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Best radar detector in Australia - Which is it?

A common question asked is which radar detector is the best?
"What is the best radar detector?" should really be asked as "Which radar detector is the best for me?"

There are four main factors that need to be considered when deciding upon which radar detector is best for you.

Firstly, are radar detectors legal in your state?
Quite simply, if you live or plan to drive OUTSIDE of Western Australia, then the easy answer is radar detectors are illegal to use. Western Australian drivers are the only ones where it is OK (perfectly legal) to use a radar detector.

The second factor in determining what is the best radar detector is also based on where you live, and it concerns the types of speed measuring devices used by police in your area. You want to buy the unit which detects the types of radars / lasers used in your state most effectively.

The third factor in deciding the best radar detector for you is by asking the question:
Do you want a portable unit (that is powered from your ciggarette lighter or a "hard wire kit"

Or do you want a hidden / installed radar detector that is built into the car so as it cannot be seen?

And finally, the fourth factor to consider is simply...what is your budget to spend on a radar detector?

So let's analyse each of these 4 factors in more detail.

1) Are radar detectors legal to use in your state?

If you are in WA the answer is YES - radar detectors are legal to use
If you are outside WA the answer is NO - radar detectors are illegal to use

If you are in WA, then this question is not so relevant - being legal to use, this question (or more accurately the answer) doesn't limit your choice of detectors to use.

Because radar detectors are illegal to use in all states other than Western Australia, it dramatically limits ones choices in selecting the best radar detector.

Naturally we do not recommend using a radar detector in a state that bans their use, but for those that choose to ignore the laws, you do not want to be buying a radar detector that can be detected by police radar detector detectors.

A unit that detects a radar detector I hear you ask? Yes, that's right, the police have in their arsenal a device that can detect any radar detector - except those radar detectors that are stealth. And by stealth we are not talking about one that is hidden, we are talking about a stealth radar detector that is electronically undetectable by the police Radar Detector Detectors (RDD's)

The stealth radar detectors achieve this by masking any and all leakages. If they don't leak any "electronic noise" then no matter how oftern the police change the frequencies their RDD's scan for, they will NOT detect a stealth radar detector.

The only radar detectors that are 100% stealth are:

The Beltronics STi Driver (re-branded as the Bel XR in Australia) - a portable radar detector
The Bel STi-R - which is the hidden / installed version of the STi above (re-branded as the Bel XRC in Australia)
The Stinger DSI which is manufactured in Europe and is another hidden / installed radar detector
The Escort 9500ci - which uses the same antenna as the Bel unit - also a hidden / installed radar detector
The Escort "Redline" - again using the Bel STi antenna, but is a portable radar detector

So if you live outside of WA - we don't recommend breaking the law, but only the radar detectors above won't be detected electronically by police RDD's. In other words, if you live outside WA, do NOT buy a radar detector that isn't stealth!

2) What are the speed measuring devices used in your state?

In WA, Multanova speed cameras, and hand-held lasers are the most used devices. Dash mounted radar (also called "moving radar") is used in cars typically driving in the country or on highways. A lot of radar detector owners in WA turn off K-band when driving in the cities, and only turn K-band back on again when driving on open roads.

So the best radar detector for WA needs to be able to detect Multanovas and laser the best. This, unfortunately, sorts out the cheaper detectors from the quality ones. The reason being is because the Multanova speed cameras are such a low powered radar device, most poor quality radar detectors will only "beep" as you drive past the Multanova, not actually giving you any advanced warning. And if the Multanova has been set up in "rear set-up" - in other words measuring your speed and taking your photo AFTER you have driven past, only the very best radar detectors give you any type of advanced warning.

The best radar detectors for picking up Multanovas as of July 2009 are (in order):

The Valentine One (portable radar detector)
The Bel STi-R (installed radar detector)
The Bel 990i (if you can find a second hand one around)
The Bel 966 euro - if you can buy one second hand online
The Bel Bel 975 remote
The Conqueror PL-940 Euro (installed radar detector)

Other popular brands in Australia such as the Bel STi (Bel XR), Bel XR70, Bel V940a or the Whistler models tend to be a bit hit and miss as far as decent warnings on Multanovas go. Our testing experience puts these models as inconsistent with their detection range.

Do a search on car forums, and a common theme seems to repeat itself when referencing these models - EG

I don’t rate Bels (apart from some early ones when multis first came out). I had a few recently like the ‘Sti’ that were just plain crap performance on newer Miltinovas (it triggered at the “you have passed a muiltinova” sign) - source

first was a Cobra, That was an uneducated purchase. It looked pretty, had a good interface, but was crap at detecting anything - source

Do you know any ways to gain range on an XR STI? Mine is terrible, like, 50m terrible. And this is my second unit, because when I took my old unit to Neltronics for repair (it wouldn't power up) they suprised me with "it's still under warranty". They ended up giving me a warranty replacement, which is still just as shit performance wise. - source

I'm on my 3rd Bel XR70 and I'm yet to be impressed. Every camera (about 15 of them) I've been passed I would have to be 25m away looking down it's lense before it'll pick it up. Even when I can see them 200meters away... - source

FWIW I have a Pro78 and am not that impressed with its performance so far. With Multanovas (Ka) the warning distance can be as low as 50m even on a straight road. Worse is it seems inconsistent. - source

Now we are not implying that these models are no good for detecting Multanovas, simply that the top 6 listed above are the best. If you are getting less than 200m warning against a Multanova, then you probably should look at a better radar detector.

3) Do you want a portable radar detector, or a built in one?

Advantages of a portable radar detector:

Can be moved from car to car if you have multiple works cars or for a hire car
Doesn't require installation - which takes time and / or money

Disadvantages to a portable radar detector:

Can be seen from outside the vehicle which can make your car a target to thieves
Less reliable "Laser" detection. (Sensors are away from the beam aiming point)
Cannot be used on a car with a metallic window tint front windscreen (called "Atermic" windscreens)

Advantages of a fully installed radar detector:

Can't be seen easily - which protects you from any prying eyes
Generally better at detecting laser and speed cameras
Can be used effectively in cars with an athermic windscreen

Disadvantages to a portable radar detector:

Difficult to move from car to car
Requires installation (costs time and / or money)
Difficult to service if faulty (requires removal from the vehicle)

4) What is your budget for buying the best radar detector?

Whilst many customers believe their radar detector purchase has paid for itself, we understand some people simply have fixed budget on how much they are willing to spend. This obviously has an outcome on the "best radar detector" for them.

So what does all this mean?

We'll make it very simple for you:

If you are in Western Australia the best portable radar detector is the Valentine One because:

It detects Multanovas earlier than any other portable radar detector
It detects laser better than any other radar detector period
It detects HIghway patrol cars running dash mounted radar extremely well
When programmed / set up correctly, it is a very quiet radar detector (fewer false alarms)

If you are in Western Australia but looking for the best hidden / instralled radar detector then choose the Bel STi-R:

It detects Multanovas earlier than any other hidden / instralled radar detector
It detects Highway patrol cars running dash mounted radar very well

However if you are limited in your budget, and cannot afford the above mentioned then we recommend the following for WA:

If you are in WA the best budget priced portable radar detectors in order are:

Escort X50
Whistler Pro-78SE or XTR-690SE
Any Bel detector mounted sideways on a vertical mount bracket

If you are in WA and looking for the best hidden / installed radar detector on a budget, then we recommend the Conqueror PL-940. It's very simple to install, gives great range on Multanova detection, and can be set to automatically mute radar alerts when driving below a certain speed (eg 50 km/h) which makes it much quieter driving around the city

Ouside of WA we do not recommend using a radar detector because they are illegal to use.
That being said, those that ignore the laws usually buy the following:

For portable stealth radar detectors:

The Escort "Redline" is our pick for the best radar detector.
The Bel STi Driver (called the Bel XR in Australia) is our number 2 choice.

For fully installed stealth radar detectors:

The Escort 9500ci is the best hidden / installed system on the planet. It has everything - radar, laser and GPS. But with a price tag of $1600 US it may be out of reach for many people.
The Bel STi-R (called XRC in Australia) Doesn't have laser jamming or GPS like the Escort 9500ci, but excellent in detecting radar

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