My trusty Bell radar detector died on the Route 66. It was rather old and had been serviced / updated several years ago. I was happy with it's performance, but I think it is time to upgrade to some more modern electronics.

Valentine One seems to have an excellent reputation. Is that what I should buy, or do you have a better recommendation ?

Can't go wrong with a Valentine 1.

My only complaint is that it doesn't have a USB charger. Just the old school ciggie 12V plug in.

I’ve found radar detectors to be largely obsolete.

Having said that I swore by nothing but Valentine V1 for over 20 years. Best hardware on the market by far.

LIDAR is what I find to be used way more than radar now but it varies state to state. By its nature by the time LIDAR it is detected, you already have a ticket headed your way.

What works far better for me is Waze and keeping your focus as far down the road on the visual horizon. The faster you drive the further you need to be looking ahead anyway so that’s a no brainer. The other is to pay attention to leading traffic and brake lights or cars pitching severely as they get on the brakes. Between those 3 things I can usually see them before they see me.

Me too. And ditto on the V1.

Having grown and up driving since the bad ole days of 55, today's environment is completely different.

First, speed limits are 65+. Unless you're tryingo to Cannonball that's really as fast as most people want to go on the highways.

Second, we can usually drive 65-70+ and not stick out of the crowd. "Not being the fast guy" is always the best defense (it's why we used to drive 5mph slower than desired and wait for a "rabbit" to pass...and then hang on his tail back a half-mile or so while he cleared the road for us...)

Third, we have free crowd source apps such as Waze where police are reliably reported. Though I do miss the CB radio (I still use one in my Excursion while towing the race cars...purely for entertainiment. Eastbound and down!)

I've been seeing the ads for the new V1 and I'm sorely tempted, just because I've always been a V1 butt-boy and I want to support him. But in today's environment a RADAR/LIDAR detector just doesn't make economic sense...

I have an old V1, Passport Solo, and Escort if you're interested...I'll have to dig them out of a box somewhere...

GA

Tactical speeding! Agree with obsolete. Other tactics include stay out of left lane and find a rabbit to follow, keep about 1/4 mile behind.

All of the cool kids had one of these from Mikey.

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Recently, I’ve noticed cars signaling Radar sites by flashing their lights 3x
Works best on open stretches. Waze drivers are very good at alerting where cops are located.

You clearly have not driven in California... 80mph is about the norm in the fast lane. if the speed limit is 70 then 85 or 90...


But I agree with you on the Waze. I keep mine open daily.

God bless Montana - posted at 80. Waze largely useless due to so much open space, lack of cell connectivity, etc.

I once got a ticket in Montana. $19 and the officer was sort of apologetic for even writing it but I had it coming that was back in the good old days when Montana didn’t want to enforce but the a-holes in fed gov were threatening to withhold federal highway tax dollars if they didn’t enforce 55!

Montana is way bigger at 55 mph!

Oh man! I forgot all about those. Was way beyond my budget back in the day when I could barely afford a V1! Well, really I couldn’t afford the V1 other than by virtue of the tickets it offset!

Does it still work? Probably a free phone app that will do the same thing!

You’re welcome. I’m not sure anyone even knows what that means anymore but I still do it hoping it saves someone!

I have the Escort 9500iX and it is not obsolete. It's saved me a bunch of times.

I use it with Waze and try to follow a rabbit for three layers of protection.




There used to be a border patrol check point on a very flat section of I8 east if San Diego. It had one of those little radar trailers. The 9500iX picked up the first signal from the trailer 7 miles out.

I used RADAR and LIDAR for more than 30 years in my former LE career.

RADAR detectors still work, but you have to understand the why / when law enforcement uses which.


LIDAR is ONLY used stationary. So the advice given above is valid, look to the horizon and far down the road. I have used LIDAR in excess of 900 feet, but Police LIDAR shoots accurately up to 2400 feet. That being said, it would not be a valid cite in my opinion at that distance, because it is supposed to be used to CONFIRM speed, not to simply shoot at random. The process is visual estimation, audible confirmation, RADAR or LIDAR verification. It is a 3 step process, and in CA if all 3 are not adhered to, it is a speed trap. LIDAR is target specific, so unless the officer is hitting someone in front of you and your detector picks up on it, it's too late. Also, I can visually obtain the speed at say, 80 MPH, and you slam on the brakes and I dont "lock" the LIDAR unit until 69 mph, the citation is still issued at 80. The Lock is only so I can show the violator if they ask, it is largely irrelevant.

RADAR is still used widely in the 50 states mostly in moving mode. That means, the cop is in opposing traffic and can zap you as you close distance. He / she can also shoot RADAR in the same direction, both front and rear. Measuring you pulling away or closing on the cruiser. The CHP routinely illegally operates it. If you have a RADAR detector and you get hit by them in opposing traffic and you see them 20-30 seconds after your detector started screaming, you know they are driving with the RADAR on and "fishing" for a high number. They are not visually estimating, audibly confirming with the doppler tone, and then verifying their observations. Speedtrap. You would need in car camera to capture it to prove it because, well, they will never admit it.

RADAR is still used stationary mode too, but because it is not target specific, the better option is LIDAR. RADAR detectors are still good because radio waves travel to infinity, and if the beam is ahead of you and the officer activates the unit momentarily, your detector will give you advance notice. The RADAR radio doppler beam looks like light coming out of a flashlight.. thin at the source, and a wide funnel as it gets further from the RADAR source. But if it is you and the officer and nobody else, you cant beat the speed of light and wont have enough warning to beat it.

I use a cheap Whistler in my cars, and they routinely provide me with great warning. They also pick up every car that has side or rear radar but they do filter out falsies pretty well. When LIDAR hits it, it screams like someone is torturing it.

Not meant to be an entire dissertation on the technology, just the "how" it works.

No need for apologies - Thank you very much for the information and it was great to read!

There is a guy on U Tube that has tested all the Detectors from top to bottom,..has very good insight..

My new Toyota has radar in 4 directions. Is this going to interfere with my own use of a detector?

I use a lawyer. Cost is the same as the ticket but it saves in insurance.

I still have my Snooper from back in the day

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I still chuckle when I drive through the state...
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@Robarabian

Great information!
Given everything you said, and your statement that you use a cheap whistler detector, has radar technology changed that much over the years? I have an older Whistler detector that was their top of the the line model back in the day, but I haven’t used it in a while thinking it to be obsolete. But maybe that’s not the case?

You clearly have not driven in California... 80mph is about the norm in the fast lane. if the speed limit is 70 then 85 or 90...


I picked up a car in LA. Posted 65mph, doing 85 in the lane next to the HOV. Staying with traffic. A CHP in the HOV lane blew by. A ways up he turned his lights on to move a guy over that wasn't going fast enough for him. Figured it was shift change or a sale at the doughnut shop.

As was mentioned earlier, our posted limit is 80mph interstates and 70mph on most rural two-lanes. That means 90 mph is the norm with a fair percentage exceeding 100 mph. This in a state where highways twist through mountains, and a very high percentage of drivers are out of state and unfamiliar with the roads, and often with mountain driving in general. Roll over accidents are very common here. We nicknamed the canyon between our house and town, "the land of upside down cars." I've personally witnessed 5 that happened right in front of my eyes where I was lucky not to be caught up in them, and have driven by too many others to count. I love the high speed limits but have come to appreciate the rare HP out ticketing the maniacs.

It shouldn't... but if it does, you may have to adjust the RADAR detector to filter it out. My 2016 tacoma has it and the truck doesn't set it off... but following a 202 Tahoe will.

I had a Snooper D 2000 when I was 16 in my 914!! using that today, it would work on RADAR, but not LIDAR. So don't use the old one, put it on the shelf and reminisce about all the times it saved you... The new ones are pretty good. I retired in 2020 but I still mess with my friends on the job. I am going to have one of them hit me with LIDAR and RADAR and see if my whistler can warn me.... It wont happen for a while, but when it does, I can report back... Maybe I'll video it..

Personally, I would not spend more than 150 bucks on one. Go to Autozone and get a Whistler. It works well. I road tripped up to Seattle 2 months ago with a friend buying a corvette, and we drove it back to CA. That whistler saved us 3 stops by law enforcement. Worth its weight in gold. The Valentine and Escort etc.. they are upwards of 400 dollars... RADAR and LIDAR only operate at certain frequencies in law enforcement. They all read the same..

Great info. I have to ask though; why do you need a radar detector? Are the days of professional courtesy between Blue's gone?

Great information, thank you all for sharing!

So, by Whistler, would it include this low end model I bought 30 years ago?

It's been collecting dust for the past 20-25, mostly because I thought technology had evolved and these were now useless, but maybe I should start using it again?


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I have found the speed limit +13 is generally a good rule of thumb. Out West on flat/straight highways you can add another 10 mph and in urban traffic I keep it the speed limit +8. A bit of common sense usually works.

I use a cobra RAD400, which has now been superseded, it was $99.

It has saved me many times, I drive 1000 miles/week in my Tesla and like all modern cars it's way too easy to go over the speed limit accidentally.

The only downside is false alarms from electronic signage, I'm okay with them as they are preferable to a ticket. I'll replace it soon with a later model as the LED display is failing.

Once you're retired, there are no guarantees. And I have many friends who are CHP, they will write their own mothers...

It'll still work... just less false alarm filtering... and not on LIDAR!! That's a cool old detector though!