o/t questions

[subafan]

questions

1. is it true that you don't need insurance to drive in wisconsin?
2. thinking about getting a radar detector thingy... any suggestions??

radar detector thingy. . . how much are you wanting to spend (expect at least a hundred)

[subafan]

at least 100? what about under 200 bucks?

[CDG]

I bought a Whistler 1650(last years model) for$99CAN, thats a good deal. According to the Whistler manual, all states allow Detectors except Wash.DC, and Virginia. so getting one with VG2(detector detector) is not really practical. and the units with the text display also have the feature called Safety Radar, www.safetyradar.com
Not a bad looking feature, but I haven't seen any here in canada yet. I would think you should be able to find a good one for $100US.
Remember, the Bronze tinted windshields block radar detectors, in this case your going to have to buy the more expensive under the hood detector/jammer units. Its pretty slick, it will jam a radar signal, and they offer you a refund on your ticket if you get caught on radar, nice.

I will say that the bronze tinting will not completely block it, but it does deminish the responsiveness of it. The CVS pharmacies around here use k (edited this, I don't know why I said ka) band for their door openers. It's a very weak signal. My detector (a cobra 9000) will pick up the signal from between 20 - 50 feet away. While my tranny was rebuilt I took the detector out and was driving with it in my Mom's sentra. It was able to pick these up consistently about 250 - 400 feet away. There are several offices that have some high power stuff that works in the x band. My car would pick these up about 1000 - 1500 feet away, but in the sentra it picks them up about 1200 - 2000 feet away. So I'm under the impression that with high powered stuff (like police cars would be using most of the time) there is not quite so big a difference in range.

On the down side, I don't know if this is even possible but I think that some cops are very sneaky and turn their radar detectors to the lowest power possible. This kind of stuff my car combined with the relatively cheap detector I have doesn't really give me enough warning. There is one of those things in Clemson SC that tells you what speed you're going that I can't pick up until I'm about 50 feet away, but it is already showing my speed from 200 feet away.

If you check out a lot of car magazines you can kind of get a feel for what detectors are good by looking at the results for other brands of detectors in an ad. I have heard very often that nothing beats a valentine one but it costs about $500 or very close is the escort passport 8500 at $285 (http://store.yahoo.com/image-solutions/espas85rad.html) At the barely over 200 range I think that the best ones are the passport 7500 at around $230 or the bel 985 at $230 and the 980 at $200. I think that if I knew I would like having a radar detector I would have forked out the cash for the bel 980 originally. If you don't want to spend that much money I would stick with the bel brand and get the best one at whatever price range you want. I have not been too impressed with my cobra (granted I paid $99 I think) especially when driving in packs with people with other brands. Theirs would go off way before mine would, but that is probably just because of the tinting. The only exception was one of my friends was following me with a 4 year old whistler and mine was on about 4 seconds before his he said.

I couldn't care one bit for a fancy display or voice thingies, in fact I would prefer not to have them. What I think are important are something to tell you if something is X band, a form of a k or ka band, laser, and the signal strength. Everything else is useless to me.

[wasions]

Escort or Valentine.
'Nuff said.

[CDG]

sounds like good advice.
I know the whistler 1650 gives me x, k, Ka, laser and a signal strength for each, and VG2, and have had simular instances of a hotel setting off at least 1/2 mile away, strength goes from 1 to 9(1-9 range), 9 when I hit the hotel, then disappears about 150 feet past it.

I have driven by several radar traps, and I get good warning, even around corners, but city buildings are an issue.

It would appear that you should buy the best you can afford.

I just found my same unit for sale for $199CAN, so I'm happy. But haven't really tested it out on much highway yet.

I know that the BEL has a good rating, and are very popular.

For christmas last year, my little brother (god bless him) bought me a used radar detector from our fathers' second-hand store. it was sort of a boxy passport.. maybe it was an escort.. anyway, I wasn't expecting much performance from it due to what i've heard about our windshields, but i threw it in anyway.

well let me tell you, that thing saved my ASS on numerous occasions, including last night.

I crested a hill where the speed limit had just changed from 55 to 35. I had let off the gas toward the top of the hill, but as i crested it, i must've been doing about 50. well all of a sudden out of nowhere, my detector started SCREAMING at me. instinctively i jammed the brakes and hurled myself down to about 37mph. my detector will pick up active radar from about 3/4 of a mile away, (from BEHIND, too!!) BUT the cop's gun has to be ON.. the cop i saw last night didn't turn his gun on until well after I had crested that hill and he saw that I might have been moving a little faster than 35. Fortunately my guess is that when he turned it on, the gun had to quickly sort of "boot up" maybe calibrate itself or something, which gave me enough time to wail on the brakes before it would return a reading to him. either that or he didn't care.

-adam

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by alacrity024
Fortunately my guess is that when he turned it on, the gun had to quickly sort of "boot up" maybe calibrate itself or something, which gave me enough time to wail on the brakes before it would return a reading to him. either that or he didn't care.

-adam

It's more likely that he caught you doing less than ten over, and didn't figure that you were worth pulling over, lest he miss somebody doing more than ten over.