Are Radar Detectors worth it?

[HOXXOH]

I've had pretty good luck with an average rabbit on the open road. Going with the flow when there is traffic, irrespective of the number on the sign, works for me.

I got a detector as a present about 10 years ago. It's still in the unopened box and could be your's for a pittance.

[FineVisionz]

6 minutes ago, HOXXOH said:

I've had pretty good luck with an average rabbit on the open road. Going with the flow when there is traffic, irrespective of the number on the sign, works for me.

I got a detector as a present about 10 years ago. It's still in the unopened box and could be your's for a pittance.

I'm wasnt thinking buying a used one.  I'm open for a used one though possibly. What detector is it?

[HOXXOH]

17 minutes ago, FineVisionz said:

I'm wasnt thinking buying a used one.  I'm open for a used one though possibly. What detector is it?

It's not used when it's still in the unopened box. I'd have to dig it out to find the brand, but I know it's not a Valentine or Escort.

[FineVisionz]

9 hours ago, HOXXOH said:

It's not used when it's still in the unopened box. I'd have to dig it out to find the brand, but I know it's not a Valentine or Escort.

Don't worry about it.  I apriciate the offer though! 

[HOXXOH]

It's a Whistler Pro 58. Original list price was $169.95.

$20 if you're interested.

[FineVisionz]

On 8/26/2017 at 9:17 AM, HOXXOH said:

It's a Whistler Pro 58. Original list price was $169.95.

$20 if you're interested.

Sorry for the late response.  No thank you.  Thanks for the offer though.  If I change my mind I'll be sure to let you know!

[HOXXOH]

3 hours ago, FineVisionz said:

Sorry for the late response.  No thank you.  Thanks for the offer though.  If I change my mind I'll be sure to let you know!

I'm planning to keep it for a few more years and donate it to a museum along with my nixie tube calculator and 16K Radio Shack Color computer with the single sided 5 1/4 floppy drive. They were pretty happy when I gave them a circular slide rule, a flapper clock radio, and a stack of 78's.

[FNBADAZ06]

Welcome......and, yes, expect laser in the north valley as Ted Yoder alluded to. If you're the only vehicle cruising on the road and they use the instant on tactics, no radar detector will help you when you're targeted. I've picked up laser sites when the vehicles in front of me have been targeted, and the other day I had a motorcycle unit parked near a fixed radar installation that everyone takes for granted on south bound 67th Ave. just north of Bell Rd.......he was shooting radar using the fixed unit to "mask" his presence.

Radar detectors are also worthless for unmarked units rolling with traffic and pacing you.

 

That being said, I use Valetine Ones, which seem to have the longest range and the best sensitivity. Their patent for the arrow indicators and bogey count has expired, so a number of newer models from other manufactures are including this feature in their best models. If buying a new Valentine One, you'd get the latest unit that includes "Junk-K Fighter" technology for the new cars using K band radar for cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane change, etc.  " Junk-K Fighter eliminates most of the nuisance false alarms caused by lane-change warning systems in some newer cars. Customer satisfaction is very high with this feature."

 

[FineVisionz]

1 hour ago, FNBADAZ06 said:

Welcome......and, yes, expect laser in the north valley as Ted Yoder alluded to. If you're the only vehicle cruising on the road and they use the instant on tactics, no radar detector will help you when you're targeted. I've picked up laser sites when the vehicles in front of me have been targeted, and the other day I had a motorcycle unit parked near a fixed radar installation that everyone takes for granted on south bound 67th Ave. just north of Bell Rd.......he was shooting radar using the fixed unit to "mask" his presence.

Radar detectors are also worthless for unmarked units rolling with traffic and pacing you.

 

That being said, I use Valetine Ones, which seem to have the longest range and the best sensitivity. Their patent for the arrow indicators and bogey count has expired, so a number of newer models from other manufactures are including this feature in their best models. If buying a new Valentine One, you'd get the latest unit that includes "Junk-K Fighter" technology for the new cars using K band radar for cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane change, etc.  " Junk-K Fighter eliminates most of the nuisance false alarms caused by lane-change warning systems in some newer cars. Customer satisfaction is very high with this feature."

 

Do you experience more laser or radar? 

[FNBADAZ06]

More Ka band radar than laser, but believe me, the laser is active in the north valley. Laser can only be used while stationary (IIRC) so will be used primarily for speed traps. If you are not in a pack of cars cruising down the road (and not the lead, or "rabbit" car), laser detection won't be very effective, as you'll be the one in the cross hairs LOL.

I don't think I've experienced or seen and straight K band traffic radar being used by law enforcement in the valley, which is what is used by most blind spot/lane departure/cruise control units in newer cars. I have a tendency to disregard K band notifications in town, but Ka band is always law enforcement.

 

On the highway, I pay attention to ALL alerts.

[FineVisionz]

3 minutes ago, FNBADAZ06 said:

More Ka band radar than laser, but believe me, the laser is active in the north valley. Laser can only be used while stationary (IIRC) so will be used primarily for speed traps. If you are not in a pack of cars cruising down the road (and not the lead, or "rabbit" car), laser detection won't be very effective, as you'll be the one in the cross hairs LOL.

I don't think I've experienced or seen and straight K band traffic radar being used by law enforcement in the valley, which is what is used by most blind spot/lane departure/cruise control units in newer cars. I have a tendency to disregard K band notifications in town, but Ka band is always law enforcement.

 

On the highway, I pay attention to ALL alerts.

Thank you for the quick response.  From what I've heard... Laser is hard to detect before you are targeted and more times then not, when your detector goes off for laser, it's too late.

[FNBADAZ06]

Laser is hard to detect, especially if the laser is shot in close range. That being said, the laser beam itself is not tightly focused and will still "scatter" some, so if someone is being targeted out in front of you and the detector has sufficient sensitivity, you can detect them. However, I believe laser speed measuring requires that the unit be specifically aimed at a target they are measuring (usually the license plate, or any flat reflective part of the car that wouldn't be in the driver's line of site).....it makes it more difficult to deploy in high traffic areas where the operator must target a specific vehicle in the group. Radio based speed measuring can be left "on", and target cars that travel thru that wide beam they project, so it's easier to deploy but easier to detect.

 

I should add, this is all my personal opinion.

[Bigfoot]

4 hours ago, FNBADAZ06 said:

More Ka band radar than laser, but believe me, the laser is active in the north valley. Laser can only be used while stationary (IIRC) so will be used primarily for speed traps. If you are not in a pack of cars cruising down the road (and not the lead, or "rabbit" car), laser detection won't be very effective, as you'll be the one in the cross hairs LOL.

I don't think I've experienced or seen and straight K band traffic radar being used by law enforcement in the valley, which is what is used by most blind spot/lane departure/cruise control units in newer cars. I have a tendency to disregard K band notifications in town, but Ka band is always law enforcement.

 

On the highway, I pay attention to ALL alerts.

MCSO and Glendale use mostly K band.

[FNBADAZ06]

3 minutes ago, Bigfoot said:

MCSO and Glendale use mostly K band.

Didn't know that. MCSO is usually shooting Ka band when I'm up in Carefree/Cavecreek area.

[Bigfoot]

Just now, FNBADAZ06 said:

Didn't know that. MCSO is usually shooting Ka band when I'm up in Carefree/Cavecreek area.

Guess the guys down here in the south/west valley are behind the times.  

[BlackC6]

 

On 8/24/2017 at 8:55 AM, JohnU said:

I drove over a million miles during my career.  Well worth it!

 

2 Passport 9500IX's now superseded with a new model.  

 

 

I also use the Escort 9500IX.  It's a great unit.  Tells me where the speed cameras and red light cameras are, and has an update-able data base.  I sell a few different brands and IMO the Escort is by far, the best we sell.  It's based on GPS and will learn the places you travel and store the normal "false" alarm spots and block them out. The Laser alert is fantastic for road trips because DPS and some other major cities DO use laser. Laser is most popular on the Motorcycle units on surface streets.  Their primary function are traffic offenses.  The new Escorts will also filter out the new lane departure systems that are standard on some new cars.

[az57chevy]

The C5 is hard to bounce the laser off of, especially with no front plate.

[Ted Y]

10 hours ago, az57chevy said:

The C5 is hard to bounce the laser off of, especially with no front plate.

 

Most low profile vehicles need to by much closer to the laser source to return a speed, compared to SUV's and trucks.

[FNBADAZ06]

49 minutes ago, Ted Y said:

 

Most low profile vehicles need to by much closer to the laser source to return a speed, compared to SUV's and trucks.

I also noticed when I played with that laser unit in the parking lot on one of our runs last year, the C5 was easier to target because of the flat nose piece where the plate would normally be located, while the C6's angled nose took a bit longer to get a signal.

[Ted Y]

1 hour ago, FNBADAZ06 said:

I also noticed when I played with that laser unit in the parking lot on one of our runs last year, the C5 was easier to target because of the flat nose piece where the plate would normally be located, while the C6's angled nose took a bit longer to get a signal.

More likely the open grille gives less forward flat space.

[FNBADAZ06]

4 minutes ago, Ted Y said:

More likely the open grille gives less forward flat space.

That makes sense too. In my unskilled hands, putting the reticle on a moving target was more of a challenge than I expected.

[Guest]

I live in the far North end of Phoenix. I have used Escort's GPS enabled units for the past 5 years. They cost what one speeding ticket costs and have repaid on the investment many times over. The County units up here run Ka Band and I get fantastic warning range with both of the Escorts. I will say, from experience,  that the Acura SUV is consistently the greatest offender for false alerts and forced me to upgrade my old Escort to the new "smart" filtering technology. It works, buy it and the update program. I use it in town as there are more cameras installed frequently and new speed traps installed in the municipalities so having current data is critical if you don't drive in the area often. I have yet to get a laser alert thank goodness....knock on wood :-).