Radar detector for "not so open road driving"

ndry_06

I live out in the country in Texas...I often drive to bigger cities to getaway.

Its very tempting to just floor it out in the middle of nowhere but then you see a single trooper or cop.

I got my first ticket in the 370z and I wondering which type of radar I should get? I dont drive very aggressively once I actually get to the city and I'm not concerned with falsing due to automatic doors at shopping centers. Also some small Texas towns are riddled with speed traps to catch out-of-towners so if there is any radar out there that recognizes speed traps too that would be nice. So far I'm considering the V1.

Every ticket I've recieved since moving out to West Texas has been in a small town that I'm not familiar with sudden speed changes and speed traps. Thank you for your help and advice.

memorylasts

I use a V1 for the past few years, i will say it is not a cop detector, but a radar/laser detector...

You can shut off the modes you dont need, the bands that get set off by doors and what not, i have only laser and one radar band on out here, and sometimes behind certain vehicles it goes off from their brake lights as a laser.

Heading out on long stretches of nothing ness i have had ranges up to a mile away... when i picked up a cop, has been really useful going from SD to Las Vegas and back or out to AZ.

I am very happy with my purchase! Saved my *** quite a few times.

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christian370z

I bought a Beltronics RX65 after doing a huge amount of research. It basically is competitive with the top of the line detectors in terms of performance at 2/3 the price, plus the red display matches the Zs gauge lighting very well.

On open highways, it can pick up radars 1-2 miles away and is very accurate, plus I got mine for $200 brand new from someone on ebay.

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ocfoilist

I, too purchased the Beltronix RX65 and am very happy with it. It consistently picks up the Ka band that cops use out here. The only downside is the number of false-positives you get from laser; however, I suspect that's a problem common to radar detectors in general given the nature of light sources. On a very bright day, I get laser chirping when the sun glints off of a clean car in front of me. But then again, laser detectors have limited use since laser guns are narrow beam burst effect weapons. If your detector picks it up, chances are you were already hit.

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SPOHN

I want to get a rader and laser jammer. Both combined are costly. Guess I need to save it for the track.

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UNKNOWN_370

Thinking about what you said concerning speed traps. I would get the Beltronics Pro GX65. Reason being, you can program the speed traps into the database so it will remind you of where the cops hang out. It does other things you may or may not need like tell you where all the stop light cameras are, school zones and it also has a preloaded database of speed traps. As I stated above you may have to put it in the database if no one has done it for your vicinity. The database is growing so its getting better. It runs around $400+ Depending where you buy it but for its overall features its worth it.

Xan

I would (I am) stick(ing) with a V1, can't beat its range.

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o0javi0o

I have to say Valentines 1 is the one you are looking for. I've been using it 7yrs and no tickets, yet. Had saved me numerous times and it has been very accurate. That is my experience with V1.

Good Luck sir.

Sundown

Stick with the V1. Just keep in mind that TxDPS uses an "instant-on" version of the KA band. So, they can be sitting there, just waiting, and pop it on when they see you, then it's too late. Same thing goes for ANY laser detector. The laser band really just alerts you to when you just got hit, not much more. The range is awesome on the V1, but the cop has to have his radar on the whole time in order for it to pick up at distance.

The best way to get out of a ticket is simply respect. I have the same routine every time I get pulled over and haven't gotten a ticket in years because of it.

1) Turn the engine off
2) Turn on the interior dome lights.
3) Roll down the windows
4) Have license and insurance in hand
5) Have both hands on wheel
6) All of the above done BEFORE the officer ever gets to the car.
7) Admit I was speeding and apologize without making excuses
8) End every sentence with "sir" or "ma'am"

I've got a lot of police friends and they all say this goes very far in making the officer comfortable, especially at night. The more comfortable the cop is, the less likely you are to get a ticket.

I still stick with the V1, though.

SPOHN

+1 on the V1. I loved mine and wish I didn't sell it three years ago. Great range.

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DrEvil

Been using an Escort Passport 9500ix. Has a GPS in it to warn of known "permanent" radars, traffic/red light cams, K, Ka, X, and laser. It connects with your PC and gets a weekly update of new hot spots as well as locations that set off false K band warnings ( like those from the Lowes auto door openers).

ndry_06

im going to look into the V1 and the Bel Pro GX65 further. I will definetly take into consideration what you said Sundown about getting pulled over.

My ticket was for 8mi over...a friend got one for 5...so I need a radar to alert me to go under the speed limit before entering small towns. Or might just drive the extra hour to avoid small towns altogether. Just the extra security of a radar would help.

Sundown

Yeah, being polite and respectful goes a long way in not getting a ticket. Remember, in Texas, anything ticket for less than 10% over the speed limits doesn't accrue points on your license. You can take defense driving to eliminate the ticket all together, unless it's in a school zone, construction zone, or >25mph over the posted limit.

I think I hold the record for biggest speed and still getting a warning. 105mph in a 55mph zone (Hwy 124 between Galveston and Winnie) and walked away with a verbal warning.

spearfish25

The Passport 9500IX is by far the best detector I've ever used. While you think you don't care about falses, you'll be sorry down the road (pun intended). The GPS learning function is worth 10x its weight in gold. As for sheer detection, I think the tests put it just a hair behind the V1 but we're talking extreme distances to begin with (ie, it doesn't matter if one detector picks up a signal at 2.2mi and the other at 2.0mi...you're still notified well in advance). The V1 is old technology, you'll get false readings that will make you pull your hair out and ignore the detector completely, and you're still paying $500 for it. Would you buy a 1st gen iPhone for $500 now that the 4th gen is out and priced the same? Me neither.

As stated above, these are radar/laser detectors, not cop detectors. If a cop is sitting with his radar off and then pegs you as you go by, it doesn't matter if you own ALL the radar detectors on the market. Radar jammers are illegal and laser jammers are available in many states if you want more protection. I still wouldn't use them as a crutch for faster speeds though...I'd consider them to be a bigger insurance policy to avoid tickets while driving the same way I do with a detector alone.

I'm not going to get into how to maximize the effectiveness of a radar detector on here as I'm not condoning anyone drive around at illegal speeds

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ndry_06

I have read that the V1 falses alot hitting cell phone towers in open road. Also not having the ability to mute or mute as easily as the Passport 9500ix or the Bel GX65. In that case I like how the passport 9500ix audibly alerts your current speed as well as displays it. I hope that the Bel GX65 also does this.

The Bel GX65 may be a little bit more built for the 370z since the display is red and it hooks up on the right side closer to the 12v connection.