Radar Detectors

[SoCalGen]

Was reading through some of the radar detector threads on here last night and it really got me thinking I need one. The genesis cruises so well out on the open road it's very easy to be rolling 90mph before you even realize it. I'm not someone who drives like I'm auditioning for the fast and furious part 10 but I do like to cruise above the limit at times. On a recent run from LA to Palm Springs in an area with virtually no traffic I was behind a BMW 750IL going around 105-110mph. I let him stay a good 1/8th to 1/4 mile in front of me as a shield. But this was without a detector on board so I was a little nervous.

In the early 2000's I had a Uniden which was ok and then I bought a Escort (8500 I think) from a friend who was hard up for cash. The Escort was nice.

I've been looking at some of the new escorts and just not sure I can justify the added cost for gps and escort live. It seems like I could just use the "waze" app for iPhone with an 8500 X50 and be just about as covered. What do you guys think? The 8500 X50 is $277 on amazon V.S. $412 for the 9500ix

8500 X50

http://amzn.com/B005IQGU0A

9500ix

http://amzn.com/B001F0RPGG

If I buy the X50 is there any way after a hard wired install to turn off the display on the unit itself and rig up a remote display near the speedometer?

Also, a lot of you seem to be tapping into a 12v+ from the rear view mirror. I'm a little nervous to do this since my electronics are still under factory warranty. I have some of those "add a fuse" devices and was going to try and find a switched power source in the fuse box for whatever detector I get and my dash cam.

 

[SoCalGen]

I really like the way Nabber has his mounted ABOVE the rear view mirror. Probably not the ideal place for it to detect radar though.

http://genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=3603&highlight=radar+detectors

 

[Aquineas]

I own a 9500ix with integrated smartphone app as well as a Valentine One. In addition to my thoughts I posted here, here are some additional thoughts to the ones I posted in my original post:

• My V-1 is need of repair/updating after 10 years; it is no-longer reliably detecting K-band radar. This has been going on for about 6 months now, and I haven't had it repaired because my 9500ix detects K-band wonderfully... BUT...
• ...I sure do miss the K Band arrows that the V-1 gives me.
• I have switched my 9500ix to No-X mode, eliminating a huge number of x-band false alarms.
• The 9500ix photo radar and stoplight radar warnings are very nice.
• The 9500ix smartphone integration is nice. There has been more than one occasion when I got a notification about police in the area and I slowed down enough to save me from instant-on. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough other users of the app to make it as useful as it could be, at least in the Northern Houston suburbs. This may change in time, but I've been a little disappointed by the adoption rate.
• Recently my 9500ix and my SmartPhone have developed an intermittent communication problem where they sometimes can't talk to each other. I am going to update the software on the radar detector to see if it fixes the problem
• This is a correctable nitpick, but something I figure Genesis owners would want to correct as well (a lot of us like quiet cars). The 9500ix mounting causes the front of it to hit the windshield a lot in my 2012 Genesis, and since it's made of plastic, is the biggest non-human source of noise pollution in my car (I am a terrible singer). I fixed this by temporarily stuffing some facial tissue between the top of the windshield and the radar detector. My plan is to replace the tissue with some double sided rubber pads, but that's on my list of things to do.
• The 9500ix doesn't offer a lot of geographical distinction with some of its GPS based alerts. For example, if I'm driving on an interstate, I'll get a warning about a red-light-camera on a road adjacent to or intersecting the interstate. It's not quite at the point where it realizes that "Hey, I'm not on the road where that red-light is even relevant", instead using absolute distance to warn me. It's not a huge deal really.
• The V-1 still typically detects Ka band radar much sooner than the 9500ix, but one should note that I once came across a post from the 9500 manufacturers suggesting that two radar detectors will interfere with each other. I'm not sure how relevant or true that is, but it's something to consider.

If I had to however choose a single radar detector between the 9500ix and Valentine One, considering the benefits/drawbacks of the both, I'd choose the Valentine One. It's a tough call, but the directional arrows have proven to be more valuable to me than the smartphone integration. They tell me where the radar is coming from, and in combination with the signal strength, I can tell if that law enforcement officer I just passed heading the other way has done a U-Turn and is now approaching from the rear. That is a huge deal. Hopefully one day Valentine will update it to have the equivalent smartphone/internet integration that the 9500ix has (integrate with Trapster or Waze perhaps?) That would be pretty much ideal.

 

[SoCalGen]

I own a 9500ix with integrated smartphone app as well as a Valentine One. In addition to my thoughts I posted here, here are some additional thoughts to the ones I posted in my original post:

• My V-1 is need of repair/updating after 10 years; it is no-longer reliably detecting K-band radar. This has been going on for about 6 months now, and I haven't had it repaired because my 9500ix detects K-band wonderfully... BUT...
• ...I sure do miss the K Band arrows that the V-1 gives me.
• I have switched my 9500ix to No-X mode, eliminating a huge number of x-band false alarms.
• The 9500ix photo radar and stoplight radar warnings are very nice.
• The 9500ix smartphone integration is nice. There has been more than one occasion when I got a notification about police in the area and I slowed down enough to save me from instant-on. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough other users of the app to make it as useful as it could be, at least in the Northern Houston suburbs. This may change in time, but I've been a little disappointed by the adoption rate.
• Recently my 9500ix and my SmartPhone have developed an intermittent communication problem where they sometimes can't talk to each other. I am going to update the software on the radar detector to see if it fixes the problem
• This is a correctable nitpick, but something I figure Genesis owners would want to correct as well (a lot of us like quiet cars). The 9500ix mounting causes the front of it to hit the windshield a lot in my 2012 Genesis, and since it's made of plastic, is the biggest non-human source of noise pollution in my car (I am a terrible singer). I fixed this by temporarily stuffing some facial tissue between the top of the windshield and the radar detector. My plan is to replace the tissue with some double sided rubber pads, but that's on my list of things to do.
• The 9500ix doesn't offer a lot of geographical distinction with some of its GPS based alerts. For example, if I'm driving on an interstate, I'll get a warning about a red-light-camera on a road adjacent to or intersecting the interstate. It's not quite at the point where it realizes that "Hey, I'm not on the road where that red-light is even relevant", instead using absolute distance to warn me. It's not a huge deal really.
• The V-1 still typically detects Ka band radar much sooner than the 9500ix, but one should note that I once came across a post from the 9500 manufacturers suggesting that two radar detectors will interfere with each other. I'm not sure how relevant or true that is, but it's something to consider.

If I had to however choose a single radar detector between the 9500ix and Valentine One, considering the benefits/drawbacks of the both, I'd choose the Valentine One. It's a tough call, but the directional arrows have proven to be more valuable to me than the smartphone integration. They tell me where the radar is coming from, and in combination with the signal strength, I can tell if that law enforcement officer I just passed heading the other way has done a U-Turn and is now approaching from the rear. That is a huge deal. Hopefully one day Valentine will update it to have the equivalent smartphone/internet integration that the 9500ix has (integrate with Trapster or Waze perhaps?) That would be pretty much ideal.

Thanks for the info!!

So do you think the 8500 X50 would just be a waste of money? I'm just having a hard time justifying the V1 or 9500xi at nearly double the price of the 8500 X50. I just keep thinking Waze + the 8500 X50 would be a killer combo. But I'll gladly pay more if the V1 or 9500xi is really worth it.

Do you think mounting the detector above the rear view mirror would be a good idea? I saw someone on here had their V1 mounted in the rear headrest of the car.

 

[Aquineas]

Thanks for the info!!

So do you think the 8500 X50 would just be a waste of money? I'm just having a hard time justifying the V1 or 9500xi at nearly double the price of the 8500 X50. I just keep thinking Waze + the 8500 X50 would be a killer combo. But I'll gladly pay more if the V1 or 9500xi is really worth it.

Do you think mounting the detector above the rear view mirror would be a good idea? I saw someone on here had their V1 mounted in the rear headrest of the car.

I don't think the 8500 is a waste of money at all. It will almost assuredly be useful and will likely pay for itself, how quickly it does so depends on your driving habits. Go with the 8500, and if you get feature envy down the line, eBay the 8500 and buy something else. If (when) you do get the 8500, please PLEASE share your thoughts; I'm curious how Waze is compared to Escort Live.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

If I had to however choose a single radar detector between the 9500ix and Valentine One, considering the benefits/drawbacks of the both, I'd choose the Valentine One. It's a tough call, but the directional arrows have proven to be more valuable to me than the smartphone integration. They tell me where the radar is coming from, and in combination with the signal strength, I can tell if that law enforcement officer I just passed heading the other way has done a U-Turn and is now approaching from the rear. That is a huge deal.

I have a 9500ix, but not a Valentine. My thoughts are nearly identical to Aquineas'. The Valentine is supposedly king of sensitivity and overall awareness. The 9500ix is king of false alarm management. However, the new Passport Max may narrow the sensitivity differences somewhat.

In my humble opinion, the difference comes to where you live and drive, and your own tolerance for false alarms. I live and drive primarily in a suburban and urban environment. V1 false alarms would render the device useless. The 9500ix filters out many of the false alarms without sacrificing much performance.

If you are on highways a lot, particularly in unfamiliar areas, then the V1 is a no-brainer.

Lastly, in drive mostly in an area where LEOs use laser or KA band. I have never tagged a LEO using X band or K band. And, I have only rarely tagged a LEO on Ka. So, the only thing that really matters in my area is laser.

I would pick a radar detector based on you and where you live and drive.

Also, get a good mirror mount. I have a BlendMount on the mirror, and it is awesome. You can barely see it from outside the car.

I am dying to get the Passport Max, but I cannot justify the cash. It just looks so cool.

 

[SoCalGen]

Thanks guys. I live in Los Angeles and do about a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. I'm not sure what cops use around here since I haven't owned a detector since moving from Michigan. I would imagine X band is rare and I think most detectors have an option for turning that off. With laser aren't you pretty much hosed no matter what because it's instant? I guess if someone is in front of you and the beam scatters the detector could pick it up in time.

 

[Aquineas]

Thanks guys. I live in Los Angeles and do about a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. I'm not sure what cops use around here since I haven't owned a detector since moving from Michigan. I would imagine X band is rare and I think most detectors have an option for turning that off. With laser aren't you pretty much hosed no matter what because it's instant? I guess if someone is in front of you and the beam scatters the detector could pick it up in time.

Yep, it's exactly as you state. And unfortunately laser doesn't scatter very far.

 

[GenesisCaptain]

Thanks guys. I live in Los Angeles and do about a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. I'm not sure what cops use around here since I haven't owned a detector since moving from Michigan. I would imagine X band is rare and I think most detectors have an option for turning that off. With laser aren't you pretty much hosed no matter what because it's instant? I guess if someone is in front of you and the beam scatters the detector could pick it up in time.

In practice, you can survive a laser hit. First, there is the off chance that scatter will alert you a little. But in my experience, when the RD goes off, the laser is probably aimed at you. However, most police seem to hit the cars several times or take an extended read. If you brake the moment the laser alert screams, you can dump 5 to 10 MPH. I am pretty sure that I have avoided at least one or two tickets by braking immediately with the alert.

My caveat: I do not consider myself a professional speeder. Traffic in Atlanta can get into the high 70s, and sometimes in the low 80s on a few of our wide open highways. I typically drive in the low to mid 70s with the natural flow of traffic-- rarely the fastest car, but on the faster side of traffic. There are a couple little cities along one of our highways that police use for profit. When I am not paying attention, I can allow myself to be alone and too fast in those areas. So, when the RD sings, I was not scanning the horizon or on the edge of high focus. I simply react and get the car down to a less targetable speed.

 

[clum553946]

I've always had Valentine One's and they've saved me countless times!

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[fiveoh]

IMO, best setup:

https://www.laser-interceptorusa.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=59_66

9 of 10 LEO's in metro areas and highway patrol using laser. If you're not jamming, don't bother. Learn how to properly jam.

The V1 or the 8500 are perfect for finding Ka. Mount it and forget it, don't spend alot of money.

Use Waze.

 

[SoCalGen]

Gosh.... now I'm kind of leaning to the V1....

I can't find the thread now but someone here did a custom install with the V1 mounted in a headrest and had the remote V1 display wired up by where the ashtray goes. It looked really slick. Do you think doing something like that dramatically reduces the effectiveness? One concern I have is that in the event I'm pulled over for speeding, it would be much better if the officer doesn't see that I have a detector. Cops love to write tickets to people with fuzz busters.

I suppose I could rip the escort off from under the mirror quickly and stash it in the center console if there's time but sometimes there isn't.

On the laser jammer thing.... they're highly Illegal in California and I don't want to know what would happen if I was caught with one.

 

[Dave99GT]

I have used a 9500ix for several years, and I really like the gps feature that eliminates false alarms after you have detected them three times. My older radar detector that I replaced with the 9500ix was always beeping at Walgreens and motion detect stoplights, and other false sources, it got to the point where I found myself ignoring it. I drive in the same general areas 90% of the time, so when my 9500ix goes off now, I know it is a real and I slow down. I have never used the smart phone integration, I prefer to keep my eyes and attention on the road rather than using a phone app while driving.

 

[Dave99GT]

Forgot to say, I also just mounted mine to the rear view mirror, using the blend mount, and the mirror tap leads. Use the micro size leads, 8" long wire, works perfect. Took ten minutes after researching here and learning that pink is hot, black is ground.

 

[SoCalGen]

Can't you pretty much just turn off X band? Do cops even use it anymore?

 

[GenesisCaptain]

Can't you pretty much just turn off X band? Do cops even use it anymore?

I have turned X band off on mine. And I am contemplating turning off K band too. I doubt any police use either band any more.

 

[Aquineas]

I have turned X band off on mine. And I am contemplating turning off K band too. I doubt any police use either band any more.

They definitely still use K-Band in Texas, mostly sheriff's departments.

 

[SoCalGen]

They definitely still use K-Band in Texas, mostly sheriff's departments.

I think I heard somewhere that X band is only used in Ohio. I doubt any police departments in California still have it.

 

[razzyrazz]

Good video on the effectiveness of laser jammers. 2nd part of video as well on his site. He has videos on radar detectors as well. Seems the choice really depends on where you live and what you will be subjected to most. Laser detection is pretty worthless because by the time it's detected its too late. A couple guys are retired law enforcement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEQrbkwwuDQ

 

[Aquineas]

I think I heard somewhere that X band is only used in Ohio. I doubt any police departments in California still have it.

You're probably right; the last time I got tagged by an X-band car that I'm fairly certain wasn't a false alarm was around 2000 in Mississippi; either Jackson or Meridian, I don't remember which.