Radar Detectors

The age of mobility brought about the concept of cord cutting, and manufacturers of radar detectors were early adopters. For a time, there was a healthy selection of cordless detectors, and it was not uncommon to find them mounted to the windshields and dashboards of many vehicles. Today, however, the number of cordless radar detectors has dwindled significantly. In fact, at the time of this article, there is only one cordless model from a major brand currently available, the Escort Solo S4.

Does this mean cordless radar detectors are relics of the mobility age? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that the priorities of the average modern driver have possibly shifted, and their requirements may be different than they were at the beginning. When it comes to cordless radar detectors, they do have their pros and cons.

The Pros and Cons of Cordless Radar Detectors

Features vs. Portability
Pro: Cordless detectors are extremely portable, easy to carry around and can be quickly moved or removed as needed. For instance, it is often advised to remove valuables from your vehicle to deter theft, and a radar detector is an attractive enticement to thieves. A corded detector needs to be disconnected from power before it can be removed. With a cordless detector, simply grab it and go. Some driver even operate their cordless detector from a shirt pocket! You can't do that with a corded detector.

Con: Cordless detectors tend to have fewer features than corded models, or some features may be scaled back. This is often done for power considerations, because cordless detectors operate on batteries. The more features a detector has, the more power it may consume to activate and manage them. This can affect battery life.

Power Requirements
Pro: Cordless detectors have lower power requirement, and thus consume less power than corded detectors.

Con: Lower power consumption means the detector has a lower range of detection. In some circumstances, range may only be one factor to consider, in others, especially on the highway, it can be the most critical to avoid a threat.

Operability
Pro: Cordless detectors do not need power from a vehicle and are not dependent on a vehicle to operate. This can be a considerable advantage when power options are limited or a corded option is simply not feasible.

Con: Battery life limits operating time on longer trips. When the batteries are drained, the detector stops working, and if it happens while on the road, the driver must pull over and replace the batteries or face the risk of threats while the detector is out of operation.

Power Save Features
Pro: Cordless radar detectors usually have built-in power save and auto shutoff features to conserve battery life and extend operation.

Con: The reliance on battery power requires frequent battery replacement, resulting in down time to replace batteries and higher costs to purchase new batteries.

Accessibility
Pro: Cordless detectors can serve as secondary units or backup detectors. Some drivers have more than one detector on the dash or windshield, but don't want too many wires in the way. A cordless detector can serve as an effective secondary unit without adding to the clutter. Also if the primary detector goes down, simply stick a cordless detector up there and turn it on, without having to stop and wire it up. It can definitely help in a pinch.

Con: Cordless detectors generally have lower performance than corded detectors due to lower range and built-in power save options. This can also reduce their effectiveness as a replacement for a primary detector.

Convenience
Pro: Cordless detectors are a convenient option for temporary use in a second vehicle or rental car. If you switch vehicle often or are renting one for a day or two, a cordless detector can be setup quickly and easily without intrusion.

Con: Few cordless models are available on the market. At this time, the only cordless radar detector on the market is the Escort Solo S4. This severely limits the choice of a cordless option.

Versatility
Pro: Cordless radar detectors can easily be mounted or used on motorcycles. Without the need of wiring coupled with simple mounting requirments, the cordless detector is a natural choice for use on motorcycles.

Con: Except for the limitations already listed above, when it comes to using cordless radar detectors for motorcycles, is there a reason not to have one?

Do you need a cordless model, or is it better to stick with the standard corded, portable, windshield mounted, detector? To make the decision easier, This handy chart lists the pros and cons of cordless radar detectors.

Based on the this chart alone, one would think that the pros outnumber the cons. But, do they? The truth is, it depends on what you need in a radar detector, and how you plan to use it. If performance is imperative and portability is not important, it's probably best to go with a corded model. You'll get reliable power, greater range, and higher performance overall.

However, if you need ultra portability, ride a motorcycle, need a backup unit or you just don't like wires hanging down your dash, then a cordless radar detector may be just the thing. Either way, it's your choice.

For more information on cordless radar detectors, watch our Escort Solo S4 Video Review with the Veil Guy!

It's the universal question, discussed frequently in forums and social media groups, and is usually the first concern after someone purchases one to install in a vehicle for the first time. Where is the best place to mount a radar detector?

We covered this over a decade ago in our article Where Should You Mount Your Radar Detector? But times have changed. Technology has advanced, and there are new rules of the road when it comes to traffic enforcement and countermeasure strategy. Considering this, does placement even matter anymore, or do the old guidelines still apply? Where is the best place to mount a radar detector today? Or is there one?

Why is placement important?
Placement of a radar detector is critical to its performance. Detectors operate by line of sight, meaning that the detector needs to be able to "see" the signal in order to detect it. Any obstruction can potentially diminish, deflect or block the incoming radar signal or laser beam entirely from the detector's view. It also needs to be aimed in the general direction of the signal to pick it up. This is important if it's a radar signal, but is even more important if it is a laser beam. Radar signals are rather broad, but a laser is very narrow, so the detector must be positioned to pick it up directly. Remember, if the detector can't see the signal, it can't tell you where it is, or if one is even there. Therefore, correct positioning is vital to the performance of any detector.

Is the type of radar detector important?
Before we go any go further, it is important to note that the answer to the mounting question depends somewhat on the type of radar detector used. There are two distinct types of detectors, portable and installed. The portable detector, also known as a dashmount or windshield mount detector, is exactly as these terms imply. It mounts somewhere on the dashboard or windshield of a vehicle, and is aimed through the windshield, over the hood toward the front. An installed or concealed detector is one that is actually installed or integrated into parts of the vehicle itself, with sensors usually concealed below the hood and around, on or behind the front grille. Additional sensors can be placed on the rear of the vehicle as well.

Installed detectors
The sensors for an installed detector are usually placed somewhat low. Since they are usually situated directly at the front and (optionally) rear of the vehicle, they have a clear line of sight for a broad, unobstructed view of the perimeter around it. This allows a lot more latitude for discreet, low mounting options.

Where to place a dashmount detector
Portable or dash mount detectors are a different story. Since they are typically situated behind the windshield, their line of sight is somewhat limited by the frame of glass around it, plus the obvious obstruction of the front hood. However, there are other obstructions that affect performance. Tinted windshields in the visor area at the top can greatly reduce detection. The angle of the windshield can also be a factor. Inspection, parking or other stickers can get in the way. So can windshield wipers. Built-in defrosters, sensors or coatings in the glass can also effect performance. Some states even have laws to regulate where you can or cannot place items on your windshield or dashboard. These are all important factors to consider, and some may greatly limit your mounting options. Consider them all before you mount the detector.

Go high or go low?
Ten years ago, the low or high mounting question depended largely on the type of signals your radar detector detected. If it was primarily radar, conventional wisdom was to mount high, preferably attached to a rear view mirror or visor. This was advised so the detector could see over the hood of the vehicle to maximize line of site for detection of radar signals. If it was primarily set up for laser, the general rule of thumb was to mount low, closer to the hood, to pick up the edge or scatter from laser beams aimed at the headlights or front plate of the vehicle. But that was ten years ago. Although police laser certainly existed, it wasn't widely used, and some radar detectors had limited capabilities for laser detection. Some had no laser detection at all.

Today, radar guns are still the standard, but use of police laser for speed enforcement is on the rise. Fortunately, all of the domestic brand radar detectors marketed in the US today are capable of both radar and laser detection and it is now quite advanced. Many detectors offer multi-angle or 360 degree detection of laser. This changes the optimal position just a bit, because the detector needs to be low enough to get the laser beam from the front, yet high enough to also catch it from the rear of the vehicle. However, the general rule still applies. Mount low for laser, and a little higher for radar detection only. If detecting both, aim for the sweet spot.

The sweet spot
This may vary depending on the design of your vehicle, including the length and and height of your hood. It will also depend on the other factors mentioned above. The general rule though, is to mount your detector low, either from the the windshield or dash, and if it's dash mount, try to get close to the windshield to maximize peripheral line of sight and minimize obstructions. Although low mounting will shorten radar range, it should still be acceptable, and it will significantly increase detection of laser. Also, be sure the detector is level for a straight view through the windshield, and adjust for the angle of the glass if it is mounted to it. Don't let it point upward or downward, keep it even with the road ahead.

Any detector can only alert you to the threats it can detect. To maximize its performance and value, the best place to mount a radar detector is from a similar vantage point to that of the driver, one that gives it the clearest, least obstructed view of threats on the road.

Recently we came across an article on autotrader.com written by Doug DeMuro called Radar Detectors are Useless Now. The article claimed that the recent developments in driver assist technologies are generating so many false alerts that traditional radar detectors are now rendered useless.

In addition to the false positives, DeMuro also concluded that radar detectors are becoming more expensive and are "being beaten at their own game" by cheap and readily available mobile apps such as Waze, an online app that allows millions of other users to report speed traps, traffic incidents and road hazards and share the information in real time across the web.

According to his article, DeMuro arrived at this conclusion during a cross country road trip, during which he encountered numerous false alerts from surrounding vehicles equipped with driver assist and collision avoidance technologies such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, parking sensors and the like. With confidence in his detector quickly eroding, He began to rely on his Waze app to navigate the roads and reach his destinations. Based on these experiences encountered on his cross country excursion, DeMuro was finally convinced that the overwhelming combination of modern vehicles equipped with radar based technology, coupled with smart mobile apps powered by commmunity based alerts in real time, now renders the traditional radar detector obsolete, and, therefore, completely useless to the modern driver.

But is this true? Are radar detectors useless in 2018?

At first glance, DeMuro certainly does have a valid point. Technology has advanced significantly in the last decade, and there are many vehicles on the road today that utilize radar bands and frequencies capable of triggering false alerts on a radar detector not originally designed to anticipate these signals, thereby confusing both the detector and the driver.

But there's another side to the story.

Fortunately, and perhaps unknown DeMuro, radar detection technology has also advanced. Sure, there are a lot more radar based signals out there now, and the classic detector is increasingly challenged to discern the difference between real traffic enforcement radar, and something else. But while this is true of much older detectors, and even more so those with few filtering features or no filtering at all, the latest detectors are designed and built with these new radar enabled technologies specifically in mind. Most of the newer radar detectors available today are smart countermeasure devices and are programmed to seek out, isolate and eliminate these false signals from the mix.

Which detector was DeMuro using? We don't know, because he didn't tell us. Of course, there is the photo that accompanies the article. It is an image of a radar detector mounted on the windshield of a vehicle. The detector in the photo is an Escort Passport 8500 X50, an older, long discontinued model that was manufactured before driver assist technologies were added to the mainstream. The 8500 was a very sensitive device, yet was also equipped with advanced filtering capabilities to eliminate false alerts from many sources.

But the Escort Passport 8500 X50 is long past its prime. It's an old, outdated model. While it was once one of the most solid, high performance detectors in its time, it was certainly not built to handle the advanced radar based technologies used on vehicles today. Interestingly, the author did not specify the make or model of the radar detector he used during his trip, which seems somewhat telling, and a little unfair. If this was indeed the detector he used, no wonder he received so many false alerts!

As for price, after adjusting for inflation, the cost of the average radar detector today is roughly the same as a comparable model in the same tier almost a decade ago. Yet these devices now have newer technologies with more features, functionality and performance than their older counterparts. For example, The Escort Passport 8500 X50 was priced at $299. The Escort X80 has many of the same original features, adds advanced filtering and false signal rejection capabilities, plus compatibility with the Escort Live™ app, and is the same price. In other words, today's detectors are smarter and more powerful at about the same price point. This translates to higher performance and greater value.

But what about the Waze app? Is it the end of the radar detector as we know it?

Ah yes, mobile apps. They've also come a long way, and there is certainly a lot to be said for them. We first wrote about such apps in 2012, when we tested one called- wait for it- Radar Detector. We tested it thoroughly and published our results in the aptly titled Do radar detector apps for smartphones work? To summarize the article, it didn't.

Since then, of course, apps have become much smarter. Apps such as Waze utilize the power of social community based reporting and the Internet to monitor and report on everything from traffic incidents to road hazards and, obviously, speed enforcement activities in real time, more or less. There are many advantages to using such apps, and many drivers now opt to use them.

However, these apps come with hazards of their own. Some of them are well documented in the local, national and even international press. We won't go into detail here, but an online search will find numerous cases of miscalculations and mishaps due to the over reliance solely on the app.

In spite of the hazards, mobile apps are still powerful and potentially effective countermeasures against traffic enforcement radar. Considering this, do they make radar detectors useless and obsolete? Absolutely not. On the contrary, mobile apps can enhance the capabilities of radar detectors, and the detectors, in turn, can enhance the capabilities of these apps.

Manufacturers of radar detectors know this, which is why many detectors have either an app or updateable database option available for direct or indirect access on the web. For instance, Escort offers Escort Live!™, and Cobra has iRadar. These aren't merely stand-alone apps, although they sometimes can be used as one. They are designed to work in tandem with the detectors they support. These mobile apps, when combined with a traditional, physical radar detector, provide a networked, super smart detection system for a more complete, high tech solution to the challenges of filtering out the new smart vehicle technologies while navigating traffic enforcement on the modern road.

Given the facts, all the facts, are radar detectors useless in 2018? Of course not. In fact, based on the facts provided, and the fact that the article didn't mention what radar detector the author used, the available facts only seem to lead to one logical conclusion.

Mr. DeMuro needs to buy a new radar detector.

Radar guns are commonly used by police for speed enforcement in the US, but how do they really work? How are they used? More importantly, are there any limitations that can give drivers an advantage when using a good radar detector?

In this video hosted by Danny Feemster from Buy Radar Detectors, Bob Rosania, aka The Veil Guy and the creator of Veil G5 Anti-Laser Stealth Coating displays some popular radar guns used by law enforcement in the US and explains how they are used. He also reveals the advantages and limitations of radar guns and how a driver who understands them can use a radar detector to maximum advantage.

As of October 2018, radar detectors are legal for use in each of the United States except one (Washington D.C. is not a state). That state is the commonwealth of Virginia. Recently a reader of our blog asked, why are radar detectors illegal in Virginia? While it may seem like an innocently nescient query to some, and a purposefully rhetorical statement to others, it is a genuinely perplexing one, especially considering the fact that, out of all fifty states, Virginia is the sole hold-out, and seemingly rather defiantly so.

As for why the law exists, the general argument is that radar detectors encourage drivers to break traffic enforcement laws, particularly in regards to speeding. However, according to opponents of the law, the ban on radar detectors does nothing to prevent speeding, and can actually make the problem worse. They contend the law is archaic, and is unfair to those who live in surrounding states where radar detectors are allowed and travel or commute over the border with the device in their possession. Also, Virginia uses other methods for speed enforcement that a radar detector cannot detect anyway, so the presence of one in those cases has no effect at all, and therefore does nothing to circumvent the law. Yet this logic seems all but lost on the majority of Virginia lawmakers.

The law banning radar detectors in Virginia has yet to be repealed, but it's not for lack of trying. In 2010, The Virginia House of Delegates voted down HB674, a bill to repeal the ban on radar detectors introduced by Delegate Joe May(R) - House District 33, who argued that the law was unfriendly to travelers through the state. In January 2015, Del. Dave LaRock [R] introduced House Bill No. 2079, "A BILL to repeal §46.2-1079 of the Code of Virginia". On January 28, the Virginia House of Delegates voted to table the bill, and on February 11, 2015, passed the buck to the Virginia House Transportation Committee, where it was "Left in Transportation", and is still sitting as of the date of this article.

Why are radar detectors illegal in Virginia, still? At the end of the day, it is a question that only the lawmakers of Virginia can answer, because it's their law. Whether it is by the will of the people of Virginia or just its delegates remains unclear, but nevertheless, as draconian as it seems, and until further notice, it is still their law.