Is it Really Worth it?
Star Date
1985
Quite some time
ago, I had played around with radar detectors. In about
1985 or 1986, when I was making frequent trips through
Connecticut on Interstate 95, I was seeing a lot of unmarked
Mustang 5.0's that were reeling in victims left and right.
I had always managed to avoid getting stopped by adhering to the
speed limit going through there, but was worried that my
attention might lapse and I would get popped. I barely had
enough money to pay for gas for the trips. I could not
afford a ticket or the insurance hit. So I decided to try
a detector and see what if any benefits it had to offer.
My radar
detector history is not strong so I can't say what technology
was current at the time. I believe the unit I purchased
probably handled X and K bands. It was a remote-install
unit that I put in behind the front grill of my 1800ES, with the
control panel installed in the dash.
It was stealthy in
that you could not see the unit on the dash, and the control
panel was very small. But I always suspected that the low
mounting point and narrow view of the sensor did nothing for the
range of the unit.
In my one trip
through Connecticut with that unit, I was woefully disappointed
by the performance of the unit. It didn't alert in time
for any of the speed traps I saw. Although I did not get a
ticket, it was not because the radar detector saved me - it was
because I was alert and generally traveling the speed limit.
Going back to my economic situation I decided the cost of this
unit was not justifiable, removed it from my car and returned it
to the store, greatly disillusioned by the device and the
concept in general.
Time Warp
2008
Some 23 years
and 8 cars later, the idea again occurred to me. Driving
long distances on open highway with several regular speed traps,
I again wondered about the benefits of a device that would give
me an early warning and help me to keep my speed in check.
I had a year or so back gotten a ticket for speeding. It
was late at night. I was returning home from Massachusetts
with my family. We were descending a long steep hill in a
remote area. The speed of the vehicle had crept up past
the limit tolerated, and poof! I was stopped and cited.
I wasn't purposely speeding, and I didn't think of the hill
causing my speed to creep up. So I got the ticket and the
attending surcharges. Ouch!
After a year of
repeatedly passing the same radar site, and despite no more
tickets, it made me uncomfortable to know that the trap was
often there and before reaching it, I would have no way of
knowing, and no reminder to check my speed and get back to a
speed that would avoid a problem. Also, additional sites
were appearing and at least two of them were not always in the
same exact location, though they were within a mile or two of
each other. There was just too much enforcement going on
for me to be confident I would always be alert enough to avoid a
problem. So I decided to
try a radar detector again.
False Start / Big
Mistake / Money-Back Guarantee
I shopped the big electronics
stores before I did my homework (bad mistake) and found some
cool looking units that boasted great features. The first
unit I bought claimed some terrific specifications.
Without doing the research, it sounded like it would work well
for me. I purchased the Cobra XRS-9440. Now stay
with me because I did not, in the end, stay with the Cobra.
Despite my satisfaction with their CB unit in my Jeep, the radar
unit had "issues"...
It had the following
specs:
XRS-9440 RADAR/LASER
DETECTOR
-
Includes auto mute,
12-volt power cord
with cigarette
lighter plug, dim
switch, adjustable
windshield bracket
and optional dash
mounting fasteners
-
Safety Alert™ warns
of hazards on the
road with
transmitters
-
Manufacturer's
6-month warranty
The
UltraBright™ Data
Display utilizes
identification letters
to designate radar band
detected. With Strobe
Alert™, strobe signals
can warn you of
approaching emergency
vehicles. VG-2 Alert™
warns you of VG-2
detection and makes you
undetectable to VG-2
radar surveillance. Also
can detect Spectre Radar
detection. Each band has
audio and visual alerts
in addition to signal
strength indicators.
Features:
-
Modes for city and
highway
-
Strobe Alert™,
strobe signals can
warn you of
approaching
emergency vehicles
Voice alert
-
360° laser
protection—omni-directional
-
Digital signal
strength meter
-
12 bands in all!
-
Voice Alert™,
provides separate
voice i.d. of all
speed monitoring and
safety alert signals
-
Intellimute™
(eliminates false
alerts) and
system-ready prompt
-
Setting memory
-
Ku-Band Radar Signal
-
X-Band Radar Signal
-
K-Band Radar Signal
-
Ka Superwide Signal
-
LT 20-20 Laser
Signal
-
Ultra Lyte Laser
Signal
-
ProLaser Signal
-
ProLaser Signal III
|
My test was
admittedly unscientific, but the things I was interested in were
easy to evaluate and decide.
-
In the
city, the Intellimute was good - squelching X-band warnings
based on my engine RPM. That worked but given the
nature of X-band in the city, all it really told me was that
there was some X-band source around to ignore, more or less
a statement of the obvious.
-
The unit
was very conspicuous - lots of chrome glaring on the
windshield, and a large coiled cable showing.
-
The volume
of alerts from the unit were inadequate to overcome my
stereo, requiring me to turn the stereo way down if I was to
have any hope of hearing the voice warnings.
-
The unit
false-alerted often to Ka band signals - no sign of any
enforcement operations in this area either during the time I
was using this unit or any time in the past.
-
The Radar
Detector-Detector (RDD) stealth feature was meaningless as
the technology it protects against is obsolete and the unit
is visible to current RDD technology
-
The range
of detection of one speed trap on my trip was less than 150
feet for a Ka frequency. Pathetic...
-
the unit
produced bright reflections of itself on the dash that were
annoying.
My reading
further diminished the value of the unit:
-
VG-2 Radar
Detector Detectors are obsolete, no longer used, hence the
feature offered by this unit is worthless...
-
Strobe-Alert is another pointless feature - If I can't see a
vehicle running Code-3, I shouldn't be driving...
-
Safety
Alert isn't widely used...
-
No
hard-wire cord is provided
-
The current
radar detector detector technology can detect this unit from
great distances
-
This unit
cannot detect most radar signals until it is right on top of
them
-
This unit
has signal leakage that is so bad it trips other radar
detectors in other cars
The few
features I offered that were nice were completely overshadowed
by the lack of performance of the unit's primary functions!
Ejector Seat Button
In short, I
concluded that the unit was not going to offer me any useful
benefit. The range was very short, the false alerts were
too frequent, and the features it offered could not be evaluated
or were not useful. I returned the unit to the place of
purchase and got a refund.
It didn't help
any that the Cobra line of radar detectors are not highly
regarded by consumers or experienced testers. Realizing
that I knew little about these things, I did a lot of reading.
One respected tester cited three major brands of detectors and
ignored Cobra completely. I was able to conclude after
considerable reading elsewhere that he must have adopted the "if
you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"
philosophy. Others were not so generous.
With all the
reading, it came down to a small handful of units that received
consistent high test results, routinely appear compared to each
other, and whose communities of users are staunch defenders of
their respective choices. And all of these brand-users are
united in their disdain for Cobra units, and particularly the
range of units that include the one I tried.
Once you reach
a level of quality and performance in electronics products, the
small differences between brands come down to the individual
preference of users, and features that not all users value
equally. Such is the case with radar detectors.
Generally, users who do not live in or travel where radar detectors
are illegal do not care about RDD invisibility. Those who
do not travel on the open highway are less concerned about
long-range detection. Those on a budget will opt for fewer
features though may demand high performance from the features
they get.
With all this
in play, it's hard to evaluate what type of unit will work for
me. But in the end, I decided I needed the following basic
features:
-
highway
performance - long-range detection
-
RDD
technology - I can be forgetful, so I wanted to have a unit
that would keep me from getting in trouble if I happen to
forget to unplug it and stow it when crossing into territory
where radar detectors are illegal.
-
loud
warnings - something that I had a chance of hearing over the
stereo
-
discretion
- I wanted something that would be fairly inconspicuous in
the car
Beltronics STi Driver
After reading
numerous test reports, consumer reviews, discussion group
banter, and looking at the specifications and features, I
concluded that the Beltronics STi Driver most likely met my
needs.
I was forced by price to set aside my strong desire
to have the unit concealed. At twice the cost of the
dash-mounted unit, I could not justify the extra cost. I
struggle with that concession but realistically just can't
justify the serious premium. I will just have to be very
good about putting the unit away when it's not appropriate to
use it.
Beltronics
STi Driver Radar Detector Features
- 10x Range vs.
Imports
- NEW Exclusive
TotalShield™ Technology
- All U.S. Radar
and Laser Band Coverage
- Dual Antenna
Design
- Multi-Sensor
Laser Protection
- Complete VG-2
Immunity
- Digital "POP"
Radar Alert
- Advanced
AutoScan™ Processing
- Digital Signal
Processing (DSP) - Virtually Eliminates False
Alerts
- Clear Digital
Voice or Audio Alerts
- Mute and
AutoMute Audio Controls
- Easy-to-Use
Options and Controls
- Ultra-Bright
High Definition Display
- Brightness
Control with Dark Mode
- Magnesium
Construction
- One year
limited warranty
- 2 year
extended service plan available
- Free 30 day
test drive (applies to factory direct orders
only)
Beltronics STi Driver Radar Detector
Specifications
Operating
Bands
X-band: 10.525 GHz ± 25 MHz
K-band: 24.150 GHz ± 100
MHz
Ka-band: 34.700 GHz ± 1300
MHz
Laser: 904nm, 33MHz
bandwidth
Radar Receiver/Detector
Type
Dual LNA Microwave Receiver
Superheterodyne, Varactor
Tuned VCO
Scanning Frequency
Discriminator
Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
Laser Detection
Quantum Limited Video
Receiver
5 Optical Laser Sensors
Display Type
280 LED Alphanumeric
Bar Graph, Threat Display™,
Tech Display™
Automatic plus 4 levels of
fixed brightness including
full Dark
Power Requirement
12VDC, Negative Ground
Coiled SmartPlug™ with Mute
Button
Direct wire SmartPlug™ with
Mute Button
|
Programmable
Features
Display
Power-On Indication
Alert Lamp
Voice Alerts
Power-On Sequence
Signal Strength Meter
AutoMute
Brightness
Bands
Sensitivity Control
Highway
AutoScan™
City / City NoX
Additional Patented
Technology
Auto Calibration Circuitry
Mute / AutoMute / SmartMute
TotalShield™ Technology
Dimensions (Inches)
1.25H x 2.75W x 4.75L
|
|
|
It remains to
be seen how well this unit performs. The test reports I
have found indicate it is significantly better than the Cobra I
evaluated.
Update
12/19/08
It's been a
little over six months since I installed the radar detector.
Since that time I have spent considerable time on the open road.
At first the unit confirmed all the known traps and revealed
some interesting behavior of law enforcement. It seems the
state police in my area leave their radar guns turned on all the
time. This is helpful since the detector alerts a good
distance before law enforcement is visible. The unit has
also proven useful when law enforcement sets up in new places,
or does not keep a regular schedule at the usual spots.
On trips
with my other
vehicle, I move the unit in and use the windshield mount at
the cigarette lighter plug. It has saved us a fair number
of times, including one day when state and local enforcement set
up to catch the crowd rushing to the lake resort that I pass on
my way home from the big city. We came around a long bend,
started down a long hill, and about 1/2 mile from the operation,
the laser detector alerted! There were many cars ahead of
us and this gave us time to check speed and make any necessary
corrections before they "shot" us. Lots of tickets were
issued - none had our license plate number on them...
It's
definitely working. And I have absent-mindedly forgotten
to remove it when crossing into jurisdictions where it's not
allowed, and have not been stopped for having a radar detector.
One down
side - it detects cars with cheap radar detector units because
they tend to leak Ka Band. Other than that, it's great!
Installation
My aftermarket
electronics are incorporated into the power circuit of my cars
rather than using an accessory plug. This would be no
exception. I hard-wired
the power using the direct wire SmartPlug included with the
unit, and saved the accessory cord for use in one of the other
cars for temporary use.
Starting from
the fuse panel that I added for my stereo and other electronics, I ran the lead
through the console, along the driver's side knee bolster, under
the door weather stripping up to the "a" pillar, along the headliner,
to the unit.
The resulting
aftermarket wiring diagram for the auxiliary fuse boxes now
looks like this:
I placed the
speaker in a temporary position behind the drivers seat, using
double-bonding heavy duty Velcro-style strips and hard-wired the
power to the same auxiliary fuse panel.
I placed the
radar detector in the place usually reserved for garage door
openers - on my sun visor. It's probably not going to be
very effective for the laser detection (front or rear) but from
what I understand, chances are, if it alerts for laser, it's
probably telling me that I am about to get a ticket. For
X, K and Ka, higher mounting is preferred. Since I don't
want the unit sitting in the middle of the windshield, this is
fine by me.
It's not
very visible from outside:
It's easy to
see inside, and in situations where there is bright light coming
from the front of the vehicle through the back hatch, it is
small but visible from outside. Running it "dark" should
minimize visibility from outside.
The remote
switch panel was placed next to the GPS bracket.
All the wires
were fished under panels in the interior to complete the
installation and make it as clean as possible.
First Impressions
Once installed
and with the wires routed out of sight, I took several drives,
including two, two-hundred plus trips back and forth along the
same route. The unit alerts to various sorts of radar
signals. Every last alert that I got, with the exception
of a "YOUR SPEED" sign, was a false alert of one sort of
another. The "X" band alerts aren't too surprising, and
easy to deal with. One push on the MUTE button and it's
over.
I saw several
cruisers on the road. Not one of them tripped an alert.
Not a peep. To be fair, I was traveling at the speed limit
or in the allowable zone of the speed limit. So I guess
nobody felt it was worth hitting me with a signal. I knew
about the "YOUR SPEED" sign so that alert came after I started
listening for it - the sign was about 1000 feet away behind a
corner so I guess if it had been a trap, it would have been
useful.
On my way home
I saw a state cruiser that was patrolling a stretch that is very
inviting to let out all the stops. I had seen the same
area being repeatedly patrolled on my trip in, with a state car
going past me three times and then back in the other direction,
looping, looping, looping. Not sure if maybe he thought
"here's some hump with a fast looking car, let's see if I can
catch him with his foot to the floor...", of if he was just
doing a routine circuit. Either way, he never hit me with
a signal and I never broke over the speed limit.
On the way
back, I had just gotten on this stretch and, checking my mirrors,
as I continuously do out of habit, I saw the patrol car about a
mile back coming on like a freight train, so I slid into the
right lane and maintained the speed limit. He caught up,
slipped in behind me and paced me for at least a mile and then
got off the highway. He never hit me with a signal (or at
least the radar detector never alerted). If I had not been
watching my back...?
I stopped for a
rest room and got back on the road and within five minutes he
was back in my rear mirror, and again paced me for a bit and
then moved on up the road. Again, no alert.
So really,
observing the speed limit, watching out for activity, and
staying within the speeds tolerated and posted, the radar
detector didn't really do anything. I don't think I want
to test my luck by speeding to see if that triggers some officer
to hit me with a signal - chances are the detector would tell me
but it might be too late. What's the point? I guess
I will have to see if traveling some less familiar route it
saves my ass under different conditions. I know the roads
from this episode so well I am my own radar detector!
Other Stuff
Here are some
other interesting items I found online that offer alternatives.
007RadarDetectors.com 2008 Test
RadarTest.com
laserveil.com
Spectre/Stalcar RDD
|
Radar
Detector
versus |
Spectre
Mk
IV
|
Spectre
Mk
IV +
|
|
Beltronics
(BEL)
RX-65
Pro |
542ft
(174m) |
722ft
(233m) |
|
Beltronics
(BEL)
STi
Driver |
0ft
(0m) |
0ft
(0m) |
|
Cobra
9110 |
4813ft
(1604m) |
299ft
(96.5m) |
|
Cobra
9330 |
1264ft
(408m) |
30ft
(9.7m) |
|
Escort
Passport
9500i |
35ft
(11.3m) |
33ft
(10.6m) |
|
Escort
Solo
S2 |
1395ft
(450m) |
232ft
(85m) |
|
Valentine
1
(V1)
v3.863 |
171ft
(55m) |
150ft
(48m) |
|
Whistler
Pro
78 |
not
tested |
434ft
(140m) |
|
Whistler
XTR
690 |
not
tested |
419ft
(135m) |
|
Whistler
1763 |
4828ft
(1557m) |
4810ft
(1552m) |
|
Whistler
1788 |
282ft
(84m) |
289ft
(27m) |
Copyright
© 2008
Craig
Peterson
by
exclusive
permission
of
Applied
Concepts,
Inc. and
Stealth
Microsystems
PLC
|
http://www.radarroy.com/archives/207
http://radarbusters.com
