Probably a repost, but here's a good radar detector shootout.
11-05-2002, 08:30 AM
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Probably a repost, but here's a good radar detector shootout.
<ul><li><a href="http://www.speedzones.com/test2002new/test2002.htm">http://www.speedzones.com/test2002new/test2002.htm</a</li></ul>
11-05-2002, 09:00 AM
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If you're willing to spend the $$$, nothing beats a K40.
<ul><li><a href="http://www.k40.com/K40Radar/CustomRemote.htm">undetectable remote K40 radar / laser detector</a></li></ul>
11-05-2002, 09:14 AM
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Actually, people posted yesterday that they feel V1 is superior to K40...
...and they've owned/tried both.
www.radartest.com didn't like it either:
<i>K40 SS3000SWL (about $1500 installed)
K40 has traditionally catered to the new-vehicle market with their remote, a smart move because dealer installation frees customers from the hassle and also finances the purchase price as part of the car loan.
Although K40 offers what appears to be a full line of remote models, in truth it's just one basic detector, available with various options like a concealed display, laser capability or rear radar antenna.
We tested the high-end SS3000SWL, the only contestant with both a standard rear radar antenna (not available on the BEL or Escorts; optional on the Whistler) and indicators to show whether a police radar beam is coming from the front or rear.
But any detector can hear radar sneaking up from behind, an event so rare you're nearly as likely to be struck by lightning.. So to justify its premium price tag the K40 would need to dazzle us with its sophistication and performance.
We'd say it's a bit light on both counts. The K40 is nearly devoid features, even visual indicators for band ID and signal strength, common on $70 K-Mart-specials. Their absence seriously compromises a detector's usefulness and in our opinion, is an unforgivable omission in such an expensive detector.
The control module sports two slide switches and six LEDs; four of them of either pale green or yellow hues that wash out in sunlight, forcing the driver to rely solely on audio for band ID. Unfortunately, the K40's audio alerts are a bewildering assortment of chirps, tweets, clicks and bird whistles that defy interpretation.
We found the K40's performance erratic at best. For example, while it showed good radar sensitivity, by design the rear antenna doesn't detect Ka-band radar at all. Worse, the SS3000SWL won the Chicken Little Award as the most talkative detector we've tested in the past decade. On the urban loop it squawked a total of nine false alarms, triple the number of the second-noisiest model. If we'd counted alerts of less than two seconds' duration--our threshold--that number would have tripled. Worse, its two antennae talk to each other, producing urgent alarms when there's no radar around for miles.
To its credit the SS3000SWL can be paired with K40's Diffuser Plus lidar jammer ($300) [see: laser jammer test] to counter that threat. But despite their guarantee to pay for any speeding tickets collected during the first year of ownership, we'd prefer just to avoid a citation in the first place. Unfortunately, this unit's incomprehensible alert system, spotty ergonomics, performance shortcomings and exceptionally chatty behavior make it nearly useless at detecting radar but eminently suitable as a stay-awake device for nighttime driving.</i>
<b>And from another test on the same site:</b>
<i>K40 SS3000
Overall score: 39
This K40 has a separate laser module and rear radar antenna, the former mounted on the front license plate (optional is a rear laser module). The manufacturer heavily promotes the promise of bi-directional radar detection although conventional dash-mounted detectors manage to pick up radar to the rear quite nicely without the added bulk and complexity of a second antenna.
The K40 is operated by a cockpit-mounted control module that sports two slide switches and six status LEDs--four of them either pale green or yellow that simply disappear in sunlight. This forces total reliance on the audio for band ID chores. Unfortunately, they weren't quite up to the challenge. Although we halted the test several times and cycled through the audio alerts in an attempt to learn them, this bewildering assortment of chirps, tweets and bird whistles proved impossible to interpret even after two full days earnestly spent trying.
We tested the rear antenna separately and found it gave about the same range as the front antenna. At least it did on X and K band. After spending fruitless hours trying to coax it to detect any of the three different Ka-band frequencies, we finally determined that the rear antenna doesn't pick up Ka band at all. Confronted with the evidence, a K40 spokesman reluctantly admitted that Ka band in the rear antenna is purposely deactivated.
We can guess why: the SS3000 is uncommonly prone to falsing--in reaction to other radar detectors, microwave relay towers, supermarket door openers, Burger King microwave ovens, you name it. We also noticed that the microwaves emanating from the K40's two antennas frequently set one another off, adding to the din. On our 10-mile urban loop the SS3000 shrieked 10 false alarms--that number would've doubled had we counted alerts of less than 2 seconds' duration--making it the noisiest detector we've seen in the past decade. The constant racket makes the SS3000 useless as a police-radar detection device but highly recommended for hungry drivers searching for the nearest Burger King.
At the straightaway/hill test site the SS3000 turned in competitive X-band Highway and K-band scores but its range in X-band City Mode was so poor that we were clocked by the radar for nearly a quarter-mile before it finally went off. It was equally shy about alerting to both K and Ka-band radar at the curve site, the radar guns nailing our target car well before they were noticed by the K40.
As the most expensive unit tested it would be fair to expect greatness from the K40. But with its inept Seventies-era design, total lack of features, user-unfriendly operation, wildly uneven radar scores and overly talkative nature, we'd suggest shopping elsewhere.</i>
www.radartest.com didn't like it either:
<i>K40 SS3000SWL (about $1500 installed)
K40 has traditionally catered to the new-vehicle market with their remote, a smart move because dealer installation frees customers from the hassle and also finances the purchase price as part of the car loan.
Although K40 offers what appears to be a full line of remote models, in truth it's just one basic detector, available with various options like a concealed display, laser capability or rear radar antenna.
We tested the high-end SS3000SWL, the only contestant with both a standard rear radar antenna (not available on the BEL or Escorts; optional on the Whistler) and indicators to show whether a police radar beam is coming from the front or rear.
But any detector can hear radar sneaking up from behind, an event so rare you're nearly as likely to be struck by lightning.. So to justify its premium price tag the K40 would need to dazzle us with its sophistication and performance.
We'd say it's a bit light on both counts. The K40 is nearly devoid features, even visual indicators for band ID and signal strength, common on $70 K-Mart-specials. Their absence seriously compromises a detector's usefulness and in our opinion, is an unforgivable omission in such an expensive detector.
The control module sports two slide switches and six LEDs; four of them of either pale green or yellow hues that wash out in sunlight, forcing the driver to rely solely on audio for band ID. Unfortunately, the K40's audio alerts are a bewildering assortment of chirps, tweets, clicks and bird whistles that defy interpretation.
We found the K40's performance erratic at best. For example, while it showed good radar sensitivity, by design the rear antenna doesn't detect Ka-band radar at all. Worse, the SS3000SWL won the Chicken Little Award as the most talkative detector we've tested in the past decade. On the urban loop it squawked a total of nine false alarms, triple the number of the second-noisiest model. If we'd counted alerts of less than two seconds' duration--our threshold--that number would have tripled. Worse, its two antennae talk to each other, producing urgent alarms when there's no radar around for miles.
To its credit the SS3000SWL can be paired with K40's Diffuser Plus lidar jammer ($300) [see: laser jammer test] to counter that threat. But despite their guarantee to pay for any speeding tickets collected during the first year of ownership, we'd prefer just to avoid a citation in the first place. Unfortunately, this unit's incomprehensible alert system, spotty ergonomics, performance shortcomings and exceptionally chatty behavior make it nearly useless at detecting radar but eminently suitable as a stay-awake device for nighttime driving.</i>
<b>And from another test on the same site:</b>
<i>K40 SS3000
Overall score: 39
This K40 has a separate laser module and rear radar antenna, the former mounted on the front license plate (optional is a rear laser module). The manufacturer heavily promotes the promise of bi-directional radar detection although conventional dash-mounted detectors manage to pick up radar to the rear quite nicely without the added bulk and complexity of a second antenna.
The K40 is operated by a cockpit-mounted control module that sports two slide switches and six status LEDs--four of them either pale green or yellow that simply disappear in sunlight. This forces total reliance on the audio for band ID chores. Unfortunately, they weren't quite up to the challenge. Although we halted the test several times and cycled through the audio alerts in an attempt to learn them, this bewildering assortment of chirps, tweets and bird whistles proved impossible to interpret even after two full days earnestly spent trying.
We tested the rear antenna separately and found it gave about the same range as the front antenna. At least it did on X and K band. After spending fruitless hours trying to coax it to detect any of the three different Ka-band frequencies, we finally determined that the rear antenna doesn't pick up Ka band at all. Confronted with the evidence, a K40 spokesman reluctantly admitted that Ka band in the rear antenna is purposely deactivated.
We can guess why: the SS3000 is uncommonly prone to falsing--in reaction to other radar detectors, microwave relay towers, supermarket door openers, Burger King microwave ovens, you name it. We also noticed that the microwaves emanating from the K40's two antennas frequently set one another off, adding to the din. On our 10-mile urban loop the SS3000 shrieked 10 false alarms--that number would've doubled had we counted alerts of less than 2 seconds' duration--making it the noisiest detector we've seen in the past decade. The constant racket makes the SS3000 useless as a police-radar detection device but highly recommended for hungry drivers searching for the nearest Burger King.
At the straightaway/hill test site the SS3000 turned in competitive X-band Highway and K-band scores but its range in X-band City Mode was so poor that we were clocked by the radar for nearly a quarter-mile before it finally went off. It was equally shy about alerting to both K and Ka-band radar at the curve site, the radar guns nailing our target car well before they were noticed by the K40.
As the most expensive unit tested it would be fair to expect greatness from the K40. But with its inept Seventies-era design, total lack of features, user-unfriendly operation, wildly uneven radar scores and overly talkative nature, we'd suggest shopping elsewhere.</i>
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