Radar Detectors Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Radar Detectors. See our ratings criteria

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Radar Detectors Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Radar Detectors Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. SpeedZones	Annual Radar Detector Test 2007-2008 Editors of SpeedZones Summer 2007		SpeedZones reports on field evaluations of radar detectors tested by Speed Measurement Laboratories. Testing is incredibly well documented and results are published, but no recommendations are made. Almost all tested radar detectors do a good job detecting all types of radar. The lone exception is the Q3 Radar Hawk SM. The Whistler 78 and Whistler 690 had trouble detecting 33.8 GHz Ka band radar, but that frequency is rarely used. The Valentine One and Whistler 690 had the most consistent success against POP radar guns. The Valentine One also enjoys a clear edge among laser detectors, being the only model to see all transmissions from all laser guns used in the site's tests. The Beltronics STi is the only radar detector that is completely invisible to all radar detector detectors. The Escort 9500i is a strong performer that incorporates GPS features.
2. Guys of Lidar	Radar Detector Test Editors of Guys of Lidar Aug. 2007		The reviews conducted by Guys of Lidar are comparative and comprehensive. Most pit several models -- including retail and modified radar detectors -- against each other in trials designed to simulate real-world situations. No best detectors are named. Instead, complete results are published, leaving the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. The site is also packed with a great deal of information on radar and laser detectors and other countermeasures. An earlier review (March 2007) includes many of the same radar detectors but a somewhat different battery of tests, including a POP test and an RDD test.
3. RadarBusters.com	Radar Roy's Radar Detector Rumble Roy Reyer Not Dated		Retired police officer and certified radar instructor Roy Reyer runs this website, which also sells radar detectors. Unlike many retailer-written reviews, the testing methodology is clearly explained, and Reyer includes products he does not carry in his reporting. The fact that he highly rates some detectors he does not carry, while downgrading some he does, adds credibility to this review. Products are awarded from zero to five stars, and Reyer makes specific recommendations. While most of the products mentioned are current, this undated report does include a few discontinued radar detectors.

Radar Detectors Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Radar Detectors Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Guys of Lidar	Laser Jammer Test Editors of Guys of Lidar Mar. 2007		In this review, Guys of Lidar subject a variety of popular laser jammers to a comprehensive test. Each device is tested against every type of laser gun on the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) approved list. Three test runs are performed with the gun aimed at a headlight and three with it aimed at the center of the vehicle. Results for each run are shown graphically. The site also provides an effectiveness percentage that gives a "'one number' idea of how the jammers might generally compare against each other." This review, though not that old, is not as useful as it could be, because the top rated jammers are either prototypes that have yet to reach market, European products that are not readily available in the U.S., or have been discontinued altogether.
5. Laserveil.com	Radar Detectors Buyer's Guide 2007-2008 The Veil Guy Not Dated		If you can get by the numerous plugs for their own product (an automotive spray designed to absorb laser light in order to reduce a laser gun's targeting range), this site has a number of good single product and comparative reviews. Unlike some higher-rated reviewers, reporting here is based on real-world driving experience rather than formal testing. Several high-end and budget-friendly detectors are identified as the best currently available in their classes, and subtle differences between them are explained. The author adds that "Where you travel primarily and what forms of speed enforcement are being used should be the determining factors in ultimately deciding which is the best overall radar detector for your needs."
6. 007 Radardetectors.com	Radar Detector Reviews & Tests Editors of 007 Radardetectors.com As of Jan. 2008		This is another retailer site that tests the radar detectors they sell under "real world" driving conditions. However, there is scant documentation about how they test, and there is little detailed discussion of individual models. Instead, each is given a rating for performance and additional considerations, such as features and build quality. No ratings are given for X band, POP radar or laser performance.

Radar Detectors Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Radar Detectors Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. RadarDetector.net	Radar Detector and Jammer Discussion Forum Contributors to RadarDetector.net As of Jan. 2008		This lively discussion site includes forums dedicated to most major brands of radar detectors, as well as general radar detector discussions, polls and more. Like all user-to-user sites, the discussion can get heated, but there's lots of great information to be found (though takes some time to weed through it all). The site is moderated by Roy Reyer of RadarBusters.com.
8. RadarTest.com	Product Reviews Craig Peterson As of Jan. 2008		Reviewer Craig Peterson has long been acknowledged as a top radar detector reviewer, but that reputation has been tarnished recently by accusations of test sabotage by another review site (Guys of Lidar). In addition, only one new report was posted in 2007 -- a review of laser jammers that was added last April. Older reports, such as a heads-up review of the Bel STi Driver versus the Valentine One (conducted in late 2006) might still have value, but other reports are even older (circa 2005), and everything probably should be taken with a grain of salt in light of recent developments.
9. Epinions	Radar Detectors Contributors to Epinions As of Jan. 2008		Though Epinions sometimes lags behind retailer sites when it comes to the number of reviews, radar detectors actually get a fair amount of feedback. That's great news, since of all user-review sites, Epinions has a slight advantage because the reports that appear there are sometimes as comprehensive as those written by pros. Even better, many reviews reflect months and sometimes a year or more of use, something few professional reviewers can do. Still, this is a better site to visit after you've narrowed your choices down somewhat, as many radar detectors rate similarly. In addition, many radar detectors remain listed long after they've been discontinued.
10. Amazon.com	Radar Detectors Contributors to Amazon.com As of Jan. 2008		Amazon.com is another good spot to read owner-written reviews of radar detectors. Navigation is easy, since the landing page displays both average ratings and the number of reviews each product has received. Clicking through to the reviews themselves, Amazon.com displays the review breakdown (i.e. how many five star reviews, how many four star reviews, etc. the product has received), along with the most helpful positive and negative reviews based on reader feedback. Of course, review quality is variable -- some are just a line or two -- and some radar detectors have received only a few ratings.
11. CircuitCity.com	Radar and Laser Detectors Contributors to Circuit City.com As of Jan. 2008		Circuit City.com's radar and laser detector reviews have the same positives and negatives as Amazon.com, but the site is a little harder to use because the number of reviews does not appear on the landing page. One advantage is that reviewers are asked to provide sub-ratings for accuracy, sensitivity, features and cost-benefit, all of which helps readers zero-in on perceived strong and weak points. Some radar and laser detectors only have a handful of reviews, but others have over a hundred.

Radar Detectors Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Radar Detectors Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. Consumer Guide.com	Radar Detectors Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Jan. 2008		Consumer Guide's reviews have improved recently, but when it comes to radar detectors, even their best falls short of those from other review sources. Recent reviews do a decent job describing set-up and use, but offer little insight as to how the radar detectors perform. Older reviews are little more than a listing of features, and many discontinued detectors remain on the site. Recommendations are made, but based on what we've seen, there's little reason to give them much weight.