Rather than once again receiving a bunch of sweaters for the holidays that I don't need, I have asked my extended family to pool their resources to get me a radar detector. For once, they all agreed on something. I am looking for recommendations to make sure that they get a good one, and certainly not a bad one. I'd appreciate your thoughts about what to tell them to get and what to avoid.
Thanks.

valentine one?

or the escort


b

I go with the V1.





just my $0.02

V1 the rest dont come close

Valentine. Have had Escorts in several vintages, all worked fine.

Valentine is the best.

Go with the Valentine 1. Mike is a great guy and used to have a 914. Now has a GT. I heard him give a short lecture at the local PCA meeting a few weeks ago. He sure knows his stuff.
Van914

Valentine 1 a.k.a V1.

The bogey counter and directional arrows do it!

V1 Cost more, works more. It will amaze you, but no radar detector will save you from instant on.

Looks unanimous. Thanks. But what is the instant on?

i think the radar detectors run linux now...instant-on means it doesn't take 20 minutes to boot windows.


b

Instant on is a type of radar that reads your speed on the first burst of detectable radar waves. The best that a detector can do with that is let you know that a peace officer already knows how fast you're going.

Eric

I have an Escort but it sits in the glove compartment most of the time. Instant-on radar guns used by the PA state police make radar detectors quite useless. As stated before, radar detectors give you the peace of mind to know if the police have zapped you or not.

Anymore, I don't use the radar detector and just sense the volume of traffic, and look for flashing headlights from on-coming traffic or brake lights for radar detection.

Spoke

http://www.radar-detectors.com/ has some useful info.

Mike

QUOTE (ewdysar @ Nov 9 2005, 12:48 AM)

Instant on is a type of radar that reads your speed on the first burst of detectable radar waves.  The best that a detector can do with that is let you know that a peace officer already knows how fast you're going. Eric

Happened to me in Kansas on my way to the Fall Foliage Classic, 9 PM, in the middle of nowhere, the peace officer was in front of me, traveling the same direction as I.

He was driving a black Camaro, I was running a radar detector (old Whistler, borowed from a pal for the trip) .

The detector made two single blips, he lit his "cop lights", pulled slightly right, let me pass him and he had me.

He "ran" my Arizona plates, asked where I was headed and issued me a "warning". He was a highly professional officer, and I could kinda tell from the encounter that he was "mic'ed" as well, , video from his crusier too, I bet.

As I pulled over to the shoulder, I had noticed some good sized "road hazards" directly in front of me, that I tried to make a mental note of, for my exit.

He noticed the debris, and very kindly move the objects out of the way for me to split, nice fella.

He also said he noticed I was running a radar detector and that "it would only get me in trouble", perhaps they are illegal in Kansas or was he commenting about a "false sense of security" from the radar detector?

I did not stay around to inquire.

John

P.S. 77 in a 65, out in the middle of thousands of corn and wheat fields.... the spot was so remote that for the time I was detained, I don't recall even a single car going by.

Folks seem to drive a lot slower "back east", in AZ I might have been commended for such "restraint".

I highly recommend the Valentine One. Once you get used to the directional arrows, you'll never want a detector without them.

Your best defense is vigilance, though... keep scanning the horizon in front, check your rear view often, and try not to be the fastest guy on the highway. Keep it shiny side up!