Update on Hurricane Outage

While our electricity has come back and we are off generator power our phone lines are still down.  We are still processing and shipping online orders daily and there are no delays.  To contact us please use the Contact Us page on our website if you need to contact us regarding an order if you need help choosing the best radar detector for your needs.  We apologize for the inconvenience but we are told our phone lines should be restored by Monday.

Outage Due to Hurricane Sandy

As Hurricane Sandy came through NJ on Monday October 29th we as well as 80% of the state of NJ lost power.  Since he have backup generators our site is fully functional and we are still shipping packages normally, but our phone lines are still down now 4 days later.  If you need to contact us please use the contact us form on our website: Contact Best Radar Detectors

Also note that new packages are shipping just fine but packages that were in transit from October 29th & October 30th might be stuck in UPS, USPS & Fed-Ex facilities that lost power.  We are told that all packages stuck in these facilities are being moved now and will be routed back in service.

We are sorry for these delays.

New Discounted Escort Live Bundles

For a Limited Time we have Escort Live discounted bundles available on some of the Best Escort & Beltronics radar detectors.  Normally Escort Live sells for $99.95 but for a limited time you can get Escort Live for only $40 with the purchase of a compatable radar detector.

Beltronics PRO-300 w/Escort Live
Beltronics PRO-500 w/Escort Live
Beltronics Sti Magnum w/Escort Live
Escort 8500x50 Black w/Escort Live
Escort Redline w/Escort Live
Escort 9500ix w/Escort Live

The $40 bundle addition includes either the Escort Live Coiled Smartcord or the Escort Live Smart Direct Wire Kit.  Each comes with a 1 Year subscription to the Escort Live service.

Are radar detector still useful today?

We get customers asking us if radar detectors are still useful today as they were years ago and the answer is definately YES! Radar Detectors today are much smarter and can do so much more than detectors made just a few years ago.  While laser guns seems to be growing in popularity with the prices dropping on them radar is still preferred for most vehicles in motion.

Today's radar detectors also have GPS antenna's built in to some of the higher end radar detectors.  Not only do these detectors alert to radar and laser signals but now they can also warn the driver when they are coming up on intersections that have known speed traps, red light cameras and also fixed speed cameras.  Cameras are all public records and there are companies that compile all this camera data and you can simply download all these locations right into your radar detector.

New Products like Escort Live use Live data shared from other drivers using smart phone apps to inform drivers in the area of live speed traps. See photo below:

There are many really good radar detectors on the market today and there is not one that is the best for everything.  The best suggestion we can make is to contact a sales or customer service rep through www.bestradardetectors.net and we will help point you to the best radar detector for your specific needs based on your driving habits and the locations that you travel through.

Beltronics PRO-500 or Escort 9500ix

In summary both of these radar detectors are very good and similar in many ways.  Both share the same antenna platform (M4) and both have bubble convex lens (Helps Sensitivity) and both also have an integrated GPS for red light and fixed speed camera warnings.  There are some differences which we highlight in our writeup of the Beltronics PRO-500 vs. Escort 9500ix on our main site but you cant go wrong with either one of these great detectors.

SpeedZones Annual Radar Detector Test 2012-2013

Not sure why these folks take the time to perform useless distance tests when in the real world we don't all drive in the desert on straight roads with no interference.  To test a radar detector it needs to be tested in the real world with hills and curves and every day interference from nearby automatic door openers etc.  Based on these distance tests that speed zones did, one would think that a $200 Cobra radar detector would offer the same performance as a $500 Escort Redline since they both can detect at 9 miles away.

In the real world you will never see a 9+ miles alert and police don't always drive with their radar units constantly on.  They are sneaky and hide behind hills and curves and use instant on, more so than constant on.  I hope anyone reading their review realizes that there is more to a radar detector than picking up at a distance on a deserted straight road.

We stand by our 2013 Radar Detector Reviews and for 2013 none of the new units from Cobra or Whistler compare to the higher end units from Beltronics and  Escort.

RX65 or Beltronics PRO-300

Very common question lately is which one to choose between the Beltronics RX65 vs Beltronics PRO-300 and the answer is definately the PRO-300.  See the link above that will describe all the benefits that the new PRO-300 has over the older RX65. 

Blinder HP-905 Laser Jammer Testing

Thanks to the ECCTG at the Radar Detector Forum we had a great day of testing on the new Blinder HP-905 Laser Jammer.  Spend several hours meeting at 5:30AM to tell the HP-905 against 14 different laser jammers.  Overall the new Jammer from Blinder performed exceptionally well considering the new smaller sized heads.  While there were several punch through's but that is to be expected in real world testing.  Blinder has shown that they still can compete in the jammer market and the HP-905 is competitively priced and will do very well.

Differences of the new Beltronics PRO Series Radar Detectors

Well here you have it the new PRO Series Lineup.  Please note that only the Beltronics PRO 300 & Beltronics PRO 500 work with Escort Live.  All new Pro Model all come with a new rubberized black paint which give the detector a nice feel and look and also cuts back on sun glare.

Beltronics PRO 100 - Is the new entry level radar detector which replaces the older V940 radar detector.

Beltronics PRO 200 - Is the higher end entry level radar detector which replaces the older V955 and it has a nice sensitivity increase.  This unit will be an excellent detector to compete with the higher end Whistler radar detectors.

Beltronics PRO 300 - Is the high performance (Non GPS) radar detector which replaces the older RX65.  The major change is the new redesigned lens which makes it more sensitive than the older RX65 that is replaced.  This will be the new best performing radar detector under $300.

Beltronics PRO 500 - Has all the features of the PRO 300 but adds the internal GPS for red light and fixed speed camera protection as well as the ability to mark and ignore false alerts.  It does this by memorizing the GPS location and frequency of the false alerts and storing them into its internal memory.

Beltronics RX65 vs. New Beltronics Pro 300

Beltronics recently introduced the new Beltronics PRO 300 which will be replacing the old proven RX65.  Upon opening the new PRO 300's I have noticed these immediate differences:

1. There is no user manual. Strange but they only include a quick reference card and a link to the Beltronics website if you want to download a manual.
2. The Smart Coiled cord was replaced with the newer Combo Smart Cord (Half Straight & Half Coiled)
3. There is no more support for KU Band.
4. The is still KA Band USA or International Mode
5. They no longer include a carrying case

I like the new rubberized black finish on the new models:

Part of the increased performance on the new Beltronics PRO 300 is due to a new lens which was also recently introduced to the Escort 8500x50 Black models.

I plan to take the PRO 300 out tonight and do some testing and see if the claims of better performance can be noticed in real world driving.  I will keep everyone posted.

New Cobra Vedetta SLR-500, SLR-600, SLR-650G are coming

We have been hearing about the new Cobra Vedetta Series for months now with the promise that this new series of radar detectors from Cobra will have around a 30% improvement in sensitivity.  We finally received word that they are shipping and we should have some inventory before the end of the month.  These are unique looking units with large LCD screens:

There will be three part numbers in the Vedetta Series:

Cobra Vedetta SLR-500
Cobra Vedetta SLR-600
Cobra Vedetta SLR-650G

The SLR-650G will be Cobra's new top of the line radar detector with integrated GPS for Camera protection as well as the normal Radar & Laser detection.  The promise of 30% performance gain is promising and something that Cobra has needed to compete with the higher performance models from Whistler, Escort & Beltronics.

We plan to immediately take one for a drive as soon as they get here and we will test the difference from their older XRS Models and the new Vedetta Models and see if there really is the promised performance gain!

Next Generation Cobra iRadar 200 (iRad 200) is here

No longer do you have to choose if you want to use your iRadar with an Android Smartphone or an Apple Smartphone.  The Cobra iRadar 200 supports both platforms with only one product.  The powerful new Cobra iRadar Detection sports a sleek and appealing low-profile form factor featuring a satin black sheen and new brushed metal accent trim—designed to look right at home in the company of today’s hottest smartphones and progressive automotive interiors. The next-generation iRadar dash-mounted unit pairs via Bluetooth with the free Android or Apple iOS Cobra iRadar app.

Looking for the help on countermeasures?

While we are always here for any of your radar detector or laser jammer questions during business hours if you need help after hours we recommend you try the Radar Detector Forum.  There are few forums for discussion on countermeasures but only one that we trust to you give real information without trying to sell you stuff.  We are frequently on the forum also helping members out so if you need help after hours give them a try.

New Beltronics Models Coming Soon

Looks like the Beltronics Pro Radar Detector line is being refreshed for 2012.  Looks like there will be some units getting discontinued (Vector Series) and some new Pro models will be replacing them.  So far we have only received information on two new models:


Beltronics Pro 100
Beltronics Pro 200

Shipping date is not yet known but I would guess that they will be released in the next few weeks.  Once we get them, we will of course test them and report back.  Based on the specifications the Beltronics Pro-200 will most likely replace the Beltronics 955 in our Best Radar Detectors 2012 under $200 category.

New Whistler 2012 Radar Detectors

Whistler has starting releasing some new radar detectors for 2012.  For 2012 they have added a new OLED Red Display which is a nice improvement over some of their past back light displays.  As we get new models in stock we will add them to our website.

The Whistler XTR-435 is their entry level unit with the new OLED Display.  At our price of only $89.95 its priced to compete with the lower end Cobra models and it is a decent performer at this price range.   Looking forward to see what else Whistler has in store for 2012.

New Anti Infrared License Plate Protectors

We just received On Tracks new IR Plate Covers and they are surprisingly completely clear.  We will have these new covers tested in the next few days and will post results.  These new plate covers work to prevent photo's of your license plates from newer Infrared Cameras.

IR Invisi-Plate Anti Infrared License Plate Protector

Designed to defeat: Photo Radar, Red Light Cameras, Toll Road Cameras, Any camera type that uses infrared recording!  Stay tuned for more information on these new covers.

Looking forward to the NJ Jammer Meet this weekend

Looking forward to meeting some new folks this weekend at the Laser Jammer meet this weekend in NJ.  Unfortunately we have been waiting patiently for the new Blinder Laser Jammer and was planning on testing it at this meet but again another date given to us has come and gone and still no new Blinder jammer.

Hopefully we will see this unit soon and I hope it will be worth the wait.  On the radar detector front I hope to be able to test some of the new radar detectors that were released from Escort & Beltronics and even Whistler had released a few new models recently.

No news on the new Cobra 2012 models which were supposed to be out before the end of Q2 which is coming up real soon.  Once more information is available and the sku's and pricing is available they will be up on our website.

New Blinder Diode Laser Jammer is on the way

For a while now there has not been much competition on the laser jammer front.  For a while its really been either sticking with the Escort ZR4 Shifter's for the easy integration with your current Escort or Beltronics radar detectors or getting a 3rd party laser jammer like the Laser Interceptor.

Blinder is finally stepping up and releasing a new Diode laser jammer which will finally add some needed competition in this product category.  So far on paper the unit looks very promising but as with all countermeasure equipment  its performance is all that counts.

Hopefully we will have a unit to play with in the next week or so and after installing and testing one we will be sure to give an honest review of this new product.  Stay tuned for more info on this product.

Laser VEIL G4 is back in stock!

For everyone that has been on B/O of Laser VEIL all orders have been shipped. I guess VEIL itself was not ready or all the early warm weather and they ran out of their own product. In any case we received our shipment and all orders have shipped.

Escort Live gives the Redline some needed improvements

The comparison between the Escort 9500ix and Escort Redline has now changed with the introduction of Escort Live.  Many have said that they now consider their Escort Redline to almost be an Redline IX.  The ability to get the better performance from the Redline and add the camera protection and lock out functions once only available on the Escort 9500ix.  If you have a Redline I would definately look into adding Escort Live and see how much better the Redline is in the city,

So what is the most sensitive Radar Detector?

Well even with the release of the new Beltronics Magnum which added a huge performance boost over the original Beltronics STi Driver radar detector, We still would choose the Escort Redline over the new Sti Magnum.  Both radar detectors use the same platform and offer the same features but rumors are there will be an update for the Escort Redline which will add band segmentation (Currently available on the high end custom installed Sti-R Plus) which will give the Redline an advantage.  We are not sure if they plan to also give this feature to the new Magnum.

Many people have been requesting that Escort add Band Segmentation for a few years now on their windshield mounted line and Escort has acknowledged that they were listening.  When this update comes it would definately push the Escort Redline into the Best Vehicle Radar Detectors slot when looking at performance.

Best Radar Detectors 2012

We plan on updating our listings for the Best Car Radar Detectors 2012 page and would like your input. Best Remote Mounted unit definitely will still be the Beltronics Sti-R Plus, Windshield mounted unit under $300 might shift to the 8500x50 Black with the new improved performance with the new lens. Under $200 there are not many new detectors in this price range that are high performers. V1 will be on the new list but I am still disappointed with the lack of updates and no stealth version or GPS version and no Live equivalent to ignore all those city false alerts.  Also waiting on some new models from Escort Radar before we compile our best of 2012 list.  Email us your input on the current 2012 radar detector lineup.

Update on Escort Live

So yesterday I was driving and I got my first Escort Live alert from another driver just a few miles in front of me.  Police officer was still in the same spot from the alert and I was surprised to see it in action.  Glad to see some other users in my area are adopting this new technology.  Hope more users continue to jump in on this great product.

Cobra is planning to release a new Vedetta Series of Radar Detectors for 2012

Cobra claims the new Vedetta series will be the Standard in Radar/Laser Detection and will have a 30 percent increase in performance over Cobra's current flagship models. The Vedetta line will include a 2.4-inch TFT color LCD display on a multi-axis hinge and a ball-socket suction cup mounting bracket, which will allow the driver to mount the detector virtually anywhere on the windshield or dash of their automobile. The display can be rotated 270 degrees vertically and 60 degrees horizontally.

In addition to setting a new benchmark among detection systems for form factor and driver ergonomics, Cobra offers an integrated GPS receiver and free, lifetime access to its AURA(TM) national database of speed/red-light cameras and known speed trap locations.

Features listed for the new product line include: 

• Maximum range and selectivity for advance warnings on all radar and laser guns currently utilized in the U.S.
• Integrated GPS Receiver and AURA Speed/Red-Light Camera and Known Speed Traps database alerts the driver well in advance of location-based threats with coverage throughout the U.S. and Canada
• Industry's first detection system with 2.4-inch full-color, high-def display with intuitive graphical user interface
• Backlit touch-sensor controls for easy configuration/customization while eliminating display smudging
• Industry's first detection system that allows mounting virtually anywhere on the car's windshield or dash for increased performance and visibility
• Industry's first detector with multi-axis hinge display
• IntelliMute(TM) speed-sensitive muting system virtually eliminates false alerts and automatically mutes unwanted alerts below user-set engine RPM level
• Voice Alert Provides band-specific annunciation of the radar/laser gun being detected
• SmartPower Automatically shuts power to the unit when the ignition is turned off
• POP Mode Radar Gun Detection to Detect ultra-fast, Instant-On radar guns
• Signal Strength Meter to Provide range proximity of the radar guns detected
• 8-Point GPS Compass provides vehicle-heading information (available on SLR 600 and SLR 650G)
• User-selectable Speed Alert to Alert the driver when the vehicle exceeds user-set speed limit
• User-marked locations can be stored in unit's memory (up to 1,000 locations)
• New IntelliShield(TM) -- Quad-level False Signal Rejection System reduces false alerts in densely populated urban areas

The new Cobra Vedetta series is expected to be available nationwide in Q2 with pricing from $199.95 to $299.95. My guess it that we will see this in late Q2 so it can be a few months before we finally get our hands on one to test the manufactures claims.  If there really is a 30% increase over the current top of the line Cobra models it could push Cobra into a higher performance bracket and possibly top Whistler on our Best Radar Detector 2012 list in the under $200 category.

Escort Live - Not taking off as expected?

I must say that I was very excited about Escort Live when it first shipped in December.  The potential for this product is enormous but it relies on other users to report live radar and laser alerts.  The problem is from my experience that there seems to be no one besides myself even using it in my State.  I know its hard to believe but since using it I have never seen a Live alert.

I also find it inconvenient to use the Live Smartcord and much prefer to use the hardwired power cord instead so at this point I have stopped using Escort Live and will try again in the future when they come out with Live for their hard wired customers.  Hopefully by then there will be many more users to the system which will make it much more beneficial.

I also use a Beltronics Sti-R Plus in my primary vehicle because its the Best Radar Detector ever made but again no Escort Live for remote mounted units either.  Hopefully soon.