Radar detector?

[The Mistress]

Just discovered I am Dutch not Irish...my luck has run out and I resent prising open my musty wallet to pay the fines I got saddled with after being pinged today...more worrying is accruing demerit points. What radar detectors are recommended?

[Hitcher]

Your eyes are about the best value for money when it comes to beating The Fuzz(TM). No technology has yet been invented that can beat Joe Law with his finger on the pulse trigger or a laser. If you're going to exceed the legal limit, do it in a place where the statistical likelihood of getting busted is at or approaching zero.

[ynot slow]

Minimum BEL RX55 or RX65 had both and great value,ours saved us this weekend twice,mind you only sitting on 115km according to speedo,but gps said 109km.More likely to get pinged in 50 and 70km zones I've found to my wallet.

[MaxB]

The mark 1 eyeball and watching your speed are the best defences but...

The better makes: Bel, Valentine and Escort have improved detection capabilities but they cost a lot, like $1K. That is a lot of tickets to save before you get your money's worth. Slowing down may be cheaper.

These expensive detectors can detect Stalker radars in the instant on mode because the mobile units emit a tiny reference signal that the detectors are tuned for.

Laser units are harder to detect but the detector is designed to be activated by scatter from other targets. Plus the fact that many officers don't really know how to use them properly further alerting nearby vehicles.

[Winston001]

Bel STi is rated as the best. Undetectable. $1800!! The XR is cheaper.

There is a motorcycle-specific detector TPX which LBD has and he likes it. A review I found rated it as good but not the top.

Trouble with the Valentine 1 and Bel STi is that both need add-ons to waterproof them, mount them, wire them, and make the alerts visible or audible. So the purchase price to put one in your car is only the beginning for a bike.

The Escort X50 is far cheaper and still a reasonable detector.

However.......what's your licence worth? Even $2000 starts to look reasonable up against 3 months loss of licence. In that sense the best is the only choice. Or so I'm trying to tell myself.

[Winston001]

Your eyes are about the best value for money when it comes to beating The Fuzz(TM).

Yes so you and Ixion keep saying. But eyeballs were no help to me at all south of Timaru 6 months ago. The nice orifficer was in a plain car going the other way, he didn't even think I was speeding but gave a quick check.......130k.....oh dear.

Besides my eyeballs would suit an ambulatory bat. They don't do me much good.

[RedKLR650]

Yes so you and Ixion keep saying. But eyeballs were no help to me at all south of Timaru 6 months ago. The nice orifficer was in a plain car going the other way, he didn't even think I was speeding but gave a quick check.......130k.....oh dear.

Besides my eyeballs would suit an ambulatory bat. They don't do me much good.

Said officers of the law could probably vouch for my knowledge of the fine/demerit point system :-(

Last work lisence cost $1300 ( It was a bit more involved than usual ) and that was ON TOP of the fines already paid, so top of the line detectors don't look so expensive after all

Fines are as follows
Kms.... $
11-15 80
16-20 120
21-25 170
26-30 230
31-35 300
36-40 400
41-45 510
46-50 630

And Demerits.........

-10kph 10
10-20 20
20-30 35
30-35 40
35+ kph 50

And as for south of Timaru, What about down your way

Last Tuesday there were 2x officers hiding behind a Macrocarpa Hedge at the north/east side of Clinton with a lazer...... Bastards......

Luckily the car in front of me saw them

Just my thoughts......

Stu

[awayatc]

Eyeballs served me well for over 30 years, but the increased tax collection of late is no match for eyeball alone....
It used to be a game you could play with some sort of skill.....the ambush techniques being deployed at present however take away that fair chance......
I got myself an Escort 8500 and an escort 9500, one for the cage, and one for the bike......(ok, I am a bit obsessive compulsive )
Admittedly to bikeproof one is a bit of a put off,.....but if it rains to hard i put it in my pocket....not speeding much in the wet
I realy don't want to pay another speeding tax again EVER.....
Should my cunning plan fail then I will either have to buy the fastest bike I can afford and outrun the vultures,
or pack my bags and move to less Analy controlled horizons....
Escort picked up a few stealthy stalkers so far.....

[CookMySock]

These expensive detectors can detect Stalker radars in the instant on mode because the mobile units emit a tiny reference signal that the detectors are tuned for.

Can you cite your sources for this statement?

if it rains to hard i put it in my pocket...

Do you still get a good range?


Steve

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Your eyes are about the best value for money when it comes to beating The Fuzz(TM). No technology has yet been invented that can beat Joe Law with his finger on the pulse trigger or a laser. If you're going to exceed the legal limit, do it in a place where the statistical likelihood of getting busted is at or approaching zero.

Yes so you and Ixion keep saying. But eyeballs were no help to me at all south of Timaru 6 months ago. The nice orifficer was in a plain car going the other way, he didn't even think I was speeding but gave a quick check.......130k.....oh dear.

Besides my eyeballs would suit an ambulatory bat. They don't do me much good.

But he also covers his but by saying... If you're going to exceed the legal limit, do it in a place where the statistical likelihood of getting busted is at or approaching zero

[Jantar]

I have both an Escort X50 and a Bel Sti. The Escort has been modified to be fully bike compatible (ie waterproofed, internal sounder bypassed) and so is used only on the bike. The Bel can be swithched between bike or car as required. A radar detector will only give you warning if there are other vehicles around that the cop tagets first, or if the cop is lazy and leaves his radar on all the time. Both these models have POP detection which give some protection agains instant on radar (I don't think we have that in NZ yet), but not if the cop is using his radar in standby mode and waits till he has you well in range before triggering his unit.

Radar detection has saved me from a few tickets, but my biggest saviour so far has been a GPS permanently recording my speed. I just loved the look on the cops face when he accused me of 118 kmh when I knew I was under 100. I just asked him to record on his notes that the bike was fitted with GPS, it was recording, the time and location displayed, and that I would see him in court. He just walked back to his car and drove off without another word.

[Swoop]

Bel STi is rated as the best. Undetectable. $1800!!

Rubbish. More like $800- for the STi.

Like here. The V1 is still a bit high!

[crazyhorse]

Check on Trademe - the cobra was inexpensive and seems to work really well

[What?]

What radar detectors are recommended?

Google is your friend.

The Escort 8500 X50 or 9500 are the best bike-friendly detectors by all accounts, although if they get outlawed, then the Bel STi is the only one to get at the moment, as they are undetectable by radar detector detectors.

I have read a few tests on the TPX, however they are only any good at detecting X band - which hasn't been used in Nz for yonks. Their K and Ka detection is rubbish. For Ka band detection, Bel, Escort (they are the same) and Valentine are tops. As always, you get what you pay for.
And don't get hung up on laser detection unless you buy a jammer as well - if your detector signals laser, you are almost certainly already stung.

And don't believe the bullshit from outfits like Radardirect that they sell NZ-spec models. No radar detector manufacturer makes NZ-specific models. Buy direct from the US and save a truckload of cash.

Oh, and use your eyes - even the best detector only increases your odds slightly.

[Winston001]

Rubbish. More like $800- for the STi.

Like here. The V1 is still a bit high!

Well I found it hard to believe too but Radardirect have the STI XR Platform NZ XR-C for $1776.88 +GST. http://www.radardirect.co.nz/new/frameset/

They wouldn't bother if they didn't sell any.

Warranty is a biggie - there is a member here who had 3 STis fail but all replaced under warranty. Stories like that make parallel imports look a bit risky.