General

Readers of this blog know that I do not like red light cameras. If anything they cause wrecks since the people that install them also shorten the yellow lights. They often tell the city "shorter yellow lights means more tickets and more money!" They leave off the "...and cause more car wrecks" part. Notice I did not call these automotive accidents, nothing accidental about planned crashes.

Well over in Schaumburg, Illinois they are getting rid of red light cameras. According to a story on ars technica, Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, had some cameras put in to help prevent accidents. They thought they were doing a good thing, and help to make some dangerous intersections safer. The cameras did nothing, well they did make a lot of money from people making right hand turns that did not come to a complete stop.

So, people complained, the city realized that cameras were not reducing wrecks, so Schaumburg is getting rid of the cameras.

Yup, the city noticed that the cameras do nothing to improve safety. If a city wants to improve intersections, perhaps they should invest in better traffic lights and they way the intersection is designed and heavy traffic is managed. Fix the roads first! So if you have red light cameras where you live, ask them if they are all about money and why they do not care about your safety.

Until then, we will continue to provide defensive products to protect you from the cameras. Drive safe, and drive smart!

Just a quick post to let all of you know we now have a new package deal. We are selling the Whistler Pro 78 SE and a can of Laser Veil combo. Save $10 on one of the best budget radar detectors around and one of the best laser countermeasures for a great deal. So if you have been looking for a deal on a detector and some Veil Stealth Coating for the best protection for the money, here you go!

Those of you who have placed an order know that often we will tell you that it will ship out the same day. How can we know that? Many other online stores will just sell what they have too many of in some warehouse on the other side of the country. We don't do that here. Our warehouse is connected to our offices here in Rock Hill, SC. This means we can easily check to see what we have, make sure we only stock the newest versions, and know when new items arrive.

When I have questions on an item, I can get up, and walk over to our warehouse. I can go and pick it up, even see how many we have in stock. If there is a special request I can tell our folks in the warehouse in person. This level of communication means we can ship out your purchase very fast, keep our cost low, and not have to send multiple email and phone messages to some warehouse in another time zone.

A lot of companies out there have an "office" of sales people who read scripted messages and have to look up every question in a help desk database. Then your order is sent to another location for payment and to another for processing. Finally your order is packaged and sent out from a warehouse used by multiple businesses. Yup, the same people sending out your radar detector also just sent out a new toaster and some patio furniture as well! They are not even in the same city as the sales people, they have never even spoken with them.

Other businesses will just drop-ship an item. That is a fancy way of saying they have it sent by another company to you. You end up paying not one place, but two. Do not even get me started on people selling refurbished radar detectors as new. If they are not an authorized dealer beware, you will have no warranty, and who knows what you will get.

By keeping all of our items at one location, it enables us to have a lot more control over how we send you your purchase. We do not ship from a random warehouse having never even seen what the item looks like. We can keep our prices low, inventory current, and can provide the customer service all of you look for.

We just got a radar detector review from a customer and Danny wanted me to share it with all of you. Here at Buy Radar Detectors, we actually like to know what our customers think about all of the radar detector and protection products available. In our effort to help people find the best solution to their needs, we like to learn about everything we can. So if you have a review and would like to send it our way, please do! I can not promise it will show up here on our radar detector blog, but you never know!

So thanks to Nhan V. Nguyen of Santa Rosa, California, a Traffic Radar/Laser Countermeasures Enthusiast, for a great review of the Whistler XTR-695. I hope the rest of you like it as much as we did!

Our most appreciations: Accurate reading laser LSID with laser pps false alert lock-out feature. Accurate reading Ka RSID. LCD display with different colors assigned for different alerts and background colors. User friendly and most easy setup within seconds. Ka detection range is far superior than most RDs available on the market within the same price range. Laser detection is much better than most RDs within the same price range.

Well, what else can anyone could ask for from a $189 radar/laser detector?

I know how it is, you have narrowed down what you are shopping for down to two items. The problem is it can be a bit frustrating when you are shopping online and trying to compare two items to find the one that is right for you. Well here are Buy Radar Detectors we have a tool you will like. Our Radar Detector Comparison tool lets you pick two radar detectors and then view the features they have in a side by side comparison. Click the question mark if you need more information on a feature.

Radar detector manufacturers tend to update the software on their detectors several times per year. The changes made by these software updates vary from tweaks in filtering to new feature additions. We buy in smaller quantities, so we typically get fresh inventory direct from the manufacturer once or twice per month. This means you never get older, dated units when you buy from us! Many people do not realize that there are a lot of "out of date" radar detectors out there.

Also, many radar detectors can be updated. Most have to be sent back to the manufacturer and for a small fee they will update you to the latest version of firmware. A few detectors (with USB ports) though can be updated direct from the manufacturer's website.

Do not assume that just because the model of radar detector is a current one it is also the most up to date and "best" available. Here are Buy Radar Detectors we go to a lot of effort to make sure that the radar detector you purchase is the very latest. We are able to do this because we have great relationships with the manufacturers. We are not a chain of warehouse stores that places one order every six months. We are talking with them constantly about new radar detectors since we are a company for radar detector enthusiasts run by enthusiasts.

The people over at the Speed Trap Hunter forum now have a Speed Trap Hunter YouTube Channel. The guy behind it all, The Speed Trap Hunter, has pioneered the style of real world testing recorded on video. Many people try to copy his original style, but no one can come close to his knowledge, experience, and integrity. These videos are great. We are not talking about just a few either, there are over 40 with more being added constantly. It does not matter if you are just looking for some truthful reviews of radar detectors or a car nut, there is something there for everyone!

Also, don't forget to go and check out the Speed Trap Hunter's forum. There you will find even more reviews, stories, automotive news, and the Speed Trap Hunter himself. There are a lot of, well, questionable products out there. Your only way to avoid spending too much money on something that does not work is by finding a rare, independent, educated reviewer. Thanks Speed Trap Hunter!

As with many things, shopping for a radar detector can be a bit confusing. This short buyers guide is aimed at helping you buy the right radar detector for your needs. A lot of websites will tell you to buy either the most expensive one, a brand they like, or just sell you what everyone else seems to order. While you may get a good radar detector that way, you probably are not getting the one you need for your specific driving requirements.

So before you even start looking at radar detectors there are five simple questions:

1. What is your price range? Don't spend more than you are comfortable spending. While top of the line radar detectors have amazing performance and great features; there are a few detectors that perform very well at sometimes half the price of a top-end model. You may not get cutting edge performance, but you will still have a quality detector at a great price.

2. Where do you drive? Different radar detectors work better in certain driving environments. Some work great on the open road, but in town they will constantly be going off due to poor filtering, or do not work as well in hilly areas. So do you drive a lot on the highway, in a dense city, where there are a lot of hills and turns? If red light or speed cameras are used in your area, you may want to consider a GPS enabled radar detector.

3. What type of radar (or laser) is most common where you drive? Many radar detectors are able to detect different bands better than others. This one may take a bit of research but may narrow down what you are looking for.

4. What features are you interested in? Are you looking for a detector that will also warn you of traffic cameras, or have voice alerts? Do you want a certain type of display? Is stealth and concealment the most important thing?

5. How old is that radar detector? Ok, you found a detector for a great price and it meets your driving needs, but how old is it? Is it several years old? You can often get a much better detector at the same price by purchasing one that is current. The manufacturers are constantly making updates to the performance of the devices. For more information on this, check out this article on radar detector firmware.

Now that you have figured out the type of detector you are looking for we have some resources and tools you may want to use. First off, our radar detector blog. We try to keep you up to date with new detectors and unbiased reviews. Next, we recommend the Speedtrap Hunter Forum. Chances are there is a post that will answer most of your questions. We also have a product smart search feature you may like, and if you want to compare two detectors, we also have a radar detector comparison tool. And don't forget the search tool at the top of the page and our radar detector help center.

We hope this guide helps you find the best radar detector for your driving needs. One that you will be glad you own. Contact us with any questions you have and we will help you find a detector (or detectors) that will provide the protection you want. We want to match up the detector with the driver, and not just email you a "performance" chart, or the sales copy off of the back of the box.

Do you have more devices in your vehicle than places to charge them, or is your auxiliary charging port in the glove box or center console? Well, we now have three new cigarette lighter adapter / splitters.

The XLT CA200 Two Port Cigarette Lighter Adapter ($3.99) can power two devices and is a compact design so it is easy to use and store.

The XLT CA250 Two Port Cigarette Lighter Adapter with USB Port ($9.99) can be used to charge almost any device with a USB port, such as an iPod or a two way radio.

The XLT CA300 Three Port Cigarette Lighter Adapter ($9.99) can also be hardwired for custom installations, and comes with two-sided tape so you can mount the adapter just about anywhere.

This is an often asked question: "In what states in the US are radar detectors legal?" First though radar detectors are currently illegal in the following states:

Virginia (VA)
Washington DC (DC)

Also, radar detectors are illegal to use at the federal level (in all states), in commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs and on military bases, so keep that in mind.

Ok, here is a list by state where radar detectors are currently 100% legal to own and use:

ALABAMA (AL)
ALASKA (AK)
ARIZONA (AZ)
ARKANSAS (AR)
CALIFORNIA (CA)
COLORADO (CO)
CONNECTICUT (CT)
DELAWARE (DE)
FLORIDA (FL)
GEORGIA (GA)
HAWAII (HI)
IDAHO (ID)
ILLINOIS (IL)
INDIANA (IN)
IOWA (IA)
KANSAS ( KS)
KENTUCKY (KY)
LOUISIANA (LA)
MAINE (ME)
MARYLAND (MD)
MASSACHUSETTS (MA)
MICHIGAN (MI)
MINNESOTA (MN)
MISSISSIPPI (MS)
MISSOURI (MO)
MONTANA (MT)
NEBRASKA (NE)
NEVADA (NV)
NEW HAMPSHIRE (NH)
NEW JERSEY (NJ)
NEW MEXICO (NM)
NEW YORK (NY)
NORTH CAROLINA (NC)
NORTH DAKOTA (ND)
OHIO (OH)
OKLAHOMA (OK)
OREGON (OR)
PENNSYLVANIA (PA)
RHODE ISLAND (RI)
SOUTH CAROLINA (SC)
SOUTH DAKOTA (SD)
TENNESSEE (TN)
TEXAS (TX)
UTAH (UT)
VERMONT (VT)
WASHINGTON (WA)
WEST VIRGINIA (WV)
WISCONSIN (WI)
WYOMING (WY)