Whats the best radar detector?

[Blindside]

Originally Posted by Vortex Radar

Arrows are awesome. I love them. Often times you can get by without them and figure things out based on the speed of the beeps and if they get faster or slower as you drive, as you come over top of a hill, and so on. I find them most useful when I just pull onto the highway and get a quick blip (was that instant on ahead of me or behind me) and can't tell as much from just the audio, at night when it's harder to see terrain, when I have the signal staying weak for a while (I'm driving the same direction as an officer but am not sure if he's ahead of me or behind me), when I see an officer drive past me and wonder if he was the one shooting radar or if there's another officer up ahead, and so on. There's endless debates back and forth on the subject with everything from "Why do I need arrows? If it beeps I slow down." to "Arrows add so much critical information to help me better understand my surroundings and know not only where the officer is but also when the threat is past so I'm free to speed back up." It's why people are asking Uniden to build an R3 with arrows so that we don't have to choose, haha. No word on that coming yet, but I'm sure it'll come out eventually as Uniden buttons down everything with the R1 and R3 platforms.

Give me R3 performance with arrows and I'll buy it today. Hopefully Uniden makes it happen.

What's the latest on Radenso? I had heard good things on the forums, but noticed they weren't included in your video. Any particular reason why?

[Vortex Radar]

Originally Posted by Blindside

Give me R3 performance with arrows and I'll buy it today. Hopefully Uniden makes it happen.

What's the latest on Radenso? I had heard good things on the forums, but noticed they weren't included in your video. Any particular reason why?

The R3 kinda blew them out of the water. The Radensos showed up and gave us Redline-like range with GPS and better BSM filtering for the same price as the Redline. They have some weird issues with lockouts not quite working right and an inaccurate frequency display, but they're otherwise good detectors.

Then the Uniden showed up and offers even better performance, also great filtering, working lockouts and frequency display, and costs even less than the RPSE. It costs the same as the XP, but the R3 offers way better range and almost everything the XP can do so there's not much of a reason to get an XP. The RPSE and XP are both great detectors, but they've kind of been eclipsed by the new Unidens.

That said, the new firmware that's being beta tested with the RPME is sounding pretty fantastic. Almost R3 level range, also great filtering, plus MRCD support so it does offer something that the Uniden doesn't, but that's mostly applicable to Canadian drivers, not so much Americans. I see the RPME as more of a competitor to the new Redline EX since they both do MRCD detection. Radenso is still working on finalizing the firmware for the RPME, and those changes will trickle down to the RP, RPSE, and RC-M as well so things may be a bit different once that new firmware is out, but even when it is, I still anticipate the R3 as being a better choice for American drivers, not to mention that it'll still cost less. Unless Radenso does something mind-blowing like filter out Acuras/Hondas/GM's, the R3 will likely still be a better pick for the US.

[Alvinized52]

Originally Posted by Vortex Radar

Arrows are awesome. I love them. Often times you can get by without them and figure things out based on the speed of the beeps and if they get faster or slower as you drive, as you come over top of a hill, and so on. I find them most useful when I just pull onto the highway and get a quick blip (was that instant on ahead of me or behind me) and can't tell as much from just the audio, at night when it's harder to see terrain, when I have the signal staying weak for a while (I'm driving the same direction as an officer but am not sure if he's ahead of me or behind me), when I see an officer drive past me and wonder if he was the one shooting radar or if there's another officer up ahead, and so on. There's endless debates back and forth on the subject with everything from "Why do I need arrows? If it beeps I slow down." to "Arrows add so much critical information to help me better understand my surroundings and know not only where the officer is but also when the threat is past so I'm free to speed back up." It's why people are asking Uniden to build an R3 with arrows so that we don't have to choose, haha. No word on that coming yet, but I'm sure it'll come out eventually as Uniden buttons down everything with the R1 and R3 platforms.

Damn... im even more torn than ever now. Lol

[Mr. Hankey]

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

Damn... im even more torn than ever now. Lol

I can't live without the arrows....nice to see escort using them now, would love it if Uniden is next...V1 needed the competition (and patent on arrows expiring)

[Vortex Radar]

Just a quick heads up for those of you wanting the Max 360, especially if you have a wifi hotspot built into your car. Escort just released an update to the Max 360 this week at SEMA called the Max 360c. It's a redesigned Max 360 with wifi capabilities so it can automatically update the detector's firmware and redlight camera database. Escort is also claiming improved performance and filtering, but that remains to be seen. Testing (which is starting this weekend) will verify this one way or another.

[kss]

I finalized the deal for a new 2017 m3 Competition. It’s with the Canadian build ultimate package (includes every option except CC brakes - competition, premium and executive package). Despite being $28.5k off, I had hard time going for it because of the Austin Yellow colour - I was set on either the M2C in long beach blue, or the Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifoglio in the Misano blue. In the end it was hard to pass in a new M3C that was $2.5k less than the M2C and $18k less than the AR Guilia Quadrifoglio.

Anyway, I’ll be picking up the car once my winter tire/rim set and 3M protection gets done. In the meantime I’m trying to decide what radar detector to pick up. My 7 year old passport 9500i will be staying in the RX350 the wife will keep. What’s the best option out there now? When I got the passport I considered getting the Valentine 1, because of the reviews I had read and the fact that it had the direction arrows and bogey counter. At the end of the day I ended up going with passport because it was one of the highest rated radar detectors and also had the gps markers for traffic cameras.

Not sure what is the best option now and I wanted to get some input on what to go with.

I’d particularly like to hear from those in Canada on the best option. I’m in Alberta where detectors are legal, so I don’t need to worry about stealth shielding. If valentine is the best option I’d like to hear from those in Canada that have one, since it would have to be mail ordered from the USA.

Are there any other better options? Should I go with another passport??

[robertg]

Uniden R3

[Groganrocket]

Originally Posted by robertg

Uniden R3

+1

[ssgm1x]

Uniden R3. Longest range on the market. Those who know radar detectors know the R3 is the KING of the road. Love mine. Uniden also pushes out updates every few months.

[BIGW0RM]

Uniden r3

HANDS DOWN best. I've tried them all! ALL.

[kss]

Originally Posted by ssgm1x

Uniden R3. Longest range on the market. Those who know radar detectors know the R3 is the KING of the road. Love mine. Uniden also pushes out updates every few months.

I appreciate the advice everyone and the link to the video. Back when i was purchasing before, the choices were Passport, Valentine and Beltronics. Never heard of Uniden before!

ONe question i did have is that the mount looks pretty crappy, just like the standard 9500ix mount. Passport has a more heavy duty mount with a sticker that doesn't fall of during extreme weather (cold or hot). Is there a better mount available for the Uniden R3??

[ssgm1x]

I use a blendmount. It attaches to rear view mirror.
Passport and Valentine radars were great many years ago but have since been de-throned by the new King of the Hill the Uniden R3.
To mount the R3 I use what's called a "Blendmount" and have mine hardwired for power. It's very beneficial for me to mount here as it also provides me room to mount my BlackVue DR900 2ch. Dashcam. Here is a video showing what the mount looks like.

FYI...They also sell generic mounts similar to this on amazon for about 1/2 the price.
Best of Luck !!!

[kss]

Originally Posted by ssgm1x

I use a blendmount. It attaches to rear view mirror.
Passport and Valentine radars were great many years ago but have since been de-throned by the new King of the Hill the Uniden R3.
To mount the R3 I use what's called a "Blendmount" and have mine hardwired for power. It's very beneficial for me to mount here as it also provides me room to mount my BlackVue DR900 2ch. Dashcam. Here is a video showing what the mount looks like.

FYI...They also sell generic mounts similar to this on amazon for about 1/2 the price.
Best of Luck !!!

Thanks!

[ssgm1x]

Originally Posted by kss

Thanks!

No problem. Dashcam in background.

[2SNAILS]

Originally Posted by ssgm1x

No problem. Dashcam in background.

Did u do install/hardwired urself? If so any chance u would be interested in helping a local out? LoL

[ssgm1x]

Originally Posted by 2SNAILS

Did u do install/hardwired urself? If so any chance u would be interested in helping a local out? LoL

I did not do myself as bmw 's are a little tricky. I had it professionally installed at Imagine Audio next to Cherry Hill Mall. I use them a lot and they do great work. I would help u but it may be counter productive lol. 😆

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by kss

I appreciate the advice everyone and the link to the video. Back when i was purchasing before, the choices were Passport, Valentine and Beltronics. Never heard of Uniden before!

ONe question i did have is that the mount looks pretty crappy, just like the standard 9500ix mount. Passport has a more heavy duty mount with a sticker that doesn't fall of during extreme weather (cold or hot). Is there a better mount available for the Uniden R3??

You get two in the box. Big ass single suction cup one. Like 3". And one normal two suction cup window mount. Neither fail. And if that worried. They have aftermarket mounts. I use the normal two small suction cups.

[Alpine_F82]

I’ve had a valentine one, r3 and max 360 all are very good. I personally like the valentine one the beeping gives me nostalgic from all the hard racing from early 2000s But the arrows are the main thing it’s moving on arrows to where there hiding and not just hearing a beep and saying drive slow for awhile versus it beeping faster and slower pointing in direction they are.

But I’d have to say in reality the r3 is the best but they are all very good the valentine one is only good if you get a new one nowadays if you get a used one the old ones pickup walmarts door opening and closing no joke but new ones don’t.

Valentine one or R3 I prefer V1 ARROWS it goes Fast and slower beep to where they are at.