Someone asked me about radar detectors. I've actually never gotten one, but have looked over the years, but haven't had the patience to use them, plus I don't go fast too much. That being said, the state of the art has really improved. 007radardetectors.com runs an annual test and while expensive at $400-500, the very best ones really do a pretty good job. Laserveil.com also does a nice job.
The main ones to consider are from the big three, Escort, Bel and Valentine that have been constant favorites:
- Escort Passport 9500i. This one is $450 and it has a GPS built in so it remembers where false signals are. Since garage door openers and motion sensors use the same frequencies as police radar, getting false signals is a big problem. Its accurate as well. The main drawback is that it isn't completely stealth, the police have something called VG-2 that can detect emissions that radar detectors make. In some states like Virginia, it is illegal to have radar detectors. It is also heavy at 10 ounces. It doesn't score a perfect on many things, but is very highly rated.
- Bel STi Driver. This has nearly the best sensitivity of all of them and is completely stealth. It is also $450.
- Valentine One has the best sensitivity of them all, but it is a matter of degrees.
Finally thanks to the Internet, there is even a site that tracks speed traps called speedtrap.org
And with all those lasers out there, all kinds of folks are selling IR blocking paint like veil that makes it harder for a laser to see the reflective parts of a car like the headlamps. I have no idea if these work though.
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