I just got my third ticket in the 6 years I've been driving

Lawyer fees are going to be a beast on this one (65 in 25 School Zone). I had just entered the zone, just as the zone started. So I'm finally going to invest in a radar detector. Which one do you own, and how well has it performed for you? I'm pretty good about keeping my eyes wide open, and I have a few rules I follow when I'm on the highway. But all of my tickets have been in a city.

This is the guide I'm using 2003 Radar Detector Buyer's Guide

 

65 in a school zone. Man, you need more than a radar detector.

 

lol
im getting a V1.

 

i only got one ticket in the 3 years i've had my passport 8500 and it was cuz i got lasered. 4 of my friends have gotten the same kind since.

 

lol, thanks... it was 2:12p and the school zone starts at 2:00p. It drops from like 45 to 25, ugh

 

Cobra ESD9115 Radar Detector

stop driving so fast the best radar detector is ur 0wn eyes and common sense, not the computer radar itself...

 

i have a whistler 1793. it's cheap and it's effective. you can read about here. it's rated pretty high in almost every category: http://www.radarbusters.com/support/...dar-review.asp

 

I have a Valentine One radar detector, the arrows make all the difference for me. The Escort 8500 would be my 2nd choice if I didnt have the extra $100.

 

I cant give you advice on witch one to get but dont think you will be unstopable with one. You can stil get pulled over. It doesnt always help and work.

 

I def. understand that one still has to be dilligent even with the detector. I've yet to own or use one, but I know that the idea is that it allows you a little bit of extra warning. My understanding is that you can still speed reasonably, but you have to follow other cars to pick up a cop shooting radar at someone else.

I've only had one ticket on the highway, and that's b/c I wasn't following my rules. Rules like, only speed up to 15 mph over the limit unless traffic is going faster. Always watch your rearview mirror after passing large signs, off ramps, or overpasses. Look a couple of cars ahead, and keep an eye out for cars suddenly braking. More difficult, but probably most important is looking at terrain. If it looks like there is an area coming up where a cop would hide, then slow down. etc...

 

I also have V1, the arrows are great!



I have a question however, on my V1 whenever I start the car the radar would ALWAYS start in "A" Mode. How do I make it start in "L" mode when I start the car?

 

V1 users, I have another question, on the arrows when the radar source is ahead of you, the ahead arrow lights up but when I pass the radar souce, the ahead arrow lights is still on, then a few seconds go by then the side arrows light up then the back arrow lights up. Is this normal with the V1?

Thanks

 

V1 is big, ugly and arrows are stupid. When have you ever been hit with radar from behind? All a radar detector does is alert you to visually scan EVEN HARDER than you were doing before (if you choose to speed). Laser can save you if you are in traffic and the people in front of you get the gun hit on them, it'll pick that up.

I like my Bel 985 because its small, picks up radar more than 2 miles away and it has the feature to turn off individuals bands. In Connecticut this is awesome becuase the DOT uses radar stationed all up and down their highways on poles to get the "average speed" of that section of highway...therefore seeing if there are some accidents. All these use X-Band. No police really use X-band anymore so i turn that off and very rarely ever receive a false warning on anything else...only automatic building doors with K-band.

 

I just bought a Valentine one. I've driven almost 3 years without a ticket but I find myself driving faster and have had a couple of close calls. I figured the extra money for the V1 was worth it in the long run. If it saves you from just one ticket over one of the cheap detectors its already paid for the difference. Like everyone said though, the reason I probably haven't recieved a ticket yet is because I do drive smart and am always alert and looking for cops. I Just think of the V1 as another line of defense.

 

speaking about radar from behind i just got a ticket last friday from KA band from behind my detector went off but obviously to late

i still get lots of tickets with my detector its a bell 916 about 2 years old it works great and saves me all the time actually 3 different times in just the last week but i dont think theres any detector that can save you from instant on and being paced and those 2 things have got me about 10 times in the last year

im debating on buying a better one for longer range to maybe help with the instint on problem but i wonder if the bel 985 will actually have a better range than mine or if there the same

 

If your getting that many tickets you should definitely slow down and a V1 would defiinitely be a good investment. Has the longest range according to most tests

 

the only problem with the V1 is the price. the next best thing is the passport 8500.

 

Thats weird, whenever I start my car it resumes the previous mode, which is L most of the time, and A/l if im on a long deserted highway.

 

SOLLO S2
1) looks very clean
2) works great, picks up lazer and all bands of radar
3) have the option to switch off x-band
4) runs of 2 AA batteries for 2-3 months so i can swap it to any car in 5 seconds (if i got one with a cord i'd hard wire it so then i couldnt transfer it to a different vehicle)

i must say the arrows on the V1 must be nice but its just so damn ugly compared to the S2

 

I think you need to invest in a brain. Im sorry to thread crap you but to drive that fast in a school zone with all those kids regardless of the time is moronic. I mean do you have any idea how easily a kid could walk out in front of you?

You maybe a good driver but kids fall all the time, kids are easily distracted, hell being a school might have some "slower" kids who got away who wont know better.

Slow down, those many tickets in that amount of time is your fault and you need to learn a lesson of control. I mean a cop will still pull you over if he feels your driving too fast and can get you on reckless driving.

Good luck

Proph

 

Just curious, are you facing wreckless driving charges? thats almost triple the posted speed limit.

I have some old cobra I got cheap. Figured I'd use it but haven't, lol. I haven't gotten a ticket yet so figure why change a good thing

 

You don't understand the layout of Raleigh. It was one pretty straight, but hilly road, and the school was pretty far away. There were no school buses around, and the speed limit is normally 45 right up until you hit an interesection for the road to the school (which is another half mile down the st.). Should I have been paying better attention? Yes. Is it a pretty ****ty design for a road, and a speed trap? Yes, and yes.

 

I have to agree to a point.
In my old age (24) I've learned that driving fast over short distance hardly saves any time. I get a kick out of people who start from the same place, speed & recklessly switch lanes and end up next to me (or one car ahead) at the next light/exit all the while being a danger to themselves and others and beating the crap out of their car.

As for get caught doing 65mph in a 25mph school...not only were you doing 20mph over the speed limit before the school zone, but when did you plan on slowing down? 65mph->20mph doesn't come with a tap on the brakes.

I've been driving for over 8yrs and have one moving violation (rolling a stop sign) and have never been caught speeding (it's not like I've never had any fun: I just don't do it as much any more; I've had my share of +100mph encounters when I was younger).

Stepping off the soapbox....

 

Yeah, I'm learning to not expect to get anywhere quickly in the city. Wut sux is that I wasn't even in a hurry to get anywhere. Just punching the gas for a little fun.

"65mph->20mph doesn't come with a tap on the brakes. " didn't really think of it like that, thanx for the reality check. I'm also realizing, and admitting that it was really stupid to be doing 65 in a 25. Its pretty easy to zone out while you're driving and miss important signs.

Living and learning.

 

for admitting it....I learned the same way (nearly everyone does)....I didn't mean come off as if I was bashing.

As for the radar detector, I can't really help that much, I've never had one...although I'd consider one for the sake of assurance.

My opinion is that unless you drive a car that attracts plenty of attention (think bright red 'vette) or are still bent on driving fast, you really don't need one.

I think the V1 is too expensive...I'd be content with an passport8500..and slowing down more often just in case.

 

K40 un2000 front and rear with laser defuser. Absolutlely love it, will be reinstalled in every car i will ever own!

 

i own a bel 985, and ever since i moved it to the center of my windshield, it's been stuck on non-stop Ka band alerts....so back to the corner of the windshield it goes, it served its function very well when it worked correctly

 

apart from the fact that it was school zone then what was the regular speed limit cause it couldnt be more than 50

 

Bel 980, it's served me well, haven't recieved a ticket for speeding since owning it...but I'm currently driving a Dodge Spirit Turbo, so that would explain the lack 'fast' driving.

 

I just got a Passport 8500 from Bestbuy for $300. It looks pretty nice, and its kinda a reminder to be sensible (the opposite of what most ppl think i kno). Has anyone hardwired theirs? I read about that somewhere. I also talked to a lawyer today. He said, "I don't know if I can even tell you what a best case scenario might be." Great... gonna go see him in person on Wednesday.

Thanks for all the comments. Esp. CoolMax, I needed someone to call me out thanks

 

I totally agree. So many threads about speeding tickets and radar detectors when all you need is to slow down a little..especially in/near a school zone.

 

I'm about to buy an 8500, but I'm thinking about waiting for the X50 version to come out...

 

I just looked on the escort site. Kinda funny those "new" features on the X50 have been on my vector 985 for years.

 

Funny... I just looked at the X50 on Escort's webpage. All of the functions seem similar to the 8500... similar like exactly the same

marketing ploy

 

That's what I'm unsure of...besides the diff color display (who cares?) are any features different? I couldn't tell either, but I wonder if the POP works better...

 

i got a sensoro traveller and it has saved my *** so many times...

 

Passport 8500 and ZR3 Shifter (laser shifter) both hardwired

AnGe

 

Whistler Voice Radar Detecter hardwired

Works very well.

 

My 8500 hardwired

 

Dont ever drive in Kansas then. They hide out off the road, behind a row of trees, and get you from behind as you drive away.
I was going about 85 in a 65, but the cop droped it to 75 because I am military. Had to pay triple fine to get reduced to a parking ticket.
"All i want for Christmas, is a Valentine One..."