Radar detectors. There are a lot on tm but what is a good one to buy

robbief, Jan 31, 2:15am
there are a lot on tm but what is a good one to buy!

mark.52, Jan 31, 2:25am
How much are you prepared to spend!
I have an Escort 9500. (ix I think) Extremely good, but not cheap.

m16d, Jan 31, 2:59am
Have a look here for whats good and whats not.
http://www.radardetector.org/

Yer can get top of the line detectors that are "factory refurbished" which I assume means they have been returned under warranty for repair.from that place that starts with a "E" and ends with a "bay"
At a fraction of the price you'd pay here.
Just saying thats all.

chook90, Jan 31, 4:27am
A few years ago I would have said V1 however I did get pinged twice with one. Still a fantastic unit but I think the Escort 9500 is just that little better.

strobo, Jan 31, 12:13pm
I use a whistler pro 78 for the last 4 years ( as a safety device ;-)love to have aBel for more $ but the Whistler has a nice sexy female voicepromptingfor my attention .Has plenty of alternative settings and performs well givingplenty of warning in most bands in all directionsKept always in KA mode with pulse,and eyes peeled open can identify which direction butthere is no indicator on the unit from which direction but . has good audibles ( daytime ) ornice blue strobe functions at night.There is a later model of whistler but unsure of price and performance. Paid $500 for the pro 78 @ 4 years ago.

howie69, Jan 31, 1:57pm
I have a Bell and it has never let me down, expensive up front but saved me more than the cost in the first few months, and I dont drive fast deliberately (often).

footplate1, Jan 31, 2:11pm
Had my Valentine for well over 10 years.Still happy with it.Wasn't cheap, up front.Not the speedster I used to be but it does help avoid speed traps.Used to use it only on open-road trips but now essential on the city end of Tamaki Drive, a periodic revenue gathering area.

hpaul, Jan 31, 2:37pm
I've had three detectors, two were very average (because they were cheap), my current Escort Redline is extraordinary.

I've had it alarm almost 13kms away from a parked Higwhway Patrol car on a straight road, it works around corners, picks up police behind buildings and over crests. It detects following patrol cars just as well as those ahead of me and shows the KA band frequency so I know if it's police or not. It also gives around half a kilometre warning for low powered K band camera vans, my previous detectors would give either no warning or only alert when I was right on top of the vans.

$900 - $1150 on trademe and worth every cent.

robbief, Jan 31, 4:12pm
thanks for all that im not a speeder only been pinged twice in 50 years both on the takapau planes in a camper for 7km 97km there getting tough now.i new you get what you pay for just there are so many which is the best

ntalke, Jan 31, 4:27pm
Had a few detectors also,currantly have a Bel STI XR which in it's day was good and still is

The latest Bel STI Magnum and the Escort Redline are the best if you want to pay $800/1000
Just remember the highway patrols don't drive around all the time with their Radar on ,they target people who are speeding.
Instant on will usually result in a ticket detector or not

hpaul, Jan 31, 4:51pm
This is partially true but 'instant on' will be used fairly indiscriminately so in many cases you will get an alert when Highway Patrol 'switch on'for cars way ahead of you. Speeding or not his has warned me many times.

It's on quiet roads that you're most vulnerable and although the police edict is to be close enough to identify the make and model of vehicle before 'pinging' you I've been nabbed many hundreds of metres away simply because I'm the only vehicle in their sight.

My detector might light up like a christmas tree and scream like a stuck cat when this happens but the game's already up.

hpaul, Jan 31, 4:53pm
In (my) order:
ESCORT REDLINE
BEL STI MAGNUM
VALENTINE 1