Best radar detector for not a lot of money?

[Dennis S]

I've had 2 speeding tickets in the last 18 months - both from just not noticing the first 45 MPH sign when coming into a town. It would be used mostly in hilly country and small towns of Arkansas. More city cops and sheriffs, but sometimes State Troopers. I know nothing about the different bands and lasers, etc.

[Ken Sp.]

You can usualy get an Escort
passport Solo or 8500X50 on Craigslist

[Dennis S]

Those are more than I want to pay. I am probably naive, but I saw this:

http://www.buy.com/prod/whistler-xtr-130...90220.html

and wondered if it would do OK.

[freeradical]

I don't think that stuff is any good if the police are crafty in how they use their radar/lidar. Maybe a CB radio would be of better use to find out where the speed traps are.

Years ago in radio electronics, there was an article/kit on how to build a "radar speed gun calibrator". You could program it to make a police radar transponder read whatever speed you wanted, since the signal you were transmitting was overwhelmingly more powerful than the return the police got from their own transmitter. Just don't get caught with one of these.

[RAMd®d]

It would be used mostly in hilly country and small towns of Arkansas.

Radar detectors are supposedly more effective in hilly areas because *good* ones can read the output signal before the operator can get good tone on you.

And that's the case with the poorly trained. With Instant on radar and lidar, it's far easier to catch the violator unaware.

Cheap detectors may not cover all bands or just be plain insensitive to all but the strongest signals. Very bad for you.

And/or they may pick up false positives, possibly not a problem in your area. These may remind you Casey Jones, to watch your speed. Good for you. Or if you get used to knowing that you get false positives, you may assume as much when you're hit with the real thing. Very bad for you. You should spend big money, but even then...

Or you can work on your observation skills, Were the signs in question obscured and therefore difficult to notice? If not, then consider why you may have missed them.

You have to ask yourself-- do you feel lucky?

Well, do you?

[Black]

Those signs are only there to produce revenue. There's no reason in the world one would need to slow down below 55 when coming into a town with families living along the roadside, kids playing, etc.

[testcase]

If the local gendarmes are using laser (more common than Radar these days), a detector won't help. By the time it alerts you, the officer's got you clocked.

[AAA]

Spend the big money. Valentine One.

[cbelt3]

I gave up the ECM game years ago. With LiDar (Laser) the only thing the detector does for you is tell you to pull over in front of the cop with your license and registration out. They like that- they don't have to chase you.

Only podunk outfits cruise around with their radar on.

[AAA]

I find that 90% still use radar.
I have to laugh as they lidar or radar me (and I DETECT IT). I wonder what they think when they see I a doing 63 in a 70?