Confessions of an Unapologetic Speedaholic - Choosing The Right Radar Detector
Aug 29 '00 (Updated Jan 09 '01)
The game of cat and mouse with speeders and cops is a never-ending game of one-upsmanship. The most revolutionary weapon law enforcement unveiled was the infamous radar gun in the 1960s. The speeding public was essentially held captive by their oppressors until they (with the help of a few speed-friendly electrical engineers, God Bless Them), retaliated with the even more infamous radar detector in the 1970s. From that point, a new gauntlet was thrown.
I have had considerable experience with speed and with this game of highway chess. My dad had a lead foot and this is one of the few heredic traits I picked up from him. From the moment I got my driver's license, I voted with my right foot. As a result I have been pulled over 42 times since 1980 and have "lost", or received a ticket, 20 times - although as of this writing my record is currently devoid of tickets much to the relief of my insurance salesman and payment. I couldn't tell you how many times I should have been pulled over and by sheer luck was not. I have also employed various speed detection devices throughout the years and studied the tools of The Enemy. From this vast array of experience I have come up with the guaranteed, sure-fire way to avoid ever being pulled over and ticketed:
STOP SPEEDING!
This, however, is akin to telling a person to stop sinning - it usually doesn't take. God DOES forgive, but often cops don't, and insurance companies NEVER do. And since I can't drive 55 unless it's on a city street, I have to come up with the best defense possible. Speed detection devices DO work, but they also have limitations and ramifications that I will (FINALLY) expound on.
WHAT RADAR DETECTORS DO:
Detect radar. Next topic...
Specifically, they warn of signals emitted at bandwidth frequencies that are known to be used by law enforcement to detect velocity. The specific frequencies are set by the FCC. Optimally, these signals emit from radar guns, however, other electronics emit similar frequencies as well and can give off false alarms. Such examples include microwaves and garage door openers. A radar detector must separate and squelch as many false alarms as possible while eliminating NONE of the true alarms. A radar detector that constantly misfires is useless. Technology has greatly improved over the last 25 years; inevitably though, a few false alarms do trigger on all detectors. There are five primary bandwidths of concern described in the next section.
SIGNALS THEY DETECT - A COMPARISON:
Radar itself has three limitations. It can't go through hills, it can't go around corners, and it can't target a specific car if it's in a pack. Regardless of the type used, the gun operator must have a straight line shot at the vehicle to get a reading. A radar detector worthy of consideration MUST reliably pick up on the following five bands:
X band - the oldest radar band. This can be detected from a long distance and is generally a threat on a longer stretch of road or from a high vista, such as a hill. The X band radar gun must be left on continuously, so it always emits a signal. This was of course a problem back in the Dark Ages of no detectors, but today X band is laughably easy to detect.
K band - came along in the 1980s. Has a considerably shorter range than X band and can be used in tighter confines. The K-band gun must also remain on continuously. A warning for K radar is more urgent and demands a quicker reaction from the driver.
Ka band - also known as Superwide and Instant On. This was a powerful new weapon that came out in the late eighties. The range is similarly short to K band. The most diabolical aspect of this band is that it may be turned on only when needed, such as when a targeted vehicle is approaching. This makes it much harder to detect when traffic is thin and impossible to detect for a lone traveler - until it's too late. Few things strike more fear into my heart than to see my detector go off in the middle of the night on a deserted highway. This band is also used for photo radar, where a camera is used to record the licence plate of the offender. The victim finds out he was caught when he receives his ticket in the mail.
Laser - became a force in the 1990s. This operates on a beam of light and gave law enforcement a powerful weapon as it had the characteristics of Ka band yet was tougher to detect as the possibility for receiving a false signal was high. Eventually detectors rose to the task. The larger, more reflective, and brighter the targeted surface, the greater the effectiveness and range of laser is, so steps can be taken to combat this and therefore give an additional margin of reaction time.
VG-2 - this is not a speed detector, but a RADAR DETECTOR detector. Some jurisdictions forbid the use of radar monitoring devices and VG-2 is the weapon of choice to determine if a detector is being used. A good detector in turn must be able to pick up on VG-2 warnings in sufficient time to allow the user to disconnect the detector until the threat is noted and distanced from. VG-2 can only detect powered-on detectors.
WHEN DETECTORS ARE EFFECTIVE:
When dealing with the older X and K bands. Ka and laser can also be detected easily when traffic is heavy as the officer will generally shoot enough cars in advance to trip a detector. The best scenarios are daytime and early evening on busy interstates. They should also have no problem with detecting VG-2 signals which wouldn't be a problem, of course, if you weren't a detector-packing scofflaw.
WHEN DETECTORS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE:
Generally detectors are less useful in cities as there are many sources of false alarms that can cause even the best detectors to emit too many false alarms to be completely relied upon. They are also less effective when dealing with Ka and Laser band in light traffic and useless if you're the lone Road Warrior.
Also, realize that not all cops are in the electronic age. The time-honored methods of timing a car between two points from a hill or a plane are still frequently used, and unmarked cars still follow their victims to determine speed. Don't allow yourself to be sucked into a false sense of security just because you purchased the newest, sexiest radar detector!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DETECTOR:
Sensitivity of signals is critical. As stated before, the detector must pick up on ALL real signals while rejecting as many false signals as possible. Compactness is also highly desirable, especially when concealment is necessary, particularly in high-crime areas and areas that forbid the use of detectors. Price is a lesser consideration unless you're really broke. Agreed, $399 is a high ante for the Valentine One, but consider that a ticket for 20 MPH over the limit after factoring in three to five years of added insurance expense can run from $500 - 1000. Don't throw away dollars to hoard pennies!
Signal detection range is important as the farther away a signal can be detected, the faster a driver can react and get his car legal. A car traveling at 80 MPH is covering 117 feet a second. A range difference of as little as a tenth of a mile is 5 seconds of bought or lost time, which is especially critical with laser and Ka. Also, the coverage sphere is important, as some radar guns record cars that are going away. The detector has to guard against front and rear radar attacks. Side attacks also should be detected, although more for information as a gun can't get a reading from the side but will get a reading a few seconds later when it's behind you.
All detectors are now single unit devices as opposed to the multiunit setups in years past and will plug into a cigarette lighter.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The two manufacturers I recommend are Escort and Valentine One. Escort made the first detector which was roughly the size of a cigar box. They have continued to hone their craft and set the standard for radar detection quality and construction and had no real peers, at least until Mike Valentine, their chief engineer, left to form - you guessed it - Valentine One. Valentine also makes fine detection equipment and is on a plane with Escort. The stragglers (Cobra, BEL, etc.) generally make less effective equipment albeit at a lower price.
Occasionally enthusiast magazines such as Car and Driver and Road and Track will do comparisons between available brands. They grade on the criteria listed in the previous section and their winner is almost always either Escort or Valentine One.
I have my reasons for speeding, which are multitiered and will not be delved into as this is a product recommendation and not an editorial indicting the collusion of certain interest groups. If you can refrain from speeding, then do, and please use the RIGHT-HAND lane, especially if you see a fast-approaching white Honda Accord. If you must speed, like me, then consider the arguments above for making the proper detector decision.
Related Reviews
Passport 8500 Radar Detector:
http://driver4t5.epinions.com/elec-review-6DC4-15F80693-3A1166AE-prod2
Passport 7500 Radar Detector:
http://driver4t5.epinions.com/elec-review-269B-11999613-39EA738E-prod5
Passport 6800 Radar Detector:
http://driver4t5.epinions.com/elec-review-4F55-2278D30-3A20984C-prod1
Valentine One Radar Detector:
http://driver4t5.epinions.com/elec-review-1878-10D3544-39EFB908-prod1
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