Introduction: How to Find the Best Radar Detector for the Money in Your Budget

By ChippTips
About: Hey, my name is Chipp. I am a jack of all trades and how-to guru. I enjoy blogging about health, fitness, pest control and product reviews. I consider myself the luckiest person on Earth. I don’t drive a fancy…

Howdy! So you are looking for a radar detector and you want to get the most value for your money, right? Our natural tendency is to go to a search engine and ask, "What is the best radar detector?" This is sort of a loaded question. The best recommendation can change from driver to driver and car to car based on a number of different factors. So today I'll show you what information you need to determine which unit is going to be the best for you and the money in your budget.

Step 1: The Low-Down on the Radar Detector Market

Companies that manufacture these devices are scrambling to keep up with advancing law enforcement technology. Cheap and poorly made RD's will provide little to no protection against detecting a speed trap and avoiding a ticket. To make matters worse law enforcement officers have all kinds of nifty tricks up their sleeves to outsmart unsuspecting drivers and substandard detection devices. You don't need the top rated radar detector on the planet. You just need the best one for your location and driving profile.

So what is giving law enforcement the upper hand against low-end detection devices? Law enforcement agencies around the country are starting to use lighting fast radar guns with digital signal processing. These new guns are using a signal with a much wider bandwidth called Ka band. It is much more difficult to detect than the older (but still utilized) X, Y and K signals. In 2013 and 2014 the best radar detectors need to be able to efficiently scan for each of these signals.

Step 2: Information Required to Determine Which Detector Is Best for You

Now let's get down to business. You are looking for a recommendation or radar detector review. I can point you in the right direction and give you all of the information you need to find the best product for you money. Finding a suitable detector is going to depend on your vehicle, driving habits and the area where you live. Here is the exact information you need to get a expert recommendation and find your best option.

Here is the information that is essential to finding what you need:

  1. Type of vehicle
  2. Budget
  3. Country, state and general area that you drive in
  4. What is your average commute consist of?
  5. Do you frequently take long drives?
  6. City or highway?
  7. Red light speed cams in your area?
  8. Curves, hills?
  9. How do you drive?
  10. How savvy are you with using radar detectors. Would you rather "set it and forget it" or have something you can constantly tinker with and dial in to your specifications.

Step 3: Get the Radar Detector That Is Best for Your Profile

Take the answers to these questions and head on over to a forum with radar detector enthusiasts. Just go to a search engine and search for the term "best radar detector forum". There will be plenty of results. Pick one and register for a free account. Introduce yourself to the forum and let them know that you are looking for a recommendation. If you include the details above in your post, you will be blown away by the quality of responses. The community there will be very appreciative of the information that you supplied them with before asking the question.

Step 4: What Is the Best RD Overall? (in My Opinion)

This is the process I followed and I couldn't be happier with the recommendation I received. Here is my review of the top radar detector for my situation and budget. This is what most enthusiasts and testers will tell you is the best radar detector on the market.