Great Sensitivity + Great Features + Great Price = Great Detector
Written: Jul 02 '01
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Pros: Sensitivity, Volume, Text Display, Features, Price, Upgradeable
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: With the great sensitivity, the great features, and the great price, this is a great radar detector!
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| gourles's Full Review: Beltronics BEL 950 Radar Detector |
I first decided that I wanted a radar detector after I got a speeding ticket for going 50 mph in a 25 mph zone at 12:30 at night. So after getting two points on my license and paying a $150 fine (I went to court and got the ticket lowered to 39 mph in a 25 mph zone). I am 17 years old living in NJ, and cannot afford to have my insurance raised any more.
This is the second radar detector that I have ever had, and is definitely the best. Before the Bel 950 I had a Bel Express 916 for about three weeks. The 916, was a very capable detector, but it broke. So I was left to find a new detector. I decided I wanted to spend more money so I could get a text display and greater sensitivity.
Eventually I decided on the Bel 950 because I was one of Bel's top models, but was at a semi-reasonable price. (I paid $199.99 for it.) I ordered it online and waited about a week for it to come.
When it got to my house, I opened the box right away. When I took it out of the box, I could tell that it was manufactured well. The unit had weight, but not too much, and even though it was constructed out of plastic, it seemed sturdy. I then set up the winshield mount, which was not too difficult, and set it up in my car. I drove around for a little while looking for police with their radar guns on, but I could not find any. The only things that had set of the radar detector so far were Shop-Rite, A&P and my cell phone. I decided to wait until night time because I live in a small town and after about 11 pm all the cops sit on the side streets and stop speeders.
That night is when I found out the amazing detection range of the Bel 950. I took a ride on the highway by my house, but did not find any police. But when I got off of the highway near my house, the radar detector started beeping and a voice said "K-Band". The street I was on was relatively straight, but did have several hills. The number on the radar detector kept getting higher as I got closer and closer. About a mile down the road, there was a police officer sitting on the side of the road checking the speed of oncoming traffic. I had an infinite amount of time to slow down, and I did have to slow down because the road was 25 mph and I was going about 45 mph.
I went home very satisfied that night and decided to play with the features of the detector. I did the "Tutorial Mode" which consists of a sounding of an alert from each band and then three sws warnings. The SWS is very interesting, but it is not used in my area so I have turned it off. One of the features that I like a lot on this detector is the Auto-Mute. With this feature turned on the detector will beep a few times, say the band, and then click (which is a lot less annoying when the cop is a mile away from you and you are stuck at a light). Another thing I like is the digit next to the band. I like this better than the bar graph because it is easier to read quickly.
In the pros I mentioned volume. The volume on this radar detector is very loud. I can turn the music up and still hear the detector (which is a good thing!). You can alter the volume if you don't listen to loud music. I also mentioned that the unit is upgradeable. Bel states that this detector can be upgraded as new police technology comes out. This is good because instead of buying a new detector, you can get your current one upgraded!
This detector is probably one of the most capable on the market today. And when you look at the prices on this model, and the top models from other brands, you can see that this is a great detector at a bargain price. I recommend this detector to everyone.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
gourles
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Member: Michael Gourlay
Location: Westwood, NJ, USA
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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