I was wondering if any of you use radar detectors in your car because I wanted to buy one for my boyfriend's birthday. He speeds a lot, and needs a detector that will just warn him when cops are using radars to check car speeds so he can slow down when they're around. I don't want to spend more than $250 on one. Do any of you know of any good detectors? Is there a certain brand I should be looking for? I was trying to look online for reviews and on amazon.com, but they're inconsistent, and a lot of the reviews have both satisfied and unsatisfied reviewers.

I heard, though, that Cobra sucked. And while Escort is a good brand, they're usually expensive. I was thinking of buying a Whistler. They're relatively cheap and seem to have pretty good reviews.

Do you guys have any suggestions on a radar detector that has worked for you? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!


Oh, and please no one respond to this post of you're going to criticize me and my boyfriend for speeding and trying to find a way around getting speeding tickets instead of just going the speed limit. Or if you're going to criticize me in any way. I'm just looking for advice on a well performing detector. Thanks.

It's more than you wanna spend, but look at two sources......one of them is Valentine. I've had the valentine one for about 4 to 6 years. It's fantastic!!! Saved me THOUSANDS of dollars!! I speed too....everywhere!!! No radar detector will beat "instant on" radar though unless it bounces off someone in front of you.....

Also try Rocky Mountain Radar....they not only have radar detectors, but radar Jammers!!!!

Both have websites.....

Everything else sucks or gives off spurious radar waves that can be detected!!! Regardless of price!!!

I think its illegal

Thanks! That's very helpful. Aren't Valentines very expensive though?

Only in some states.

Like Virginia, District of Columbia, and in commerical cars in New York.

I live in Rhode Island/ Massachusetts.

It is illegal in CT, even to just have one in the car. I hope he never plans on going there. Your BF might want to just try staying with the flow of traffic. 95, 195, all those highways flow pretty fast except for rush hour. Far above 55mph.

I know you are in RI, and the tickets are pricey. Honestly, if the cops see he has one, that is a very, very, very very good way to single yourself out and get pulled over.

I'm afraid they are....mine was $425.00 at the time.

I know that he has to be careful, that he'll get pulled over if a cops sees him, but our friend has a radar detector and he lives in Providence and he hasn't had a speeding ticket in years, since he got the thing. And my boyfriend has the worst luck, he'll speed up just for a few minutes to get in front of someone, and a cop will stop him, or the speed limit will change (we go from MA to RI and vice versa all the time) and a cop will stop him the second he's in the section with a lower speed limit. He knows the consequences and that he needs to be careful, he just has been wanting one and I think he'll appreciate it. I just don't want to go spending 200 bucks on something that doesn't work.

This is why I mentioned about spurious radar emmissions from radar detectors. Valentines do NOT emit anything that a cop's radar detector- detector might pick up!!!

I drive around all the time and can know when someone behind me or along side of me has a crapy radar detector because my valentine gets set off by their detector!!!

So if I want to go for 200-250 bucks, I should get a Rocky Mountain. Do you think this is a good model?

http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Mountain-Radar-RMR-C450-Scrambler/dp/B0002PWUJW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1217517467&sr=8-1

If he insists on using one, do the research. Do a Comsumer Report check on the one this poster is recommending. If you can't get a good one in your budget, don't buy it.

I am doing research. That's why I'm asking for personal opinions.

LOL......By all means.....please do!!!

I'd like to know what others are saying about something that's saved me thousands of dollars....(I know....I'm bad...LOL)

So if I want to go for 200-250 bucks, I should get a Rocky Mountain. Do you think this is a good model?

http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Mountain-Radar-RMR-C450-Scrambler/dp/B0002PWUJW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1217517467&sr=8-1


I can't speak for RMR, I just would like to have the scarambler but haven't gotten it yet.
Just a thought though......I would probably go directly to RMR website and see if that one is a latest model. Having been in the computer industry, I KNOW that a model can be obsolete before it hits the retailers. Maybe that's why the price is so low....

Just a thought, I have a friend who is a cop and he told me that the radar guns can add mph to your original speed now when using radar detectors. This did happen to me added 15 mph to the radar gun. They are doing this just to make people stop using them.

I have two and both are whistlers. Expensive though.both Work pretty good. You need to get one that has 360 degree radius.