Rating  - Great Detector!
This was my first radar detector. I purchased it over 2 years ago and still use it today in my car. Typically, I wanted a radar detector because there are always police in my town driving around with their radar on, and for frequent highway use.
Pros:
-AMAZING!! Range. Never fails to warn me at least 1/4 mile before i see a cop either in the opposite direction or sitting in the middle of the road. The detector really does have full 360 degree range.
-Has a great automute feature which automatically mutes the sound after beeping 3 times.
Cons
-picks up a lot of false alarms (x band picks up store security systems, other people radars). Beltronics customer service had told me x band is the primary radar used in New Jersey, so this gets kind of annoying.
Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase. Over 2 years ago, about a week after putting up the detector in my car, I was driving way over the speed limit on a straight, but hilly road. If it weren't for the great warning time the 965 provided me with, I can't imagine what would've happened had I passed the police officer without it. I feel really secure that the v965 will cover my @#$.
Rating  - BEWARE! Beltronics will not honor it's warranty
I own a different model of Beltronics radar detector (the Express 925) which I have had for less than a month. It developed a porblem with the display, so I called Beltronics so that I could get it repaired. Surprise! Surprise! The lady there told me they will not honor the warranty of any Beltronics radar detector not sold by an "authorized reseller" and she told me that Amazon is NOT an authorized reseller. So if you buy your radar detector from Amazon or other non authorized dealers, they will not honor the warranty if you have a problem. Check Beltronics web site to verify this!
Rating - Another Amazing Bel Product "The Vector 965"
I bought the Beltronics Vector 965 radar detector for two reasons? Number one, I wouldn't own anything but a Beltronics product and number two, I wanted to update my current Bel with the POP option. I was originally kind of "let down" do the fact NO ONE in my area is using POP mode! Why mess with that when they can get a Laser read just as fast with more car selectability?...In Ohio, our State Patrol uses a wide variety of Radar bands(including good old X)mainly in the "RF/Hold" or "Instant On" mode. Very seldom will you encounter a lazy Trooper setting stationary or moving with his Radar unite left on constant. They love that full proof Laser too! Even the local cops will blast you with Laser or occassionaly "Instant On" in search of that much needed municipal money! My point is, you need a very good detector to handle Ohio speed measuring devices and the Beltronics Vector 965 will handle the task just fine! I would bet even the least exspensive Bel Radar Detector will "out perform" most unites being sold but be willing to spend about $200.00 for better filtering and performance. What ever you do, get comfortable with your detector and learn how to properly read the information it is showing you other wise, you WILL be ticketed!.....The use of Laser is ever increasing and we all know that there IS NOT any defense for Laser! Laser must be used while the officer is "stationary" or setting still. It can not be used while moving.....YET! They can zap you anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 feet away but let's face it, being a line of sight beam, about 500 to 890 feet may be more realistic! The Vector 965 will allert you to Laser but the Voice Mode should say,"Laser Alert, pull over and await your sitation!" There is NO defense for Laser so keep your eyes open!.......The only negative for the Bel Vector 965 is that.......you don't own one!
Rating  - Another Bel Disappointment
I've also had many detectors and finally decided to spend good money for a detector that I thought would do the job, (not alot of false alerts ect)well I was really disapointed in this detector- 965. Your supposed to be able to turn off the X band to eliminate the annoying alerts your receive on this band,, Well,after turning it off it still gave audio X alerts.(Yes I read the instructions).Way to many false alerts, the unit is heavy and bulky, windshield mount is not a winner either.The best thing about this detector was getting rid of it!! Seriously,as I said above I have had many detectors, (2nd Bel) and I'm not a "rookie" when it comes to using them, but this one, Bel 965 is bad !! Spend the extra bucks and get the Passport 8500 x50.If you need to fill the space in your glove box or under your seat this is the detector for you.
Rating  - About the best you can buy for the money
I've used many low end detectors - Whistler, Cobra, Uniden, etc. For several years I used a Beltronics 906. About 2003 I noticed that it wasn't doing its job. I found myself in several situations where it was obvious that radar was being used and I got barely a beep from the 906. Something was very wrong.
I scoured the Internet doing research, trying to figure out what new radar was being used that my detector was failing to pick up. I came across one site in which an expert stated that any detector made prior to 2001 or 2002 was almost worthless today and would fail to detect modern radar. That described my detector! I did further research and discovered that some police departments across the US were using a new radar called POP. Several models, including the Beltronics 965, scan for POP. Having good experience with Beltronics in the past, I went with this model.
I have been using the 965 for several months now and I can savely say that it _works._ However, the new fangled radar being used by the police, at least in my area, was not POP. It appears that the local state police have some kind of new KA radar that earlier models can't pick up. I've never found out what it is. All I know is that the older models don't work.
Some of the hype about POP might be hyperbole. As for the 965, its detection of POP is, well, just about useless. My detector is set on City/No X detection and it freuquently is set off by false POP alarms. Traffic lights seem to be the most common problem. After that it seems to be other cars with their own detectors. My advice on the POP, unless you live in a state where you know it's being used, is don't bother setting up your detector to monitor for it. The truth is, here in the US northeast, I've yet to detect a single POP radar used by the police.
So why bother with this model? Most importantly, independent tests have shown beltronics detectors to be some of the best in the market. Just check out the tests at at speedzones dot com. If you're looking at detectors in the 150 to 250 range this is the one to buy. It's a current model - along with the beltronics 995 - which makes it the best choice for current radar situations. Unless you like the bells and whistles on the 995, this model is the one you'll want. The 995 is overkill and likely has the exact same detection range as the 965.
If you're looking for a cheaper detector you might want to check out the Whistler 1783. It's a good cheaper substitute. But if you're willing to pay more for a detector that will pull in that signal 5 to 20 seconds quicker, this is the one want. In my own tests I've been able to pick up radar signals more than a mile away. I've never had that level of detection with _any_ of the detectors I've used in my lifetime.
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Customer Reviews for Beltronics,v965,065789249651,0065789249651,B000266VUU, |
