V1 for me installed above the mirror with their stealthy remote display mounted above the steering wheel.

 

Escort 8500 X50 (blue) When the new 9500i came out I called them and they said that it had the same engine as mine and I would see not added detection. THey actually helped me decide NOT to upgrade to the newer model. Of couse it has a lot of extra things. (I would not use them)

 

i have bel rx 65.bel and escort are one in the same co.the bel x65 is the escort 8500.

 

I also have a Escort Passport 8500 X50. Its saved my butt quite a few times.

 

I have an Escort 8500 (not an X50). I called when that one came out and they told me it was basically the same as the 8500, but with better range since they changed the filtering. I'm thinking of going to the 9500i though since the 8500 has started to recalibrate itself alot...keeps beeping every so often and says it's recalibrating. It did that about a year ago and I had to send it off to get it repaired. I think they are offering a trade in deal right now so it might be time for me to pull the trigger on the latest and greatest.

 

I have a Bel RX65.

 

Whats the least amt I should spend to get a quality detector.? Not 1 person mentioned price And who does consumer reports recognize as all around best?

 

+1 on Escort Passport 8500 X50. Had a 7500 before and transferred it to the daily driver. 8500 is better on range over the 7500. Got a warning in the wifes car with the 7500. My fault though 11:00 at night with the family in the SUV on an open highway, cop just shot me, noone was in front for miles I never had a chance. Female cop though so I played really nice and go off.

 

I use an older Bel that I bought for my '03 Mach 1, and it had replaced a Bel that fried out after several years of daily use. I don't remember which model my current Bel is, but it works very well, decent range, very seldom falses, easy to see and hear, etc. Great unit, so I'll likely buy another Bel when this one dies or becomes outdated.

 

Beltronics v995 here. works great.

 

Prices on good ones usually aren't cheap at all. Back when I was into them, the Valentine 1 was always among the highest rated. Of course, it also comes at a price. I think the 8500/9500 was always highly rated and it's a pretty reasonably priced detector. I just found it annoying with all the false alarm beeps.

 

so are we talking 500 and up or is that number too high?

 

I gave around $300 for mine with the red screen writing. The one with blue costs more.

 

Take a look at the Whistler Pro 78 or XTR 690 these are both great detectors that will not break your wallet.
Whistler has done a lot of research and development with the lower priced detectors and it has paid off well.
Yes pricing does make a difference on radar detectors but at the same time you can spend to much money on one that does not perform any better than the lower priced ones.

I have posted many times about radar detectors and information about them.
Do a search and you will find them.
Also check out this site for more information: http://www.radardetector.net/

 

I use a Stalker. Oh wait... I'm sorry... you were talking about Early Ticket Warning Systems. Umm... every time I hit my transmit button (it's the little round on in the middle on the remote) and I see brake lights or the nose of your car dive to the ground... you're getting one ticket, or more if I can find anything else to write.

Why do you guys insist on begging for tickets? It's much more likely that a police officer is going to give you a break if you aren't trying to cheat the system and admit to being in the wrong. I very seldom write people who have a good attitude and are honest with me but I have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to radar detectors. My belief about radar detectors is that you have been given far too many warnings already so you aren't getting one from me. Do the crime... do the time.

 

Never fails

 

You can get a Val 1 for less than 500 even though they retail for about that.

I think he asked for which radar detectors people used, not for a lecture. I know how cops feel about radar detectors, which is why I don't use mine except for long drives home on the highway. This is off topic for this thread though.

 

you say every time so I take it you don't give breaks??

 

How about I add this then with regards to what detector consumer reports says is any good... I just wrote a college kid with a V1 last night at work and an 8500 a couple of days prior from a trucker... none of them work if you're going up against a cop that wants to write tickets. If you're up against a lazy cop who just drives around with his radar transmitting all the time, then I guess he doesn't deserve to catch you.

I can not think of one time I observed a radar detector in the car or obvious signs of radar detector usage (don't leave the bracket stuck to the windshield dummy!) that I did not write a ticket. The trucker I got with the 8500... talked himself into more tickets because he lied to me about even possessing one (which is illegal in a vehicle registered for over 10,000lbs... doesn't even have to be plugged in... just being in the vehicle is illegal). Maybe I have let a Volly go even though he had a detector but I can't remember ever letting anyone go... just because I HATE radar detectors so much. My policy about giving breaks to people with radar detectors is like my policy about improperly restrained children... I have no pity.

 

That's why I don't use mine anymore. If they really want to pull me over for doing 10 over on the highway, then they can go ahead and get their funding from me. I just use it on the highway in case I get a lazy one. I don't really speed anywhere else, so I don't really see the point.