Where Can I Buy A Police Radar Detector ##VERIFIED##

Before we dive in, we suggest you do a little research about radar detectors and their technology. Even the simplest products in the category require education in some basic vocabulary. To reach the full potential of your new detector, you'll have to know your K band from your Ka band and whether you're driving through a state where you should enable X band. Further, you should think about what sort of features you're looking for, from highway mode to a red light camera alert to directional alerts.

where can i buy a police radar detector

Here are our top picks for the best radar detectors for different scenarios based on hands-on testing, expert input and user reviews. Further on, we'll answer some frequently asked questions and tell you what to watch out for when choosing a detector, including the sad truth about laser detection.

Until you start using it, this bit of data may seem trivial, but you quickly realize how helpful it is to know where to look for possible signs of trouble. If the front arrow lights up, police could be around the bend. But, should the side arrows glow red, your "bogey" (as Valentine refers to radar hits) is more likely a false alarm from another car or an automatic door -- police measure your speed from the front or behind, not the side.

Focusing on its built-in smarts, if you're used to more chatty, inexpensive radar detectors, you may be compelled to ask, as we did, whether the V1G2 is even working. Where other units beep and boop indiscriminately with little indication of where potential threats are coming from, Valentine's hardware stays pleasantly silent but vigilant, only speaking up when a bogey is a legitimate concern.

Still, most notable among its few shortcomings is a lack of GPS integration. Where other detectors use location tracking to lock out non-law enforcement sources of radar pollution, Valentine relies on its advanced algorithms to do the filtering on the fly. They say the minor advantages GPS provides aren't worth the extra cost to consumers, and in any case, Bluetooth app integration brings location data and more to the party if you have your smartphone nearby.

Let's go back to that old-school segmented LED we mentioned earlier. As we've said, radar detectors are about data. The company kept the LED because it's much easier to read in sunlight than fancier, multicolor read-outs, and that's emblematic. The Valentine One Gen2 is all about providing the most relevant information in the clearest, simplest terms -- no frills, just well-honed skills.

Like our favorite pick on this list, the R7 offers directional arrows to indicate where radar hits are coming from. In this case the arrows are rendered on a small color display, which is slightly hooded from direct sunlight.

In addition to the typical radar bands, X, K and Ka, the Uniden R7 can detect the newer MultaRadar variant as well as laser. Voice alerts are also on offer here, as are configurable alert tones for the different bands. Set alerts to notify you to speed zones, speed traps, construction zones and school zones. As with other high-end detectors, the R7 claims undetectability from certain radar detector detectors (RDDs), specifically the Spectre I and IV.

But, the killer app here may be built-in GPS, a feature missing from the otherwise full-featured V1G2. The addition of location awareness allows you to manually or automatically store up to 2,000 lockouts where false alerts repeatedly ping your detector in regular driving. GPS also enables the R7 to alert you to red light camera locations stored in Uniden's database, updateable via USB.

If "budget" isn't in your vocabulary, you simply can't go wrong with the Escort Redline 360c. This beast of a radar detector has no interest in aping the black box aesthetic of its top-of-the-line competition. Instead, it's stylish with interesting contours and it's a hefty bit of machinery to boot. It mounts to the windshield using a magnet attachment point that's as powerful and secure as it is easy to decouple when you want to store the device away from prying eyes.

Getting the basics out of the way, the Redline 360c detects all the common radar bands and adds MultaRadar to that as well as laser. Like the Valentine One and the Uniden R7, the Escort radar detector is directional and features four LED arrows around the front perimeter of the device that indicate whether signals are coming from the front, sides or rear.

In our testing, the app integration was perhaps the only major weakness of the Escort Redline 360c. It would occasionally disconnect from Bluetooth, requiring a reboot of the app. Also, the speed limit information was frequently inaccurate with Waze doing a much better job of displaying the correct limits. Nevertheless, if you've got the money for it, this radar detector is the full package and absolutely the one I'd choose.

Speaking of controls, this detector is on a short list of window-mounted devices that assign front-facing real estate to frequently used buttons instead of banishing them to the "fumble zone" at the top of the unit, out of sight. That's a personal pet peeve, but still, kudos to Uniden for positioning the Mute and Mark buttons where they can be easily accessed.

Once you start running your new Cobra radar detector, you're immediately granted access to the free iRadar app, available on iOS and Android. The software is essentially the same as the separate Escort Live app accessible by owners of pricier, more precision hardware, as both brands are manufactured by Cedar Electronics. You can even sign into both apps with the same account credentials, as we did in our testing.

Since 2018, these two apps have shared their alert databases. This means, as a Cobra user, you're getting the benefit of data in the cloud from drivers with more-powerful Escort detectors. The iRadar app itself is colorful and intuitive to use. While the RAD 480i may not have built-in GPS or the best detection range, the app fills in a lot of holes with warnings of upcoming speed traps, speed cameras and more without needing to understand more technical terminology. Cobra users can also report their own police radar sightings by holding down the physical Mark button on the unit for 2 seconds.

Many of the options on our list can be discreetly hardwired into your vehicle's electrical system, but if a box mounted to the windshield, sun visor or rearview mirror just won't work for you, it's time to step up to a custom install, otherwise known as a remote radar detector. No matter which solution, you'll be paying a premium, not to mention the cost of installation. If you're going to take the plunge, we think the Escort Max Ci is worth your coin.

For additional cost, the system can be expanded to include a rear radar receiver, which enables directional indicators, as well as front and rear sets of laser jammers. The main advantage of a remote radar detector is superior aesthetics, and the Max Ci is an attractive package paired with Escort's best technology.

ALP requires a custom installation, as all laser jammers do, with at least two sensors up front to detect and fire back a jamming signal at police radar. The system is expandable, maxing out at six sensors, split between front and rear, for necessary coverage, depending on the size of the vehicle.

Bluetooth and Hi-Fi modules are optional for audible alerts, and AL also sells a radar antenna that can be added into the mix if you don't want to run a separate unit from another manufacturer. As laser jammers aren't legal in all 50 states, the AL Priority is sold as a "parking system," and it can be used as such, should you find yourself in a locale where the laser defense abilities need to be disabled. Perhaps not surprisingly, user reviews indicate the parking feature is not where the system shines.

In the search for the best radar detector for motorcycles, one answer came up over and over: the best radar detector for your bike is the one you'd use in your car. The Valentine One and Escort Redline 360c are both strong performers. So, the question becomes, how do you mod the detector for your motorcycle? One well-regarded part of the solution is the Ram Magnetic Power Plate III for Radar Detectors.

Designed to work as part of Ram's ball-and-socket mounting system, the Power Plate consists of an adhesive metal plate, which attaches to any flat-bottomed radar detector, and a rubber cradle with two rare-earth magnets. Once paired, the plate holds the device securely, only letting go when the detector is rotated 90 degrees relative to the Power Plate.

Let's be clear: Yes, radar detectors are about situational awareness, but they're about one very particular type of awareness, spotting the police before they spot you. So, it's natural to ask if such a subversion of authority is legal.

The succinct answer is that in the United States of America, unless you are in Virginia, Washington D.C. or on a military base, radar detectors are legal for use in non-commercial vehicles under 18,000 pounds.

For commercial drivers, federal law prohibits the use of detectors in vehicles in excess of 10,000 pounds. However, state laws vary, so check the particulars of the states you'll be driving through. In Illinois, New York and New Jersey, radar detectors are prohibited in all commercial vehicles, regardless of weight.

While radar detectors are legal for most passenger vehicles, some states do have laws restricting windshield mounts. In California and Minnesota in particular, it is illegal to mount anything to the windshield that might obstruct your view. While these laws aren't always strictly enforced, you may consider exploring visor-mount options or one of several accessories allowing detectors to mount to your rearview mirror.

One type of electronic device that's illegal in every state by federal mandate is a radar jammer. Unlike detectors, jammers actually interfere with law enforcement's ability to read a signal and using one can result in a $50,000 fine in addition to prison time.

If you're reading this, you probably already know whether you're the kind of driver who would be well-suited to operating a radar detector. Still, it's useful to dispense with the notion that radar detectors are just for speed demons. 041b061a72