not trying to be a post ***** here, but I've found that a radar detector is somewhat of a hassle in the cabin. Anyone have the kind that mounts outside the car? I've heard that they exist but haven't ever seen one.

 

Depends on where and how you will be using it as to how effective it will be.
In town, there are a lot of other radar driven devices that will give you a false positive (supermarket doors, some alarm systems, etc.). You have to be more decerning about the warnings. Only about 1 in 10 signals in town are real traffic radar.
On the highway, it's a different story. Out away from city congestion, it's almost the opposite, with 9 out of 10 signals being real radar.
At least that has been my experience while driving in California.
If you think you will be able to plug it in and be invisible to the law, think again. It really is just like another pair of eyes helping you keep a lookout. But worth the cost in my opinion.

 

99% of the time I am driving with at least other cars on the road within a 1 mile of me, so I almost always have an opportunity to catch residual radar. The few rare times I am the only car out on the road I just slow down. I've lost count of all the speed traps the my 8500 have caught. They are well worth it assuming you like to go ~10-15 over the speed limit. If you find someone fast to follow you can get away with going alot faster.

And yes cops can clock you while "Just driving around" and the radar almost always goes off before they have an opportunity to clock me.

 

WOW!!! This is the first time I looked back on this thread and can't believe all of the help you guys have given me! I have now decided to get the x50 and before I was veering toward the v1. Thanks for warning me about the in car radar. I had no clue (I am a new driver). Are you a 100% sure its 105mph in cali? Kinda thought it was 100. I havent hit 100 on the freeway yet (about 97) to be safe. And now not until I get a radar detector. Although I have gona about 110 in a 55-60 going up a long hill by the ortega hwy (antonio, for those in OC). Do they ever give people breaks going over 105mph and how often do they just give tickets on there judgement?

Another subject: I accelerated a couple weeks up to 60mph at about 2/3 to 3/4 floored (in a 45 by the way). I looked in my rear view mirror and a cop was behing me. Damn, my heart rate went way up...he didnt do anything at. That was like 2 weeks after I could my license. Would gone like this...Bye car, bye, money, insurance up, bye more money, bye mods that I am close to getting.

Sorry the really long post... I had a lot to say!

 

I had the chance to talk to a state trooper (patrols on i-10) several months back and asked him at what speed do they usually pull people over and he told me up to 15 miles over the speed limit. Now that seems a little too steep but he appeared to look like a very nice guy. I've seen people drive over 10 miles over the limit and was surprised to find several times that the state trooper just sat there on the median. I wouldn't trust it to always drive that fast though as there will always be a constipated cop who wants to pick on you. I'd pick up a radar in a heartbeat considering g35 drivers tend to forget what speed we're actually going in (70 feels like 60).

 

10 miles over is "safe" in some regards... at least in NC. I was going 20 over (80 in a 60) and was pulled, he wrote me down for 15 over (75 in 60). At court, I asked the judge to reduce it to 9 miles over (69 in 60), which was only a drop of 6 mph. The judge didn't even think about it and said OK. In NC if you are going 9 over, insurance doesn't do anything. I THINK it might be a point on your license and after X points on your license that = insurance points, but I forget.

Long story short, if you are going 10 over (at least in NC), the cops probably won't bother you because it would be simple for the judge to drop you 1 MPH and solve the problem. Still, like the previous poster said, sometimes cops are constipated and have to give SOMEONE a ticket and you might be the unlucky guy. But if you don't mind going to court one morning, it's call easily solved.

Me at the Raleigh courthouse are good friends, and I pay a very low insurance premium

 

Save your money and get a V1. It is the best Radar out period.

 

how come sometimes, i have seen cops with radar pointing at me and my radar detector does not beep or do any activities at all? most of the time in nj turnpike and sometime in delaware bridge. i am just curious what they are using.


by the way,i just recently bought escort x50 in red for $299. it was free s/h. brand new.

 

because those are dudes with hairdryers just trying to scare you

 

Because radar detectors dont work.
1) they can get you while they are moving, from 'antenas' located front OR rear in their car
2) if its laser, forget it. by the time your unit registers the cop, he's got your speed. and the beam is so narrow that 1) NO other car is struck with it's beam, and 2) its possible it did not strike your detector. A laser unit's beam is only about 4" accross at 1/2 mile....
There are a few cicrumstances when they may save you, i.e. lazy cop sitting with unit just blasting out rear window, most will use the instant-on feature and "zap" you....

 

At some isolated/long stretchs of highways, the CHP are using aircraft to get the speeders, so the radar detector might not work at all, keep in mind, just because you have a detector, that doesnt mean you have a license to speed, cop have many different methods to get speeders.

 

Ya, in central/northern cali Ive been on highways that are detected by aircraft which is lidar opposed to radar...so what do you do about that?

 

The V1 is the best detector on the market. It has saved me at least 5 or 6 times, Plus it is upgradable to new tecnology!!

 

HOW ABOUT NOT WASTING 300 dollars on a RADAR DETECTOR and NOT SPEED AT ALL!!!!! ITS NOT LIKE YOUR CARS ARE RACE CARS OR SOME SHIET!
STOP SPEEDING!!!!!simple as that..! damn!

 

Ummmm? slow down might help , they dont "detect" rather "clock" your speed, next time you on 99 or I-5? pay attention to the shoulders, you can see there is a white strip, and there will be other white strip excatly one mile away, so they time you from one strip to the next. just keep your speed in check.