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.