Beltronics has indicated to us that the daily production level output of the their hand-assembled STI driver radar detector is slated to double by mid June 2006. For those of you who are waiting for an STI driver, this is promising news as back-order levels have been fairly signficant and new units have been slow to make their way to the marketplace.
If you were wondering whether the Bel Sti Driver was going to ultimately replace their current flagship the RX-65 pro, the answer is no. As we expected, Beltronics will continue offering the RX-65 as their flagship "conventional" radar detector.
As indicated in our initial review of the STI driver, the stealth radar detector is going to be primarily directed towards "professional drivers" (eg: truckers - with an initial focus on truck-stops throughout the US). This appears to be a correct assessment of their strategy.
Expect a thorough performance examination of this unique radar detector in the coming months and a report on our findings in the follow-on to our very popular radar detector review of last year.
Veil Guy
Radar detector reviews, tests, and guides of the latest traffic enforcement technology and what countermeasures are effective at mitigating them.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
New Radar Detector Comparison Coming
With our annual appearance at SpeedZones rapidly approaching (last week of June) we have procured an arrest-me-red 2006 C6 corvette convertible for this year's western route of our radar detector review.
This year we are expecting to compare: The latest versions of the best radar detectors currently being produced: Beltronics RX-65 Pro, Beltronics STI Driver, Escort 8500 X50, and the venerable Valentine V1 radar detectors.
Instead of using our 2005 Black Dodge Viper, we wanted to mix-up the American muscle with the latest that Chevy has to provide. All accounts is that this vehicle is as refined as a Porsche.
If that is really true, we are really looking forward to tooling around the roads of New Mexico, rural Arizona and Texas.
Even though petrol is north of $3/gallon, I don't think I'll be worring about that...a speeding ticket still eclipses these prices by a signficant margin...Hope we fare as well as we did last time out...Zero tickets...but hey, we weren't tooling around in a bright red vette!
We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed! We should have a full report available for your reading pleasure, mid-July.
Veil Guy
This year we are expecting to compare: The latest versions of the best radar detectors currently being produced: Beltronics RX-65 Pro, Beltronics STI Driver, Escort 8500 X50, and the venerable Valentine V1 radar detectors.
Instead of using our 2005 Black Dodge Viper, we wanted to mix-up the American muscle with the latest that Chevy has to provide. All accounts is that this vehicle is as refined as a Porsche.
If that is really true, we are really looking forward to tooling around the roads of New Mexico, rural Arizona and Texas.
Even though petrol is north of $3/gallon, I don't think I'll be worring about that...a speeding ticket still eclipses these prices by a signficant margin...Hope we fare as well as we did last time out...Zero tickets...but hey, we weren't tooling around in a bright red vette!
We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed! We should have a full report available for your reading pleasure, mid-July.
Veil Guy
Police Laser sales up a brisk 76% for 2006 over previous year
2006 is turning out to be a very strong year for police laser.
According to a source close to the acquisition process of traffic monitoring departments around the country and abroad, sales of police laser is growing at an ever-increasing rate.
This is likely due to the following key factors:
1) Older police radar guns may be replaced with newer police laser guns as they rotate out of service.
2) Police laser is getting much cheaper to own and operate. To wit, two new police laser guns from Kustom Signals have broken the $2000 mark and are now priced competively with some police radar units. Other manufacturers will likely follow trend to preserve market share.
3) As traffic density continues to climb in many areas, police laser provides inherent advantages in being able to track single vehicle single lane speed better than police radar.
4) Police laser is more flexible in a wider variety of targeting situations than police radar.
5) Traffic departments are finally getting acclimated to police laser.
6) Challenges in court/post-citation are less frequent than their radar counterparts as laser speed acquisition is more precise and less prone to operator error.
7) Court approval for police laser usage is now widespread.
8) Police laser guns are lighter and easier to operate than they used to be and are now very easy to operate.
9) Only the top performing laser detectors provide any useful warning to police laser usage.
10) Without countermeasures (VEIL/laser jammers) the top radar detectors provide little useful advanced warning to their owner.
Bottom line: Your chances of encountering a police laser speed trap is going up this driving season...Be prepared for it.
Veil Guy.
PS: Missed a previous article? Check out the veilguy's blog to get caught up.
According to a source close to the acquisition process of traffic monitoring departments around the country and abroad, sales of police laser is growing at an ever-increasing rate.
This is likely due to the following key factors:
1) Older police radar guns may be replaced with newer police laser guns as they rotate out of service.
2) Police laser is getting much cheaper to own and operate. To wit, two new police laser guns from Kustom Signals have broken the $2000 mark and are now priced competively with some police radar units. Other manufacturers will likely follow trend to preserve market share.
3) As traffic density continues to climb in many areas, police laser provides inherent advantages in being able to track single vehicle single lane speed better than police radar.
4) Police laser is more flexible in a wider variety of targeting situations than police radar.
5) Traffic departments are finally getting acclimated to police laser.
6) Challenges in court/post-citation are less frequent than their radar counterparts as laser speed acquisition is more precise and less prone to operator error.
7) Court approval for police laser usage is now widespread.
8) Police laser guns are lighter and easier to operate than they used to be and are now very easy to operate.
9) Only the top performing laser detectors provide any useful warning to police laser usage.
10) Without countermeasures (VEIL/laser jammers) the top radar detectors provide little useful advanced warning to their owner.
Bottom line: Your chances of encountering a police laser speed trap is going up this driving season...Be prepared for it.
Veil Guy.
PS: Missed a previous article? Check out the veilguy's blog to get caught up.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
A New Reason to Mount the Valentine 1 Low
I was drving on the PA NorthEast extension and Interstate 80 on a two and half hour drive tonight and during the drive devised a new (and I believe) better way to drive with my trusted friend, the V1.
I mounted the radar detector low-midway on the windshield left of center and in clear view of my right eye.
I love to drive with music (I was listening to a mellow CD by David Sandborn) at a pretty decent level. I have sometimes been burned by having the music drown out the sound of the V1 even at maximum level. Can you imagine explaining to the citing officer the reason you were caught speeding was you were listening some musical score and not your detector! Trust me, I don't believe you'll find many sympathizing police officers.
If you have my reviews of the Valentine V1 radar detector , you know I am a huge fan of their audio capability...I believe they are the standard by which all other detectors should be measured.
We'll now I have found a new way to have my cake and eat it too.
However, as I already stated, I have been burned by relying on the sound when I listen to music at elevated levels.
Valentine also has class leading light indicators on their detectors. Between the arrows which clearly indicate the direction of the radar(s) source, the visual signal strength meter also provides incredibly usable and accurate signal strength indication.
By mounting the detector low or low-mid, I have found that I can actually react quicker by site than by sound. When I am on the highway, especially in the evening, I don't particularly care about which band of radar I am being pelted with...only that I can slow down before being nailed.
This setup allows this...and enables me to enjoy my music.
I have now come to appreciate the Valentine 1 in a whole a new way...Really good stuff!
When I came into town, I found the radar detector alerting more often to the ever-present door openers. We'll with the radar detector in this configuration, the alerts were instantly "muted" because the volume was all the way down...what a relief!
Try it, next time you find yourself in the evening on some highway (or going across town).
You just may like it...a lot!
Happy and safe motoring.
Veil Guy
I mounted the radar detector low-midway on the windshield left of center and in clear view of my right eye.
I love to drive with music (I was listening to a mellow CD by David Sandborn) at a pretty decent level. I have sometimes been burned by having the music drown out the sound of the V1 even at maximum level. Can you imagine explaining to the citing officer the reason you were caught speeding was you were listening some musical score and not your detector! Trust me, I don't believe you'll find many sympathizing police officers.
If you have my reviews of the Valentine V1 radar detector , you know I am a huge fan of their audio capability...I believe they are the standard by which all other detectors should be measured.
We'll now I have found a new way to have my cake and eat it too.
However, as I already stated, I have been burned by relying on the sound when I listen to music at elevated levels.
Valentine also has class leading light indicators on their detectors. Between the arrows which clearly indicate the direction of the radar(s) source, the visual signal strength meter also provides incredibly usable and accurate signal strength indication.
By mounting the detector low or low-mid, I have found that I can actually react quicker by site than by sound. When I am on the highway, especially in the evening, I don't particularly care about which band of radar I am being pelted with...only that I can slow down before being nailed.
This setup allows this...and enables me to enjoy my music.
I have now come to appreciate the Valentine 1 in a whole a new way...Really good stuff!
When I came into town, I found the radar detector alerting more often to the ever-present door openers. We'll with the radar detector in this configuration, the alerts were instantly "muted" because the volume was all the way down...what a relief!
Try it, next time you find yourself in the evening on some highway (or going across town).
You just may like it...a lot!
Happy and safe motoring.
Veil Guy
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