# What's the best radar detector?



## CleanE60 (Jun 26, 2012)

I am looking for the best radar options? I want to avoid losing my license and still enjoy my black german!

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## Mr Mojo Risin (Mar 22, 2013)

Take it to a track and don't put others at risk by driving like a toolbag. 
Seriously cops are usually forgiving for a reasonable speed. If you're driving fast enough to lose your license, you don't deserve to be driving on public roads.

This message brought to you by everyone's dad


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## CleanE60 (Jun 26, 2012)

Yeah ok how about the Autobahn? Yeah you own ur car to drive like a puussy. The reason why I will sell this thing a get a porsche.

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## raqautle (Apr 22, 2013)

Mr Mojo Risin said:


> Take it to a track and don't put others at risk by driving like a toolbag.
> Seriously cops are usually forgiving for a reasonable speed. If you're driving fast enough to lose your license, you don't deserve to be driving on public roads.
> 
> This message brought to you by everyone's dad
> ...


I agree like a 150%, driving is a privilege not a right and it's very easy to lose respect for people who speed. The speed limit is there for a reason, u might not be putting urself at risk but u can easily kill another person. Remember, cars aren't toys, they're heavy machinery


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## Ultimate_drivin (Apr 13, 2013)

This people talking about this because they get on the way of people who is trying to have fun they ruin it and get cussed at so now they are like *****yy trying to make everybody else the same


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## ditoedt325 (Jul 31, 2011)

Wow


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## Norm37 (Jun 28, 2008)

Ultimate_drivin said:


> This people talking about this because they get on the way of people who is trying to have fun they ruin it and get cussed at so now they are like *****yy trying to make everybody else the same


Have your fun driving here.


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## captainaudio (Jul 17, 2007)

Ultimate_drivin said:


> This people talking about this because they get on the way of people who is trying to have fun they ruin it and get cussed at so now they are like *****yy trying to make everybody else the same


Well Said! 

CA


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## jcm12 (Dec 6, 2011)

I've heard good things about Passport. The 9500ci gets a lot of good reviews. You might want to check out Lambo-Talk forum and do a search. I remember a few threads on this subject. :thumbup:


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## tbod (Jul 25, 2011)

Valentine 1 is the best out there by far. That's what you'll find in the other forums. Also have trapster or Waze running on your phone. I'm not condoning any 150 mph US interstate blasts but some stretches of road a 60mph speed limit is crazy. You're telling me it should be legal for a 25 ton 18 wheeler to be going the same speed as my car? The most danger is other cars so you have to be aware of your surroundings (bike riders know what I'm talking about). THere's speeding then there's being stupid speeding. Don't pass on the right. 


People in Germany drive so much better than here that is why the Abahn is so much fun over there when there's not much traffic. You dont' really have to worry about people flying around doing unpredictable stuff like over here.


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## jcm12 (Dec 6, 2011)

After searching Lambo Talk some some models that keep coming up are the 9500ci, Valentine 1 and K 40. I've been thinking about the Passport 9500 but haven't got one yet. I should have though. I say drive however you want just be aware of the consequences.


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## CleanE60 (Jun 26, 2012)

I appreciate all the honest answers and criticism even from the *********s. Thx

I finally got some useful replies.



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## CleanE60 (Jun 26, 2012)

tbod said:


> Valentine 1 is the best out there by far. That's what you'll find in the other forums. Also have trapster or Waze running on your phone. I'm not condoning any 150 mph US interstate blasts but some stretches of road a 60mph speed limit is crazy. You're telling me it should be legal for a 25 ton 18 wheeler to be going the same speed as my car? The most danger is other cars so you have to be aware of your surroundings (bike riders know what I'm talking about). THere's speeding then there's being stupid speeding. Don't pass on the right.
> 
> People in Germany drive so much better than here that is why the Abahn is so much fun over there when there's not much traffic. You dont' really have to worry about people flying around doing unpredictable stuff like over here.


U are correct. And technically all of us speed. That Includes grandmas and cops

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## williakz (Apr 14, 2013)

You need to hie on over to RDF forum before you swallow what you're hearing here as the gospel truth. In fact, detector selection is complex and much is dependent on where and how you drive. Do yourself a favor and learn as much about detectors as you obviously have about speeding...


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## Vapiano (Jan 26, 2013)

If you are going the remote install route, the Beltronics STiR Plus and 9500ci are at the top of the list, the 9500ci comes with a laser jammer and the Bel does not. Add a Laser Interceptor jammer to the Bel and you have the best protection available. The jammer that comes with the 9500ci has a history of punch throughs and is not very good based on the test results. 

I have the Bel in both of my cars and the LI in one and they have worked perfectly. I will be adding the LI in my other vehicle very soon.

I hope this helps.


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## JimD1 (Jun 5, 2009)

I like Radar Roy's website on this topic. He tests different brands and reports the results. Roy says that the Escort Passport Max is the best. It has a longer range than even the Valentine. It also has a lot less false alerts.


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## CleanE60 (Jun 26, 2012)

I appreciate the information, I am still performing my analysis. Thanks for the added knowledge. 

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## M5 Next (May 15, 2013)

Valentine V1. Best Radar Detector EVER!
Would not go back to a Passport if they paid me!


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## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

I like my V1.......


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## M6Love (Oct 27, 2014)

M5 Next said:


> Valentine V1. Best Radar Detector EVER!
> Would not go back to a Passport if they paid me!


Omg, is it really that bad ? What's the main issue with the Passport ?


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## ZTR (May 31, 2014)

CleanE60 said:


> I want to avoid losing my license and still enjoy my black german!
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using BimmerApp mobile app


We don't need to hear about your sex life, Swish.


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## ZTR (May 31, 2014)

Mr Mojo Risin said:


> Take it to a track and don't put others at risk by driving like a toolbag.
> Seriously cops are usually forgiving for a reasonable speed. If you're driving fast enough to lose your license, you don't deserve to be driving on public roads.


Yup.

Two words for the OP- "public", and "transportation".


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## S&E (Oct 26, 2014)

V1's best feature is the directional notification and # of bogeys reported. Range is similar to the top of the line Passport detectors. That being said, please be mindful of your surroundings and use caution when exceeding the local speed limit. I would like to echo what others have said and pay for some track time where you can really test the limits of your car and driving skill by putting only yourself at risk and not others. 

Be safe.


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## innovativeit (Sep 30, 2007)

jcm12 said:


> I've heard good things about Passport. The 9500ci gets a lot of good reviews. You might want to check out Lambo-Talk forum and do a search. I remember a few threads on this subject. :thumbup:


I have used the 9500ci in all of my cars and it's always been very reliable and low on the false alarms.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Here's a vote for Valentine 1 and the arrows. I drive reasonably. I've had two speeding tickets in my life. I use my V1 on trips, after some cop from the town of Podunk, Alabama (actually Kinsey) wrote me a ticket for 73 MPH in a 65 MPH zone. I now never leave town without my V1.

Knowing the direction of the threat (in front of you, or behind you) makes all the difference in the world. It's generally worth all the false alarms from a V1. You quickly learn what alarms to be scared. But, in recent years a lot of heavy trucks have installed collision avoidance radar and that drives V1's (and maybe others) crazy.

If you're shopping for a detector, borrow the models you're thinking about. That's how I ended up with Valentines. I've bought four or five. Also, Valentine is great about service. They once repaired one of mine that was seven years old... for free.


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## andrewtanko (Oct 30, 2014)

I'm really happy with my Passport 9500xi, but have heard 
very good things about the V1 and the Redline as well.


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## rhipsher (Aug 25, 2014)

Passport.


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## rlee85122 (Oct 31, 2014)

I have a passport IX and a V1. They both work well and have excellent range. 

The passport weeds out false alarms and memorizes them while the V1 cannot.

V1 is better if youre looking for pure performance while the passport is more for convenience IMO. 

Hope this helps


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## HikerToo (Nov 8, 2014)

No reason to call people names and personally attack them because they don't agree with you.....
I have slowed down over the years, when I used to be a vendor and on the road all day I would not drive a car without a radar detector
Two things have occurred to change that.
1. As police radar, vascar, etc .have improved, detectors were less effective, with instant-on, they tend to let you know when you get the ticket, not so much prevent you, and vascar is just timing your car based on distance, nothing picks that up right?
2. as I've gotten older, I no longer have to be the fastest driver on the road, I try to average 10mph over the limit and feel safe, of course on major highways I'll do whatever the others are doing, even if 15 or 20 over, have not had a ticket in over 20 years and no radar detector.

If they made a radar detector that would work against modern methods, I would buy one.


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## Pat_X5 (Aug 23, 2008)

V1 - saved me many times over the cost of the unit. I also got the OBD power and speed control option to prevent falsing at low speeds.


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## Bimmerx53 (Apr 14, 2011)

I've gone through about 3 beltronics, 2 passports, and one V1 just to see which is the best for where I live (Austin) and how I drive (Mostly 20 min commute and frequent trips to Dallas). After living with several radar detectors, as some in this post have said, it all depends on WHERE you drive. I do a lot of city driving so with the 3 Beltronics i've had (they were 1-2 years old so not the new fancy ones). I've gotten way too many false alerts and not so good range with beltronics. The passport solo had just terrible range and consistency, and the V1, although was AMAZING for when I went on road trips, it won't shut up in the city and will detect radars that are situated in the tiniest nooks and cranny's of the city. And by "nooks and cranny's" I mean that i.e. I would have to make a right turn, drive .5 miles, make a left, then a right, then another right and so on until I got to the radar source the V1 was alerting to, so I needed something with less range than the V1 but still more range than the beltronics. 

In the end, I found the Passport radars (anything 8500 x50 and above) the perfect balance and they have great filters and features to diminish false alerts. I haven't tried the Max yet but I would highly recommend a high level passport detector if you're doing commuting most the time and still want the long range for the open highway.

Hope this helps!


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## HikerToo (Nov 8, 2014)

Looks like Escort has a new Passport Max2 out, very pricey, but like the 9500ix it has GPS, shows current speed, learns false alarms on regular routes and has a database of traffic and speed cameras that can be updated.
https://www.escortradar.com/escort-comparison-chart.php

Although I noticed on my E90 the accessory input is in my center console under the elbow rest, which does not seem ideal....maybe I would be forced to go with a hardwired version, would also be nice if our mirrors had 12v output like some cars too.


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## RadarRoy (Dec 4, 2014)

Well there are three things that you should consider when choosing a detector

1 - Where you live and drive
2 - How you drive
3 - And what type of car you drive

Example if you live or drive in VA where detectors are illegal you will need a detector that is stealth to the Spectre RDD. Here is a video that shows how they work

http://youtu.be/NCzc4-RShaU

Next if you have a heavy foot, you would want a detector that has at least 8X the capture distance of a police radar gun:

http://youtu.be/B9OfbkLlYzM

And then also realize that some BMW's have tinted bronze windshields that interfere with a radar signal if you have a windshield mount. Because of this you would need a remote mounted detector.

Hope this helps anyone considering outfitting their car with a detector, if not give me a shout, be glad to help.

Radar Roy



CleanE60 said:


> I am looking for the best radar options? I want to avoid losing my license and still enjoy my black german!
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using BimmerApp mobile app


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## docedkin (Apr 21, 2009)

I used to use radar in my car and on my motorcycles but don't any more preferring to wait for a "rabbit" I can tag along with. All the safety talk aside, many speed zones are set up, not to protect public safety, but to augment the budget coffers of towns and villages. Many communities have a dedicated budget line where a $ figure of fine income is counted on. . .and consequently produced by the local LEOs. A State Trooper friend of mine often jokes that he is out on the highways protecting the public $125 an encounter. Aggressive speeding enforcement is just another taxation/fee system and is broadly supported by the insurance industry. I just returned from an ED where I drove French roads for over 1K miles. I saw one LEO set up to catch speeders and that was near a school where it makes good public safety sense. On return here to NY, I saw six police cars driving from the Syracuse airport to my home 45 miles away. Even 10mph over can be very expensive; carefully used by a safe driver, a good case can be made for radar detectors.


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## HikerToo (Nov 8, 2014)

dang, after all this talk on radar detectors, I was ready to buy one
Researched V1 and Max2
V1 has best raw performance but insane amount of false alarms
was ready to buy max2, but then started reading their forums 
seems the new issue is all the new cars with blind spot sensors and crash avoidance
they use K band, exact same frequency as police, even the Max2 which has latest filtering has plagued drivers with false K band alerts all day long......to the point where some are turning off K band completely to stay sane.
It used to be just auto door openers on X band....mobile K band will be expanding quite a bit of the next couple years as more and more cars come equipped
Guess I'll wait this out a few more years, saved me $550!


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## Bimmerx53 (Apr 14, 2011)

HikerToo said:


> ......to the point where some are turning off K band completely to stay sane.
> It used to be just auto door openers on X band....mobile K band will be expanding quite a bit of the next couple years as more and more cars come equipped
> Guess I'll wait this out a few more years, saved me $550!


I second that. I've been running my 8500 x50 with just Ka band "on" and so far I've never came across a police officer running anything other than Ka, or laser. Just as an option for anyone living in Austin, or Dallas TX, I've never had any problems with K band "off" living in these cities, or the regular travels in between.

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## Gary J (Dec 18, 2013)

HikerToo said:


> even the Max2 which has latest filtering has plagued drivers with false K band alerts all day long......to the point where some are turning off K band completely to stay sane.


I get nothing of the sort with the Max2. And what false alarms it gets are stored on the 3rd alert at the same location and turned off. Plus the alert sound gets turned down after a second or two.


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## HikerToo (Nov 8, 2014)

GPS can't store K alerts from mobile sources, it's usually a car driving around you somewhere, with thr blind spot or crash avoidance options.
GPS can store a "false" alert that happens in the same exact spot 3 times, or if you manually "mark" the spot as false.

See below, 3 pages of discussion on false K band alerts caused by modern cars on all radar detectors
this is the Escort Passport Max/2 forum.

http://www.escortradarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12399


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## need4speed (May 26, 2006)

Always heard good things about the V1. As for speed limits, I like the German way (big surprise on this forum) set a reasonable limit and enforce it. the US method of figuring everyone will do 5-20 over, depending on the state, and setting it artificially low is imho much more dangerous than a higher limit to start with. It's one driver doing 50 and another doing 80 that causes issues. N4S


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## Road&MTN_Biker (Jan 1, 2014)

I bought a Escort Max a couple of months ago. Love it. I get a few false alarms, but nothing significant and it really does pick up the stuff that you want it to get. Easily muted with the little button on the power cord. I run in the No X band mode.


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