Radar Detectors

Valentine 1 Beltronics Pro RX65 Escort 8500 X50
VEIL improves the performance of all radar detectors!
Currently, the overall best performing* radar detector group (by price category) are:

Top Price/Performance Tier

$300+ Radar Detectors:

  • B BEL RX65 Pro ($329), STI Driver ($449) & Vector 995 ($299)
  • E Escort 8500 X50 Red/Blue Display ($299/$339)
  • V Valentine One ($399)
These radar detectors performed the best at detecting laser with the Valentine One radar detector being the most adept by a wide margin.

When paired with good radar detectors, VEIL provides you with precious additional reaction time - time you wouldn't otherwise have to safely slow down - and enables you to avoid speeding tickets.

Although this may sound counter-intuitive, in general, it is actually easier for radar detectors to detect police laser at greater distances than up close - essentially the opposite of radar.  The reason being that as the targeting distances increase so does the laser beam spread pattern.  The wider the beam is, the greater the chance that laser detectors will "see" it.  As the targeting distances decrease, the beam gets narrower.

Therefore, if an officer targets either your front license plate or a headlight, at shorter distances, the laser beam may not be wide enough to reach the laser section that is mounted high-up on windshields.  Which means NO ALERT

To minimize this "effect", you should mount your radar detectors as low as you can against the windshield or place them on the dash. 

The exception to this recommendation is with Valentine One laser detector. Since it has demonstrated an overall superior ability to alert to this "off-axis" laser you could mount the Valentine high, to maximize your detector's chances of seeing the rare advanced laser warning from a vehicle that is being targeted ahead of yours without compromising your ability to be alerted to laser up-close.

In either case, make sure there are visual no obstructions that could block your radar detectors' "field-of-view", like wipers or UV filters that are routinely incorporated into the windshield.

The others have laser detecting capability as well, can detect POP (of the 67ms variety) - a lethal form of radar that occurs in bursts of 16-67ms, too short a duration for those radar detectors that are not specifically built to detect it.

The latest Valentine radar detectors provide superior POP detection capability and are the only ones that can occasionally (~10%) sniff out the MPH K-35 hand-held K gun when its POP mode operated at a blistering 16ms!

VR's newest radar detector now includes "Euro" mode that can be enabled to perform especially well with Gatso/Multanova radar- popular throughout europe, this low-powered waveform is most difficult for conventional models to pick-up.

The Valentine One radar detectors also distinguishes themselves as the only ones in this group to be able to spot Laser Atlanta's stealth mode police laser.

Where you travel primarily and what forms of speed enforcement are being used should be the determining factors in ultimately deciding which is the best radar detector for your needs.

In our opinion, if laser is used heavily in your areas of travel, you seek the very best in laser detectors (in a windshield mounted unit), desire to have the greatest rear radar detector sensitivity, and the ability to identify the source of the threat, the Valentine One would be your natural radar detector choice.

If, on the other hand, you wish to have the most recent advancements** in radar detection filtering, all-around top performance, and steller Ka performance, either the BEL Vector 995, Bel Pro RX65, or Escort Passport 8500 X50 radar detectors would make a terrific addition to your windshield.

Our own experiences suggests that the X50 radar detectors have an edge in laser detecting sensitivity when compared to the RX65.

The Bel RX65 Pro radar detector has the distinction of being the ergonomic champ and has the added ability to operate on Ku radar (as can the V1 & 995) - an older European radar band - which may come to our shores.

The RX65 detectors also have the ability to have its Ka performance tailored for either European radar or US Ka-radar usage.

The BEL STi Driver is the only detector which provides the convenience of stealth driving in addition to RX-65 like performance. (That's a big 10-4).

Bottom Line: You really can't go wrong with any of these top tier detectors.

Want even more detailed comparisons? Read this highly informative radar detector review in which we drove with all of the top three for several thousands miles to see if we could determine the overall best radar detector.

Now that you are armed with a good radar/laser detector, learn how you to use it to safely avoid speeding tickets!

See VEIL in action! Check out these cool videos!

Hear what other driving enthuisiasts are saying about how VEIL helps them fight speeding tickets!


Under $200 Radar Detectors

Secondary Price / Performance Tier

  • B Beltronics Vector 895
  • C Cobra 9400 ($119)
  • P PNI RW 3000 ($149)
  • W Whistler 1776 ($179)
In the under $200.00 category, the Beltronics RadioShack Vector 895 Series radar detectors available exclusively at Radio Shack has been reported to perform almost as well as its more expensive brethren with respect to outright performance, demonstrated superior laser sensitivity as well, and was recently rated a top value in Motor Trend's 2005 comparison especially when paired with VEIL!

On the RDD front, the Whistler 1776 turned in an impressive performance - as compared to to the top tier detector group - on SPECTRE III but not as well on the older VG-2.

As good as the Valentine One radar detectors are at spotting laser, the great likelihood is that by the time your detector has sounded its alarm, you have already been clocked with laser - even on a motorcycle - unless you have protected yourself with VEIL, an active laser jammer, or both.

That's why several of these manufacturers also build active laser jammers - otherwise known as ECMs or electronic counter measures.

Would you like even more detailed comparisons? Read this highly informative radar detector review in which we drove with all of the top three for several thousands miles to see if we could determine the overall best radar detector.

Now that you are arming yourself with a radar/laser detector, learn how you to use it to safely avoid speeding tickets!

See VEIL in action! Check out these cool videos!

Hear what other driving enthuisiasts are saying about how VEIL helps them fight speeding tickets!

Bel Pro RX65
Escort Passport 8500 X50
Valentine One
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*According to SpeedZones field testing.

**Another distinction (especially) for the V1 and both BELs worth noting are their abilities to hide from RDDs (radar detector detectors) - such as VG2 and SPECTRE/STALCAR II/III created in the land of OZ.

Beltronics has recently released their STI Driver which has demonstrated to be completely undetectable by current RDDs.

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