bursts

I'd really like to go 50 dollars max so I can spend money on other mods, any in that price range that are worth it?

 

Its been my experiance that once your detector registers something its already to late.....just don't speed and you'll be fine, thats the best detector and its free. I have a $250 whistler and about 3 speeding tickets in the last 3 years if that tells you anything.

 

I hear it helps if say your driving down the road, and a cop is sitting behind a sign or something clocking people as they go by, but if he turns it off, and then turns it on real quick and clocks ya, your screwed...So basically your safe in traffic.

 

Radar detectors help tremendously when used wisely. If you're flying down a road alone, you're going to get nabbed, unless the cop keeps their radar on all the time. It's best when you are driving with a "guinea pig" in front. By the time they get hit, you can slow down.

Other than that, you get what you pay for. Some states they're illegal. I live in D.C., and they're illegal here and in VA, but LEGAL in MD. Since I'm constantly in D.C. and VA I made sure to get a detector that has radar-detector-detector. I forked over $300 on a Passport Solo S2, and it's saved my *** countless times. It's great because it's cordless, so it's easier to hide, plus I've got hit by VG2 (detector-detector) a few times, so if I woulda had a cheap detector, the cops woulda known I had one and BOOM! Ticket.

So yeah, hope that helps.

 

I spent the money on a good detector. I bought the passport 8500, which if you read all the articles, is always rated better than the v1. Anyway, I had two experiences which made me very glad I had purchased it.

1. I was driving around the "industrial" part of town on a saturday when everything was closed. All the roads were empty, no cars, no people, nothing. I decided it was safe to open her up a little, and my 8500 started going off. I slowed down quickly and sure enough, sitting on the side of one of the buildings was a motorcycle cop.

2. I was driving down the highway on a road trip to another state. Thing started going off so I slowed down. Cop was sitting behind one of those pillars that hold the overpass up.

So, in short ... spending $350 saved me prolly a grand in tickets and god knows how much in insurance.

However, as always ... this is my take on it. If people do fine without them, good for them.

 

I bought both the V1 and the 8500.. Used them both around town and on a trip from Houston to North Carolina..

Bottom line: V1 owns.. if you cant afford it, the 8500 will do..

V1 just had incredible range.. if you speed alot, then get a good one and when you are flying (120+) be ready to bring your speed down fast.. I rarely speed alone.. Often I am next to another speeder or if I am traveling from city to city, I will speed when I get a clear road ahead, then its a quick blast into the 130+ range hold and release when I get around more cars...

in town I cruise at about 95 so its no biggie in town..

 

Here is what I have learned......


V1- Has the best range (by about 3 tenths of a mile over Passport), the ability to locate where the radar is coming from. The biggest con about the V1 is the false alarms (ranked almost last in survey)

Passport 8500- Second only to V1 in range (see above), ranked first in false alarms (which is the main quality for any detector BAR NONE). The only con for the Passport is.....well I cannot think of any right now

Bel 985- (The one I own)- Third in Range. Second to the Passport in false alarms and is probably the LOUDEST detector in the market. I love to drive with the radio blasting...If it goes off......I can hear it.

Price for each:

V1-$500.00
Passport 8500-$299.99
Bel985-$239.99

If I had to buy another one, it would be the Passport.

The cheaper models are good (mainly when on interstates) but around town.......you basically pick up every sensored door around. If I had to choose a cheaper model......I would go with the $39.95 Whistler from Walmart. Whistler has been around a loooooooong time so they build good stuff.

Later