Can anyone recommend a decent police radar?

Question

I'm hoping to find something under $100 that actually detects the police - not just automatic doors.

Thank you!

Answer 1

You don't stand much chance of finding a police radar for that price.  Most departments use Kustom Signals Pro Brand but they are pricey.  Or are you asking about a radar detector?

Answer 2

Try www.RadarBusters.com - the owner used to be a traffic cop, and he tests them extensively.

Answer 3

You pretty much get what you pay for in a radar detector. You can find cheap models that don't do the job very well. I recommend either Escort or Valentine.

No radar detector is completely able to avoid false alarms from automatic doors, highway speed signs, and other sources. Some are better than others, such as the brands mentioned above.

Answer 4

Radar detector prices range from below $50 (complete junk and waste of money) to over $500 (the best available). If you can't afford at least $150, you are looking at a cheap radar detector. Don't waste your money.

As an alternative to buying a cheap radar detector, I would seriously consider just never driving fast. The cheaper the radar detector, the fewer features it has, the fewer radar bands it detects, the less likely it is to detect those bands, the more often you will receive false alerts, and the more visible it is to police radar detector detectors (RDD). If you use a cheap radar detector, you are likely to 1. not receive an alarm when you should, 2. receive false alarms when you shouldn't, and 3. receive a ticket and have the device confiscated.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a 'police radar' that 'actually detects the police.' Radar detectors can detect the radio frequencies emitted by most police radar guns IF AND ONLY IF the radar gun is turned on. A police officer without a radar gun, or who has his/her radar gun turned off, is no more detectable than you or I driving in our vehicle.

Additionally, police are more frequently using laser to measure speed. Most (non-cheap) radar detectors will alert to laser, but you only have .2 seconds (2 tenths of a second) after your radar detector alerts to radar and when your speed has been measured. That's not enough time for you to look at your speedometer, let alone adjust your speed if necessary. If your radar detector alerts to laser and you are speeding, you might as well pull over and wait for the ticket. If you are concerned about police laser, your only option is a laser jammer (like radar detectors, they are also legal in most states). But if you're shopping for a sub-$100 radar detector, you won't be shopping for a laser jammer, which start with prices around $400.

If you can't afford more than $100 for protection against a speeding ticket + fine + court costs + insurance increase, I suggest that you save your $100 for your next ticket, and pay more attention to your speedometer.