okay, with regards to the radar:

i'm going to nip this in the bud before someone says it:

"my radar saved me from a ticket."

okay, let me ask you this. how did you determine that it saved you from a ticket? you were going 15 over the limit, you stomped on your brakes when the radar detector went off, and passed the cop after a while. the cop didn't go after you. so you conclude that it saved you from the ticket? how do you know the cop just didn't want to pull you over? because believe it or not, they don't pull over every person that speeds.

it's really a matter of whether they feel like pulling you over or not. so basically unless you stop after EVERY time your radar detector went off and then asked the cop "did you get me?", you DON'T know that your radar detector saved you.

the point of my post is simple: DO NOT COUNT ON YOUR RADAR DETECTOR SAVING YOU FROM A TICKET...EVER. certainly, having a radar detector is better than NOT having a radar dector at all, but don't bank on it.

also, if you're in virginia, radar detectors are illegal and if you geta crappy radar, they can detect it. that's called VG2, but almost all radar detectors now (save for the worst ones) are either shielded from it, or they shut themselves off when they detect VG2. detecting VG2 can be thought of as radar detector detector detector.

i DO, however, have a radar detector. why? because my cousin gave it to me for a graduation present. would i have bought one if she didn't give it to me? absolutely not. upstate NY, the state troopers use Ka band radar and sometimes laser. in NYC, it's absolutely useless. in parts of LI, they use X band. and in a few other places, i've seen K as well. how many tickets has this thing saved me from? i have no idea. but i never exceed 10MPH over the limit for any longer than about 20 seconds at a time, with or without the radar detector. i've been pulled over for doing 80 in a 65 on the NYS thruway when 80 was just going with the flow.

and despite what people claim, radar detectors are pretty useless against Laser, unless it happens to glance off the car in front of you or peek over the crest of a hill.

but i don't see laser very frequently either.

like i said, don't bank on your radar detector saving your butt. sometimes cops will use other ways to get you for speeding other than radar such as speed markers, or they'll simply pace you from a distance.

but yeah, basically, if you had to buy one for yourself, the valentine 1 should be the best. but if you ask me, $400 is a colossal waste of money.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'