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<blockquote data-quote="HiAmplidude" data-source="post: 1337651" data-attributes="member: 561470"><p>What's your price range/limit?</p><p></p><p>Valentine 1 is probably the best bet. I recently bought a top-of-the-line Bel Pro RX65 because research showed it as being better at almost everything than the Valentine 1, but it is too noisy with false alerts, for my taste. Still a good detector (my review from pricegrabber is pasted below). I don't know if there are any current "good" detectors out there that are good at eliminating false alarms. That's my biggest gripe about them now.</p><p></p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p></p><p>Strengths: Sensitive, great range, construction, features, adjustability, voice, mute button on lighter plug adapter</p><p></p><p>Weaknesses: Sensitive, noisy, false alarms, little bulky (same as most)</p><p></p><p>Summary: My first detector in 1985 was a cheap Uniden that caught false alarms all the time, then around 1989 I stepped up to a Whistler Spectrum 2SE which was dead silent except when there was an actual threat, which it championed at following from a very long range, but it didn't have Laser detection so I reluctantly replaced it with another Whistler near their top of the line around 1998 (yes the 2SE was still going strong and still is today for my brother). The new Whistler (sorry, cannot remember the model) was too noisy for my liking and the woman's voice they selected for warnings irritated me, so I sold it cheap and started researching heavily for the best overall detector I could find, cost was (almost) no object.</p><p></p><p>After a couple months of research, testing and debate, I almost ordered the Valentine 1, but the Bel beat it out (in my mind) and at about this time last year I finally settled on the Bel Pro RX65. I can't say I had a positive first impression because on all defaults and autoscan mode the thing was chirping away full blast the whole way back to the office from the authorized dealer (yes, I paid full retail for the unit the month is was released to market). By the time I got to the parking lot of my building I had already unplugged it because it was just going crazy picking up every little thing. After reading through the manual and performing some tweaks (and TURNING OFF laser detection altogether), it finally quieted down a little. But, I still spend much of my driving time reaching down to hit mute before the next set of chirps drives me insane.</p><p></p><p>I thought it would be much better on the open road. This last summer when I took my family on a 2400-mile trip, it definitely was quieter, but the false alarms hardly ceased. I'd find myself getting comfortable with the sound of the road then almost jump out of my seat from the extremely loud and urgent pulse warning. This happened regularly even in the middle of nowhere and kept waking up my sleeping baby in the back seat, even on low volume.</p><p></p><p>Still, I don't drive without the extra "set of eyes" of a radar detector. Even when I'm not speeding, I just like knowing what's around me and if someone is checking me out, hoping I'm doing something wrong, like cops do. That said, every time there was a legitimate police laser or radar signal, this puppy picked it up with an unbeatable range (none of my previous units came close). I got used to its range and found myself NOT stomping on the break every time it goes off (you know, *just incase*), as I'm sure most of us have done with every other radar detector. This thing gives me plenty of time to look down and make sure I'm not accidentally speeding and adjust calmly... except when pulse warning goes off -- never know where the culprit is, if it exists at all.</p><p></p><p>It does what it does well, but is still too sensitive to non-police signals. The false alarms in the city are almost constant. It drives me nuts some times. But, I'm not about to get rid of it. The positive aspects ensure that I do know when there is a police signal and gives me plenty of time to react. I just wonder, what happened to radar detector technology from the gool ol' Whistler Spectrum 2SE days. Where did the "no false alarms" features go? I gotta' say, I do miss that very much.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HiAmplidude, post: 1337651, member: 561470"] What's your price range/limit? Valentine 1 is probably the best bet. I recently bought a top-of-the-line Bel Pro RX65 because research showed it as being better at almost everything than the Valentine 1, but it is too noisy with false alerts, for my taste. Still a good detector (my review from pricegrabber is pasted below). I don't know if there are any current "good" detectors out there that are good at eliminating false alarms. That's my biggest gripe about them now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strengths: Sensitive, great range, construction, features, adjustability, voice, mute button on lighter plug adapter Weaknesses: Sensitive, noisy, false alarms, little bulky (same as most) Summary: My first detector in 1985 was a cheap Uniden that caught false alarms all the time, then around 1989 I stepped up to a Whistler Spectrum 2SE which was dead silent except when there was an actual threat, which it championed at following from a very long range, but it didn't have Laser detection so I reluctantly replaced it with another Whistler near their top of the line around 1998 (yes the 2SE was still going strong and still is today for my brother). The new Whistler (sorry, cannot remember the model) was too noisy for my liking and the woman's voice they selected for warnings irritated me, so I sold it cheap and started researching heavily for the best overall detector I could find, cost was (almost) no object. After a couple months of research, testing and debate, I almost ordered the Valentine 1, but the Bel beat it out (in my mind) and at about this time last year I finally settled on the Bel Pro RX65. I can't say I had a positive first impression because on all defaults and autoscan mode the thing was chirping away full blast the whole way back to the office from the authorized dealer (yes, I paid full retail for the unit the month is was released to market). By the time I got to the parking lot of my building I had already unplugged it because it was just going crazy picking up every little thing. After reading through the manual and performing some tweaks (and TURNING OFF laser detection altogether), it finally quieted down a little. But, I still spend much of my driving time reaching down to hit mute before the next set of chirps drives me insane. I thought it would be much better on the open road. This last summer when I took my family on a 2400-mile trip, it definitely was quieter, but the false alarms hardly ceased. I'd find myself getting comfortable with the sound of the road then almost jump out of my seat from the extremely loud and urgent pulse warning. This happened regularly even in the middle of nowhere and kept waking up my sleeping baby in the back seat, even on low volume. Still, I don't drive without the extra "set of eyes" of a radar detector. Even when I'm not speeding, I just like knowing what's around me and if someone is checking me out, hoping I'm doing something wrong, like cops do. That said, every time there was a legitimate police laser or radar signal, this puppy picked it up with an unbeatable range (none of my previous units came close). I got used to its range and found myself NOT stomping on the break every time it goes off (you know, *just incase*), as I'm sure most of us have done with every other radar detector. This thing gives me plenty of time to look down and make sure I'm not accidentally speeding and adjust calmly... except when pulse warning goes off -- never know where the culprit is, if it exists at all. It does what it does well, but is still too sensitive to non-police signals. The false alarms in the city are almost constant. It drives me nuts some times. But, I'm not about to get rid of it. The positive aspects ensure that I do know when there is a police signal and gives me plenty of time to react. I just wonder, what happened to radar detector technology from the gool ol' Whistler Spectrum 2SE days. Where did the "no false alarms" features go? I gotta' say, I do miss that very much. [/QUOTE]
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