Radar Detectors Exposed: How to Find the Right One

Choosing a radar detector is different than buying, say, a laptop computer. Thousands of people are qualified to weigh in with opinions on computers. But the number of radar detector experts--experienced folks who have exhaustively comparison-tested models from every manufacturer against every type of threat--can be counted on both hands. On the Internet, the most shrill voices tend to be heard and any self-proclaimed expert with good SEO skills will regularly appear high in Google rankings. None of which helps the prospective radar detector buyer.

This may be why the question I hear most often is "What's the best radar detector?" Before even attempting to reply, first I quiz the caller, gathering information. How experienced is he at using a detector? Will it be moved among vehicles? What type of car does he drive and last--most important, where does he drive?

That last question is critical. For example, Joe from New Jersey called today and asked for a recommendation. He'd had two already: his dealer suggested a K40 Calibre ($1400) remote system and a friend suggested a Valentine One. What, he asked, would I recommend?

By making my usual queries I learned that he wanted a dash-mount (a.k.a. windshield-mount) model, he commutes 70 miles daily over urban freeways and that he frequently drives to Florida in his Mercedes S600. He also hasn't used a radar detector since tossing his last one into the closet ten years ago. Why? Incessant false alarms, particuarly in town, he said, a familiar refrain.

I suggested either a BEL (Beltronics) GX65, an Escort Passport 9500ix or a BEL (Beltronics) STi Driver, Okay, Joe said, explain why.

Fair question, and easily answered: 1) Either of the first two, GPS-enabled radar detectors, is practically immune to false alarms: if they sound an alert, it's nearly always a police radar or laser gun; 2) The New Jersey State Police continues to use X-band MPH radar heavily, meaning that his detector must have good X-band sensitivity but also great filtering to shut out the ubiquitous radar-controlled automatic door openers also operating on X band--and both models excel at both tasks; and 3) The BEL GX65 and Escort Passport 9500ix are almost completely undetectable by the Spectre radar detector detector (RDD). And the BEL STi Driver is 100 percent undetectable by the Spectre RDD.

Remember, he said he often drives through Virginia. Detectors are illegal there and the Virginia State Police use Spectres to spot illicit radar detectors. We test annually against the latest Spectre RDD model and know that it can spot both the K40 Calibre and the Valentine One from hundreds of feet away. It belatedly spotted the BEL GX65 and Escort Passport 9500ix from 32 feet away in our most recent test, in essence making them invisible to roving enforcers. The second Beltronics model was even better: the BEL STi Driver could be placed with its case touching that of the Spectre RDD (above right) without being detected. This makes it the best choice for anyone driving with a CDL or those who live in Virginia or Washington, D.C. where detectors are illegal.

I also told him that our tests show that in City mode, the K40 Calibre is totally oblivious to the New Jersey State Police X-band radar, but if left in highway mode, it constantly false-alarms on X- (and K-) band. The Valentine One turned in an even more dismal showing in a recent urban false alarm test.

Through this process of elimination I was able to offer three top picks to the New Jersey Mercedes driver: detectors that meet his criteria of quiet operation, excellent performance and invisibilty to RDDs.

But he could have discovered this for himself and faster, too. We rolled out the prototype DetectorSelector recently, a computerized system that matches buyer with radar detector. It has a national database of speed-enforcement equipment used by law enforcement agencies--radar make/model/frequency, photo enforcement (red light cameras, speed cameras and photo radar); lasers, aircraft, you name it. Enter your Zip code, answer a few questions and it generates a list of suitable models. Try the DetectorSelector and see for yourself: