^The only way I know to beat the laser guns is with a jammer. Most of the time though in my city the cops are sitting in one spot monitoring everyone with a constant signal; so it's usually not hard to "see" them coming. Laser guns with instant-on is hard to beat, unless with a jammer.

 

the best, least expensive and most reliable police detector is an app for your phone called WAZE.

 

I'm still on the hunt for one!

 

Waze is great, but has its pitfalls too. Seems cops are getting smart now and are placing decoy locations on the app to throw people off. Also, if you're driving through an uncharted area you will be the guinea pig to spot the cops. I say use both a reputable radar detector like Escort and Waze. Escort offers an online database that gets updated frequently on cop locations, false signals, red light cameras, and speed traps. You can update your device with this info to stay in the know. Tech and info is key. But you also need to practice good judgment. Driving over 100mph will give you little to no time to react if a laser is present.

 

This is so true. I use Waze religiously. I also do a lot of night driving and highway driving thru less populated areas which means few if any wazers ahead of me. Even if there are, reception is an issue plus they might not report the cop or even see the cop if they're hidden. The most sensible thing is to not speed past on ramps and overpasses. If the signs say exit 1.5 miles away, I'll put the hammer down for 1 mile and then coast for half a mile past the on ramp/cop. I've put off buying a radar detector for a while but since I do a lot of driving now, I feel like it's cheap insurance.

 

I've owned two Passport models of the Escort brand. I currently have the 8500 X50 which is a base model about $265 on Amazon. I've owned it for about 8 years and am very happy with it. Passport also makes Beltronics brand, a more affordable detector. I looked on Amazon and there are several models to choose from. A reasonable guess, IMHO, they use the same technology as Passport. I agree with all that say a radar detector pays for itself with one avoided ticket. It's hard to say which is the best for you and at what point you're over spending though. I remember a recent thread that basically split the vote between Escort and Valentine.

 

Actually the guy who started Valentine used to work for Escort. He decided to start his own business. Both are solid products and have their differences. It's a matter of preference and aesthetics.

 

I'm in the same boat... The IS350 power is addicting. I got two speeding tickets as well it pissed me off.

Some good read in this thread as I need to get myself a radar gun.