Oldham has his weapon of choice. But does he know where the bogies are, and how many? This Valentine One I borrowed from my friend (thanks, Sarah F) has saved my bacon time and again on my roadtrip in the 2008 Audi R8.
And talk about range. At one point it alerted about three miles before I actually saw the cruiser.
Another time about 10 miles from the Oregon border, a Washington cop hit us with laser and the V1 exploded with bleeps and lights. With laser, these alerts are too little too late, and you're usually bagged. I had slowed ahead of time, though (call it spidey sense), and escaped unscathed.
Overall, I noticed how the box relieves me from having to constantly scan every overpass, clump of trees and on-ramps for patrol cars, instead allowing me to focus on other things. Like driving.
I gotta get me one of these.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 12,651 miles
felonious says:
08:22 AM, 07/10/08
I love my V1, but I know it's not going to find every cop on the road. I consider it a set of ears to go along with my eyes.
I especially like its directional arrows on the highway, because CHP cruisers often leave their car-mounted radar turned on. Very useful to know if one is coming up behind you! That has saved me a few times on Vegas runs.
stingray454 says:
08:39 AM, 07/10/08
I have a Passport 8500, and it's more than paid for itself in the number of times it's saved me from a speeding ticket. I'm always on the lookout for cops bearing radar or laser, but sometimes they get really sneaky with their hide out spots, especially at night. It's like a game they play. Cops play games, then so do I. They've got their guns, I've got my detector. Evens the playing field a little.
Laser is tough, but I do like when they use Ka band, as I can pick them up miles ahead of time.
lazyhater says:
08:39 AM, 07/10/08
V1 is the best, by a wide margin. I lost count how many tickets it saved me.
The arrows are a must have!
ewilfong says:
09:07 AM, 07/10/08
I just can't get on board with this whole radar detector thing. Of course, I was born in Virginia, the last state where they're still illegal in all vehicles, so I remember the added stress friends went through (scan, scan, BRAP, hide detector, scan, scan...). But regardless of their legality, driving without a detector makes a road trip more relaxed. You can have a nice conversation, listen to music, laugh at all the people slamming on their brakes at the sight of every state-owned vehicle.
And as you say, laser will cause you problems, not to mention pacing and VASCAR. Saving a few minutes is just not worth the aggravation to me. But don't worry, I'm not a left-lane blocker. I'll be out of your way.
jaguar36 says:
10:04 AM, 07/10/08
I've always wanted a radar detector, but I'm always concerned that if I do get pulled over my chances of getting out of a ticket if I've got a detector are just about nil.
crowb says:
10:10 AM, 07/10/08
Unless you are a beautiful blonde with a girl-next-door smile, your chances of getting out of a ticket are probably nil anyway. Detector or not.
My wife has been pulled over 11 times in a row without a ticket in the 2 years we've lived in Arkansas. She's too cute for her own good. The last one was for 77 mph in a 55 mph zone. The woman is a terror.
Me? I get a cavity search if I don't signal 100 ft before turning into my own driveway. Police hate me. Its just a vibe I give off or something...
bal169 says:
10:47 AM, 07/10/08
Or, you could go with a Camo-wrap and blend into your surroundings... this would get two birds with one stone. First, all the jack*** drivers would be laughing to hard to even give you a second glance, and second, the cops wouldn't be able to tell your car from the trees.
http://camoclad.com/images/Camo_2.jpg
greenpony says:
11:53 AM, 07/10/08
I'm with ewilfong. Driving slower (say, no more than 5 over the limit instead of 25 over) makes for a much more relaxing drive. Not only that, it's safer, saves you money on speeding tickets while saving you money on radar/laser gizmos, and reduces your fuel cost by increasing your gas mileage. It's especially useful on long trips, where white-knuckle driving and constant worrying about cops can wear you out. But whatever. Drive however you want, as long as you can do it safely.
Jason Kavanagh says:
12:08 PM, 07/10/08
I hear you, greenpony, but I'd replace "relaxing" with "numbing."
For many folks (myself included), speed limits are set so artificially low that sticking to them makes the mind wander when driving, to the point where sleepiness sets in. It really is a safety issue on a long trip. Ironical, eh?
Using a detector alleviates some of the stress of searching for cops, and lets me concentrate on driving.
stingray454 says:
01:22 PM, 07/10/08
"Driving slower (say, no more than 5 over the limit instead of 25 over) makes for a much more relaxing drive. Not only that, it's safer, saves you money on speeding tickets while saving you money on radar/laser gizmos, and reduces your fuel cost by increasing your gas mileage."
That's fine, but it doesn't address all of the issues with potentially getting a speeding ticket. For example, cops usually stake out radar traps where there is a decrease in the speed limit, or going downhill, etc. They try to get people who weren't paying attention to the change in posted speed limit, or to the gradual acceleration of going downhill. So you may be intending to do no more than 5 mph over the speed limit, but with only a slight distraction (conversation for example), you could end up going much faster than the speed limit without being aware of it. The cops don't care why you were speeding, and you'll get a ticket. Now if you have a radar detector, it'll alert you to the little game the 5-0 is playing, and you're more likely to slow down in time to avoid getting a ticket.
I have a fast car, but I usually set my cruise control at 8-12 MPH over the posted speed limit - speeding, but usually "flying under the radar" (i.e. not fast enough to be worth a cop's while). That's not why I have a radar detector. It's for those other times when there's a change in the posted speed limit, or downhill, or whatever other unsuspecting situation.
s197gt says:
01:26 PM, 07/10/08
i haven't had a radar detector in many years, but when i did, i never got a speeding ticket and i know i was saved a number of times.
now, a little older, i usually find that the flow of traffic is going plenty fast for me, and usually faster...
dragonzsoul says:
01:29 PM, 07/10/08
i love my V1, glad to see someone at insideline does also =)
haha I would like to see a 9500i vs. V1 competition write up
desmolicious says:
02:11 PM, 07/10/08
I just can't stand the constant falsing that the V1 gives off while driving in city or down PCH.
ewilfong says:
03:28 PM, 07/10/08
Stingray makes a good point. Little towns are notorious for having speed traps at the bottom of a hill, 100 feet past the 25 MPH sign.
Desmolicious, I was wondering if that constant beeping was still an issue in modern detectors. I've ridden with friends down I-35 between DFW and San Antonio, and their detectors would just beep all day long. I assume it has something to do with all the businesses lining the service roads.
speeder31 says:
09:06 PM, 07/10/08
Sure it works well...but GOOD LORD--could they at least TRY to streamline the design?!
eclogite says:
06:16 AM, 07/11/08
"Overall, I noticed how the box relieves me from having to constantly scan every overpass, clump of trees and on-ramps for patrol cars, instead allowing me to focus on other things. Like driving."
Or, crazy as it may sound, you could drive somewhere close to the posted limit and not have to do any of that either. I know, I know. I'm nuts, but I'm just saying...