Bel Vector 990i: An International Affair...
Written: Nov 19 '03
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Pros: Performance
Cons: Nil
The Bottom Line: Great detector... Especially overseas.
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Beltronics Vector 990 Radar Detector |
The Bel Vector 990i is the flagship model of Beltronic's Vector series radar. The MSRP on this thing is an astounding $500 :0 However, it can be purchased online for around $300, which makes it compete directly with the Escort Passport 8500, but moreso, the Valentine One. So, what sets the Bel Vector 990i apart from the Bel Vector 985. Well, the Bel Vector 990i is capable of being run in different countries with its addition of Ku-band which isn't used in the United States. So, this detector can be used practially anywhere in the world.
-Price-
*The Bel Vector 990i goes for around $300 online. This puts it into direct competition with the Escort Passport 8500, and also with the $399 Valentine One. Well, if you're living in the United States and don't drive cars around the world, then you're probably better with saving almost $100 and buying the cheaper Bel Vector 985. However, if you travel all over the world or live in a part of Europe where Ku-band is used, then the Bel Vector 990i comes handy. Now, the thing is is that the Valentine One can be programmed to track Ku-band if you're using it outside the United States... So it all comes back to the EVERY DETECTOR VS. Valentine One battle. When you're outside the US, and in Europe (Such as the UK), you should be concerned with the Gatso roadside cameras. They take pictures of your cars and then you get tickets. What's tough about these is that they emit a lower level K-band signal which is harder to detect. The Bel Vector 990i does what it's supposed to do for the price, it does a pretty damn good job detecting K-band, but then again a Valentine One offers other features such as the bogey counter and arrows. I've never actually used a Bel Vector 990i in Europe, I only used it once in the United States, but when I was in England not too long ago, I saw some detectors offered. Some include Snooper which is a popular brand, and I got to see one in action. But based upon my knowledge of Bel's products, the Bel Vector 990i and others dominate in the European roadways. So, it's up to you to decide!
-Performance-
*The Bel Vector 990i proves itself worthy on the road. The K and Ka band performance is superb, just what you should expect from a Bel Vector series detector. I used one of these in Illinois, it's a shame I didn't get a chance to use one in the UK when I went (But there's always next time!). However, with its excellent K-band sensitivity, you should be able to evade Gatso radar if you're using this baby in Europe. I'm pretty sure that it will kill out any other competition except for the Valentine One. The Valentine One has been the benchmark detector for over a decade... However, you can save quite a bit of money by going with the Bel Vector 990i. Then came another important test, Ka-band. Again, the results are what I expected. It performed superbly giving me ample warning. Now if only I could test it out on Ku-band! But I guess a conclusion can be made that Ku sensitivity is sufficient since this is a high-end detector that performs great elsewhere. It's very comparable to the Valentine One when I drove with each of these alongside each other in a friend's car... Again, the major difference is the features and price with the Valentine One compared to the Bel Vector 990i.
-Features And Ease Of Use-
*The Bel Vector 990i has plenty of driver selectable features that make driving with it a pleasure. It offers the neat tech mode which shows you the exact frequency of a threat so you can figure if it's real or not, voltage meter, SWS, etc... If you read the instructions, I'm sure you can master this. The Bel Vector 990i has a very easy to use and dimmable LED text-display which has easy to read alerts. It also has voice alerts and different tones for each band. And of course, a mute button! Phew! That's quite a bit of detector there!
-The Verdict-
*Does the Bel Vector 990i prove itself worthy in the United States? Yes. Does it prove itself worthy overseas? Yes. With its excellent K-band sensitivity it can pick up Gatso cameras effectively, and also has Ku-band for the areas in which it's used. The Bel Vector 990i offers very comparable performance to that of the Valentine One, but once again, with the Valentine One you're getting the bogey counter and arrows which can be very helpful and can really save you. For what you get with the Bel Vector 990i, you can't go wrong, especially if you travel a lot around the world. It's for you to decide if you want this over a Valentine One... And oh, don't forget, there are other brands not sold in the US such as Snooper that are used over-seas. Then there are also some Bel models not sold in the US. So try em' out, and see which you like. Overall, I give the Bel Vector 990i two thumbs up!
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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