I dont think theres an extra cig lighter (non consoles have THREE, 2 on the dash, one in the armrest), but your right theres probably a little bit more storage, especially for small items (three cup holders pull out from dash, armrest opens, and the seat lifts up for a storage container under the middle seat)


Your right, it is all personal preference, so I guess I can understand why some people can like them... for ME it was a dealbreaker, but I won't judge you guys who opted for them, although I REALLY wish I could have gotten that one truck without the console... it was perfect in every other way!

I'm sure its possible, but I think you must admit you understand why its worth having more once you've used one, and you probably miss it sometimes. When I drive a car without one I know I'm conscious about it! Plus the GPS feature makes it so much more worth it than a standard detector because you get hounded by false alerts. With the GPS you drive an hour and it doesnt go off once unless there is a legit cop!

Not quite, as theres another piece of the puzzle- insurance rates for YEARS. Three tickets raised my girl's insurance $1400 a year. Thats $4200 over three years!

One ticket when I was younger raised my insurance $454 a year (I just looked it up so fixed the number). For three years thats $1362! for just one ticket, plus the cost of a ticket.

Both of these make $1700 sound appealing... But of course I wouldnt pay $1700 when I'm driving my truck, as I dont go much more than 5 over intentionally... But when I was driving a 700 HP sports car, or your in a ferrari or lambo, your probably hitting speeds that will jail you and get your car impounded!


They are perfectly legal. there is nothing illegal about them, so they can't use the fact that they didn't get a speed against you. All they can do is give you a bad attitude and give you a general ticket for speeding, which is like $60 or something, and they always get tossed out in court because theres no proof whatsoever.... so its not something you want to advertise, but its not something to fear either...

That is unless you live in virginia or DC where they are illegal, but I usually shut mine off when I'm somewhere they are illegal. (note this is for products such as the 9500ci with laser shifters, not radar jammers. Laser jammers are LEGAL, and laser is the only type that has no warning. Radar jammers ARE illegal, but the GPS powered radar units make radar jammers unneeded as it tells you right where cops are ahead of time without the false alerts)

 

Ya and I have been pulled over for 5KMS over! You just never know with these Alberta sheriffs. Anyone who drives the number 2 knows all about them! Some are good don't get me wrong but I think there are many out there who bend the rules just a bit to give out a ticket!

I will explain a situation I ran into personally, I was driving in Calgary and pulled out of a parking lot, as soon as I did it my laser detector was going off (I did not have it on shift, just read only) looked down at my speedo, I was doing 55km/h. The average limit in the city of calgary is either 50 or 60 so I thought I was good. NOPE he pulled me over, a sheriff in the city of calgary! He started to talk to me about how they are trying to crack down on young kids driving their parents new vehicles owning the road! So I was going to find out 100% for sure if radar detectors/shifters are legal or not. I asked him if radar detectors were, he proceeded to say, yes they are legal but they don't work. AND it would not help you in this situation because I got you with laser!
I said well are laser shifters legal? Yes he told me, but again they don't work trust me. After he gave me my ticket (which might I add was 168 dollars, for 5 kms over) I told him that I was going to turn my shifters on. He started freaking out and was peering in through my windows to find it. He asked me where it was and wanted to come in my truck. I said not without a warrant and drove off!

The only reason why I did not fight that ticket was because of your second comment. Yes they do not give you any justice or lessen your ticket because of it. But they are 100% legal here otherwise I would have been stopped and it pulled out.

I guess what I am trying to say is a 600 dollar detector (FOR ME!) can keep you away from those dirty cops that are just looking to fulfill their quota. Its not the money that I am worried about, its the demerit points that go with these stupid tickets and stay on your licence for 2 years!So by saving you 4-5 tickets it should pay itself off by time you are ready to buy another vehicle.

JMO not saying that all cops are like this, I know some real nice ones, but I know some real dirtbags too.

 

I did not realize there was one in the armrest, which is alright I guess, but not the dealbreaker for me

And yes it is very hard to get rid of it, and I do miss it very much because now I own a newer vehicle, but I have been lucky not to get a speeding ticket so far. I don't speed but again with my above post you just never know.

I did not mention it in my above post but you are correct there as well. I have had 3 tickets so far, 2 of which are no longer on my licence but luckily my insurance gave me a break on these because they were for only 5 and 11kms over. But I do agree with you, my insurance would have gone up just that amount too. 1700 bucks is cheap when you think it could save you a ticket for 3 years! Saves you a few dollars.

 

Well you shouldn't have an issue since Detectors are legal in Alberta. However not in Ontario, where we can legally enter your vehicle to search for it if there are grounds. We have our cruisers equipped with Radar Detector Detectors which alert us to a vehicle that has one plugged in and turned on.

They only work if the copper leaves the radar on. It will alert you to the radar signal, but by that time, I already have your speed.

And really, with the price of gas, not really worth it to speed in a truck.

 

I don't have an issue but you can tell cops definitely don't like them. I would think you don't either. Now with newer detector like this one that claim to be undetectable to all forms of spectre, I have seen utube videos if it in action and it seems to work, but who knows if its a scam. I wait for the day that they are illegal here to...

Some detectors are even equipped with pop detection which helps to, but I know that they are definitely not fool proof. You cant put a detector in and expect never to get a ticket. You still have to learn to use it. Like you say it it only works if the cop leaves the radar on. This is where a detector does NOTHING, on back roads with no one else around they will get you if you have a detector or not. However it definitely works wonders when im driving on our number 2 (or 4lane) We might not get a constant radar signal but whenever you try and detect one guy we will see it down the road.

I know when I had mine as soon as a saw a KA band i was doing the speed limit. And at the cost of this detector, I might not see you till 5kms down the road! (depending on terrain) It has claimed to work on some laser detectors too, that you can see the laser but the cop is not necessarily targeting you. I'm not going to back that one up tho, cause i know how the laser works and it seems totally wrong.

I am assuming that you are a cop, im not trying to take sides here as I have been both with a detector and without. But you have to admit too that there are some officers that abuse the privilege. Some get you just before the new speed limit sign, like 100-50 or vise vera. Yet there are guys that are passing me on the 4 lane at 130! However I take the other side of things by saying there are some guys that speed ALL the time, in resi locations, school zones, you name it. Then for those guys to buy all these fancy detectors and shifters making it harder for you to catch them...

Only if everyone always followed the law ...HA!

 

. . . .

 

I can't stand them.


Yup, there are definitely, some cops that speed for no reason at all, and is quite hypocritical in my opinion. We all have our limits for stopping people. 10-15 over you're fine in my books.

Sometimes we're responding to a call that's a priority, but not worthy of lights and sirens, so it might seem that we are speeding for no reason, but we're trying to get somewhere quick.

And sometimes some just speed for no reason.

 

to everyone saying crap about why not just pay the tickets. the tickets arent the problem. its when your insurance goes up a grand a year for 3-5 years.


but honestly, I have a valentine, I dont even use it. Incase alot of you dont know, cops nowadays rarely sit there with a device that stays on so your detector can pick it up from a mile out. They use laser, which is instantly on and off. So most detectors now, are a $500+ sensor telling you, "your ____ed". Most highway dont even pull over for anything 15 over.

but to the original thread, you could get one of those overhead consoles, and tuck it up there. I use to keep mine on my dash and just throw a hat over it.

 

just clicked on your link, this "laser shifting" technology.... is that even legal??? and if it is legal, it cant possibly be shifting, or jamming, as that is illegal.

 

It is perfectly legal here in alberta manitoba and Saskatchewan. However it is illegal with every other place, same goes for radar detectors. I believe that it is also illegal in some states but don't quote me where...and don't quote me on manitoba and sask.

I know that this technology works, I used to drive a 15km one way back and forth to work. Most days I was getting off at the same time as every other person in the town so the town cop was out most days. After my situation stated above I drove for 2 weeks, one day I was pulled over. I was asked why the town cop could not get a reading on my truck! She asked if I was using any laser shifters or jammers and of course I played dumb. I was not worried about anything because she would need a warrant to search, not to mention I don't think that they are even allowed to search. She would have to call an RCMP in.

This technology is different from jammers, jammers send an error to the gun and the cops know that you are running something. With a shifter it takes that beam and directs it off into nowhere so the gun does not receive a signal back Reading 0km/h. There has been claims that it has a 3 second cut out, what I mean by that is it will shift for 3 seconds giving you time to brake and it will shut it off allowing the cop to get a reading, one that you are within the limits of. I tried to read up on that and I could not find a 100% confirmation, and never heard back from escort. Sold the detector so didn't care to focus in on it. This is where it would help in what you stated, with cops going away from radar to laser. This pretty much ensures they cant get you RIGHT away at least. This is the technology that I am sure is hurting cops right now, in the legal places. Of course in places where its illegal, they can pull you over and make you unwire the whole system im sure.

As far as this overhead console you speak of, is there a different one then most? I just have the sensors, lights, garage door control, and rear window switch. I don't see much of area to mount that display in. It would be a good idea if you could get it to fit in there. Nothing is missing from my overhead so maybe thats why I see no room. But if you dont have certain functions there might be enough to fit that display in.