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Cordless Radar Detectors - what is the best one?


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Eh.

 

IMHO, a cordless radar detector is worth about as much as the cord that powers it.

 

The cordless units keep a reasonable battery life by pulsing - scan for a bit, then sleep for a bit. However, the pulse times of some of the newer police radars in POP mode or such are short enough that a cordless detector can totally miss them.

 

If you don't want a cord dangling down, do a proper hardwiring job - run power up through the A pillar molding, under the headliner, and drop down by the mirror, so you only have a foot or so of cord.

 

-=Russ=-

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i have one of those. all it did was tell me, "hey your fu$%ed, a cop just got you with his gun and so pull over b%@ch! :mad: yeah it sucked

 

Yeah me too. I got lasered. There isn't any warning to lasers....they don't bounce off cars like a sonic wave would (K/A, X band. The "Radar" guns). The cop aims...pulls the trigger and by the time your unit goes off he has your speed.

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i have like a 80 dollar escort.. and i swear by god, that thing has paid for itself about six times over...that only takes like, two, maybe three tickets avoided. but hey... i love the thing. cant understand the need for a cordless one, though. do what syonyk said. I have found that most of the plastic interior panels, (especially the one going along the pillar between the windshield and the driver window) are VERY easy to remove and replace.

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HI GUYS!!!! I just gotta respond to this thread!! I have a Passport E-50, by ESCORT. About $300. You should fully understand we can get busted at anytime by the instant on. You HAVE to use wisdom and choose the time and place. Most importantly, NEVER be reckless, drunk or race!

1) NEVER SPEED if your the sole car on the road. I used to get up at 0300 on Mon, Tu. & We. for that. (To burn the gunk out of my LOTUS)

2) Don't go significantly faster than existing traffic.

 

***3) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS!- KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED. PERIOD.***

4) and there's always the dreaded "unmarked". By the time you see the little antenna's-----

Detectors are far from a free ticket to go speeding! But, I have been in a hurry but able to "duck" slightly behind the car in front of me, to slow down enough before "they" could see me or even get a lock on my car. Or if they did it was not worth turning around. I also think, that they may sometimes think, He's so alert! I'll get this D.A. on the cell instead. But probably not.

My Passport has given me warning a l-o-o-ng way in advance that one very clever radar operator was way down the road; There was only one alarm on the interstate, then all remained quiet. After about 5 Mi., I figured he must have been going the other way. I had just pushed on the gas to resume my cruising speed, and there he was! Had he been another 1/4 mi. I'd have been one poorer man. I think the St. Patrol is trained to wait untill one is observed really speeding visually before firing the gun.

********** I HAVE even BEATEN LASER WITH IT!!!!!!!************* NO B.S.!!

I will conceed it all to luck, but I was doing 90mph! Coming over a hill top, He lased my car, actually my windshield, before the whole car was visible to him.

The ESCORT SCREAMED AT ME (LIKE A WOMAN WHO JUST WOKE UP AND SEES NOTHING BUT THE BIG FAT REAR END OF A TRUCK RIGHT IN THE WINDSHIELD)!,, I NAILED THE BRAKES, and got some "dumb stares" as I went by two cruisers!!! It was freakin awesome!!( The truck thing is a bad trick to pull on someone- especially if you scream first and hit the brakes right behind a semi!)

Anyway, I really don't speed much anymore, but I still own a PASSPORT!!

Why? Too many municipalities use tickets to generate funds to support the department! That's B.S. I refuse to participate. So I own one to back me up in case I ever get careless.

Case in point? Maryland- 55MPH signs are 3ft tall x 2 ft wide. 35mph signs are like 12 x 12 - INCHES!!! AND GURANF-INTEE YOU, THE COPS ARE SITING200 YDS PAST THAT SIGN handing out U-OWE ME'S as fast as they can write them. Homie don't play that. "those kind can kiss my pink parts. I LOVE MY PASSPORT. :D The detectors never let you down, It's sort of like a sign a friend has in her shop, "I'm a beautician, not a magician!!"

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Im sill clueless as to why you need a detector for a subi.for a saab on the other hand.Ive always gone 5 mph over the limit.I get screwed when im on the gas for a little to long.Both of the tickets ive gotten have been for over 12 mph above the limit and those were rare occurance that I speed that excessivly(first=1 am after a double shift,tired as hell so I wasnt paying attention.Next ticket,I passed a truck with a camper on that was going 15 up a 35 mph road with a passing lane,I got nailed as I come around a bend right before I even had a chance to slow down.(that one was a 49 in 35,but Im gonna fight it)

 

Yea I suppose I could use a radar detector but I mostly do city driving and it would false alarm off so many security systems I would turn it off.and promtly get a ticket...although I will have to try hard with the 87' wagon I got to get a ticket.especially up hill.(the 49 in a 35 was going up a hill in the saab,in fact if I left it probally would have hit 70 before long)

 

 

damn it,Im rambling again...

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see, i live in florida... no hills. just bridges. plus, the soob is plenty quick enough.... if you give it enough throttle in the right spots thru the gears. yer soob can go 70, (so it can get a 35mph over ticket,) easy... do YOU, is the question. some of us frequently go up to ten, fifteen over when they know (i know) they shouldnt.... :rolleyes: i mean, not ME.....honest...

 

seriously, i know the ticket goes from like 112 to 212 at like 14 over here.. so i keep to 12 or so at most... but im doing THAT alot...... and there are roads that get no cops, and little traffic, that are safe enough to go 60 on, despite the 40-45 limit...

 

sometimes, they just come in handy. if you dont understand it, that just means you dont need a radar detector, thats all. thats how you tell.:lol:

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cont area's the fine doubles , if your in a semi and doing like 70mph in a 55 zone + in a work zone you can get it for reckless opp and loose your license , 6 points ,and most company's can't insurse you the,. i would go with a corded one ,the kind with 360 degree , and even kind that tell you where the work zones are +rest area's + picks up fire / ambulance , etc....

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Hi guys, just thought I would toss in one mans opinion. The brains behind the Escort company which was founded in my "backyard", branched off from the company after they decided to diversify and got into financial trouble. The gentleman that was behind the technical design and co-founder of their radar company started his own, also in my "backyard". His product, which I own 2 of is rated as the best bar none and has not let me down as of yet. It is called Valentine 1. Expensive by comparison but well worth it!!!

Just one mans opinion...:cool:

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+1 on the Valentine. Pricey, but worth it.

Any detector is pratically worthless in the city. If you race around city streets, you deserve the tickets anyway:rolleyes: The city cops use radar still, most cant afford the newer lazar units.

Now, the hiways are a different story(State funded).

When traffic permits and the flow is going better than the posted speed, you will be alright. Never exceed the limit alone, I always let someone else take point (for obvious reasons). Know the road. I know most of the hiding spots on our local hiways well and never speed when in these areas. They are really down on aggresive drivers in WA State now. If your cutting in and out of traffic, the fine is going to be much stiffer. And never exceed in a const zone. You better have a fat savings account if you get caught. Not to mention the safety of the people working on the road.

Being impulsive will also get you. That little ricer next to you, racing his engine? Yeah, let him win. He will end up the loser with the "Blue Light Special" as the prize.

Most of all, be safe and use discretion.

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+1 on the info on the valentine 1.. i had heard alot about it, i cant recall the other one's name but i was just talking with someone about it the other day. ive always thought that was one of the two best on the market... but having heard that story, ive made my choice who i support :grin:

 

my dad had an OOOLD escort that he got in the mid eighties.. that was probably the best radar detector i had seen until it finally died, beyond resurrection, in like '96 or so.. so to hear that the Val1 is made by the people who USED to be the brains at escort.. says alot to me :- )

 

thanks for the wee tale. it was a well written post too, you didnt make it a blatant plug by ANY means.. i had to reread it to catch the name of the detector again :- )

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oh that thing got pitched years ago.... i THINK. however, i WILL mention it to him.. thanks for the info.

 

for what its worth.. i own like, a $70 cobra el cheapo radar detector.. and i LOVE the thing. it has paid for itself SO many times over... and i was thinking about it the other day.. and i have NEVER gotten a speeding ticket with that thing. the only time i had ever been pulled for speeding i was speed-matched by a cop i didnt realize was a cop behind me :rolleyes: but i DIDNT get a ticket. that thing gave me a 1 1/2 mile warning the other day, too.... when i WOULD have been more than enough for their speed trap. saved me almost 300 bucks that day:banana:

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