[chester7]

I lived in Virginia for 18 years where radar detectors are illegal- and you are reminded by signs every time you enter the state. So I have not thought about a radar detector in a long time.
How reliable are they for a burst of speed? I remember a lesson I received long ago in Oklahoma about being the only car on the road. My beloved Escort alarm went off and I slammed the brakes on. When you are alone on the road, the first time the alarm goes off is when the gun is aimed at your car.

When the officer approached he asked me where my radar detector was. I had hidden it before he got out of his car. The officer stated I know you have one, but it only saved you 1 mile per hour.

So guys and gals, are they worth it, or just an expensive toy?

 

[phroenips]

I still like mine. It won't save me in all situations, but there are a lot of lazy cops that just leave their radar on all the time. And the higher end modern ones have the range that can catch it early on (for instance, as they're checking other cars ahead of you).

 

[antennahead]

I have only just installed my new detector in the 718, but the previous one, a built-in unit I installed in my prior ride, a BMW, saved me many a time from the pesky speed trap the city cops like to set up in my suburban area. The key is situational awareness. "If" you are the only car on the road and there is no one ahead of you to be targeted by the police, then when you enter his field of view, your detector will let you know you have just been nailed. As stated above, the modern ones have such good range that you will hopefully know he's there way before you arrive, as a car ahead of you has been triggered. Good BSM (blind spot monitoring) is also important to eliminate the falses. I totally get some people just don't like messing with a detector, but when used properly they can be a great asset to avoid the speed trap.

 

[DriveInHouston]

I believe a lot of the 'radar guns' are actually laser based and do not 'spill' radiation while checking the cars ahead of you. The first time you hear the laser alarm is when you get nailed.

 

[antennahead]

I believe a lot of the 'radar guns' are actually laser based and do not 'spill' radiation while checking the cars ahead of you. The first time you hear the laser alarm is when you get nailed.

Yea, detectors are good for Ka band threats, which is mostly what I encounter locally. Laser detection is somewhat useless, the chances of picking up "scatter" is nil.

 

[roundtail]

Good question. I have a Uniden R3, and it goes off a lot, so the little box is doing its thing, but how useful that has been I can't say. Of the times where it did sniff out a trap ahead, I was in such clustered traffic (all going over the limit, lol) that there wasn't anywhere to be passing anyone anyway. And I guess that's the catch-22...you need at least some traffic in front of you to get the warning, but not so much that it becomes moot.

I use it though, since why not get all the advantage you can? But SA (situational awareness) is still the primary tool.

 

[antennahead]

I use it though, since why not get all the advantage you can? But SA (situational awareness) is still the primary tool.

Are you using the speed setting, I forget what Uniden calls it, quiet ride maybe, that sets a speed at which anything encountered below that speed doesn't set the detector off? The R3 is a well respected detector, great range. Using all the tools it offers to filter out falses is always a good thing.

 

[roundtail]

Are you using the speed setting, I forget what Uniden calls it, quiet ride maybe, that sets a speed at which anything encountered below that speed doesn't set the detector off? The R3 is a well respected detector, great range. Using all the tools it offers to filter out falses is always a good thing.

The R3 has two, Quiet Ride (QR) and QRC (for red light cams). Set them both, and they work great. What’s nice is it just mutes things, so you’re still monitoring.

I think I’m getting BSM triggers on K-band, despite having lowered sensitivity to 70%. And I use it in my Tacoma, which I drive in New Jersey quite a bit. Since Jersey still uses just about everything, I have to be careful about too aggressively using filters and such, which means having alerts for X-band too. PITA. ?

 

[Porsche2018]

Was not worth it for me.......occasionally, I use Waze but not all that often.

 

[roundtail]

Was not worth it for me.......occasionally, I use Waze but not all that often.

The irony of Waze is that its predictive accuracy increases with more users, while at the same time sending more and more congestion into the detour...hence the new lexicon “waze delays”. Waze, the ultimate self-defeating tech?

 

[antennahead]

I think I’m getting BSM triggers on K-band, despite having lowered sensitivity to 70%.

The guys on the RD forum set the sensitivity to 30%, then ran tests. The sensitivity of the R3 and R7 is so good that even at 30%, there was adequate notice of a real radar threat. If 30% scares you as being too low, maybe try 50% and see how it works.

 

[Dan.B-Cayman]

I got me an Escort 360 a few months back and it has saved me once at least and maybe twice from a probable ticket. I was not the lead car or the only one there on a highway in these situations though.

The detector can only save me when it can, so I keep aware of when I am vulnerable.

And I like having mine knowing it may save me when my attention falters.

 

[Naptown]

The irony of Waze is that its predictive accuracy increases with more users, while at the same time sending more and more congestion into the detour...hence the new lexicon “waze delays”. Waze, the ultimate self-defeating tech?

Waze does some really dumb things, like telling me to go up an exit ramp and then down the entrance ramp on a clear freeway. Scenic detour of an intersection? I prefer the routing options in Google maps.

 

[Porsche2018]

Truth be told my wife is better than a radar detector and when danger presents she will often exclaim......cop cop cop and it works very well.......except one time she did the cop cop cop and I passed a Texas State Trooper at about 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. For some reason he did not come after me. Two possibilities he was looking the other way (maybe sleeping) or felt this guy must be a real idiot why bother.

 

[roundtail]

Truth be told my wife is better than a radar detector and when danger presents she will often exclaim......cop cop cop and it works very well.......except one time she did the cop cop cop and I passed a Texas State Trooper at about 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. For some reason he did not come after me. Two possibilities he was looking the other way (maybe sleeping) or felt this guy must be a real idiot why bother.

Third possibility: He might’ve been there for reasons other than a speed trap, such as an intercept.

As far as detectors go, I’ve passed so many troopers that were engaged in something yet still set off my detector, I’ve come to think they leave radar on just to slow us down (it works!).

 

[jimmuller]

As far as detectors go, I’ve passed so many troopers that were engaged in something yet still set off my detector, I’ve come to think they leave radar on just to slow us down (it works!).

I recall an article in Car&Driver maybe 45 years ago about an interview with a policeman. They talked about how that department had begun a practice of parking visibly in prominent speeding areas instead of hiding with radar to catch people. When asked if that didn't reduce their ability to catch people the officer said yes, but their real goal was to make people slow down, not to issue citations. They called it being a visual deterrent, and it was more effective than issuing tickets.

 

[roundtail]

I recall an article in Car&Driver maybe 45 years ago about an interview with a policeman. They talked about how that department had begun a practice of parking visibly in prominent speeding areas instead of hiding with radar to catch people. When asked if that didn't reduce their ability to catch people the officer said yes, but their real goal was to make people slow down, not to issue citations. They called it being a visual deterrent, and it was more effective than issuing tickets.

Good ol’ Car & Driver. The only auto mag I ever really gave credence to (and subscribed) because they were/are the one with the most honest, straightforward, and bs-free writing. It’s about the car, not being clever or cocky, with those guys. Their articles about the 718 helped me make my choice. Statements like, “The definitive driver’s car”, and “Yes, the Cayman is that good” are woven throughout.

 

[antennahead]

Their articles about the 718 helped me make my choice.

Yep, their article: 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster Manual "It's Official: All 718s are quick" was instrumental in my decision to get this car.

 

[stinger]

I have a Valentine 1, it's a good tool that provides information about radar in the general area. I would say for every 20 alarms, 1 is actual law enforcement....but I use it for what it is, useful info to be aware of radar activity in the area. It has saved me from a couple of likely speeding tickets so based on that I believe it's been worth having around.

 

[vhs]

Simply buying any RD and expecting great results is probably a bit unrealistic. There are forums for people that are extremely passionate about RDs. I think if you're going to use one, it's prudent to take a bit of time and figure out which one will fit your particular location and expectations. RDForm is a great resource.

In a basic sense, different regions utilize different types of radar, and then even in those, work on different frequencies. Some RDs work better than others on these specific types and the frequencies themselves. For example, some states and regions use K band, while others use Ka band. Expecting a detector to be focused in on where you are is the goal, otherwise the thing will go off on garage door openers, ovens, other cars BSM (blind spot monitoring), and so on. I think that's where people can get frustrated.

Some places use Laser, which is another can of worms.

I did some research, but not quite enough. I went with a Radenso Pro M (hardwired and on when the ignition is turned) because it is one of the most quiet (less false alarms and BSM alerts) and it's small footprint. However, I have K band off because my area is Ka band. This alone takes care of most BSM. In general, I'm pretty happy with it but may switch to a Uniden R7 when the firmware has matured a bit more.