The big thing right now is 360 degree protection; in both the Escort Passport 9500ix and the Beltronics GX65 that comes standard. They offer multiple front and rear sensors to help detect police bands of radar and laser from all angles. They work best when detecting them head-on, but they still make quite a difference as compared to older units that some people might still have in their car. In addition to 360 degree protection, find a unit that has 10x band detection. This helps the signal go farther than other competitor’s units that range from as low as 6x and up.

Warning systems in the GPS enabled units are better than in older units because they offer audio and visual alerts so the driver doesn’t miss a thing. They offer false alarm prevention by “learning” with the driver about automatic garage and door opener signals. They also learn their driving habits, the speed of their car at certain times, and when they are going too fast and might trip off a speed camera. These warnings are incredibly helpful and save time in having to program the unit and mute it yourself as you’re driving along.

The Beltronics GX65 is a real favorite among its customer following because it already has a database of the location of thousands of red light and speed cameras programmed into it. The driver can add locations as they come across them and a subscription to a bi-monthly update for the unit is available for under $30. Some review Web sites indicate that the unit seems to be about 4-8 weeks behind in updating, so add you own whenever you come across them! The detection of these red light and speed cameras is improved over time as the unit learns more locations and can warn the driver on the display well ahead of time no matter where they are.

This technology has been in the news because it is so useful and cutting edge. You can go online and read about people who road test all radar detector units and who give reviews on the top contenders like the Cobra, Valentine, and Vector (those are not GPS units). Searching for sites that have an area where a customer can post their experience is also a good idea. This can be found at some opinion and review sites as well as at the manufacturer’s sites. Don’t be afraid to send an email to an online store and ask some question about the products. If you don’t get the answers you’re looking for, go down to one of the electronics stores and get information from one of their sales staff.

By avoiding the very first ticket, speed camera detectors have already paid for themselves! These products are then basically free because you’re avoiding future tickets with no further investment. Locate one online today and start beating the cameras at their own game!

The comments from critics and field testers confirm that these devices really work. They use the technology of GPS to help the unit know how fast the car is traveling and uses this information to alert the driver when they are going too fast or will shut off the detection mode when the vehicle is travelling slower than what police radar would bust them for. Additionally, the GPS helps the unit locate the vehicle in orientation to other points on the map. For example, it can pinpoint the vehicle’s exact location down to the intersection and street and that helps with its next feature: speed camera detection.

Speed cameras are popping up everywhere and avoiding them is somewhat of a blessing to any driver. While a speed camera detector is busy searching for radar and laser bands from police radar guns, it is also searching for red light and speed cameras so it can alert the driver to an impending threat. The Beltronics GX65 Pro Series takes it a step further by having a preprogrammed database of thousands of fixed-position red light and speed cameras so you can avoid the speed trap sites. These detectors alert in plenty of time to slow down and not get caught. Another great unit to look at is the Escort Passport 9500ix. If you decide on getting a radar detector without GPS technology, check out the Vector and the Cobra.

The stores might give you a lot of hype about whatever product they are told to promote at that time, so go online instead and get an objective view of each product before deciding. There are entire Web sites dedicated to information about the types of accessories you can buy for your speed camera detectors. Other sites are for road tests and reviews of how each of the units performed out on the street. Still other sites offer real customer feedback on what happened after they took the devices home and used them. I like to go to the manufacturer’s sites prior to making a purchase and give them my email address so I can sign up for online promotional prices such as free shipping or discounts on products (you can always unsubscribe after buying). I kept my subscriptions so I could get discounts when buying gifts for other people.

Going online will help you shop for the best prices; who isn’t looking to save a dollar or two these days? You can easily locate features of each product, sign up for email discounts, find a gift for someone at a rock-bottom price, or just take home some information for now. There’s no pushy electronics salesperson do deal with and you don’t have anyone trying to meet a sales quote by making you their next victim.

Accessories are more easily researched online than going down to the store and trying to figure it all out. Radar detection systems are highly-complex devices that help you avoid costly tickets and insurance rate hikes. Don’t take the chance that you’ll miss getting an accessory that will enhance your unit’s performance.

Find out more about GPS enabled units! These are somewhat new; they first appeared not to long ago and have been steadily gaining popularity in 2008 and 2009 (look at the Beltronics GX65 or the Escort Passport 9500ix). They are priced around $500, just about the same as the high-end radar detectors, but they offer you so much more. Look at peer reviews on these products in places such as in a forum where users can post their findings. It is really smart to find out what real users are saying, not just what the manufacturers are bragging about regarding their products.

Look for a unit that has an excellent warning system. The way you are notified has to catch your attention, both visually and audibly. You’ll want to have one that has technology to help prevent false alarms; this can cause you to zone out real alerts. Be sure to check out the Cobra, Beltronics Vector, and the Valentine. The system should alert you with a display that can be adjusted for night or day driving. Also, you’ll want a system that can be muted for times that you’re not going to use it. Also, choose something that can be quickly removed from either the dash or the windshield for when you’re not in your vehicle; this prevents theft of the device.

After you purchase your radar detector, you can find excellent installation videos online that take you step-by step through the process. If you purchase a unit that requires custom installation, you can still view really helpful videos about how to get the most out of your product by utilizing its features and functions to their maximum capabilities. Once you’ve gotten one for your own car, why not buy one for someone else and give the gift of “fast driving” to someone else who loves the freedom of the open road as much as you do!

Just like they say in the online videos from the manufacturer of the products, you have to put the product together in the right way for it to work best. If your radar detector is supposed to be dash-mounted, then make sure and read the manufacturer’s users instructions and install it the right way. For windshield mounts, make sure they are in the proper horizontal and vertical positions to get the optimum performance.

Do your homework online and check out products and shipping prices at various online sites from home. You can sign up for discounts and promotions from manufacturers by providing your email address. You can also find the location of the nearest stores and go see your top picks in person for a better idea of what they feel like, what they are made of, and to ask any questions you may have to the professionals at the store.

Some of the units offer a city mode and a highway mode. There are certain instances when you should be using these modes to get the most “alert power” out of your detector. By not using these features properly, the system will have a hard time and won’t always locate threats and you’ll miss getting a warning. You’ll be an unhappy customer and blame it on the unit instead of “operator error”.

If you have a GPS unit and radar detector in one, be sure you watch free product videos by experts and reviewers who already know how to use their systems and who can teach you how to do the same. These units are especially helpful in this day and age where machines are doing more of the work for the police when they can’t be in all places at once. For example, red light cameras and speed trap cameras are popping up all over the U.S. If you don’t have a detector to tell you when they are close, you’ll get ticketed. Look for GPS detectors with a programmable database, such as the Escort Passport 9500ix or the Beltronics Bel Pro Series GX65. Both have the ability for the driver to add red light and speed camera traps to its database, but the GX65 takes it a step further and already has thousands of existing locations preprogrammed into the devices. This technology allows you to travel anywhere in North America and be confident that you’re one step ahead of the threats! Don’t forget to subscribe to the bi-monthly database updates to stay on top of things. It costs around $30 and pays for itself the first time you don’t get caught.

The best radar detectors give you everything you need for what you can spend. Some of the units I looked at were the Valentine, Escort Passport 9500ix, Cobra, Vector, Beltronics x50, STI Driver, and the Bel Pro Series GX 65. There’s not enough room to go into great detail about each of the units, but you can find out more by visiting each maker’s Web site right from home and finding 2008 and 2009 reviews from other customers, find stores near you, compare prices, get on their email list for money-saving promotions, and view details on the products that I am unable to cover here.

The Valentine ($460) is a top pick and ranks very closely with the GX65 (around $470) in detect performance and long-range distance. Both units offer users good false alarm prevention, but the Valentine seems to underperform in this area based on 5 or 6 field reviews that I’ve read. The Escort Passport 9500ix (around $495) is priced similarly to the GX65 and, like its Beltronics counterpart, comes with GPS enabled detection. What this means is that each of the units tracks the speed of the cars it is in and gives a warning to the driver through an audio alert when the vehicle is traveling fast enough to trigger speed cameras or police radar guns. How does it do this, you may ask? Through its GPS navigation, it can tell the exact location of the vehicle and know what street it is on, even down to the intersection! Both units come with a database included. On the Passport, the driver can input the locations of speed traps and the system remembers it next time and alerts the driver. The Bel GX65 has a database in it that is pre-programmed with thousands of red light and fixed-position speed cameras throughout North America to help its user avoid tickets! The database can be updated bi-monthly through a 3 year subscription for only $29.95 extra. Totally worth it!

Although the Cobra (under $200), Vector ($299), and STI Driver ($499) do not have this speed camera detector feature, they are still top performers for all bands of radar detection and have laser jammer technology. The Vector is smartly priced around $300 and offers more features than the Cobra. The STI Driver by Beltronics is revered as the “best radar detector for the professional driver” and is a favorite among speed-loving drivers everywhere. I like the detectors that come with both the whistler and voice alerts because it really gets my attention. The bottom line is to take your time before making a decision. You can either choose a radar detector with standard features or one that comes equipped with GPS-enabled speed camera detection…and you’ll be able to buy one for $500 or less!

Speed camera detector tell you where you are oriented and alert you when you are approaching an intersection or area with a speed camera. Some of these detectors also offer red light detector features so you can also know when you’re approaching a red light camera. With those who travel a lot or for people who live in quickly-developing areas, these detectors are invaluable. One week you may have an area that’s safe to drive fast through and the next week you’ve got a red light or speed camera there and you get a large ticket in the mail unexpectedly. I don’t like those kinds of surprises, so I went with a radar detector that came with this additional technology.

The neat thing about the Beltronics Professional Series GX65 is that it comes with a database of pre-programmed speed trap locations for both red light and speed cameras. There are literally thousands of these sites already in the database and they cover all of North America! You can travel anywhere on this continent and be confident that you’re protected. These systems alert the driver through complex and sophisticated monitoring technology that gives advanced warning when a threat is approaching. It has a display screen that is bright and easy to use. It adjusts its brightness level for day or night driving conditions. Also of great value is that it virtually eliminates false alarms because it is able to ignore automatic garage and car door opener signals. It features a clear and audible voice alert that just isn’t offered in some other units. You can also mute the alerts if you so desire. For the driver in developing areas with new red light and speed camera intersections popping up all the time, the system allows the driver to program new locations and it learns to include those sites in its detection processes.

Electronic radar and laser detectors are great to help avoid getting tickets and spending tons of money on fines and traffic school. End the surprise tickets and traffic stops by getting a system that has been tested on the road and has withstood the test of time as well. If you need more information, go to the manufacturer’s online site for prices, installation videos, customer reviews, email offers, and more information on the competition (such as the Cobra and the Escort Passport). Once you buy one of your own and see how great it is, why not post your own review online and help other people to make the very best decision too?

I did my research in 2008 when searching for radar detection devices. I looked for a unit that would display threat information on a, easily-visible screen. I needed something with good speakers so I could hear the warnings over my music (but wanted one that could also be muted when I wanted it quiet). Large buttons on the unit were important to me so that I could basically use it and adjust it, etc. without having to take my eyes off the road. I wanted something that could adjust its display for daytime or nighttime driving conditions and that had a quick-release feature so I could take it off my dashboard or windshield in a hurry.

Performance is number 1 when choosing radar detector systems. I looked at the Cobra, Escort, Valentine as well as the Vector, STI Driver and GX65; the latter 3 are all by Beltronics. The Vector comes in 3 different models and offers good range, full U.S. radar and laser band protection, multiple sensors present to protect from radar guns, digital “POP” alert, nearly 100% false alarm elimination, and clear audio and visual warnings. It’s not a speed camera detector, however, so I moved on to the next unit. The STI Driver was one that I took a good, hard look at because it was ranked as one of the highest in performance and laser band coverage. It has all the same features as the Vector, but also comes with AutoScan and TotalShield technology which help you become invisible to police. But, still not a speed camera detectors…

The unit that has everyone talking in 2009 is the Beltronics GX65 Pro Series. It has the farthest long-range warning on all radar and laser bands. It also features multiple front and rear laser sensors for ultimate detecting power. But my favorite feature is its speed camera detector capabilities. It comes with a pre-loaded database of known speed trap sites related to red light cameras and speed detection cameras. Driving anywhere in North America, I know I am covered because this unit has thousands of speed camera location already programmed inside! Even better, these units let me program in additional sites as I encounter them. Then, the next time the GPS unit sees where I am it relates that information to its database and warns me on every single location that’s in its database. The database is able to be updated bi-monthly on the Internet (for a small price) to get the latest database uploaded into it.

No matter which unit you choose, make sure you decide on one that has all of the features that you need most. Everyone’s different and if a speed camera detector isn’t right for you, there are plenty of other choices. Visit lots of online stores right from home. You can go to the manufacturer’s sites to get further information on accessories and other products, sign up for email promotions, see customer reviews, view videos about installation, shop for gift ideas, and compare shipping prices. Don’t forget to look at a forum or 2 and see what others decided to post about how each unit performed on the road!

The unit that ranks at the top of the GPS units out there is the Bel Pro Series GX65. The controls and speakers are top-mounted, for one thing, so this unit is easy to use while you’re busy driving. The buttons are extra large to avoid pushing the wrong one while your eyes are on the road. The display is nice and wide with a super bright display for daytime driving and an adjustor for night time dimming. It has a 10x range versus the import models and has all band laser and radar detection. It also has the feature that I find most helpful in avoiding a ticket: detection of speed cameras. It has a database that is pre-programmed with known speed trap locations and will display an alert when sites are approached.  These systems take it one step further with programmable features where the driver can input additional speed camera locations into the unit as they are encountered. Additionally, red light cameras are included in the database and as a part of the programmable feature. It also has technology called AlertLock which forever rids the annoyance of false alarms by their location and frequency. It’s a smart unit that learns with you as you use it!

The STI Driver is another favorite among Beltronics fans, but is not GPS-enabled. It has TotalShield technology that works like a laser and radar jammer to help make your vehicle invisible to police radar detectors. Premium accessories are also included with your purchase including a traveling metal case, direct wire and coiled SpartPlug, 12 volt speaker, and rapid-release windshield mount for quick removal. It features all U.S. radar and laser band protection, digital POP radar alert, false alert elimination through its DSP technology, and an ultra-bright screen display with darkness mode for night driving. This unit is great for any type of driving scenario and boasts the title of the “best radar detectors for the professional driver” by Beltronics on their site.

For more information on their other products, including the Vector, visit Beltronics on the Internet. You’ll easily see how their detectors out-perform the Cobra and the Escort, hand down. You can locate all of these great systems and view videos about easy installation, find store locations, shop for prices that fit your budget, see customer reviews, and get some great gift ideas…all from the comfort of home!

GPS detection systems use the power of GPS Detectors to track the rate of speed in the vehicle. This helps it to know when the driver may be in danger of breaking the speed limit. But it goes so much farther than that. It features warning technology that helps alert users when they are approaching sites with red light and speed cameras. This helps them avoid getting caught for going too fast or by running a red light. Let’s take a look at some specific units that have GPS and see how they compare with each other.

One such unit is the Beltronics Pro Series GX65. It’s been a hit since 2008 and has everything you’d want in a radar detector unit: 360 laser protection and multiple band detection. But its GPS features kick in and bring this one to the next level! It has Variable-Speed Sensitivity which helps the unit know how fast or slow the car is traveling and helps it to lessen its false alarms, especially when in the urban or city setting. It also stops false alarms caused by automatic and garage door openers. When tested by a few well-known car critics, it performed beautifully. The other way this unit’s GPS technology is unique is by having a built-in database of known speed traps and red light cameras and speed cameras. The driver can also add in their own as they are encountered.

Another GPS-enabled unit is the Cobra XRS R9G. This unit also uses GPS to detect the vehicle’s speed and avoid false alerts. It has a feature called Intellimute which helps it to stay quiet when traveling around town. It uses this speed detection to regulate its sensitivity to giving false alarms. Upon looking at a few reviews, it looks like this unit is prone to false alarms more than its competitors.

The Escort Passport 9500ix is another top contender in the 2009 GPS radar detector arena. The first thing it can tell the driver is how fast they are going. Its sensitivity adjusts depending on how fast the vehicle is traveling, just like the other 2 detectors above. It also has TrueLock technology which analyzes each signal detected and can be quieted (user can hit the mute button 3 times) to avoid future false alarms. Its AutoLearn feature actually learns when future signals are encountered and automatically knows not to alert the driver on the display.

For more information about any of these units, visit the manufacturer’s stores and Web sites where they will have things like a customer review area for other users to post their comments regarding whether they loved the unit or thought another one was better, email sign-ups for special discounts or free shipping, and video installation tips along with information about what accessories are available. Any of these make a great gift for the “professional driver” in your life!

• Can detect multiple police radar and laser signals from far enough away to give you time to slow down your rate of speed
• Contains a jammer so police guns cannot bounce their signal off you
• Helps prevent speeding tickets
• Multiple positive reviews from other users who have used it in their cars
• Units can easily dismount from dash or windshield
• Has been street tested and proves its worth on the road

The first model to look at is the STI Driver by Beltronics. It boasts 360 degree protection to give the driver a full view of what’s going on around them in the way of police radar and laser activity. It accomplishes this through its exclusive TotalShield technology. This protection cannot compare with many other units! It detects all radar and laser bands in the U.S. as well as POP radar and is one of the top performers. Its Advanced AutoScan alerts a driver sooner than some of the lesser models so they have a chance to slow down. It accomplishes this through its digital voice alerts which are easier to hear than some of the other models that give off a beep or a whistler alert (Valentine and the Cobra). These systems let the driver view warnings and threats on an ultra-bright high def display located on the windshield for easy viewing. This unit retails at about $500.´

Next up is the Beltronics (Bel Electronics) Pro Series GX65 product. It boasts a wide array of bands detectable by its technology including X, Superwide KA, K, POP, and Ku. The latter is a band used in Europe and makes this unit appealing to those who travel and can pack this unit into their suitcase along with their passport. This unit also offers the 360 degree protection for maximum detection. A cool feature on the GX65 is its variable-speed sensitivity technology. This uses the power of GPS to detect how fast the vehicle is traveling. This helps it to know when the vehicle is traveling at a slow rate of speed and thus no longer in threat of being zapped by radar guns. This is how it helps to eliminate false alarms; one of the major annoyances of some other units. It also has AlertLock which allows users to mute alerts when low-threat areas are encountered and no warning is needed. In road tests, it beat out the Cobra GPS unit in stopping false alarms in the city! MarkLocation technology is another great feature because it has a database of the locations of known red light traps and speed cameras so the user gets fewer tickets. New locations can be added manually as they are discovered by the driver. This unit retails at about $470.

Do more research on the Internet to finalize your decision about which one is going to keep you protected the best. There are other units to look at such as the x50 and the 9500ix, but this short list should give you a good starting point. Check out the Beltronics web site to get information on shipping costs, see how other users decided to rate each product, and view videos about installation information. If you get all the data you need now, you’ll be so thankful later!