Shopping for a Radar Detector

Although in some states (and Canada) it's an illegal practice, radar detectors mounted on your car's dashboard are quite common in the state of Illinois.

Radar detectors are docked/installed either on your windshield (with suction cups, much as you would a GPS unit) or on top of your dashboard (w two pieces of velcro or more permanently secured) and serve to notify you of police speed traps (radar or otherwise electronic) and other road hazards that limit the speed you can drive on your local roads or on the highway. Many consider radar detectors helpful in preventing speeding tickets, though if you drive faster than your ability to react to your detector's alert...it's not much good then is it? Also, you will not be able to detect plane-assisted speed traps.

There are a variety of options, installations, etc., for today's innumerable choices of radar detectors out in the market.
For example, you can choose between 14-band and 15-band, plus installation as complex as those involving sensors under your front and rear bumpers (my parents' first radar detector was installed this way on our '91 Chevy Caprice). These more complex installations benefit form professional assistance such as Best Buy Geek Squad automotive installation services.

You can also select detectors which can operate stealthily so radar detector detectors (RDDs) won't catch you red-handed. Other detectors can also alert you to red-light cameras. Essentially, the point here is that the options are innumerable, and it's up to you to read up on a few of these options and begin your "must have" and "would like" list of options for your particular case.

Remember, the more options, the more reading and learning you will have to do with the little detector's very long manual. It's amazing how much multitasking they can squeeze into a very few buttons.


The brand that I've heard consistently about, and positive reviews on, is Cobra. My family first became acquainted with Cobra while shopping around for our second detector back in the mid 1990s on QVC. These online shopping networks are actually quite helpful to get you familiarized with particular detector's abilities, industry standards, and proper installation/operation. Not to just promo one brand and particular product to death, but learning about what one company offers or what one particular product's options are can enlighten you to what's out there and get you closer to figuring out what you want.

I have been researching a radar detector since January-February when I got my second speeding ticket within weeks of the first one. The first thing that came out of my mom and dad's mouths when I asked them separately about radar detectors these days was Cobra. They drive well over the 12,000 miles a year that each American typically drives, and have been avoiding getting speeding tickets rather consistently--though the occasional airplane trap busts my dad on the highway.

These days, the ubiquitous red-light cameras, combined with increased police traps create a fantastic revenue source for local police departments and communities. However, no matter how patriotic and supportive of our police and armed forces we may be, we really deserve to keep our money in our pockets where it belongs.

These days I noticed stepped up efforts, with increased speed traps along highways (particularly, after those very rare times when construction projects are completed in Illinois--haha) and I assume that this is around the time when their department funds are running low or around promotion time. Anyway, this is just personal speculation and doesn't get you neither here nor there. Back to radar detectors.

The resources I tapped into to learn more about radar detector technology, industry standards, and what would work best for me:

1. Friends and family - nothing like first hand accounts of what works for folks in your local area. Their hard-earned lessons can be your lessons.
2. Lots of reading online reviews - check out pages like cnet, znet, amazon.com, or a Google search (best radar detectors) check out the ratings, reviews, and just read different descriptions and note down options that seem interesting
3. Go to a brick and mortar - check out things first-hand, determine what size and installation options would work for your particular vehicle 

Some things to keep in mind in regards to options and installation:

• will you install or do you prefer a professional installation?
• do you have enough power outlets for all your stuff (phone, mp3 player, GPS, etc.)
• volume control, voice prompts?
• stealth mode?
• red-light detector?
• highway vs. city modes?

I bought the Cobra XRS 930 at Best Buy and I'm happy with it thus far, but still have to practice with some of the advanced modes.It was around $80.

Happy shopping!