Radar Detector Review

Radar detector reviewers and controversy

Radar-detector enthusiasts are a passionate group, and the two main entities that test radar detectors, Speed Measurement Laboratories and Guys of Lidar, are fanatical in their attention to detail, providing clear explanations of testing policies and extensive documentation of each and every test they conduct. Rarely do we see such devotion to critical analysis and pure love of research than at these two websites. Quite simply, Speed Measurement Laboratories (which publishes results on its website, SpeedZones.com) and Guys of Lidar (GuysofLidar.com) are the best reviewers of radar detectors out there. However, neither makes specific recommendations. Instead, they present all of the information and let readers decide for themselves which radar detector best suits their needs.

While manufacturers and users sometimes claim otherwise, most people buy radar detectors for one reason -- to avoid speeding tickets. It's not surprising, then, that there's a bit of an outlaw attitude when it comes to radar detectors. Unfortunately, that attitude sometimes spills over to the reviewers as well. Roy Reyer, a former police officer and proprietor of RadarBuster.com, is a prominent expert and tester of radar detectors. However, Reyer pleaded guilty in 2001 to felony solicitation to commit computer tampering in connection with a satellite-TV fraud case, according to records from Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. Reyer's sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for three years and ordered to pay restitution to DirecTV.

Another expert, Craig Peterson of RadarTest.com, has been accused of sabotaging a radar-detector field test by Guys of Lidar, who posted a video on their website to back up the claim. Peterson's website offers a general statement in its "About Us" page that "no one qualified to offer an opinion has ever questioned his integrity," but there's no direct response to the specific Guys of Lidar allegations. The same page also brags that Peterson broke the speed limit to the tune of 84 mph (in the days of the 55 mph national speed limit) over 37 hours during a Boston-to-San Diego cannonball race.

Meanwhile, LaserStar, a manufacturer of laser jammers used to block police laser guns, has been accused of "spamming" on more than one car or radar-detector forum. Because of all of these allegations of wrongdoing and shady tactics, it can be difficult for shoppers to figure out which radar-detector "experts" they can really trust. For that reason, we looked for reviewers that clearly spell out their test methodology and motivations.

Some radar and laser detectors simply don't work well in tests. In Guys of Lidar's 2008 test of laser jammers, the aforementioned LaserStar placed almost dead last, second only to a foreign prototype. The LaserStar failed to consistently jam eleven of the 12 different laser guns police use.

Cobra is a well-known brand of radar detectors that gets high marks for looks and styling, but this brand generally receives disappointing feedback for performance. Interestingly, however, they do somewhat better with consumers than they do with experts and aficionados. A case in point is the Cobra XRS-9930 (*Est. $130), which gets good user feedback at Amazon.com and Epinions. The Veil Guy at Laserveil.com also gives slight consideration to the Cobra XRS-9930 as a budget alternative, but -- like Roy Reyer at RadarBusters.com -- finds the unit has a hard time detecting POP radar. And in Speed Measurement Laboratories' 2008 tests, the Cobra XRS-9930 repeatedly finished in or near last place.