New AL Priority "ALP Connect" Smartphone App in Action

We received the ALP Connect Bluetooth Modules and the Radar Modules and I must say it transforms the AL Priority to another level with the new Voice Alerts (Selectable Male or Female) & Graphic Display.  Below is a small sample video recorded showing a few Parking Sensor Alerts as well as some radar and laser alerts.

See the link below to see the app in action:

ALP-Connect (Smartphone App for the AL Priority)

Testing the new AL Priority & Sti-R Plus integration

We have received some AL Priority Radar Modules and have begun testing them:  Below is a photo of the module and you can see the connections for the Beltronics Sti-R Plus & Beltronics 975 radar antennas.  They will also in the future add support for the Valentine One.

AL Priority R/G Plugin Module

And I have it connected to my Beltronics Sti-R Plus head and I confirmed that it does in deed work and communicate properly.  I will need to spend more time testing the integration to make sure its response time is just as fast as the regular segmented Sti-R Plus.

Al Priority Connected to Sti-R Plus Antenna

We will keep everyone updated on the progress of this integration but so far all seems to be working well.  Without the visual display or the Bluetooth smartphone app and only having tone alerts the experience is not the greatest yet but its coming along.  Once the Bluetooth module comes out and we can voice alerts and the visual display it will be much more attractive.

For more information on this integration you can click here.

Which is the best radar detector to buy?

We get asked all the time what is the best radar detector to buy but unfortunately there is no simple answer.  What could be the best radar detector for one person's driving habits use might not be the best for another person.   Many factors come into play like do you drive more in the city or highway? Do you travel through areas where radar detectors are illegal?  The performance of a radar detector is based on the sensitivity of the antenna and how quickly the detector can take received information, filter out false alerts and give you an alert leaving you enough time to react.  When purchasing a radar detector this is one of the most important features to look for.  We will only discuss and recommend detectors with good sensitivity. If you need a custom installed radar detector then the answer is pretty simple because one remote detector stands out from the rest and that is the Beltronics Sti-R Plus - The Sti-R plus is a serious custom installed remote radar detector for the person who wants the best and can afford it.  This is not an inexpensive unit but its the best overall remote installed radar and laser detector. For windshield mounted radar detectors there are several top choices and the types of driving that you do will distinguish which one is best for you .  Windshield mounted units are the most common radar detectors since they just plug in the cigarette lighter and you suction the mount to the windshield. Best Radar Detector Under $500 - The best overall unit you can get if you do not live in Virginia or Washington DC and you will also use it for city driving is the Escort 9500ix  If you do live in Virginia or Washington DC or drive mostly on highways the best unit would be the Escort Redline.  The Escort Redline is by far the most sensitive windshield mounted detector but in the city because of its blistering sensitivity it could pick up many false alerts.  For a more detailed comparison between these two best windshield mounted radar detectors visit the Escort 9500ix vs Escort Redline comparison page. Best Radar Detector Under $400 - In this price range clearly the winner is the new Beltronics Pro-500.  The PRO-500 shares the same platform as the higher priced Escort 9500ix but lacks only one feature (Auto Learn). Visit our Beltronics PRO 500 vs. Escort 9500ix comparison page for a listing of all the differences.  Performance is the same with both of these radar detectors but there are some feature and packaging differences. Best Radar Detector Under $300 - The Beltronics PRO 300 which recently replaced the long standing RX65. It has increased sensitivity over the old model which gives you more time to react when it goes off but it also give you less false alerts because of the improved filtering.  The only RX65 also could not alert to some of the new laser guns on the market but the new PRO-300 does.  If you dont need GPS and under $300 is your budget this is the unit to get. Best Radar Detector Under $200 - There are a few good units in this price category.  Whistler just refreshed their lineup and introduced the new CR Series.  Two of these units are excellent detectors for their price range and worthy to be in the best under $200 category. The Whistler CR85 ($149.95) is their new  high performance radar detector and the Whistler CR90 ($189.95) is the same as the CR85 but it adds an internal gps antenna, This enables the CR90 to also give you red light camera and fixed speed camera protection. Best Radar Detector Under $100 Unfortunately detectors under $100 do not necessarily qualify for the 'BEST' title because they can not complete with the performance of the higher priced units but if you are on a budget we would recommend the Whistler PRO-68SE for $99.95 as a decent entry level radar detector. We will update this listing with raw test results which will give you more detail and clearly show the performance difference between these models very shortly.

New Radar Detector & Laser Jammer Forum

There is a new online chat forum being launched for the discussion of countermeasure equipment such as radar detectors and laser jammer's.  We will participate there and welcome all of our customers to join the new site.  The address is www.radarandlaserforum.com and we will also have many manufactures there to answer any particular questions you might have on their products.  Look forward to seeing you there.

RALETC Comparison Test of the AL Priority, Blinder HP-905 & Laser Interceptor Jammer

As more and more people start to receive their AL Priority systems the reviews so far have been very positive.  The latest RALETC shootout of the top 3 laser jammers showed results that we were experiencing in our own testing.  To quote them "It seem that Antilaser has raised the bar.  To me I believe that Antilaser is the winner of this test. "

Read their full review here:

If you are interested in purchasing the new AL Priority you can visit the AL Priority USA website by going to http://www.alpriorityusa.com

Top 3 Best Performing Radar Detectors on the market

There have been several changes recently in the high end windshield mounted radar detectors.  When you are looking for the best radar detector you also have to get ready to shell out some serious money because they sure can get expensive.

With the introduction of the new Passport Max there has been a shakeup in the top spot for radar detectors and also a new price category for windshield mounted radar detectors above $500.  The Passport Max is the most expensive windshield mounted unit ever created.  Is it worth $549.95? We will give you enough information for you to decide.

Here are our choices for the top 5 windshield mounted radar detectors.

1. Escort Passport Max ($549.95)
2. Escort Redline ($499.95)
3. Valentine 1 ($399.95)

Escort Passport Max

The Escort Passport Max we rate as the best overall windshield mounted radar detector and while it had a rough start with several firmware updates under its belt many original issues have been corrected.  The biggest gripe many have with this radar detector is Escorts marketing claims which claimed it was the best radar detector with the maximum range of any other radar detector.

The Escort Max is not the longest range radar detector ever made but it is close to the performance of the Escort Redline which we will discuss later.  It is however the most sensitive gps enabled radar detector and does replace the Escort 9500ix as the leader in this category.

For city drivers the use of a radar detector can be a huge annoyance because there are many false alerts that you will encounter.  The most common false will be from automatic door openers that share the same frequency of police radar.  While these sensors are not looking for speed they are using radar to sense motion and trigger their doors to open when people are walking into the stores.

Sensitive detectors like the Escort Redline or Valentine One will constantly go off because they are so sensitive that they can many times detect these sensors several hundred feet away.   I live in NJ and I can tell you that running a non gps detector down a main city road the false alerts are almost non stop,  Its almost desensitizing that when I see a real threat I can tend to ignore it because I am used to the false alerts in the city.

The Passport Max has an auto learn function that keeps track of your driving and notes every alert it detects in its internal database.  AutoLearn technology uses the power of GPS and the exact frequency of the false alert and automatically will reject unwanted door openers and other fixed position false alerts on future passes making it extremely quiet in the city.

If you are looking for the best radar detector to use in the city and you can afford it, The passport max is the best detector for your money.

The Escort Redline is a great detector and there is no doubt about that.  If you are a highway driver this unit is awesome and it is the most sensitive windshield mounted radar detector built to date. Its built on the solid M3 antenna platform which is a dual antenna that offers the best off-axis protection available.  I have received alerts around hills and curves with no issues with the Redline.

In areas where detectors are not allowed such as Virginia, Washington DC and parts of Canada this detector has been the favorite.  Its the only detector in the Top 3 that is undetectable by police RDD's (Radar Detector Detectors) which are devices used to sniff out vehicles using radar detectors in banned areas,    If you live in one of these areas and want a radar detector this is the detector to get hands down.

I have seen many videos from customers of ours (See Escort Redline Detailed Review) on our website for videos that will show the Escort Redline detecting threats as far away as 10 miles.  This is a crazy sensitive detector and for Highway use this detector is simply the best.

The latest firmware update on the Escort Redline with enhanced RDR/BS options enables you to now have advanced Band Segmentation ability which was once only available on the much higher priced custom installed Beltronics Sti-R Plus. BS (Band Segmentation) allows users to select certain frequency ranges within the KA band to turn on or off. Removing certain bands from the scan that you know are not used in real police radar allows the Redline to scan the KA Band much faster.

RDR (Radar Detector Rejection) option with the new Expert Firmware was not an option you could turn off in previous editions. This option allows the detectors to eliminate False alerts caused from nearby radar detectors in other vehicles. While this works great to eliminate false alerts it causes the detector to pause (Only for Miliseconds) while it determines if the alert is a false or a real threat. The problem is I/O and POP Radar are very fast and having this option on could cause the Redline to not alert to one of these real threats.

Using RDR & BS at the same time almost turbo charges the response time of the Redline (See Escort RDR/BS Video) while not adding many additional false alerts. Since you eliminate segments of the non real police frequencies you can eliminate many of these false alerts and you can use the RDR Off function to dramatically increase the response time of the detector. These are not features the average user should play with without guidance of knowing what is used in their area. We can help with setting up your Redline properly in your area.

So to sum it up if you are a highway driver or live in an area where radar detectors are banned the Escort Redline is the best highway performing radar detector.

Valentine 1

While we do not sell the Valentine 1 there could not be a top 3 without it.  For many years the Valentine was the leader of the industry and was considered by enthusiasts the best radar detector around.  Times have changed and Valentine has let the Redline pass it as the most sensitive detector.  

The Valentine 1 is a highway radar detector like the Escort Redline.  It does not have the stealth capability that the Redline so if you are in a Virginia, Washington DC or parts of Canada this is not the detector for you.

What is does have that makes it special is two separate antenna's (One in the Front and one in the Rear) so the valentine can help pin point the direction where the signal is stronger to give you an idea where the signal is coming from.

 

New Radar & Laser Detector Forum to Launch Soon

There is a new Radar & Laser Detector discussion forum launching soon.  Website is called the Radar Detector & Laser Jammer Forum, The forum is put together from many long time radar detector enthusiasts and the site will focus on testing the latest products from all the countermeasure manufactures and having discussion on the latest products. Look out for it soon.

Escort Passport Max is now in stock!

After the long wait we have finally received the new Escort Passport Max.  The Max definitely had a rough start in the market but since its original release there have been several firmware updates and in our opinion the product is now stable and definitely worth considering if you are a city driver.

The Passport Max is extremely sensitive and will replace the Escort 9500ix as the best city radar detector.  If you are a highway driver the long trusted Escort Redline will still outperform the Passport Max.

New AL Priority USA website seems to have launched

Seems like the long awaited AL Priority parking sensors should be here shortly.  Their new USA website seems to be online http://www.ALPriorityUSA.com and prices on the AL Priority are listed but availability is listed as coming soon. 

I have had the honor of testing this product for the past 3 months or so and I must say its very promising and its add-on modules for this unit are very impressive.

Small list of add on modules from the AL Priority USA site:

Many Add On Modules are Under Development

• AntiLaser Air (iPhone) – Wireless control of your AL Priority via your iPhone
• AntiLaser RD Control – (Firmware Update) Radar Detection Integration with the following Radar Antenna's (Beltronics 975, Beltronics STi-R Plus)
• AntiLaser Hi-Fi ControlSet – HiFi voice communication module for adding voice alerts through external speaker
• AntiLaser LCC Sensor - Receive only sensor for filtering Laser Cruise Control signal on LCC equipped cars (This will require 1 of the 5 head ports)
• AntiLaser gSpeed - GPS Antenna for defining speed limits for AL working modes
• AntiLaser Display - Graphic Display to make alerts easier to understand   

Integration with the best custom installed detector the Beltronics Sti-R Plus will be awesome.  Looking forward to putting that integration in my own vehicle.

Comparison of the new 2013 Whistler Radar Detectors

To best explain the differences with the new Whistler models please look over the attached comparison chart.  Its the easiest way to compare each of the new 2013 models:

Click To Enlarge: Whistler Radar Detector Comparison Chart

New Detector in the works from Escort?

Looks like Escort registered a new domain recently....

PASSPORT-MAX.COM

Which leads me to believe a new Passport Detector is on its way.  Based on the name Passport Max that they recently registered makes me think that it could be a replacement for the 9500ix which has been out some time.  Maybe their Maximum sensitive radar detector to date or maybe a GPS enabled detector with the Redline's sensitivity? Guess we will have to wait a few days and see what's its all about.

Breakdown of the new Whistler CR Radar Detectors

Understanding the new Whistler CR radar detector models and what models they replaced.  Here is an easy guide to help you understand which models were replaced.

XTR-265 is now the CR65 updated to include TFSR and the new laser signatures
XTR-338 is now the CR70 updated to include TFSR and the new laser signatures
XTR-558 is now the CR75 updated to include TFSR and the new laser signatures + new compass
PRO68SE is now the CR80 but they added Voice and include TFSR and the new laser signatures
PRO78SE is now the CR85 updated to include TFSR and the new laser signatures

New Whistler CR85 Radar Detector

Whistler has released their redesigned new 2013 model radar detectors.  At the top of the line is the new CR85 high performance detector which replaces their long running Whistler PRO-78SE as their new flagship model. 

Whistler CR85 and PRO-78SE

Although the size and format are relatively the same the new models now have updated support for alerting to the newer laser runs.  The new models can now detect Laser Atlanta Stealth mode, Laser Ally & the new LTI Truspeed S.  The new Whistler CR85 is in stock and ready to ship!

The new AL Priority is getting close!

The new AL Priority & Website are being finalized. All US approvals needed are in place. Getting very close to release.   AL Priority will have online updating to avoid OS/version compatibilities so you save file to any USB thumb drive for easy loading on the AL Priority.

AL Priority will be sold as Parking Sensors, The Boxes, Manuals, Website Etc. will all reflect this. It will operate as a parking sensor 100% of the time that it is on.

Several weeks ago we had the product in hand and tested it thoroughly and its an exceptional product.  The possibilities are endless with the add on capabilities on this unit.  (More will be revealed in time)

The new AL Priority website is being tested and should be online in the next 1-2 weeks.  Since some leaked photo's have made it to the internet I was authorized to release some original photo's of the product.

AL Priority Control Module

AL Priority CPU

AL Priority Head

New Expert Software vs. V1 Radar Detectors

Lots of comparisons of  these two detectors lately and it looks from the results of many tests that the Redline is the winner.  Nine from the Escort Radar Forum has done extensive testing with results found here.  Also many individual tests have been performed and the updated Redline has taken the spot of the longest radar windshield mounted detector.  Our results will be posted on our top radar detector picks page.  For Highway driving the Redline is the king but if you are heavy into city driving the Escort 9500ix is still the one to get.

New Escort Redline's Back in Stock

All backorders on the new Escort Redline have shipped and we have plenty of them in stock.   We no longer have any of the non updated units so when ordering you do not need to specify that you want the new firmware.  All our units are now ship with the new firmware but you need to turn on the Band Segmentation (BS) and RDR options in the detectors menu.

For most users in the US you will want to make sure you have KA2, KA5 & KA8 on to cover all KA band radar guns used in the United States.

Ka1 = 33.392 - 33.704
Ka2 = 33.704 - 33.896 (For MPH 33.8 Radar Guns)
Ka3 = 33.886 - 34.198
Ka4 = 34.184 - 34.592
Ka5 = 34.592 - 34.808 (For Stalker 34.7 Radar Guns)
Ka6 = 34.806 - 35.166
Ka7 = 35.143 - 35.383
Ka8 = 35.378 - 35.618 (For Kustom / Decatur 35.5 Radar Guns)
Ka9 = 35.595 - 35.835
Ka10 = 35.830 - 35.998

For more information visit the Redline BS/RDR Page on our site!

Escort Expert Software (RDR/BS) is Finally Here!

OK, For everyone that has been waiting patiently for the past year or so since Escort said they would release a new firmware which would give the Redline features normally only found on their much higher priced Beltronics Sti-R Plus and now the wait is now over.

We have in stock Escort Redline's with RDR/BS (Band Segmentation and Radar Detector Rejection) - When ordering you need to specify in the order comments that you want the new Escort RDR/BS updated units since we still have both in stock.

The new Expert Software will enable you to band segment the KA Band and also give you the ability to turn off their RDR (Radar Detector Rejection) feature which when set correctly will yield you a mush faster response time giving you more notice to those hard to detect (I/O) shots.

You can see this post on Escort's forum for detailed information on how to view these new features properly.

If you have any questions or want to purchase one of these new units please let us know.

Low End Radar Detectors

Finding a good radar detector on a budget is a real problem.  They key word is GOOD because there are tons of radar detectors under $100 but mostly they are useless and a waste of money.  There is no way a cheap radar detector will give you adequate protection against today's radar technology.

Today enforcement uses POP Mode guns as well as I/O (Instant On) technology and unless your detector is sensitive enough to detect at great distances you will be toast.

There are a few radar detectors under $200 that are decent performers.  You can read more about them on our Best Radar Detectors Under $200 FAQ page.

The ones to look at in this price range are:

1. Beltronics PRO-200 (On Sale for $199.95)
2. Whistler XTR-695SE
3. Whistler PRO-78SE

Try to stay away from any cheap detectors because they will give you a false sense of security.  If you can only afford a cheap detector I would save longer and get a better one.

Escort Redline w/RDR & BS Is Here!

The Escort Redline Radar Detector is Escorts most sensitive windshield mounted radar detector.  Its very sensitive and because of that there are a lot of filters setup to make it very bearable in everyday driving.  No one wants false alerts but unfortunately very cheap radar detectors in other cars next to you could set your detector off.

To combat this Escort has an RDR (Radar Detector Rejection) filter setup in the Redline which analyzes the signal and reject it and ignore if it distinguishes that its a false from a leaky radar detector.  While most drivers appreciate this feature the slight delay could cause trouble in an Instant On Situation where that half a second could mean the difference in the detection of a real instant on hit.

Instant On is where an officer is sitting there in their car looking for a selective vehicle to hit.  Their gun is off until they see a car that they want to target and then pull the trigger.  They usually would get an instant reading and then back off the trigger immediately.  This is a very quick process and is the most deadly type of shot.

The beauty of the Redline is that it is very senstive and I have seen alerts where the Redline was able to pick up alerts miles down the road.  We have some videos on our website in our Escort Redline Review where the Redline detected at 10 miles away.

The biggest flaw with the Redline is that you can not turn off the RDR Filtering if you would prefer better Raw performance.  Many enthusiasts would prefer to deal with more false alerts and better I/O protection and Escort has been listening.  They will be releasing a long awaited firmware upgrade soon that will give the Redline advanced functions normally only seen on their top of the line Beltronics Sti-R Plus model until which retails for more than double the cost of the Redline.

Along with the ability to turn RDR off it will also have Band Segmentation ability to remove certain frequency ranges from its scans which are not used by real police radar giving the detector a faster scan time.  That option along with the RDR option off would make this detector respond extremely quick helping is those hard to detect I/O situations.

Escort 8500x50 Black on Sale $299.95 Shipped

The Escort 8500x50 Black is currently on sale for $299.95 (Save $40) and for a limited time you can add Escort Live for only $40 more.  Escort Live is normally $99.95 so this is a tremendous value.  You can get the Red or Blue display version for the same sale price.

Shake up in the Laser Jammer market soon?

The US market for Laser Jammer's has been dominated the past few years by Laser Interceptor, Blinder had recently had released their HP-905 Diode Laser Jammer to compete in the market and now coming soon with be a 3rd major player.  The real makers of the ALG9 will be releasing the new AL PRIORITY laser Jammer soon here in the US.

To sign up for updates on this product view this webpage: http://www.alpriorityusa.com/

The AL Priority will be the smallest and most powerful sensor yet available, internet upgradeable & user programmable control unit, with new handy add-ons. Assuring top quality & inventive solutions, they proudly carry a list of registered and pending patents in the USA and worldwide proving to be a leader in the field. AL brand of products is designed and manufactured in Europe.

Introducing new features with AL PRIORITY:

• though smaller, new sensor gives even higher class of laser reception (+15%)
• still holding the widest angle protection (up to ±15°H ±15°V)
• still the most resistant to noise and light interferences
• fully effective from 10V to 17V power supply
• so many different options in the set up, to satisfy any user - colorful and user friendly
• Control Box is internet upgradeable and programmable by USB stick
• new add ons designed for our multipurpose parking aid

 Stay tuned for more information! This will be a major US player in the market.

Whistler AXIS Radar Detector

Looks like the new Whistler AXIS Radar Detector that was highly anticipated in Q4 of 2012 is now on hold and will not be coming out anytime soon.  Seems to be some legal patent issues with releasing a GPS enabled Whistler unit.  We have removed the item from out site for the time being and if and when we receive any updates on the release of this product we will update everyone.

Choosing a radar detector in 2013

Wow, 2012 came and went fast.  2013 is now upon us and everyone is asking what is the best reviewed radar detectors for 2013.  We revised our top picks for 2013 and as new items come out and get tested we will do our best to keep this page updated.  For now there are no new detectors coming out Escort & Beltronics and many of the late 2012 models are still our strong picks for 2013.

Help choosing a Radar Detector

We get asked all the time which is the best radar detector for the money and unfortunately there is no one detector that is best for everyone.  We have recently made some changes and additions to our FAQ's page to include information on some of the newer radar detectors.   We have several models that we like across various price ranges.  We also have custom installed radar detectors as well as the more common windshield mounted radar detectors.

Still the easiest way to find the best unit for yourself is to contact us and let us know where you drive and your budget and we can tell you what unit would be the best for you.

New 2013 Cobra Radar Detectors

At CES 2013 Cobra introduced 2 new radar detectors that they plan to release for 2013.  Both will be in the iRadar platform.  One is the iRadar ATOM which will eventually replace the iRadar windshield mounted units.  Its 30% smaller from previous versions and will have a performance increase over their older models.

Next will be Cobra's first introduction into remote mounted radar detectors.  It is the new Cobra iRadar S-Series ($300) . It differs from previous radar detectors from the company in that it's designed to be mounted in the front of your vehicle usually behind your grill.  All controls and alerts will come through your smartphone.

Next Cobra also introduced their new SPX Radar Line which will include three new models – the SPX 5300, SPX 5400 and SPX 5500, all which include super-charged performance in a more compact unit size. The three models offer double the detection range with less false alerts, all at a highly affordable price.

As with all products manufactures always claim their newer models are better and offer better performance.  Once these products start to come in we will test them and see what they really can do.  As of yet no Cobra radar detector has made it to our Best Radar Detector listing.  Maybe one of these models will perform goof enough to make it on our recommendation list.