Radar Detector Suggestions/Recommendations Needed

[jikelly]

So they finally caught me speeding again. It had been three years since I got a speeding ticket. Then I got stopped yesturday in Oklahoma on my way to visit a friend in Waterloo Iowa. The Oklahoma State Trooper gave me one hell of an expensive ticket.

He clocked me right after I passed a car on a rural 2 lane highway. I saw him after I got around the car and started slowing down. I thought he was too far to clock me, but He said he clocked me doing 85. When he asked me if there was any reason why I was going 20 miles over the speed limit I told him I just passed a car.

His response was that that car was doing the speed limit. I think he was implying that I had no business passing them in the first place. I guess I should have asked to see his radar gun's display, but I was trying to be as friendly and cooperative as possible and thought it might be better not to ask. So I got a ticket for 201 dollars.

So now I'm gonna finally go out and find me a good radar detector. They must have really increased the range of the radar guns the police are using now so I'm thinking it is time to get some help for my 33 year old eyes. Now before anyone says why don't you just try slowing down to the speed limit, and I do that sometimes, I should tell you that the last ticket I got on the highway was while I was traveling under the speed limit and it cost me 100 dollars. 76 in a 70 my black patoot.

Anyway, is there any model detector that you guys would recommend?

 

[blown65]

Valentine 1 or Passport 8500 (I think thats the name of the 8500)

That is the two I ALWAYS hear good things about. The Valentine 1 I can vouch for though as an awesome detector.

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

bassically the cheap ones work worth ****, you get what you pay for. don't skimp out if you want any kind of real protection

 

[gt/cs]

I should tell you that the last ticket I got on the highway was while I was traveling under the speed limit and it cost me 100 dollars. 76 in a 70 my black patoot.

Anyway, is there any model detector that you guys would recommend?

A radar detector won't protect you from DWB tickets

I have two friends who have gotten the Valentine 1, they both rave about it. Although I can say that cops get rather suspicious when your car's nose suddenly dives down as you approach them Both of them have been followed for a couple miles after braking down to freeway speeds, neither have gotten busted for it.

On a side note, why is it that cops always tailgate you?

 

[gp001]

Valentine 1 HANDS DOWN!!!!! Not only does it always test highest every year, it is upgradeable so it does not become obsolete. My V1 has saved my tail on more that a few occasions. You can also get the remote display so you don't have flashing lights up on the dash/windshield to give you away.

http://valentine1.com/

 

[Ozsum2]

I never speed. In fact, the first ticket in 25 years was for going too slow. I hate it when I am doing the speed limit, and then some jack leg comes up behind me, tailgating, and then speeds to get around me. Then, they end up going the same speed I am, only to be the front guy. Guy must have never been complimented as a child. Gotta be first. I say, write em up. But to answer a question, they can hit you from over 5 miles away if they can see that far.

 

[blown65]

I never speed. In fact, the first ticket in 25 years was for going too slow. I hate it when I am doing the speed limit, and then some jack leg comes up behind me, tailgating, and then speeds to get around me. Then, they end up going the same speed I am, only to be the front guy. Guy must have never been complimented as a child. Gotta be first. I say, write em up. But to answer a question, they can hit you from over 5 miles away if they can see that far.

LOL, thats funny. I feel like running ppl over in my truck that do that. Pass me when Im towing my boat to only slow down in front of me. I swear one of these days Im going to push one of them off the road.

I dont really speed but I guess I do go 5 over the limit. On my way to the lake though is when Id like to have a detector, and Ive been giving it some thought. Reason is, in Oregon I can do 65-70 towing my boat, but as soon as I hit Cali I have to go 55-60 and 140 miles of it is Cali. Sux.

 

[usedtobe 67p51d]

there are many types of drivers. I'm a driver on a mission. I don't care to be on the freeway any longer than I need to be. What chaps my hide. 1. False speed limits. tickets seem to be for revenue not public safety. 2. drivers in the fastlane going slow ie 65 in say a 55 zone geez people let's GO! or worst out side of greater L.A we have a handfull of 70mph zones and some folks won't run 65 in them ! 3,people who WON'T MOVE RIGHT to let a faster car by wtf? if I'm running 80mph and your putzen at 68 Iv'e brighted you three times from a minute out let me go by when it's safe. don't brake,don't tell me that I'm #1 just yeild the right away. it's simple your impeedeing traffic It's like standing in a doorway of a store talking lets step out of the way and let people by.


as for radar I don't have any experiance with them...I find someone who drives as fast or faster than I do.....and drive a half mile back.

 

[jikelly]

as for radar I don't have any experiance with them...I find someone who drives as fast or faster than I do.....and drive a half mile back.

Yep, Generally that is what I do also. Is that cheating? Hey it works, but like the instance when I got the ticket there was nobody to follow. I'd have to say I agree with everything you've said except that I may or may not be in a hurry. I really like driving for drivings sake sometimes. I was on a mission when I passed that trooper though. It takes an awful long time to drive 1056 miles and over that distance even 5 miles an hour makes a huge difference. I wanted to drive as far as I could before I started getting tired and had to stop.

If you want to drive the speed limit thats fine. Please just remember to be courtious and let others pass.

Are non of the radar detectors below 200 bucks worth the money? I found lots of rave reviews for the Escort 8500 at around 300, but I'm not sure that I can afford to spend that much. However it sure could have saved me a bunch the other day.

 

[gt/cs]

300 bucks is a bargain. You said that your ticket cost you $201, and if your insurance company finds out about it it'll end up costing you a lot more than that in the long run. And a lot of these radar detector companies nowadays will even pay your speeding tickets for you if you should happen to get one within the first year while using their product.

 

[65fastback2+2]

as for radar I don't have any experiance with them...I find someone who drives as fast or faster than I do.....and drive a half mile back.

thats what i normally do, do 82 behind someone doing 85 . The 5 mile range is a little long, I knew a state trooper and he said its actually about 500 yards.

 

[WORTH]

radar detectors are for amatures

 

[Ozsum2]

thats what i normally do, do 82 behind someone doing 85 . The 5 mile range is a little long, I knew a state trooper and he said its actually about 500 yards.

Nope. I rode with a local and seen it done. You can see a long ways in the mountains.

 

[Ozsum2]

If you want to drive the speed limit thats fine. Please just remember to be courtious and let others pass.

If you want to break the law and pass me, don't expect any favors.

 

['03 6-Speed]

Ya know, my last ticket was back when i was about 16 years and 9 months old, it was my 2nd speeding ticket. Immediately after the ticket, which actually happened to be racing too I bought a radar detector, i ended up spending about 400 after the price of the ticket and my radar detector. I had to sell my beloved paintball gun to make sure I could pay for it. This was probably the worst week of my life, and I lost the race, but now I am 19 and have not received a ticket since. Radar detectors are very worth the cash.

 

[Ozsum2]

Gawd, I thought you was going to say you were like 50 or something. Fooled me. Only thing you have to dodge in the Texas Pan is jackalopes. Speed away.

 

[skywalker]

I never speed. In fact, the first ticket in 25 years was for going too slow. I hate it when I am doing the speed limit, and then some jack leg comes up behind me, tailgating, and then speeds to get around me. Then, they end up going the same speed I am, only to be the front guy. Guy must have never been complimented as a child. Gotta be first. I say, write em up. But to answer a question, they can hit you from over 5 miles away if they can see that far.

Not necesarilly legally at that distance. Accoording to my state tropper friend, they must be with-in 1000 yards or visual range, which ever is shorter. But that is this state. Also they can't ticket you for speeding less than i think it is 50 yards after a lower speed limit sign.

There are reasons for these laws here: obscene amounts of speed trapping. Things like this vary froms tate to state. But as far as technical ability, 5 miles seems awfully short to me.

 

[jikelly]

If you want to break the law and pass me, don't expect any favors.

Whatever, I've seen some pretty bad stuff happen because of someone impeding the flow of traffic. It never hurts to slow down and or move over to let someone get past you. As far as speed limits go, I'm more of a road conditions guy. There are lots of times when the conditions don't warrant doing the speed limit.

Sorry, I'm one of those guys everyone curses because I like to slow down when it starts raining. Hey I promise I'll move over out of the way for you to pass. Like I did for this lady whom I saw loose it shortly there after on a bridge on I-20 in a downpour.

I also like to move with the flow of traffic. So, if traffic is moving at 75 then I'm gonna try and move at that speed with everyone else and pay attention to what the other drivers around me are doing. I prefer getting out of the way to getting in a wreak. Being able to tell the officer I was doing the speed limit won't help me pull the dents out of my mustang. Anyway, enough about that stuff.

Thanks to those of you who had suggestions. Here are the three finalists I've come up with barring further recommendations.

1. The Escort 8500
Looks like it is the top dog even outperforming the Valentine at $300

2. The Bel Vector 985
This one seems to be a good one and is probable the one I'll go with if I can find it around here. It sells for approx $230.

3. The Whistler 1793
This is the cheapest of the the three but it still has pretty good range, a little over a mile, and low occurrence of false alarms. It sells for $150, but I haven’t seen any of these around either.

 

[skywalker]

Whatever, I've seen some pretty bad stuff happen because of someone impeding the flow of traffic. It never hurts to slow down and or move over to let someone get past you. As far as speed limits go, I'm more of a road conditions guy. There are lots of times when the conditions don't warrant doing the speed limit.

Sorry, I'm one of those guys everyone curses because I like to slow down when it starts raining. Hey I promise I'll move over out of the way for you to pass. Like I did for this lady whom I saw loose it shortly there after on a bridge on I-20 in a downpour.

I also like to move with the flow of traffic. So, if traffic is moving at 75 then I'm gonna try and move at that speed with everyone else and pay attention to what the other drivers around me are doing. I prefer getting out of the way to getting in a wreak. Being able to tell the officer I was doing the speed limit won't help me pull the dents out of my mustang. Anyway, enough about that stuff.

This is all not mentioning that you can be ticketted for impeding the flow of traffic - even if you are going the speed limit. Happened to my dad who still hasn't learned his lesson (he goes the speed limit or slower at all times, annoys the piss out of me.

Frankly, most speed limits are set articificially low (IOW, the road can be driven on safely at a higher speed) in order to increase ticket revenues. Don't believe me? That's fine, but forgive me when I don't keep a straight face while I listen. It's particularly true on highways. A local county here that is particularly well known for writing tickets actually set a freeway speed at 45 mph where it had previously been 55 and people normally drive at 65-70. Why? Needed money for a county project and it was a quickw ay to get it until the DOT said that all the county police officers pulling people over was decimating the traffic on an already very busy interstate.

That's the other thing. Police officers pulling people over in rush hour just does not help traffic or make anyone safer. I've seen it more than once. Rubber neckers slowing down, someone looks down for a split second (maybe even to check their speedometer) and doesn't see the idiot in front of them slamming on their brakes to look at the cop writing a ticket and bam, rear ends that rubber necker.

Speeding tickets simply do not save lives - they produce revenue. There are actually studies that show the safest drivers on the freeways being the people who get into the left lane driving 15-20 mph over the posted limit.

Police officers would be better to go after more of these guys who are weaving in and out of traffic, more revenue fromt he tickets (it ought to be even higher) there is plenty of them and they actually cause a substantial number of accidents.

Speeding on backroads is a different story. Sorry kids, it seems fun, but it really IS dangerous to drive 60 around that hairpin turn in the rain. (Happens frequently here in Atl, always to a kid who got their license the week before.)

 

[pyroman]

Unlike the US most of Europe (germany inparticular, it's where I heard it) tickets those who weave dangerously in and out of traffic as skywalker mentioned, they focus less on your speed and more on your maneuvering.

History Channel, "The Autobahn"