Cheap radar detectors??

[Taz]

Want to know if any one is using the cheap radar detectors available on trade me and what their opinions are on these. I'm not interested in replies like Get a valentine or bel or escort etc..... Just want opinions from those who have bought and used these. If you have no direct experience with these cheaper brands please don't reply.
Thanks Andy.

[Swoop]

Have a read through the threads on detectors.
The higher priced units will give greater range of detection and less false alerts.

Some start places.
1111111111 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=60761&highlight=Radar+Detector)
22222222222 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=59486&highlight=Radar+Detector)
333333333333 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=64423&highlight=Radar+Detector)
444444444 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=71682&highlight=Radar+Detector)
5555555555555 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=67388&highlight=Radar+Detector)

[Taz]

I had read the previous threads but most were outdated and offered very little information and a lot of conjecture.

[Jdogg]

Cheap = Rubbish unless it is a bel, V1, escort, I wouldnt bother go have alook at www.radardetector.net or do a google it will give you all the info you need. I invested in a bel then V1 and have never had a ticket,

[Blackbird]

Do you mean this one? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Radar-detectors/auction-159494310.htm.

I don't have any direct experience but I've seen independent FACTUAL tests (may have one somewhere) absolutely sledging Rocky Mountain detectors and jammers as a complete rip-off.

Hope this helps if you're referring to this one.

Cheers,

Geoff

[Taz]

No not that one in particular..... Just cheap ones in general.

[Toaster]

Aren't they becoming illegal in June? Hence they 'may' cost you more than they save you?

[Taz]

Cheap = Rubbish unless it is a bel, V1, escort, I wouldnt bother go have alook at www.radardetector.net or do a google it will give you all the info you need. I invested in a bel then V1 and have never had a ticket,

So you have no direct experience with these cheaper units and you replied.... Why???
This is a thread for those who have purchased and used a cheap unit to give their opinions. I know the expensive ones are probably better but that is not what i'm asking.
Andy.

[Taz]

Aren't they becoming illegal in June? Hence they 'may' cost you more than they save you?

Also not a question I asked...... :)

[Blackbird]

No not that one in particular..... Just cheap ones in general.

My first detector was cheap. It was a Uniden and gave so many false alerts in town (couldn't disable X Band) that it drove me mad. On the open road, it picked up HWP microwaves up to about 1 km away BUT radar detectors in other vehicles set it off too so it was pretty useless apart from making me paranoid.

It might not be what you want to hear but the more expensive detectors have more sophisticated circuitry and functions, hence the price.

[Taz]

Thanks blackbird. Time has moved on since my last radar detector in the early 90's when I bought a Uniden and X band was all they used.

[Jdogg]

never said I had no experience with them :whistle:.... just said that they are rubbish . Do some research (what I did when i brought my RD's) and make up your own mind then mate . What I do know is that that are rubbish just like I said in my first post . But it really comes down to you and if you want a RD that will work or one that will give enough notice to pull over and accept your ticket :spanking:

[avgas]

Anything is better than nothing mate - contrary to what everyone else out there says i have had 3 cheap radar detectors and all worked good, not the best, but good enough for what i paid for it.
V1's are expensive and fantastic and also easy meat for thieves (i had one for 2 weeks.....then i lost a window).
Currently running Uniden SWS5000 which is good/ok - i can turn off X-band and get very few false pickups in "City mode".
I put a $40 radar detector in Dads ute and while it pisses him off (he has it turned right down so you just hear it)....it has saved him from 3 tickets now.

[kiwifruit]

Get a bel / escort

[Ragingrob]

I know someone who has one of the $79 or so ones from Trademe... He reckons that it works mint. When in the city he puts it on city mode and gets no false alarms. On the highway it's gone off when a cop's around every time I believe.

[Swoop]

Aren't they becoming illegal in June? Hence they 'may' cost you more than they save you?
Hence you require a more modern or "expensive" unit that cannot be picked up by detector-detectors...


The Bel or the Valentine.
I have just sold my Rx65 Pro and can choose either to replace it.
I will be buying a Bel STi as it is superior.

[ynot slow]

Have 2 detectors in both cars,one is a whistler 1745?,other cobra 6600?,both cost around $135 and $65,both give good alerts.
The whistler has compass settings,and can pick up from 2km given conditions,starts off on Ka 1 going up to 9 when cop is visible,will give a sound and show Ka1 then dissapears,get used to it false alarming,usually if the cop has locked on the signal gets stronger as he gets nearer.Has worked a few times too,not the best on camera vans though,is a good cheap detector and has paid for itself.

The cobra isn't as good but still picks up a signal well out,and doesn't give false alarms nearly as often,useless around cameras,almost on them lol,and still not detected.

Would I buy a bel or valentine? Yep if money was no object,but mate has a Valentine and it drove me crazy with K,Ka voice alerts,mine seem to work ok and am happy with them,had a uniden 2500 4 yrs ago till it was stolen out of car one night,was bloody good to,best we've had but most expensive we've bought($250).

No detector is fool proof,best one is lifting the foot/throttle.Surprising number of cops who travel without the radar on,also gives you idea what makes/colour the muftis are though.

[Taz]

Thanks to all those with real world experience who answered the question asked.
Andy.

[CHOPPA]

I havnt read others replys but i had a uniden sws3000 or 5000 it was shit compared to my escort 8500 and now i have a v1 which is the best money i have ever spent, the arrows and numbers are so usefull! for instance had a copper following me a way back could see it on the rearward facing arrow was out of radar myself so kept going then saw front arrow and number 2 on display meant a cop coming toward me. On anything else you dont know where or how many there are

[MaxB]

My mate, fed up with employee accidents and tickets in his company cars fitted them with cheapo Whistler units and hasn't had a single accident or ticket in 2 years. They are so 'bad/uncool' not one has been stolen.

I tried one of his and they definitely work well but the detection range is well down compared to Bel/Valentine units. A few times I was almost right on top of the cop before it went off. Also they show signs of wear and tear after only 2 years.

[CookMySock]

My mate, fed up with employee accidents and tickets in his company cars fitted them with cheapo Whistler units and hasn't had a single accident or ticket in 2 years.That is very curious. What is the logic about reducing accidents ?

DB

[Jdogg]

The Logic to RD reducing Speed/ accidents is that you will get alerts that police are in the area which in turn (if you take notice of your RD) means that you are driving slower over a longer distant than if you were just driving without a RD. So in theory this should reduce your average speed and since most people believe that accidents are cause by speed alone then the lower average speed should equate to less accidents

[fizbin]

i bought a Whistler about 1/12 years ago for the baru while it was good when it was going not many false alerts and once on the open road it was good to about 1km the thing died after about 8 months would i buy a cheap one again? prob not would i buy an expensive one also prob not. you get what you pay for if you are ok replacing them once a year or so go for it otherwise splash out and buy a better one.
just my 2 cents:2thumbsup

[scumdog]

The Logic to RD reducing Speed/ accidents is that you will get alerts that police are in the area which in turn (if you take notice of your RD) means that you are driving slower over a longer distant than if you were just driving without a RD. So in theory this should reduce your average speed and since most people believe that accidents are cause by speed alone then the lower average speed should equate to less accidents

Slower??
Reduced accidents?
Not on KB matey!!

[Jantar]

That is very curious. What is the logic about reducing accidents ?

DB
It isn't just logic, its also shown by research in Brittain. From the British 2001 MORI Report "Users appear to travel 50% further between accidents than non-users. In this survey the users interviewed travelling on average 217,353 miles between accidents compared to 143,401 miles between accidents of those non-users drawn randomly from the general public."

Read the full report at http://www.delonixradar.com.au/manuals/Mori_Report.pdf

From the Australian ADRA Report 2000 "Drivers buy radar detectors because they reduce their chance of incurring a speeding infringement. In doing this, radar detectors make that driver more aware of the speed limits, more aware of the possible presence of speed cameras and usually a safer, more alert driver."

http://www.adrawa.com.au/UseRadarD.htm

[Blackbird]

From the Australian ADRA Report 2000 "Drivers buy radar detectors because they reduce their chance of incurring a speeding infringement. In doing this, radar detectors make that driver more aware of the speed limits, more aware of the possible presence of speed cameras and usually a safer, more alert driver."

http://www.adrawa.com.au/UseRadarD.htm

Thanks very much for the reference Malcolm. That's exactly how I feel about it. I'll make sure that the link gets to fellow KB'er Freebird at the LTSA:Punk:

[scumdog]

It isn't just logic, its also shown by research in Brittain. From the British 2001 MORI Report "Users appear to travel 50% further between accidents than non-users. In this survey the users interviewed travelling on average 217,353 miles between accidents compared to 143,401 miles between accidents of those non-users drawn randomly from the general public."

Read the full report at http://www.delonixradar.com.au/manuals/Mori_Report.pdf

From the Australian ADRA Report 2000 "Drivers buy radar detectors because they reduce their chance of incurring a speeding infringement. In doing this, radar detectors make that driver more aware of the speed limits, more aware of the possible presence of speed cameras and usually a safer, more alert driver."

http://www.adrawa.com.au/UseRadarD.htm

Funny that - I was always under the impression that NOT having a detector made me more aware of what speed I was meant to be doing, without a detector screaming its head off letting me know radar was somewhere about and "am I in a 50-70-80-100 area" and trying to think back to what was the number on the last sign I went past.

Hence why I don't have a detector, I feel I would tend to let myself get lackadaisically about minding what speed I was doing.

[MaxB]

That is very curious. What is the logic about reducing accidents ?

DB

Put it this way. I travelled with one of the guys (a rep) from Auckland to PN before the RD and I never saw him look at the speedo once. Not once in 500kms. He stared ahead when driving or turned to talk to me or was setting up all his deals by phone.

The fitting of RD has made them all paranoid since now they hear the police activity that they once sailed serenly past. The boss also put in a condition that from the day they went in a written warning would follow an at fault accident. Plus big speeding tickets would be paid by the offender and a ban would lose them their job. No accidents. No tickets in 2 years.

It wont work for everyone but in this case he saved his company $$$.

[Blackbird]

For interest, the attachment is from a US Blackbird website site where a car magazine independently tested the top 5 detectors on the market. There's a clear winner, but they're all pretty darned good. Some of them have good anti-detection properties too.

[Laava]

DO NOT get a DLS315 or 320 or in fact anything from Rocky Mountain Radar. I bought the 315 from my mate who swore that it jams laser when in fact it lacks any of the componenets to do so. It will however pick up camera vans -but not until about 10m away! It did on a couple of occasions pick up cop cars but wouldn't rely on it, in fact sold it.

[Swoop]

Thanks for the chart BBD!
It is ironic that I returned with the new STi this morning. I hadn't seen that comparison before, but knew the unit was the best available.

[Blackbird]

Thanks for the chart BBD!
It is ironic that I returned with the new STi this morning. I hadn't seen that comparison before, but knew the unit was the best available.

Let us know how you get on with it. I doubt that I'd be given permission to replace my Escort anyway but it would still be nice to hear what you think:rockon:

[TimeOut]

I have a Cobra XRS 9675 $140 off trade me, I'm very happy with it very few false alerts (can switch off X&K bands) seems to have good range (not with cameras) I know it's not as good as the dearer ones but it's saved me a few times no tickets yet.

[ynot slow]

I have a Cobra XRS 9675 $140 off trade me, I'm very happy with it very few false alerts (can switch off X&K bands) seems to have good range (not with cameras) I know it's not as good as the dearer ones but it's saved me a few times no tickets yet.

Mine is the 6600 model so a bit cheaper model,works ok,and had it over 2 yrs and still going ok.