Escort hands down.


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Bel STi-R Plus

^I plan on getting some sort of STI-R if/when I decide to get one. Need something discreet that doesn't leak detectable frequencies.

Love my V1.

Valentine one for sure bro... but there are some other great options here https://10bestranked.com/best-radar-detector

This thread is old. The new best radar is now the Uniden R3.

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That was the conclusion I came to two months ago when I was doing research of my own. Looks like a fantastic device based on all the reviews I read.

IDK if I would trust that site:

"7. Blendmount BMX-2000R – Best Radar Detector Under $100"

so they're rating a mount as the best radar detector under $100? and their description of it is misleading as they think it's an actual detector...

hm, that's odd. Someone should contact the site owner and let them know. I think I'll reach out to them because that can be confusing to some people... and they should probably move Uniden up then from #5

My wife has an Escort 360 Max. Great radar detector with great range and very few false positives. It tells you what direction the radar is coming from too. My older Escort doesn't do that and it's a nice feature.

I saw a yt video about some 360s locking up in certain circumstances. It's never happened to us, but read up before you buy.

Valentine V1.

Same brand as used by the cannonball record holders.

I own or I have owned the Valentine 1 (gens 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.85, up through the current firmware with the update to eliminate K-band falses caused by blind spot detection), the Escort 8500 and Bel RX 65 with the S7 horn, 8500 X50, 9500ix, and RX 65 with the M4 horn, Escort Redline (M3 horn, pre-band segmentation), Bel STiR+ (along with a Laser Interceptor, formally Blinder M40 and before that Escort ZR3), Uniden R3, a K40 windshield mounted unit I cannot remember the model of (it was garbage), and various lesser models I don't think to mention. I do not have experience with Radenso but everything I am reading sounds positive. I used to be more into this so several of the newer models I have not yet played with. Brands like Cobra, Whistler, Bel, and Uniden all have made some reasonable-to-outstanding models, but also have historically offered a lot of junk at the budget side. I've noticed these detectors are usually the worst at detecting 35.5 GHz KA.

What is best depends on what you want. For example...

• Does your area see more X, K, or KA band? - most likely it will be K or KA
• What frequency KA? - some detectors excel at one of the three common frequencies, but lack at others
• Do you want arrows?
• Do you want laser protection? - if so, get a LIDAR jammer (if legal in your area) - the V1 is by far the best as LIDAR detection, but with the exception of stationary automated LIDAR, all it will do it notify you that your speed has been measured in most instances.
• Do you want GPS? - if so, what features? (some can lock out false alerts, some can detect current speed, some can determine the speed limit on the road, some can merge with other GPS apps, some multi-task)
• Do you prefer filtering, range, or both?
• Are you driving more on wide open roads or city areas with more false alerts?
• Do you need something that does not emit any radiation at all (i.e., is immune to a modern radar detector-detector such as the Spectre [everything is immune to the VG2, but it's not used anymore so VG2 "stealth" is little more than a marketing tactic)
• What is your budget?
• Do you want the ability to update the firmware yourself, or would prefer the ability to update the hardware for a discount?
• Do you want band segmentation or the ability to disable KA filtering?
• Is rearward protection important?

I currently am using a V1.85 (I forgot what revision firmware but it's the latest to date). With the newer firmware it is a hell of a lot quieter than it was previously, especially if you tinker with the programming menu (and have some idea what you are doing.) It still looks like something from the early 1990s but the design still works well. It's easy to read, it's extremely durable, and it holds up well to the temperature extremes seen in a car. Belscort products (at least ones with the S7, M3, and M4 horns) I've always found to be somewhat less reliable. I am guessing the flagship products from Belscort use different horns such as the M5 (I believe this is a M4 with updated DSP) or M6 (which I believe contains a rearward facing horn and is used in the 360 series) (although it looks like the updated Redline uses a retweaked M3)...certainly the respective designs will have both pros and cons compared to the V1, but I cannot speak in detail directly to them. The Uniden R3 is an outstanding design. The Escort Redline is excellent, especially since BS/RDR was added. Escort's MAX 360 has developed a great reputation (although its responsiveness and range is inferior to a segmented Redline, and this difference may be especially pronounced with weak off-axis KA detection that some speed cameras use). People love Radenso - the company has a stellar reputation among users for responding to their various needs.

Anybody can go into www.rdforum.org and see that the Uniden R1 or R3 reign supreme for radar detectors currently.
You want to know where the cop is at minutes and not seconds before he sees you, then Uniden R1 or R3 is the answer now.
While driving now with an R3, it's a game of how long do you know they are there on the side of the road wasting taxpayer money
eating donuts and pointing a radar before they actually even see you.

The R3(/R1) is a monster, and the fellas who understand the whole science thing far better than me get giddy when testing it. What I really dig is how the R3 is not only consistent with 33.8, 34.7, 35.5, and when 34.7 'drifts' (which is quite common where I'm at), but how it is also consistent with all of the above with on-axis and off-axis, as well as displaying solid reactivity with constant on, instant on, and quick trigger (with its extreme range being very useful for the latter). The ability to segment bands makes it even better, as is the Maker's willingness to push firmware updates that actually add useful features (with my V1, I have to do this with third party apps). Oh yeah...and it's also reasonably priced!

Even better, I think both Uniden and Radenso are finally pushing the braindrain at Belscort and Valentine back into more R&D...15 years ago things were pretty stale when Valentine had a monopoly on the market.