Started using a detector again

I've had radar detectors, which I've used on and off since the late 1980's. I thought my late 2000's Cobra was a great improvement over the detectors of the 80's and 90's,,,,, and it was,,,but recently I bought a late model (Sept. 2011) Whistler XTR 335 from Ebay for $18, and I'm just amazed at how far even the cheap radar detectors have advanced in just the last few years. I realize my Whistler XTR 335 wasn't even the top line of the Whistler products, and that today there are even more capable Whistler detectors new on the market, but I'm impressed anyway with my late model Whistler detector.


My Whistler el cheapo detector is far better than any detector I've ever owned before, thanks to improvements in detectors.

But I can't help but think,,,if this hundred dollar (last retail price) obsolescent Whistler XTR 335 is this good, then how much better would a higher end detector be?

So, please bear with me as I try and decide which dashboard unit to upgrade to. When I do get one, I intend to run comparison tests with my Whistler and some of my old detectors that I still have someplace around the house,,,,if I can find them.:glee:

Welcome to the forum.... There is quite a difference between low end detectors and high end detectors. Not only is range increased but also the responsiveness of the detectors are greatly improved. If you were to come up on an officer running I/O (Instant On) you would not even have a chance of an alert with that Whistler model. There is alot of good info on the site but this page will sum up the current best radar detectors:

http://radarandlaserforum.com/conten...-for-the-money
http://radarandlaserforum.com/conten...or-is-the-Best

Hi :) and welcome to the forum.

I can play a drinking game on how many times you said whistler in that post. But whistler is in no league with other flagship detectors. I do think they offer the best introductory detectors to get peoples feet wet and to prove that "detectors" do work.

LEOOOO's come out to plaaaaaaayyyyy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oddpedestrian

I can play a drinking game on how many times you said whistler in that post. But whistler is in no league with other flagship detectors. I do think they offer the best introductory detectors to get peoples feet wet and to prove that "detectors" do work.

LEOOOO's come out to plaaaaaaayyyyy.

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Maybe not, but it's in a league of it's own outside Crapra detectors, perhaps that should give this guy some perception to make the jump to Belscort/V1 :)

Welcome. Whistler's ain't bad, especially when compared to Cobras (shudder). Read and ask questions before you decide which top shelf RD is for you, (and you will get the itch to upgrade here). There is no one-size-fits-all answer, it depends on how and where you drive.

Welcome :).

May I suggest the Escort Redline :)

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welcome from OZ, stealth, no stealth, hi- tec low tech, all here to assist ur decision on our friendly forum enjoy

Welcome to the Forum,300S & Thank You for joining.
As has been suggested already,please do some reading here to get up to speed first.Then ask questions before buying, as here you will find many very knowledgeable enthusiasts who can offer sage advice gained from many years of experience.

Welcome to the forum. There are many radar detectors to choose from. However, most radar detectors are worth less than the packaging they come in.

The more expensive Whistler radar detectors are good for those dirivers who do not exceed 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. They lack the range that one needs who drives significantly faster than the speed limit. The only windshield mount radar detectors that I trust on my windshield are the Valenine 1 and the Escort Redline. The next tier of radar detector are the Escort Max, Escort SmartRadar, Escort 8500x50 Black, Beltronics STi Magnum, and at the lower end of this tier the Beltronics Pro 500 and Pro 300. The high end Whistlers are in the next lower tier.

Feel free to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

I do a lot of driving on rural, two lane Missouri roads, with some four lane rural roads thrown in. The MHP seems to exclusively use Ka band, which one of the three I have no idea, but compared to the old Whistlers, Bells, and even the late 2000's Cobra XRS something (I can't find it right now) this low line Whistler XTR 335 seems like it's magic on Ka band. On straight roads, I get Ka alerts so far away I think they are falses until I see the officer. There is a local grocery store with an X band door opener, and the 335 just blows the other old detectors I had away on range and sensitivity when I've made a few drive by tests.

The Whistler does misidentify the X band source of the grocery store every time, though, when placed in C2 filter mode. Usually it says it's a K frequency, sometimes a Ka, and it does cut the detection range of it more than half. I used the Whistler chat line to chat with Michael (I wonder if it was Michael B.?) and they recommended using the C1 mode. I tried that, and it does cut the range of the X band alerts in half without seeming to give up anything else.

I get the impression talking with Whistler, and reading about them, that Whistler is an honest company trying to make the best low priced detectors on the market. They don't pretend to be Bels or Escorts or Valentines, but even the cheapest detectors that Whistler sells will actually work, although the range of the Whistlers and their off axis performance is less.

My initial thoughts about detectors are this. If you are spending less than a hundred bucks then buy the Whistler, no question about it. Between one hundred and two hundred gives you a choice of the highest performance Whistlers and the lowest performance Betronics. At two hundred even you can buy a refurbished Bel XR-65 or Escort 8500 X50. Three hundred starts with GPS capable Bel 300 or 8500 X50 (the high end Whistler CR90 is a hundred dollars less). The worst buys in the detector world seem to be old used V-1's on Craigslist and Ebay that sell for within a few dollars of the four hundred bucks that will buy you a brand new, up to date Valentine V-1. Over four hundred belongs to the high end Bels and Escorts with hyper performance.

I mostly try to drive the posted speed limit, or within a few miles over. I've not got any tickets in fifteen years, and that one was an airplane trap. It's been twenty since a Missouri SHP gave me the instant on and my Bel (a high dollar one for that day) went off at the same time.

When I buy another detector, I want something better or I'll just run the one I have.

I'm not yet quite used to having a detector that will give an instant on warning on Ka, on a straight road, over a mile away. My cheapie Whistler 335 has done that. It even picks up the local X band grocery store source from the back side a good hundred yards, where the older detectors I had were deaf until I rolled right past it. I'm sure they aren't the best,,,,but even the cheapest Whistler XTR-335 is a usable detector and it's a Escort Redline compared with any Cobra and even higher end Bel detectors of many years ago.

You definitely have your head on your shoulders and seem conscious of the protection you're really being afforded :) You'll do fine here.