After spending nearly a year, accumulating an obscene amount of miles through more states than I care to count, behind the wheel with this awesome remote, I am pleased to be able to share my formal review of the Beltronics STi-R custom installed radar detector.
Every once in a great while, a product comes along that is so special, so outside the established norms of the time, that its very existence redefines its own category. The Beltronics STi-R custom installed radar detector (along with its sister the Escort Passport 9500ci), is such a product.
Installation video of the Beltronics STi-R into my vehicle to follow, along with a long-term review of the Escort Passport 9500ci, which was installed into my vehicle at the same time, last year.
Even though the Beltronics STi-R and Passport 9500ci are related, they really are two separate kinds of systems which do not directly "compete" with one another.
The Escort Passport 9500ci is a combination radar/laser detector, laser jammer (Escort calls it "laser shifting"), and an advanced GPS detector which alerts to the ever growing presence of photo-enforcement systems.
On the other hand, the Beltronics STi-R is a dedicated radar/laser detector, one specifically tailored to those driving enthusiasts who can appreciate its virtues and specialized feature-set.
Although, the Escort Passport 9500ci is based-upon the same undetectable platform developed by Beltronics as the dash-mount Beltronics STi Driver and the Beltronics STi-R remote, the Escort Passport 9500ci is sufficiently different to merit its own dedicated review in the future. Happy and safe motoring!
Blinder M27/Blinder M47 Xtreme: New Laser Jammers with Extreme Performance
For those of you familiar with Blinder, this Danish-based company has a long-established history of producing highly-regarded (and often imitated, but not equaled), top-quality, high-performing, cool-running, and long-lasting LED-based laser jammers (including the M10/M15, M20/M40, M25/M45). With each newer model series, Blinder users have become accustomed to increased capabilities and performance over their previous models.
For 2009, Blinder has taken the performance of their Xtreme laser jammer series to an even higher level.
So what can fans of Blinder expect to see with the new Blinder M27 X-TREME (two-head) and Blinder M47 X-TREME (four-head) models? The manufacturer claims the following improvements.
Blinder M27 X-TREME and Blinder M47 X-TREME, at a glance:
Improved laser jamming efficiency
More powerful platform
Improved laser/lidar detection
PC software updateable (via USB port on control module)
Multi-function/IR transponders (can be configured as a parking sensor/garage door opener)
Separate US and European versions (support of more lidar guns seen in each market)
Same price points as M25/M45 ($429 for 2-head M27 & $679 for 4-head M47)
Physically the US and European versions are identical, the differences are in the software/firmware. The European versions support lidar guns only experienced in those markets, including the advanced Traffipatrol XR and the new LTI-TruSpeed with advanced anti-laser jamming circuitry (which is a new algorithm specifically to designed defeat laser jamming attempts, not merely detect them). The U.S. versions support all currently used police lasers approved by use by the IACP including the U.S. version of the LTI-Truspeed.
We expect the new M27 and M47 to become available in about two weeks from today. Knowing the dedication of Blinder's engineering development team, these new multi-function laser jammers should prove to be very compelling systems regardless of price.
I can't wait to try them out on my vehicle coupled with Veil G4. I suspect this combination will be extremely difficult to beat* at any price!
*Note: We do not condone the use of any countermeasure for the purposes of JTG. We believe countermeasures such as a radar detector, laser jammer, or Veil should only be used to safely adjust speeds, if needed, to the extent these systems (either individually or in combination) allow.
New for 2009: Whistler Pro78 SE, Whistler XTR-690SE, Whistler XTR-695SE
The SE, may officially stand for Special Edition. But, what it really stands for is MAX(imum) Ka Performance
I am very pleased that the much anticipated new Whistler Pro-78SE, Whistler XTR-690SE, and Whistler XTR-695SE models will soon be making their way to your favorite radar detector retailer.
For 2009, these three related Whistler radar detector models are especially noteworthy for their improved Ka and laser reception performance.
As has been the case in the recent past, Whistler has afforded me the privilege of an advanced look at their new flagship model line-up.
I have taken each of them for an extended drive and pitted them against a bunch of real-world traffic enforcement to ultimately determine how improved the new Whistler XTR-695SE, Whistler XTR-690SE, and Whistler Pro-78 SE models really are.
Were they worth the wait? Well, here's what I found:
To achieve this end, Napolitano has sourced government and/or industry-related funded traffic highway 'safety' studies, comprised of 'biased-statistics' (both cognitive and attributional) replete with error.
Furthermore, Napolitano's cabal has undertaken Orwellian-like tactics including the dissemination of disinformation and use of double-speak.
Napolitano's past public outreach "safety" campaigns, were neither concerned about enhancing highway safety, nor "public" in their outreach.
Through the likes of law-enforcement organizations and the very private-institutions standing to profit, Napolitano has resorted to coordinated efforts of reporter intimidation, media management, and agenda-driven public opinion shaping/influencing.
I believe it is self-evident that a Janet Napolitano appointment as a Supreme Court Justice would most certainly be championed by these very same (often foreign-owned) companies and their paid lobbyists to influence (through campaign financial contribution) key political insiders who could ensure a rapid confirmation process of Janet Napolitano to the Bench.
Isn't it ironic that much (media) coverage has been given, over the years, to the "deprivation of rights" of certain individuals who have shown themselves to be enemies-of-the-state and yet very little (if any) substantive new coverage (by the media) given to the individuals, groups, or enterprises who have been steadily working to together to further erode our own U.S. citizens' individual liberties (for the sake of corporate profiteering and alternative taxation?)
To be clear, I respect, understand, and support our nation's need to establish new security "rule-sets" ("rule-set reset") in a globalizedpost-911Internet-connected world, however I am compelled (as a U.S. citizen being protected by both sets of rule-sets) to draw the line (firewall our existing long-established rights: as codified in our young nation's Founding Documents from portions [of these] emerging rule-sets) when [that security] need leads our society to connect globally certain technologies and systems which can or doencroach upon our long-established and sacred individual rights or collective society's rights—by tasking automated computer systems to act as a witness, judge, jury and "executioner" and by doing so, usurping our established rule-of-law and by extension of that usurpation, undermine the very fabric of (our Constitution) that our government leaders (and their appointees) have sworn an oath to the Almighty, to protect before being permitted the assumption of their respective elected (or appointed) offices.
Despite these expressed concerns, I remain very optimistic about our nation's (and our world's) future, I simply wish us not to forget the very principles that have so faithfully guided this great nation of ours to this point in history and I trust into the future: a 'future worth creating,' for us all...
Veil Guy
PS: If we were to take President Obama's articulate speech at face-value, it would appear that Janet Napolitano would not meet his standard (full transcript):
Except:
"... I will seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role. I will seek somebody who shares my respect for Constitutional values on which this nation was founded, and who brings a thoughtful understanding of how to apply them in our time..."*