Radar Detectors

[joebiker25]

What is the preferred brand among TMC users?
Any creative mounting methods? I love my Valentine One but it needs power and I don't want a cord over my touchscreen. I also have a cordless Escort S3 but prefer the V1
Any "interference" or false alerts because of the car's radar?

Thanks

 

[Chopr147]

My radar detector is the Waze app. try it if you haven't already

 

[msnow]

What is the preferred brand among TMC users?
Any creative mounting methods? I love my Valentine One but it needs power and I don't want a cord over my touchscreen. I also have a cordless Escort S3 but prefer the V1
Any "interference" or false alerts because of the car's radar?

Thanks

Doubt your S3 will work. I have an S2 and I mounted it high on the windshield in the space where the EZ Pass is usually mounted. All I ever got was sporadic front alerts only, nothing from the rear. Very disappointing. I think most people here use the Passport 9500ci. I just rely on Waze now. Lots of posts on this topic.

 

[chillaban]

Yeah msnow is right. Almost no windshield mounted detector is going to work because the windshield is metallically coated to reduce sun and radar detectors are trying to pick up faint 50mW wifi-like signals from a mile away.

 

[Lloyd]

9500 ci works great. Love it! It has saved me many times!!

 

[Chopr147]

On my upstate trips which I take about 3 times a month , I rarely see a cop I wasn't already warned about with Waze
It is a problem at night though since you can pass a few and not even know it.

 

[joebiker25]

My radar detector is the Waze app. try it if you haven't already

I use Waze everyday but the RD helps me on back roads where radar toting cops hang out sometimes

 

[CLLACAB]

9500 ci works great. Love it! It has saved me many times!!

So are you saying that the 9500ci is not affected by the Tesla coated glass. I use my Valentine in my other cars, but I know it won't work in the Tesla. Any idea if the new Max 360, which has arrows, would work.

Thanks

 

[kirkbauer]

I love my V1 but Mike Valentine himself (who has a MS) says it won't work through the windshield. So I have an expensive integrated radar detector. But the display is nicely integrated into the rear view mirror.

Waze is not a good substitute IMO.

 

[bradhs]

I love my V1 but Mike Valentine himself (who has a MS) says it won't work through the windshield. So I have an expensive integrated radar detector. But the display is nicely integrated into the rear view mirror.

Waze is not a good substitute IMO.

I had the exactly same discussion with Mike Valentine's people. Was hoping he would figure a way around it with a front remote sensor but nothing so far. Which integrated radar did you go with?

 

[kirkbauer]

I forget the model. Beltronics, front and rear sensors, GPS, and display. It was about $1300.

Also I bought AL Priority laser jammers, front and rear.

 

[whitex]

I've been using V1's for over a decade, awesome detector. Used it on my first MS too - it had a large enough uncoated area in the windshield. Running power is simple by the way, takes all of 20 minutes maybe to run the power from the 12V plug in the console to the detector mounted at the top of the windshield - just tuck the wire under the leather panels, under the glove box, under the panels along the edges of the windshield. There was one spot I couldn't quite squeeze the wire between the windshield and the ceiling so used a little dab of hot glue to keep the wire in place.Similar tuck for remote display module if you use it (I do, don't like my detector to attract attention of the cop driving behind me).

UNFORTUNATELY, once I got a 2015 MS, this solution no longer works (see the metalized layer on my car in this post ). The metalized layer cuts 80+% of the radar signal (try it yourself with a door opener and a V1, compare on the windshield vs. stick it out the window). My V1 would give me mostly rear alerts (scatter from front sources). So I bit the bullet and went with a remote mount detector. If you think V1 is pricey, just wait until you see remote mount detector prices. And if you think that's expensive, ask for a professional install quote, lol. Your main remote mount choices are (in order of price, low to high):

1. Bell STiR / Passport 9500ci - slightly dated (doesn't jam latest laser guns), but works for many people. No front+rear option to display directional information you may be used to from V1 though - only front.
   
2. ALP + netradar - very good radar detector (though still new, firmware for front/rear directions with 2 antenna setup still in development), great laser jamming if properly installed
   
3. Stinger VIP - best performing radar detector you can buy (also the only one completely stealth, 100% undetectable by radar detector detectors), laser performs well but currently not as well as ALP (performance can be enhanced with firmware updates on both), however the laser heads are much smaller so easier to hide

If you don't want laser jamming, all of the above can be setup without it (forget ALP, just get netradar by itself). For more information, look at resources such as RDF Forum.

 

[whitex]

So are you saying that the 9500ci is not affected by the Tesla coated glass. I use my Valentine in my other cars, but I know it won't work in the Tesla. Any idea if the new Max 360, which has arrows, would work.

Thanks

9500ci is a remote mount detector, therefore not at all affected by the windshield. For most MS and probably MX, no radar detector behind the windshield will work.

 

[number12]

I heard waze is hard to use on browser because how slow it is... do most people use it on their phones?

 

[msnow]

I heard waze is hard to use on browser because how slow it is... do most people use it on their phones?

I use it on the browser and find it surprisingly accurate.

 

[chillaban]

9500ci is a remote mount detector, therefore not at all affected by the windshield. For most MS and probably MX, no radar detector behind the windshield will work.

This is exactly correct. Only grill-mounted detectors will work for virtually all MS and MX's. If you have a blackened toll pass cutout, you may be able to get so-so radar reception there, but practically speaking, it is really hard to mount your detector at that location and have the antenna be completely within the black square area.

You're way better off just going with a professionally-installed grill mount unit. Note that almost all of them are higher-performance compared to their windshield counterparts.

 

[CHG-ON]

What is the preferred brand among TMC users?
Any creative mounting methods? I love my Valentine One but it needs power and I don't want a cord over my touchscreen. I also have a cordless Escort S3 but prefer the V1
Any "interference" or false alerts because of the car's radar?

Thanks

Do you have the new or old nose? I mounted my V1 behind my old nosecone, shrinkwrapped in plastic, and it works like a charm. Only front facing (bummer),but it still picks up side warnings. I have the remote audio and visual in the car and have had no issues for two years. I'd love to go for the full boat Escort. But it's just so expensive. My good old V1 still saves the day on a regular basis.

 

[msnow]

This is exactly correct. Only grill-mounted detectors will work for virtually all MS and MX's. If you have a blackened toll pass cutout, you may be able to get so-so radar reception there, but practically speaking, it is really hard to mount your detector at that location and have the antenna be completely within the black square area.

You're way better off just going with a professionally-installed grill mount unit. Note that almost all of them are higher-performance compared to their windshield counterparts.

Even if you can get it work in the front you are still screwed behind you.

 

[joebiker25]

Not sure If I am going to spring for a pro system right away as my MS scheduled for delivery a week from today was a total impulse purchase! My first test drive and I was handing over my cc for the deposit much to my wife's amusement.
I love the V1 so it is disappointing that it will not be around to save my rear end anymore
So one CAN run Waze on the car's browser? I was not looking forward to having my iPhone mounted on the windshield or vents.

 

[ViperDoc]

Not sure If I am going to spring for a pro system right away as my MS scheduled for delivery a week from today was a total impulse purchase! My first test drive and I was handing over my cc for the deposit much to my wife's amusement.
I love the V1 so it is disappointing that it will not be around to save my rear end anymore
So one CAN run Waze on the car's browser? I was not looking forward to having my iPhone mounted on the windshield or vents.

Back when I used a detector, I loved the V1 too. I always got it upgraded and thought it was the ideal unit. With my Roadster, I didn't want the wires hanging around, so I went in another direction: using the cruise control to stay within 5 mph of the speed limit!