Beltronics BEL Vector 985: You Don't Need To Spend A Fortune To Evade Cops!
Written: Feb 16 '03 (Updated Oct 02 '03)
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Pros: PRICE, Radar Sensitivity, Nice Looking, Picks Up All Major Bands Including Laser
Cons: More Falsing Than Valentine One or Escort
The Bottom Line: This is by far the best affordable protection out there... For only $205, how can you not afford to buy this?
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Beltronics Vector 985 Radar Detector |
Beltronics is one of the biggest players in the radar detector market. Their Vector series is their highest end radars. I've seen the BEL 985 at a $329.95 MSRP, but the detector can actually be purchased for as little as $205. This makes it half the price of a Valentine One, and $100 less than an Escort Passport 8500. But how does it handle? Let's find out!
-Price-
*Just over the Cobras, but less than the Valentine One and Escort Passport 8500. The BEL 985 is definitely a great value, no doubt about it. It picks up X, K, Ka, and Laser. It does everything it is supposed to do. Yet at the same time, it doesn't lag behind the Valentine One or Escort Passport 8500. If you don't have $300+ to dish out for a radar detector, then I think that the BEL 985 is a great value. It performs better than Cobra, Whistler, Unidenm without any doubt... And it is a formidable foe against the Valentine One and the Escort Passport 8500. Even though I still prefer my Valentine One over the BEL 985 because of its features... But the BEL 985 still gives you the most performance for the price. It smokes the cheaper detectors, and competes well with the Passport 8500 and V1. It's for you to decide how much you're willing to spend on protection, and only you!
-How It Functions-
*Like other nicer detectors, the BEL 985 picks up X, K, Ka, and laser. Often times when I'm out driving, cops use Ka. If a cop is using laser, you're good as toast. Even high-end detectors can't pick it up effectively enough for you to have time to slow down. However, if you accompany a BEL 985 with a laser jammer, such as a Bel Laser Pro 904, then you'll be all set. Think of it this way, let's pretend you spend $400 on a Valentine One. You'll be getting protection, but you won't be able to jam laser. But if you buy a BEL 985 for $205, and accompany it with a ~$200 or so Bel Laser Pro 904, you'll have complete protection for $500! That really isn't too bad. The BEL 985 definitely gets the job done, it works great. It has an easy to read red LED that will show you the strength of the police signal, and also the band that the cop is using.
-Overall Performance-
*For $205, you'll be getting way better than you ever asked for! The BEL 985 definitely handles nicely. I put my dad's BEL 985 right up next to my Valentine One. The BEL 985 detected police signals fairly well. It actually performed just as well as the Valentine One. However, there was one thing that I didn't like about it. The BEL 985 falses much more than the Valentine One. It can get annoying, but as I always say, "Better safe than sorry." I was radared about three times in the suburbs on Ka. Both detectors picked it up pretty well. However, the BEL 985 still continued to false more than the Valentine. Also, I did like the fact that the Valentine One showed me the direction of the radars and how many bogeys there were, but the BEL 985 without any doubt got the job done. For $205, the BEL 985 handles like a dream. You'll love it. No doubt about it! Just try out a BEL 985 for yourself!
-Other Side Notes-
*There's not really much else to say about the BEL 985. It's a really good radar detector. In my opinion, it's a much better buy than any cheap Cobra, Uniden, or Whistler. The funny thing is that all my friends that have Cobras (Quite a lot) get caught by cops. My dad hasn't gotten caught before, and he uses his BEL 985. It's not that much more money than a high-end Cobra, but it handles much better. Put in those few extra dollars, and you'll be covered pretty well. Also, as I mentioned before, because the BEL 985 is so cheap, you can buy a laser jammer, so you'll be virtually invincible. Not saying that it's a license to speed... But you'll be protected anyhow.
-The Verdict-
*The BEL 985 is without doubt a very competent competitor against the Valentine One and Escort Passport 8500. Even though I still prefer the features of the Valentine One, the BEL 985 is an astoundingly $200 less! It's also $100 less than the Escort Passport 8500. If you don't have that much money to spend on a radar detector, then the BEL 985 is an excellent choice! Also, you can accompany it with a laser jammer which are perfectly legal, and then you'll be very well protected against all the bands and also laser! Plus in the end, it won't break the bank! Overall, I found the BEL 985 to be a great radar detector. The price only makes it better.
Recommended:
Yes
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soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
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