Any FAQ about radar detectors ?

Anybody here know if there is any FAQ on radar detectors.

Which radar detector is better among Cobra, Escort, Rocky Mountain brands ?

Sudhir wrote:
> Anybody here know if there is any FAQ on radar detectors.
>
> Which radar detector is better among Cobra, Escort, Rocky Mountain brands ?

I'd go with the Valentine 1. There are other good detectors out there
(Escort?), but they lack the bogey counter and directional arrows.
Avoid using a cordless detector since they shut off intermittently to
extend battery life.

"Sudhir" > wrote
> Anybody here know if there is any FAQ on radar detectors.
>
> Which radar detector is better among Cobra, Escort, Rocky Mountain brands
> ?

None of the above, with one exception. Search archives of Car & Driver
magazine (on WWW?). Escort and Valentine are the only ones worth buying.

FloydR

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
>
> >Anybody here know if there is any FAQ on radar detectors.
>
> Let me save you some time and money: you don't need one. VASCAR,
> pacing, instant-on, and laser are all going to nail you without so
> much as a peep from your detector until it's too late. Save yourself
> $400 and concentrate on developing your situational awareness instead.

I have been lasered while speeding and not pulled over. (Escort
detector).

I don't know why, perhaps the cop took a while to determine it was
me. The laser signal continued for the whole length of the straight,
it wasn't a short burst like the usual lasering.

So the detector did save me the ticket in this case.

Scott en Aztlán wrote:

> This is why I call RDs "placeboes" - when people see a cop and don't
> get a ticket,

That's assuming they didn't slow down before they see the cop. The
value in the detector is being able to "hear" the cop well before you
see him. IME, the amount of time that elapses between when I first hear
the alert and when I see the cop ranges from 10 to 20 seconds. That's
more than enough time to slow down.

I'm well aware that I'm much more likely to get a ticket while going 70
mph in a 55 as opposed to 58 to 60 in a 55. Without a detector, I would
still be going 70 when I see the cop. With a detector, I'd be going
within 5 mph of the speed limit by the time I see him.

Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> "Sudhir" > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
> >Anybody here know if there is any FAQ on radar detectors.
>
> Let me save you some time and money: you don't need one. VASCAR,
> pacing, instant-on, and laser are all going to nail you without so
> much as a peep from your detector until it's too late.

You'll be nailed with instant-on if you're the one he's trying to get a
read on, but if you're 20 cars back, the detector will pick up the fact
that there's radar in the area, and you can proceed to slow to a
non-ticket pace. Happens all the time for me on a road that's posted
25, (which should be 40, and in fact, is, 1/4 mile up the road). The
cops hide behind the bushes. I get his radar long before he can "see"
me.