Good long range detection. Easy-to-use selectable features. Auto-mute is really nice.

Goes off quite often. City X may take care of that in slightly more urban areas. I pick up a lot of trash on K and Ka, though. City All will make city mode screen out low levels of X, K, and Ka, but it still makes an initial beep - extremely annoying!

Overall pretty good. I got what I paid for. Would really like more out of a radar detector, but couldn't find one that had the level of sophistication I was looking for.

My ideal radar detector would:

1) be installed in-dash (single-DIN), with a flip-around faceplate so if I do get pulled over the cop won't see it.
2) radar and laser sensors mounted in the front and rear bumper.
3) optionally wired so that it wouldn't go off at all if traveling slower than a selectable speed (say 45mph). Really annoying to hear the thing going off while sitting in traffic.
4) optionally wired so that the brake lights would not light up if the detector is going off.
5) be priced around or less than $1000.00

If anybody wants to make one of those, let me know - I'll buy one.

Very good K and KA band coverage. Really like voice alert.

lot of x band falses

I paid $240 for it. Is really worth the money. The passport gave a lot of falses on x and KA band. The new Uniden is pretty quiet in town,but poor range and pulse. I think this is a exelent detector. I left it in my car and it was stolen. definetely plan to get another 980 or 970.

Similar Products Used:

uniden 757; Passport 7500;Whistler 1620;cobra 9200;vector model before LR

Works great... adjustable volume levels..

None

I've had this for a few months, and really only got to test it out twice when I went on a pretty long trip. Both times it saved me from speeding tickets!! The second time it warned me 4 times, 4 diff. speed traps. Paid for itself and then some...

Similar Products Used:

None

Good radar with the good distance. It could detect cops from rough turns when you
have no visual contact. Never got the ticket, though I like
to keep 85-95 mph speed in NY,NJ,PA. Bought it for $260.

Size and weight. Can not fix it nice to sun wisor.

It is good and I would recomend it.

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None

cool digital voice alert!! saved my ass so many times from speeding and giving the cops the finger!!

kindda chunky, and visor bracket is huge, doesnt even fit.

overall, i paid $260 for this device and havent gotten a ticket since. the bel radar works fine, but if i had more money, i would probably get the V1 or k40 after reading all the postive reviews on the newsgroup.

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None

Great detection:Best X band 1.15 miles/K band 1.25/Ka band 1.2 miles. Clear and destinct Voice and Audio. Love the selectable freqs. if not used locally.

Would love multiple detection like Val 1& Escort. Need a more darken screen at night.

Would definitly recommend it. Excellent instant on sensitivity. The Val 1 alternative for VALUE. But the VAl 1 is still #1. I paid $200.

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Not the Val 1 but darn close for front detection. Rear not as close as Val 1.

awesome long range detection of all bands

little weaker than compition on x band, but its more used by alarms and garage doors now

bought the escort 7500 lacally after experiancing very poor ka detection, i did some extesive review researc and found that the bel 980 was as good as it gets for the price..advertised at anywhere from 240 to 300 i found it for 225 and can say that its way better than the escort, reviews say its as good at all bands as the new escort 8500 and in some catagories better than the v-1, all i know is it picks up all radar ive encountered in pleny of time, and for the price compared to 299 for the escort and 399 for the v-1 i agree wit hmost of the tests i read the bel 980 is the best you can buy ..save your money.. buy the bel 980

Similar Products Used:

esort 7500

I couldn't believe how far away it will pick up radar. You can literally keep going until the signal gets stronger before you slow down. I like how it has numbers to indicate signal strength.

Falses occasionally in town (when going by Safeway or Walmart), but I can't complain.

I highly reccomend this radar detector. I think it is the best one for the money. I haven't tried it, but the Passport 8500 is supposedly just as good. But they cost another $70 or so. I say stick with the 980.

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My dad has the Passport 7500. It can't compete with the Bel 980!

Range, Looks, Price, Performance, Upgradability

occassional false

No matter what anyone else says this is the best Radar detector you can buy for it's price. The only thing you can buy that performs w/this is the Escort 8500. I have had a Valentine-1 and 8500 and sold them both.
The V-1 sucks if you are wondering. It has more falses than the 980 and about 1/3 the range. That's right the 980 has 3x the range of a V-1. My cop friend and I did a little testing...and this detector held right up with the 8500 and definately outperformed the V-1. It got K and Ka from 2 & 3 miles away on a Hwy. The V-1 would point the radar out like 20 seconds later. This is so sensitive it does false but just set it on "all city mode" and cruise. You won't even have to slow down until the signal strength reaches 3 and you'll still have plenty of time to slow down

Similar Products Used:

Escort 8500 & Valentine 1

It has a signal strength meter. Best detector. Good Selectivity.

Just false alarms at like walmart or something where it gives all bars as if the cop is right next to you.

The only weakness as everyone else says is the false alarms but you've gotta understand it's designed to be like that. The radar detector's way of eliminating false alarms is "all city mode" and if you put it on "city mode" then it's supposed to go off like crazee. In the beginning it drove me crazee too but when you understand the mechanism you'll think the radar detector has no faults at all!!!!

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I haven't used any other detector. This is my first detector