Laws are created by us and for us, first of all, in order to protect people from ourselves. As a rule, any letter of the law contains a certain “allowance” —that is, if you want to see a person at eight, then make an appointment for him at half past seven.
The same applies to many legal restrictions in our daily lives, and people sometimes, without thinking, are indignant at the hypertrophy of rules in any area, forgetting that most of the vaults are intentionally tightened, so that a person who exceeded the “powers” a little, just kept within the normalized framework.
This principle also applies to speed limits on our roads. Fair requirements for a settlement completely lose their relevance on a suburban highway, especially if there is not a soul around and your speed violation will not be able to harm anyone or prevent other traffic participants. The only one you can harm is only you yourself, famously drove under the radar of the traffic police inspector. And this is a protocol, a fine, nerves, and the mood will be spoiled if not for a day, then for a couple of hours - for sure.
Terminology
Traffic police officers are armed with a small but very effective range of radars that can easily calculate the speed of a moving object, whether it be the Oka or a heavy truck.
Drivers, in turn, can counter radar detectors with such devices. The best models can detect a radio signal at a great distance and warn the owner about an "ambush" or approaching a stationary high-speed camera. Such devices are legal, legal and convenient - they will be discussed in this article.
Traffic police radars
The enemy must be known in person. Otherwise, this game will go blindly and with one goal. So, the guard service technique in Russia now works mainly on two bands - these are “X” and “K”, 10.525 GHz and 24.15 GHz, respectively, and the latter can be found in a variety of low-power K-Pulse-band only at 24.01 GHz.
If we talk about the functionality and principles of operation of such devices, there are three varieties in total: with constant radiation, pulsed and off-screen (Instant-on). The latter are already a thing of the past due to their inefficiency (jamming the signal by motorists). As for the first two, they come in the form of mobile or stationary systems, and the best radar detectors should easily recognize them.
How to choose a radar detector
A lean and thrifty car enthusiast always wants to get a device with maximum efficiency, but for minimal money. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to buy the best budget radar detector and whether such a purchase will bring at least some benefit.
Such a device should not only warn the owner of the traffic police radars, but also do it quickly, efficiently and - most importantly - in advance. Ideally, if the gadget will have any additional features, even when the detector functions are not in the first place. The category "best video recorders with radar detector" just falls under such a case. Well, judging by the numerous reviews on this kind of device, it is safe to say that the gadget should not work idle, as is the case with many models.
The consumer’s problem also lies in the fact that the automotive market is still equipped with outdated gadgets with meager capabilities, while modern counterparts can only be seen in venerable stores or branded dealerships. A motorist who is far from this subject just stumbles upon such devices - cheap, beautiful, and the seller praises. Of course, he may perform his direct function, but, given the money that you spend on this gadget, it is better to look for a better model for the same price.
Budget models
Some car owners are firmly convinced that nothing good can simply be in this segment - for example, a toy for a “pen test” in order to take a closer look at a good model. But, nevertheless, if a person is an ardent rationalist and moderately capricious, then the best radar detectors can be found in this price category. Moreover, the price tag of 3-5 thousand rubles is still difficult to call cheap.
A significant part of the market in this segment is occupied by domestic and Chinese products, but if you are lucky, you can also find models from venerable brands (stocks, completeness with a more expensive purchase and already unsupported radar detectors). The best devices in this niche, according to experts and equipment owners, are Street Storm str-3020ext and Cobra RU 745CT models. You can also look at the brands "Stinger" and "Supra." The main savings are due to the limited functionality of the device and the relatively small signal response range.
Average price category
The best radar detectors in terms of price and quality balance are in this category (from 7 to 12 thousand rubles). By and large, the average motorist simply does not need to exceed this price threshold: the segment is characterized by the availability of extensive functionality and good quality. In this category you can find both domestic premium models and solid Asian devices.
The competition in this segment is quite high, so there is plenty to choose the best radar detectors from, knowing that for this money you will get a high-quality gadget that will last you more than one year. All brands that somehow “lit up” at numerous forums, exhibitions and deserve attention, have a solid reputation and value their customers: Cobra, Street Storm, Whistler, Radar Tech, etc. Designate one model as a favorite quite difficult - they are all good to one degree or another, and each has its own specific features. However, for the Russian consumer it is possible to single out the best anti-radar against Strelka - this is Whistler PRO-99ST Ru GPS, which is literally “imprisoned” for this device.
Top segment
Devices of this type can do a lot and are capable of “smelling” radars of all types and varieties for kilometers, warning the owner in advance of the threat. The best DVRs with a radar detector will never work on extraneous radiation, they automatically check the global map of high-speed cameras and update data via the GPS module.
Such a pleasure is not cheap, but worth it. The price tag starts from 15 thousand rubles and ends somewhere around 70 thousand. The higher the price mark, the more guarantees that you will buy an exceptionally high-quality device in the category “best anti-radars”. Reviews about such gadgets sound exclusively in a positive way, and the people who leave them argue only about the color and design of the device, without a hint of any technical problems of the gadget.
Possessing one of such devices is not so much functionally justified as status - the owner of this gadget automatically ends up in a closed club for the elite, which naturally warms the soul and vanity. The most prominent representatives of this category are Escort Passport, Beltronics and Valentine One. But there is still a fly in the ointment: difficulties in guaranteeing maintenance of imported equipment and difficult adaptation to Russian radars (paid firmware).
What to choose for our roads
Numerous tests, examinations, checks and field trials have revealed the most successful models that are perfectly adapted specifically to our realities. In addition, the models described below are perfectly balanced in terms of price / quality. So, let's try to answer with a short review the question: “What are the best radar detectors?” Reviews of all models are mostly positive, and any existing flaws cannot be called critical.
Whistler Pro 78 Se STR
Despite the fact that the model is in the budget segment, the gadget is enviable and respected by a Russian car enthusiast. The device pays off for just one long trip on the highway: the radar detector will help to avoid unpleasant meetings with the traffic police and will not make the owner worry about false alarms and squeaks.
The claimed and tested distance at which the device will warn about the camera is about 2 kilometers, which is quite enough to slow down and calmly drive through a dangerous place. In addition to good technical data, a plus can be considered the presence of a DVR (although not as high quality as we would like).
Sho-me
The devices of this brand have collected a very impressive amount of positive reviews on the network. The models in this series have an extremely useful set of functions and capabilities, such as 360-degree operation and the ability to connect to a smartphone. In fact, this is the best antiradar for Android devices in its segment. You just need to download a special program such as “Arrows” onto your gadget and use both devices, significantly expanding their functionality.
The only thing that owners of Sho-Me models sometimes complain about is the small response range (only one and a half kilometers), but for the small price that the manufacturer offers, it will work fine. The useful option “Filter-plus” will allow you to correctly adjust the filters, and then the number of false signals will be significantly reduced.
As mentioned above, the device costs a little - about 3 thousand rubles, which, coupled with the available characteristics, makes the gadget a good buy.
Summarizing
The range of such devices in the automotive markets is so diverse that the average user sometimes can not make the right choice, so the only thing that you should pay attention to first of all is the reviews of other owners, and, of course, the price.
The rule “expensive - means good” is more true than ever for radar detectors, so if this topic is not very familiar to you, it is better to focus on the mid-price segment. And although this category, like the others, is replete with fakes, the chance to run into a high-quality copy is much higher than in the lower or top category of radar detectors.