Radar detectors worth it?

[Lundqvist]

Is a good radar detector a good investment for a viper owner? The cops in my city are notorous for giving out tickets in our city and driving a viper id really like one if they work. any thoughts?

im also looking for a GEN 4 hood if anyone is selling.

 

[plumcrazy]

Yes. Get one.
they all work with a few slight differences.

 

[wikkid]

Valentine 1, has saved me more times then i can mention. I never turn it off, i have it hard wired to the mirror. Only way to go

 

[v10enomous]

Best investment that you can make... I won't drive without one. You don't have to spend a fortune either. The real key to avoiding speeding tickets is to stay close to the speed limit when you are on the road by yourself. It's good to keep a car or two ahead of you so you can detect instant-on when they hit those cars...

 

[dans69ss]

What's a shoe without laces?

 

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

What's a shoe without laces?

Its called a loafer

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Valentine 1 will pay for itself the first time. $399.00 THE best.

 

[Rizzo]

V1 for me. Saved my butt numerous times.

 

[Twister]

Im getting one!

 

[georgethedog]

Check out the Bel 65GX. Lots of very nice features and it has good long distance warning. They other thing I like about it is that it is good at eliminating false alarms. Check out their website and look at the features.

 

[lxadeuce]

Valentine 1 for me too. saved in the viper at least 10 times since I've had it, over 50 times on the hayabusa. it has told me to slow down because of a cop ahead of me and in more than a few occasions, i didn't race somebody because it went off and then passed a cop on the side of the road. go with a V1, the arrows are a great feature!

 

[TowDawg]

Definitely worth it. I spent a little more and bought the passport SRX with the front and rear laser diffusers. The laser diffusers have saved me a few times and the nice part about the passport is less false alarms and mine is completely custom molded into my dash. I really wanted this feature so I can park with the top down anywhere and there is nothing for anyone to steal.

 

[CitySnake]

Best investment that you can make... I won't drive without one. You don't have to spend a fortune either. The real key to avoiding speeding tickets is to stay close to the speed limit when you are on the road by yourself. It's good to keep a car or two ahead of you so you can detect instant-on when they hit those cars...

EXACTLY!

No question as to whether it's worth the investment. IT IS!

Just keep in mind that it's far from foolproof. It certainly betters your chances, but as v10enomous suggests, it's just one more tool to better your odds.

 

[Phun70]

Get a K40 Calibre. Front and rear detection and jamming. **** the money grubbers!!!

 

[seabass]

yep I've got the K40 as well just up front... didn't need the laser detection I'm told b/c I don't have a front plate and if a cop catches me from behind they're going way too fast

I like the fact that it's concealed, no wires, no suction cups etc. kinda spendy but after I got 2 tickets the 1st weekend I got my Viper I had no choice! I think they'll reimburse tickets too I believe.

 

[my viper]

Totally. Just know that it isn't a cloak.

 

[v10enomous]

Best investment that you can make... I won't drive without one. You don't have to spend a fortune either. The real key to avoiding speeding tickets is to stay close to the speed limit when you are on the road by yourself. It's good to keep a car or two ahead of you so you can detect instant-on when they hit those cars...

The one issue with the Viper is that it that the cigarette lighter power thingy is always on and not controlled by the key. I like to have the radar detector come on automatically when the car is started especially on the daily drivers. You can spend $1k on a detector but it can't help you if you forget to power it up. Mine powers down 15 minutes after movement stops but doesn't power back up automatically. It will also run for 12 hours without being plugged in.

I suppose I could hard wire it so comes on automatically but I messed up a fuse block on a car years ago and try to avoid playing with the wiring now because it can ruin an otherwise perfect car.

 

[lagalaxy13]

I bought the passport 9500ix, it's been great so far. the red light camera & speed trap features are nice, and it's upgradeable.

 

[plumcrazy]

dont need a plate to get nailed by lazer... dont ask how i know.

V1 !

 

[TrackAire]

One of the features I like about using a radar detector while driving on busy interstates (not even speeding) is the ability to know that a CHP is nearby....especially useful while towing a big trailer and loads. If I have a 1/4 mile to 1 mile of warning, I'm on the lookout for idiot drivers that slam on their brakes as soon as they see the cop. By knowing that a cop is nearby, I give myself even more distance between myself and the idiots driving in front of me.

This is even more useful in heavy traffic when it's flowing but all of a sudden you get 3 or 4 cars slow down which causes a daisy chain effect and pretty soon the cars in front of you are near a dead stop for no apparent reason.

Been using a Bel for years, but time to upgrade to a newer unit with better laser capabilities...CHP is using more and more laser guns on I-80.

Cheers,
George

 

[eucharistos]

isn't bm1 selling his hood

thanks all for the radar detector info

 

[97GTS]

V1 without a doubt. There is an illustrated guide on this site for members that shows how to hardwire one in. Awesome because it powers up and down when the car does. I also have the remote that sits on top of the steering column. Great for when the music is blaring, the arrow is visible and more in the line of sight. Also gets rid of the coiled cord to the cig lighter.

Look at it this way: Get just ONE big speeding ticket and it will pay for a V1 (or 10 Cobras).

A great feature of the V1 is that it tells you the number of cops that it is picking up. This helps when there are a couple of cops within a mile or so of each other: Go by the first and then think that your detector is still picking up the first one, you speed up then get popped by the second. In this istance the unit will display a "2" letting you know that there are two bad guys out there.


Ron

 

[Lundqvist]

I guess what im confused about is a radar detector is different then a laser distrupter then?

does a radar detectver like the V1 pick up cops who are using lasers to tag poeple?

 

[Bird325]

I guess what im confused about is a radar detector is different then a laser distrupter then?

does a radar detectver like the V1 pick up cops who are using lasers to tag poeple?

You need to go to a site like LaserBusters.com and do some research. What you just asked is like 'Is a supercharger different than a 'cold air system'. Until you understand the lingo and what they do, you're just going to get more and more confused by the answers.

Personally, I run a Passport 9500ix and am very happy with it. It's already paid for itself in a little over a month. No 'laser disrupter' or jammers ... I don't think they are really going to help that much, but that's just my opinion.

 

[RTTTTed]

Go to radartest.com and various sites for info (or search this forum). I have an Excort 9500i with GPS and my other Viper has an SRX with Laser scramblers. The SRX is about $1500 installed and is a hidden unit that has a radar detector sensor about the size of 3 'ordinary' radat detectors. The laser scramblers are larger than most normal detectors. When we cruise the front Vipers have SRXs and the rest follow.

Which one you should buy depends on where you live. Do they have cabled speed cameras? Only protection from them is the GPS units like the Passport ****** and the Bell.

The V1 is equally sensitive, but it's cheap for a reason, so if the detector going off 10 times for each radar signal is what you can afford ...

Some states have anti-radar detector laws and if that's the case then you need the newer Bell or ****** units as they're built radiation insulation and they're what's called "quiet". They can't be detected by radar detector detectors except within a few feet.

In Alberta it's illegal to sell Laser Scramblers so they have to be purchased by mail order or out of province. In BC I think that Laser scramblers are probably illegal to use, but I went into a stereo/electronics store and bought the SRX.

The newest and (argueably the best) is the Passport 9500ci(custom instal) built in unit. It seems to be the most expensive at $1800.00 wholesale, uninstalled.

Ted

 

[white out]

I love my V1, it has saved me tens of thousands of dollars.

Nick

 

[SlateEd]

Absolutely worth the investment, but as others have said, nothing makes you invincible (or invisible).
I run the 9500ix, wired into the rear-view. I know the V1 is a great unit, but I also know myself well enough to say I am an idiot, I would start ignoring false alarms and I would get lazy. With the GPS enabled detector, if you've driven a road a few times before, and you get an alarm this time, it is the real thing!

At the same time, with laser you still need to be really careful - wide open stretches that seem too good to be true probably are (at least in New York). If you're worried about laser spend the bucks and get something you can integrate with jammers.

 

[Lundqvist]

okay so basically a product like V1 scans for cops and laser distrupters distrup cops who are using lasers to tag your speed..

so one alerts you of cops presence and the other actaully distrups a cop who is trying to tag you.

simple enough.

 

[my viper]

okay so basically a product like V1 scans for cops and laser distrupters distrup cops who are using lasers to tag your speed..

so one alerts you of cops presence and the other actaully distrups a cop who is trying to tag you.

simple enough.

Don't think too much, it will only spin your head. Get the V1 and be done with it.

 

[aries]

What's a shoe without laces?

A sandal?