BEL 880

Price Paid:  $80.00 from ebay

Year / Model Reviewed:
 93 mazda 626

Summary:
good looking radar with many useful features,excellent visual display with voice, works very well on freeway, very annoying in city due to an extremely high amount of false alarms, highly recommended for highway travel especially in rural areas

Strengths:
very bright excellent visibility display, very sensitive on k (only k band is used around here by police), useful features like sws and vg-2 detection

Weaknesses:
audio to quite even at full volume, severe falsing in city especially in areas with many alarms and near stores

Similar Products Used:
uniden 6499. the bel 880 is far superior to the uniden

Price Paid:  $110.00 from discountcell.com

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2000/880

Summary:
Great overall radar detector. It was a good pick in the $120-170 price catagory. It has stood the test of time giving me good warning many times of the last two years.

Strengths:
Different tones for bands that are easy to remember so you don''t have to look at the screen. Ka, K, and laser have good range. Sturdy construction that has lasted for 2 years.

Weaknesses:
Lots of falses on x, but that is normal in cities and major roads. Laser is not loud enough sometime.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $169.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 bel 880

Summary:
Very sensitive on X,K and KA but also falses alot. I would have given this unit a 4.0 but due to the amount of falsing I will have to knock it down a notch to 3.

Strengths:
Good sensitivity in x, k and ka! Nice bright display with the dim feature.

Weaknesses:
Falses a lot but after time you can learn the differance between what is false and what is probably not. The voice is a bit annoying.

Similar Products Used:
My first detector unit.

Price Paid:  $120.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 Bel 880

Summary:
I find this product to be inferior in many ways to start i got pulled over, and with out a warning that the cop was even there. I would think that for a radar detector it would sense radar, but i guess that would be asking to much. If you want a product that detects cops about as well as you can see them than this is the detector for you, but if you want one that actually has function get a better model or a scrambler.

Strengths:
Did detect cops sometimes.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't work in real time situations like when you can't already see the cop.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $150.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 Bell 880

Summary:
After allot of research, I determined that the Bell 880 is without a doubt the best detector you can purchase in the $120 to $170 price range.

It's a compact, solid feeling unit. The text display is bright and clear. The tone for each band is unique, so you don't have to look at the display.
It has all the features you would expect in a high end unit.

This detector is very sensitivity on all bands, including the important Ka band (most of the cheaper units don't perform well in this band). It receive 4 out 5 stars at www.radartest.com. If your considering mid to low price detector, don't go with anything less. You can't beat it.

Best of all, this detector works. I can't count the number of times it has sounded off and down the road was a COP laying in wait.

Strengths:
Very good sensitivity on all bands, Including Ka.
Solid and compact. Just the right amount of bells and whistles.
If you can't see spending $300.00 for an Escort 8500 or $400.00 Valentine One. This is the best detector to have in $120 to $170 price range.

Weaknesses:
False Alerts in the City. Most of the false alerts are in the X band and are easly recognizable.
The window mount requires a screw driver to re-adjust if moved to a new vehicle.

Similar Products Used:
I've owned two previous detectors. RadioShack, I don't remember the model (it was junk). A Uniden 737 (don't by one, it was not a fuctional detector). The Bel 880 is far better then both of these.