Radar Detectors?

superman22x

Golden Master
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I was at Walmart, and was thinking about picking up a Radar/Lasar detector. There are so many different ones though! Some cost $200 and some cost $40. What are the advantages of the $200 ones other then 3 more bands for a total of 12 bands of detection?

My friend told me his uncle has one that picks up for like 2 miles, and its actually illegal, is that true though?
 
From listening to a similar discussion on here recently, the legality of the devices varies by states
 
They are legal in almost all states, including mine, except one little town around here. But I guess the one that picks up radar over like 500 yards might be illegal, idk really... Will a $40 detector pick up most cops sitting on the side of the road though?
 
Most of the radar guns used on the road side are trigger based, so it will pick up the radar gun once the cop presses the trigger, then you'll have a split second to get your speed into legal limits before the radar guns relays your speed to him. Speed cameras themselves, fixed ones, should be easily picked up by the device, but the guns will only be picked up when it's too late
 
Well, they will be good on the freeway while he radars other cars in front of me. Back roads... pretty much useless.
 
cops these days have radar detector detectors and friends of mine have gotten busted just for having them.
 
I just bought one of these things, and I researched them quite a bit.

The only places in the U.S. where radar detectors are illegal are Virginia and Washington DC. That said, there is a difference between a radar detector and a radar jammer. A detector simply detects the signal, a jammer will try to block their signal from catching you. Jammers are illegal in more places.

Basically, you get what you pay for with a radar detector. Generally, the more you pay, the more advance warning you'll get. A really cheap one probably isn't going to give you the time you need to slow down after detection.

What you really need to do is look at some reviews:
http://www.radartest.com/

Before buying the one I did, I was planning on getting this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Whistler-XTR-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224616959&sr=8-1
For the price, it is very good. Instead though, there was a decent one for sale on woot for $40, and I couldn't pass that up (it was the Whistler XTR-550).

If you can spend more, the Escort 8500i is probably the best for the money in the upper tier. It's about $300 though.
 
Yeah tom took the words right outta my mouth radar detectors are only good when the cops are actually using them so like you said on the highway they are useful but back roads and in town basically useless but the big tickets usually come from the back roads and not the highway so I won't be buying one ever again. Also the last one I had went off all the time in town for things in banks and other various business's which made me not ever use it. I just try to stay at pace with traffic or have a really good BS excuse why you were speeding already practiced because in town if you are speeding and a cop pulls you over if you say something like my mom was just in an accident and I am tryin to get to the hospital to see her 9 outta 10 times the cop will let ya go...

P.S. I wouldn't personally use that excuse cuz ya never know it may just come true Karma is a BAD THING... Maybe use my GF or Wife is having a baby right now and I'm trying to get there fast Its my first and I dont wanna miss it....:D:D:D
 
Lying to the police is a bad thing...as can be seen in my other thread...

Anyway, buying a more expensive detector will also keep the false positives to a minimum. The shoplifting things in stores set them off sometimes.

And there are radar guns that need a trigger to be pressed, but many cops use always-on radar. If the cop is using laser, you're basically screwed, as they have a very small range. So if you get a laser alert, the cop probably already got your speed.
 
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