any good?
which models do you guys recommend, cobra or otherwise. cost is not a consideration, in light of the fact that my two tickets (+ insurance) will cost me far more than the dectector.

 

Cobra detectors in general suck very badly.

My Bel 880 was only $170 and has EXCELLENT performance.

Check over in the general forum - there's a couple of good long threads on radar detectors.

 

I got me a refurbished Cobra for about $35 off Ebay about 5 months ago and so far It's been accurate enough... I'm not saying that these are the best radar detectors out in the market. I'm just trying to point out that they aren't as bad as ppl say they are.. In fact it helped me out of 3 tickets....

 

my buddy had one.

didn't work for sh*t...he got 3 tickets in the month or two he had it...it eventually stopped working altogether actually...POS

 

Stick with the Escort 8500 or Bel 980 (I have this one) Both are top performers

Maximadave

 

I had the Cobra 9850 and didn't got a ticket since I got it. It's not that bad of a radar detector. Good budget radar detector. Also, you have to remember that just having a radar detector doesn't mean you're immune to tickets, you have to have common sense too. A radar detector won't do you any good if the cop doesn't turn the radar on. In another word, you can't always blame the radar detector.

 

I was cruising down Franny Lew tonite around 10ish going about 55miles. Suddenly, my radar is going off the hook.. I hesitated thinking it was the seurity system from a nearby bank which was causing it.. After I pass the bank, it's still going nuts so I slow down to the posted speed limit. After about 2 blocks, I see a cop parked with his lights off hiding in the corner of the intersecting street...
Phew..
Then I remembered this post & decided to test it out again... This time on Hwy mode..I drove about a mile and made the U.. As soon I finish turning, it started going haywire again.
This goes to show you that Cobra really isn't all that bad..

 

I have an older Cobra that works ok, but if I were in the market for a new detector I would buy a Bel. From everything I have read, they will give you the best performance for the price.

 

Just to clarify, I know detectors don't make you immune to tickets (i don't use one) I was in the car each time he got ticketed and each time the detector never made a peep. When asking the troopers what they were using they were using normal radar (and he showed us). They weren't using the old quick on quick off trick to nab him either. This isn't the first i've heard of this happening either. There's always mixed feelings about Cobra detectors.....i would never buy one...

 

...and of course since i want one more post and I havn't seen anyone post this, and we all know that there HAS to be at least one radartest link in a radar-related thread...

www.radartest.com

 

Cobra sucks. period. I bought the 9200 after my old bel 870 got stolen and it was horrible. my 870 was awesome but the cobra made me lose faith in radar detectors everywhere. i've got an escort passport 7500 now and itsa much better. the cobra is horrible, i would never recommend it to anybody, unless it was someone i didn't like.

 

This is even better and more uptodate - and NOT BIASED like radartest.com is:

http://www.speedzones.com/

 

BEL 980, Escort 8500, or V1. Those are the ONLY 3 choices in my book. If you REALLY feel the need for speed, then you'd feel the same, too

DW

 

Has saved my butt in several occasions. I am sure there are much better radar detectors out there...but I am a cheap bastard and for the price the Cobra can't be beat.

 

i heard of a new Cobra radar detector that JUST came out? it supposedly guarantees that youll never get a ticket.

 

I bought a Cobra off ubid.com awhile ago for around 65 bux or so.. what a big POS! That thing doesnt work for d1ck so I gave it to my dad and bought a BEL Vector 95 which i LOVE so much.. This thing is awesome and has saved me millions of times. Like the guys above said, theres really only 3 good detectors: BEL, Escort Passport, and Valentine V1.

My friend has a BEL 880 that he got off the net for around 100 bux, and it does a pretty good job too. If you want something cheap I would consider that model. My Vector95 was around $250 but the thing I like about it is, free lifetime software upgrades

 

Check out Valentine1 before u make any choices, im gonna run a combo of both valentine1 and the K40 which runs about a grand, but i garentees to pay any ticked u get by radar or laser, it does some ion thing (dont want to get too technical) and cancels out lasers and radars so the cops will get a NA reading if they point the gun at u, but if ur flyin by them at 100, well its no point cuz its pretty obvious ur haulin and ur gettin pulled over anyway.

 

I say .. Get the VALENTINE1 I have it.. it is the best... I have had so many radars.. and this one works the best... I love it.. It is pricey but well worth it... you can buy it at

www.valentine1.com

I didnt believe in radars until I bought this one.. My friend told me about it.. I have had it for over a year now with no problems... !

 

i had a cobra....it would detect the radar around the same time i got pulled over for the friggin ticket


so i recently upgraded to the bel 980....wonderful piece of equipment...has saved my butt very much!!

 

Hey what's up guyz, I just purchased a Whistler 1730 - and I was wondering if anyone here knows how this radar detector is in comparison to the other ones in the same price range?

And if you guyz recommend a particular radar detector. pls. let me know so I can maybe make some arrangement of gettng a different one...

Thankz in advance.

Later

P.S - are whistler detectors reliable?

 

In California, they pace you from the rear, they don't use radar on the highways, at least not in San Diego County. The only place a Radar Detector can be usefull , would be on the street. Is this correct Cali guys..?

 

Valentine One. 'nuff said.

 

hey how much are these?
BEL 980, Escort 8500?
i know the V1 radar is about $300 bucks.
thanks alot

 

If you can find a V1 for $300 you better buy it while you can, most v1's I have seen run between $400-$500. My Escort Passport was $299 at Best Buy, and to have it hard wired to the car it was an extra $20

 

Escort 8500 $259.00 (limited stock)
Escort 7500 $249.00 (1 left)
Bel Vector95 $179.00 (1 left)

Local LA/San Diego buyers only...

Dave

 

is the k40 he new detector from cobra?? runs about a grand!?!!?! i want more info...

 

NO its not the same as the K40, u see the K40 runs about 2000 average if u go to a dealership, usually lexus carries it(obviously dont go there) car stereo places carry them, but not all of them do, because it takes too long to intall and they dont feel the money is worth is cuz the can sell and install severl other items in the time it takes to install this unit and make more money in the process. if u do find 1 at a stereo shop it should run approx a grand, if u get the right hookup u can get it at wholesale, plus install. the cobra is a radar detector, the K40 erases radar, in other words its like a cloaking device for radars, they cant pick up ur speed, same with the laser it basically bounces off your car and sends no info back. its a long technical explination, but to make it easy it basically sends positive or negativley charges ions at the same band the radar is at to make it a copy of the radar and delete it, it has a device u put in the front of your car,(near the grill), and one in the back(near trunk, bumper, ext...) it completely surrounds your car. and a control unit is also in your car, to make it short its a jamming signal, the thing is u get a warning about 5-7 sec before the radar gun can get a reading, thats what makes it legal, it shuts down once the radar has been on you for that time but by the time they pick anything up u should be goin the speed limit already. I knew i was gonna get stuck explaining this thing sooner or later

 

goood stuff. thanx for the explanation

 

So when the Cops gun reads ****, he will know you have a jamming device and pull you over anyway, look in your hood, see you Frankencar, your clear corners, and impound your car... Thats what would happeen in Calif..

 

dont get me started on cali cops i know how they are, first off air intake systems are sae street legal, second the k40 is legal because it cuts the radar or laser, long enough for you to slow down, then it shuts down and lets them get a readin, but like u sead cali cops are @$$ holes all of them, last time i was there they gave my friend a triple ticked, failure to singal lane change, the rear tire touched the line of the off ramp so it was unsafe driving, and the tint which came with the car was illegal, any tint there is illegal. he got screwed. anyway the k40 has a good hiding spot like in your license plate frame! front and back and look completley original, so its up to u, its guarenteed to pay off any tickets u get while having this unit active!

 

I have a whistler & it works awesome....

 

I would Highly recommend the Escort 8500. It is what I have, and love it very much. Don't buy cobra's, they are poorly manufactured and don't work as well, period.