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These radar detectors performed the
best at detecting laser - the Valentine V1 radar detector being the most adept by a wide margin.
When used in conjunction with good radar detectors,
VEIL provides you with precious additional reaction time - time you wouldn't otherwise have to safely slow down -
and enables you to avoid speeding tickets.
Although this may sound counter-intuitive, in general, it is
actually easier for radar detectors to detect
police laser at greater
distances than up close - essentially the opposite of police RADAR.
The reason being that as the targeting distances increase so does
the laser beam spread pattern. The wider the beam is, the
greater the chance that laser detectors will "see" it. when
the distances decrease, the beam gets narrower.
Therefore, if an officer targets either your front license plate or a
headlight, at shorter distances, the laserbeam may not be wide enough to
reach the laser section that is mounted high-up on windshields. Which means NO ALERT!
To minimize this "effect", you should mount them as low as you
can against the windshield or place them on the dash.
The exception to this recommendation is with the Valentine 1 radar detectors. Since these detectors have demonstrated an overall superior ability to alert to "off-axis" laser
you could mount your Valentine 1 high, to maximize your chances of seeing the rare advanced
warning from a vehicle that is being targeted ahead of yours without
compromising your ability to be alerted to laser up-close.
In either case, make sure there are visual no obstructions that could block the detectors'
"field-of-view", like wipers or UV
filters that are routinely incorporated into the windshield.
The others have laser detecting capability as
well, can detect POP (67ms variety) - a lethal form of radar that occurs in bursts
of 16-67ms, too short a duration for those models that are not
specifically built to detect it.
The latest Valentine 1's offer superior POP RADAR detection capability and are
are unique in being able to occasionally (~10%) sniff out the MPH K-35 hand-held K gun when its POP mode
operated at a blistering 16ms!
VR's newest revision of their detector includes "Euro" mode that can be enabled to perform especially well with Gatso/Multanova police RADAR - popular throughout
europe, this low-powered RADAR waveform is most difficult for conventional radar detector `
to pick-up.
Valentine 1's also distinguish themselves as the only ones in this group to be able to spot
Laser Atlanta's stealth mode police laser.
Where you travel primarily and what forms of speed enforcement are
being used should be the determining factors in ultimately deciding which is best overall radar
detector for your needs.
In our opinion, if laser is used heavily in your areas of travel, you seek the very best in laser detectors (in a
windshield mounted unit), desire to have the greatest rear radar sensitivity, and the ability to identify the source of the radar or laser threat, the Valentine 1 would be your natural choice.
If, on the other hand, you wish for the most recent advancements**
in radar detection filtering, all-around top performance, and steller Ka performance, either the BEL Vector 995, Bel RX65, Bel STi Driver, or Escort Passport 8500 X50
would make a terrific addition to your windshield.
Our own experiences suggests that the Escort X50 has an edge in laser detecting sensitivity when compared to the BEL RX-65 Pro & STi Driver.
The Bel RX65 has the distinction of being the ergonomic champ and has the
added ability to operate on Ku
(as can the V1 & 995) - an older European radar band - which may come to our shores.
The RX65 Pro provides the additional ability to have its Ka performance tailored for either European or US Ka usage.
The BEL STi Driver is the only detector which provides the convenience of stealth driving in addition to RX-65 like performance. (That's a big 10-4).
Bottom Line: You really can't go wrong with any of these top tier detectors.
Want even more extensive radar detector comparisons? Read our exclusive radar detector review
in which we drove with the top three for several thousands miles to see if we could determine
the overall best radar detector.
Now that you are armed with a good radar/laser detector,
discover how you to use it to avoid speed traps!
Watch VEIL in action! Check out these cool videos!
Hear what other enthusiast drivers say how VEIL helps them fight speeding tickets!
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