Radar Detectors

[ACTIV32]

ive got the valentine 1 the best on the market today $900 but worth the price it picks up anything from the FRONT,SIDE-(LEFT&RIGHT) & also the BACK Iit picked up a multinova from 200 metres away

[s2k12]

$900? When did you pay that much?

[-Dukes-]

Update: I took my beltronics xr70 back the shop I got it from because I was sick of getting false laser alerts from the sun and they sent it to the beltronics lab.

they got back to me a week later and said "they couldn't work out how to get rid of the laser falsing error, so they've given you a new one"

I took it home drove around, and it still f*cking did it

Please people, don't buy xr70's they are shit!

Oh and they won't refund it on the grounds that "I use the same unit in my car and it doesn't happen to me" - shop clerk... I want my $650 back so I can buy a whistler 78pro

[GODTHRILA]

Update: I took my beltronics xr70 back the shop I got it from because I was sick of getting false laser alerts from the sun and they sent it to the beltronics lab.

they got back to me a week later and said "they couldn't work out how to get rid of the laser falsing error, so they've given you a new one"

I took it home drove around, and it still f*cking did it

Please people, don't buy xr70's they are shit!

Oh and they won't refund it on the grounds that "I use the same unit in my car and it doesn't happen to me" - shop clerk... I want my $650 back so I can buy a whistler 78pro

-Dukes- when did you take it into the shop and what shop was it?

I am the wholesaler for Beltronics and we did become aware of a UV false alert issue with the XR70 quite some time ago and have had a solution for this for almost the same amount of time. It only took about 3 days of testing to discover what needed to be done and we haven't had a issue with any units that were repaired. A simple UV mesh filter needs to be added to the laser sensor... this takes all of about 4 mins to do and I could do it for you while you wait.

I can assure you that the XR70 outperforms the the 78pro from whistler. I will never bag out a quality built brand and I must say that whistler has good build quality, but radar detectors should be always harshly compared on performance as their main point of comparrison. Beltronics has always and will always outperform whistler on performance which is what counts.

Will be good to hear your response to see which one of my dealers has the wrong info... I don't like hearing that the people retailing our products haven't got the full story.

Scott

[Ashy Larry]

+1 for Scotty and Beltronics...

Besides my GTR and my Son, My Radar detector is the best decision I have ever made......

My Wife comes in a distant 10th

[Onthehunt]

+1 for Scotty and Beltronics...

x2

Edited August 4, 2008 by Onthehunt

[R34P3R]

My Wife comes in a distant 10th

LOL... my face hurts from laughing

[bubba]

-Dukes- when did you take it into the shop and what shop was it?

I am the wholesaler for Beltronics and we did become aware of a UV false alert issue with the XR70 quite some time ago and have had a solution for this for almost the same amount of time. It only took about 3 days of testing to discover what needed to be done and we haven't had a issue with any units that were repaired. A simple UV mesh filter needs to be added to the laser sensor... this takes all of about 4 mins to do and I could do it for you while you wait.

I can assure you that the XR70 outperforms the the 78pro from whistler. I will never bag out a quality built brand and I must say that whistler has good build quality, but radar detectors should be always harshly compared on performance as their main point of comparrison. Beltronics has always and will always outperform whistler on performance which is what counts.

Will be good to hear your response to see which one of my dealers has the wrong info... I don't like hearing that the people retailing our products haven't got the full story.

Scott

Not wanting to get into a big debate or shitfight here but in what ways does the XR70 outperform the Pro78? and is it really worth the extra $100 (or $200 in my case)?

The Pro78 hasn't let me down yet and with some of the stories I hear about having to turn Belltronics detectors on their side to get any decent range, I steered clear of them. Oh and a more superficial reason is that their noises really annoy me

[GODTHRILA]

Not wanting to get into a big debate or shitfight here but in what ways does the XR70 outperform the Pro78? and is it really worth the extra $100 (or $200 in my case)?

The Pro78 hasn't let me down yet and with some of the stories I hear about having to turn Belltronics detectors on their side to get any decent range, I steered clear of them. Oh and a more superficial reason is that their noises really annoy me

Hi bubba,

Fair question... and it has a bit of a long winded answer.

What what you want in a detector may suit you, but not others. If you want the best then price will not be a contributing factor... rather range (a.k.a performance) and filtering capabilities (the 2 major things to consider when choosing a detector). Having said that, the most recent price alteration for the BEL XR70 has bought it down to $595 RRP so is actually the same RRP as the Pro78, and the V965 is now RRP $495 and is the same as the cheaper whistler XTR-690.

The XR70 is a software updated model based on the US model V995. Software changes were based on tests carried out in Australia in late 2006 to bring it up to a suitable spec for Australian and New Zealand conditions (vast majority Ka band radar with low output signal)... it was good to start with (as you will see below), but we wanted better.

Some may say I am biased as I am the distributor for Beltronics... so lets get some unbiased test results from guys in the industry. SML (Speed Measurement Laboratories) hold an annual test where detector manufactures and radar manufacturers (together with police) test out a bunch of equipment. SML do not sell detectors so they are used as the industry testers with unbiased results in controlled conditions. Below are some links with test results:

http://www.radarbusters.com/2006longrangetestingarticle.cfm <--- this link shows SML 2006 long range results (look at the V995 results as a guide... the XR70 is slightly better again as a result of the updates made)

http://www.radarbusters.com/2007maxrangera...tingarticle.cfm <--- this link shows SML 2007 long range results (shows Pro78, whistlers best unit... V995 no longer there as is not the best Bel offers)

It should be noted that 9miles was the maximum distance for the test... it is possible and probable that both units would have further range capabilities. The whistler two 9's and a 7.8 while the Bel nocks out solid 9's.

http://www.radarbusters.com/2007falsealerttestarticle.cfm <--- this link shows falsing. There is no V995 here but the V995 & the Bel Sti share the same filtering system so we can use that. If you discount the X band false alerts (as the XR70 has had X band removed), whistler has 5K false alerts while Bel has only 1K false alert.

So those are the results... everyone can make up their own minds as to which offers better value for the same money now. Featurewise I am sure the Bel also has more than the whistler but these are superficial as they don't make the unit perform any better.

As far as turning the unit on it's side... I have used a vertical bracket and both times I got just over 230m on a multanova... I couldn't seperate the horizontal or vertical performance after running this test 6 times at the same location over the space of 10mins. Some people swear by it but I haven't seen any benefit... each to their own.

As far as noises... well not much can be done there as the tones are set... but I certainly would never recommend someone use their ears as a basis of choosing one detector over another.

I Hope this info helps everyone considering a detector purchase in making an educated decision as to which unit would best suit them, and I hope this long winded explination has answered bubba's question without putting anyone to sleep!

Scott

[-Dukes-]

I tell you what,

If you can fix it I'll take back everything I said about them and recommend them.

Also, do you know anything about them not picking up multi nova's until your 20meters in front of one? because that was the other issue I had with this unit and not addressed. Most of the time, I see the camera from 100meters away but the unti is really slow at picking them up (literally 20meters, from straight ahead, doing 60...)

I bought it from Audio Image Balcatta in feb, and took it back to them on Thursday the 24 of july this year (two weeks ago). Don't get me wrong they were great with getting it looked at, but treated me like a moron when I said it was junk and blamed me for that. I'm no stranger to beltronics products. My family has been using your brand for a long time, my mates do to and theirs is great, but I just can't believe how ineffective my XR70 was, especially for $649!!!

-Dukes- when did you take it into the shop and what shop was it?

I am the wholesaler for Beltronics and we did become aware of a UV false alert issue with the XR70 quite some time ago and have had a solution for this for almost the same amount of time. It only took about 3 days of testing to discover what needed to be done and we haven't had a issue with any units that were repaired. A simple UV mesh filter needs to be added to the laser sensor... this takes all of about 4 mins to do and I could do it for you while you wait.

I can assure you that the XR70 outperforms the the 78pro from whistler. I will never bag out a quality built brand and I must say that whistler has good build quality, but radar detectors should be always harshly compared on performance as their main point of comparrison. Beltronics has always and will always outperform whistler on performance which is what counts.

Will be good to hear your response to see which one of my dealers has the wrong info... I don't like hearing that the people retailing our products haven't got the full story.

Scott

[GODTHRILA]

I tell you what,

If you can fix it I'll take back everything I said about them and recommend them.

Also, do you know anything about them not picking up multi nova's until your 20meters in front of one? because that was the other issue I had with this unit and not addressed. Most of the time, I see the camera from 100meters away but the unti is really slow at picking them up (literally 20meters, from straight ahead, doing 60...)

I bought it from Audio Image Balcatta in feb, and took it back to them on Thursday the 24 of july this year (two weeks ago). Don't get me wrong they were great with getting it looked at, but treated me like a moron when I said it was junk and blamed me for that. I'm no stranger to beltronics products. My family has been using your brand for a long time, my mates do to and theirs is great, but I just can't believe how ineffective my XR70 was, especially for $649!!!

Please bring it in to the office as soon as you can and I will have it repaired for you while you wait. Please call the office first to ensure I will be there so we can also test the performance in a controlled environment.

Neltronics

4/50 Jersey Street

Jolimont

9383 7833

Scott

[s2k12]

Do you know any ways to gain range on an XR STI? Mine is terrible, like, 50m terrible. And this is my second unit, because when I took my old unit to Neltronics for repair (it wouldn't power up) they suprised me with "it's still under warranty". They ended up giving me a warranty replacement, which is still just as shit performance wise.

I purchased the original unit from you on the forums over a year ago.

[-Dukes-]

PM sent,

Cheers mate.

Please bring it in to the office as soon as you can and I will have it repaired for you while you wait. Please call the office first to ensure I will be there so we can also test the performance in a controlled environment.

Neltronics

4/50 Jersey Street

Jolimont

9383 7833

Scott

[bubba]

Thanks Scott, that's exactly what I was looking for

My Whistler gets plenty of K band false alerts (is there even any speed equipment on K band?) but I leave it on because aswell as automatic doors, K band seems to pick up those big flashing roadside alert signs and it just keeps me on my toes

As far as not picking up things until about 20m before then you might want to look at your placement of the detector. Also if they have the camera pointed more perpendicular to the road then your detection range will be decreased..

[GODTHRILA]

Do you know any ways to gain range on an XR STI? Mine is terrible, like, 50m terrible. And this is my second unit, because when I took my old unit to Neltronics for repair (it wouldn't power up) they suprised me with "it's still under warranty". They ended up giving me a warranty replacement, which is still just as shit performance wise.

I purchased the original unit from you on the forums over a year ago.

s2k12 - there isn't any way of jucing up a detector once it's built. I would expect more range on a BEL XR, but having said that I have used the same model before and have had readings from 70m up to around 260m... all this proves is that the enviromental factors surrounding each radar (i.e. how many cars are around you, is it clear or raining, humid or dry, etc.) can and will effect your range. As nobody has control over these factors we just have to take the good with the bad... but if you are consistantly only getting that range, I would definately like to see the unit for testing here in a controlled enviroment.

Thanks Scott, that's exactly what I was looking for

My Whistler gets plenty of K band false alerts (is there even any speed equipment on K band?) but I leave it on because aswell as automatic doors, K band seems to pick up those big flashing roadside alert signs and it just keeps me on my toes

As far as not picking up things until about 20m before then you might want to look at your placement of the detector. Also if they have the camera pointed more perpendicular to the road then your detection range will be decreased..

bubba - glad to see I didn't put you to sleep and I answered your questions.

K band radar is used in automatic door openers (sliding glass doors at servo and shopping centres, etc), mobile speed signs (you might have seen yellow trailers "SAM"), SWS (safety warning system) which is a text message broadcast on the k band from ambulances and roadcrews, and lastly cop cars.

Not all cop cars are equiped with radar and the ones that are don't drive all day with them on so you will only ever detect this if you are within range of a cop car equiped and using their radar.

Placement of your detector will not effect performance on radar detection as it's a radiowave... the signal will hit the bottom left of your windscreen just the same as the top right. If you drive a euro car like a citroen... 1- your a pansy, 2- you will notice a special coating on the windscreen... this actually blocks most of the signal from passing through the glass so you would need a fitted radar detector like the BEL XR-C or the BEL XR80.

Also the multanovas are all 'ment' to be set-up exactly 22 degrees off parallel to the point of road they are next to... weather or not this is ever done exactly and everytime I don't think we will ever know.

Scott

[-Dukes-]

Yeah, I thought that too. so I tryed many positions and even different cars, ei my old pulsar, my work ute(s) (hilux, rodeo, old hilux), my mates cars, the skyline, all performed the same.

Don't worry, I do my research and make sure I'm in the clear before I try to get my money back. I know there nothing worst than getting someone complain because something doesn't work, and then you find they didn't plug it in or something stupid like that. lol

As far as not picking up things until about 20m before then you might want to look at your placement of the detector. Also if they have the camera pointed more perpendicular to the road then your detection range will be decreased..

[s2k12]

s2k12 - there isn't any way of jucing up a detector once it's built. I would expect more range on a BEL XR, but having said that I have used the same model before and have had readings from 70m up to around 260m... all this proves is that the enviromental factors surrounding each radar (i.e. how many cars are around you, is it clear or raining, humid or dry, etc.) can and will effect your range. As nobody has control over these factors we just have to take the good with the bad... but if you are consistantly only getting that range, I would definately like to see the unit for testing here in a controlled enviroment.

Hrmm ok, so an ideal environment would obviously be a clear road in the dry, might go do a test and see if I can get anything decent out of it before bringing it in. Have only really had this unit go off about 3 times since owning it, so I'll do a quick test to be sure before wasting your time.

[Skytrail]

***Thread Edited***

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------

After reading this thread, I just called the distributors in Morley. They were keen to hear about this thread so I am forwarding it to them. They said if anybody else in Perth is not happy with their XR70, to go see them for a FREE swap to a PRO78. If they aren't 100% happy, swap it again back for their original XR70 - all for no charge!! I think they sound confident to me! Need to quote this thread obviously. They said they will just add the XR70 to their piles of traded in Beltronics and Escort detectors. The only condition "requested" was that anyone who does this FREE tradein, posts their honest opinions online here for UNBIAST feedback. Let me know if anybody else does this, cause I am keen to see other people in the same situation I have been in and then see the same better results.

Edited August 28, 2008 by dan_the_man

[Skytrail]

Update: I took my beltronics xr70 back the shop I got it from because I was sick of getting false laser alerts from the sun and they sent it to the beltronics lab.

they got back to me a week later and said "they couldn't work out how to get rid of the laser falsing error, so they've given you a new one"

I took it home drove around, and it still f*cking did it

Please people, don't buy xr70's they are shit!

Oh and they won't refund it on the grounds that "I use the same unit in my car and it doesn't happen to me" - shop clerk... I want my $650 back so I can buy a whistler 78pro

go and see the Whistler distributor in Morley, metion this thread, and they will swap it for a new PRO78 free of charge! And if you prefer the XR70, they will give it back to you again!! Their number is 9370-4038. Let me know if you do it, I'm keen to see if they will really do the trade in free!!

The quote from 2007 regarding K-band detection ranges comparing XR70 to Whistler PRO, there has since been a hardware upgarde and TWO full software updates to the new high performance Whistler detectors. I just clarrified this. So again, out dated references.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Skytrail

[-Dukes-]

go and see the Whistler distributor in Morley, metion this thread, and they will swap it for a new PRO78 free of charge! And if you prefer the XR70, they will give it back to you again!! Their number is 9370-4038. Let me know if you do it, I'm keen to see if they will really do the trade in free!!

The quote from 2007 regarding K-band detection ranges comparing XR70 to Whistler PRO, there has since been a hardware upgarde and TWO full software updates to the new high performance Whistler detectors. I just clarrified this. So again, out dated references.

hmm, Very tempting offer.

Scotty from Beltronics took my detector and tested it, he found the range to be excelent but its reaction time to be lacking alot, he replaced it and tested the replacement and put in the anti-sun mesh.

Since having it back I can pick up K-Band radar guns and strong emiters up to 4K's away even with traffic in my way.

It picks up SWS singals up to 4k's away.

KA-Band (speed cameras) length has increased, before i was getting about 10meters warning (yes, ten meters) now its about 50ish... I'm still trialing it though, (its funny how many cameras you don't pass when you want to test your detector)

Laser detection is as good as it gets I spose... I still get laser falsing from the sun but it's alot less than before, still makes me poo myself when I heard it go off though... lol.