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Cheap Ass Radar Detectors On Sale Now!

Buyer Beware, the Ghost radar detector marketed by Radar Shield that look very similar to Rayee’s cheap Escort 9500ix knock offs.

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2009 CES Overview

Radar Roy provides an overview of the 2009 CES show in Las Vegas and the new speed counter measurement devices such as the “cheap ass radar detectors” sold by Raylee and the new Cobra, Escort and Beltronics radar detectors.

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Beltronics – Escort: Setting the Standard in the Radar Detector Industry

Over the past several years Escort and Beltronics has set the standard in the speed counter measurement industry as the folks to beat and I can honestly say that no other company or individual comes close!
I first took notice of their commitment to excellence over four years ago when Beltronics became committed in developing the first radar detector that was completely immune to all radar detector detector devices.
Not only were they committed in being the first (and still only) company that could defeat the unbeatable Spectre RDD, but they also set the standard in having the best performing radar detector in the industry.
This venture ended up being the most costly development project ever in the speed counter measurement industry where they recruited and highered the best microwave engineers in the industry and developed and perfected the Bel STi and the STi-R stealth radar detectors when many others in the industry said could never be done.
This commitment to excellence has followed through with their development and patent of the first intelligent GPS radar detectors ever made, the Escort 9500ix, the Escort 9500ci and the Bel GX-65.
During this year’s CES show I meet up with Everett Morrs of Beltronics to discuss their product line and their commitment to the consumer in providing the best radar detectors available today;
Part One – Beltronics Interview:

Part Two – Beltronics Interview

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Cobra Radar Detectors – I’ve Been Snapped

This year Cobra Electronics went WAY OUT with a very informative and engaging presentation about their 2009 line up of their GPS enabled radar detectors.
As I approached their booth I noticed that they had a faux speed camera with flash mounted on a pole and standing in close proximity were three gorgeous gals all dressed in short black skirts wearing silver police badges.
As I entered the booth one of these beautiful ladies approached with a ticket in hand saying that I’ve been “snapped” and wanted my name so I could be entered into a contest to win a free radar detector. I declined the free detector (as I have plenty already) but she then invited me to watch a video presentation about their new 2009 line up.
Of course I couldn’t refuse as she sat me down and I watched their three minute video explaining photo speed camera and red light camera enforcement and their new “Aura” automated camera alert database.
I have to hand it to Cobra this was the best speed counter measure presentation that I’ve ever attended in all my years at SEMA and CES! Great job guys and gals…..

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Cheap Ass Radar Detectors

For years I’ve been warning consumers about the dangers of purchasing radar detectors from unscrupulous dealers and distributors lurking on Ebay, Amazon and other fly by night websites that sell counterfeit radar detectors and jammers manufactured in Korea and China.
There have been countless times where I was contacted by a misinformed consumer who purchased what was advertised as being an Escort, Beltronics or Blinder product for half price and received a “knock off” packaged in fancy box with a fake operators manual with the manufactures name and product proudly displayed.
Then several days or months later they get pulled over for speeding because their counterfeited device didn’t alert or the product totally failed and then they call for warranty repair and find out they’ve been taken.
During this year’s CES show I scanned the outer fringes of the floor to seek out one of these manufactures and to my surprise found Tommy Chen from Rayee Technologies in China, who had an entire display booth filled to capacity with his counterfeit wares.
As I began questioning Tommy about his products he recognized the word “Radar” on my id tag and asked me if I sold radar detectors. Jokingly I replied that I used to, but I never sold “Cheap Ass Radar Detectors”. Tommy replied “Yes, we make cheap ass radar detectors”.
At this time I waved over to my partner and asked him to begin taping an interview with Tommy and asked him about his products.
As Tommy introduced his products to me in the video I glanced over into the display and to my amazement observed products clearly labeled as “Blinder” (Blinder is a registered trademark in the USA for Blinder USA who manufactures and sells laser jammers and is not affiliated with Rayee Technologies)
On another shelf I observed knock offs of Escort’s/Beltronics GPS based radar detectors such as the Escort 9500i, Escort 9500ix and the GX65. (Beltronics owns the patent for Radar Detectors equipped with internal GPS and Rayee Technologies is clearly violating this patent).
Then on another shelf I observed knock off’s of the Cheetah GPS Mirror and their new C-50 Speed Camera Alert system.
Then in my amazement in another display they had knock off’s of Rocky Mountains Phaser – C-450 scramblers (Mike Churchman would had been proud).
During my interview with Tommy and in literature he later provided from the company, the radar detectors are advertised as all being able to defeat the Spectre III radar detector detector, along with being X, K, Ka and Ku band and POP equiped.
During the second half of the video Tommy hands me an Escort 9500ix knock off and I flip it over to see the FCC type acceptance tag. With none being affixed (as required by law) I ask if his products were FCC type accepted and he related that they were.
At the closing of my interview I asked Tommy if he would be willing to send me samples of his products for testing and he related he would.
After my taped interview with Tommy I pressed for more information as where you would download the database for the GPS features, who made the database or if it was a “hack”, and if he was aware of his products infringing on trademarks and patents of US companies.
Tommy related that you had to go to their website in China to download the firmware/gps upgrades and yes that he knew that his 9500ix was infringing on Escort’s patent (however in all honesty, I cannot say that he understood a word I said, he would often say yes and repeat my question)
During this entire process I watched as other dealers/distributors who were making deals with other reps from the company making commitments for orders. Who these dealers/distributors were I have no idea, but I’m sure that you’ll be seeing these same knock off’s soon being sold on Ebay/Amazon and some of the rip off websites that target the uneducated consumer!
Buyer beware…..

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The ONLY Way to Beat Speeding Tickets!

Over the pasted eight years I’ve made the annual trek to the CES show in Las Vegas either by motorcycle, motorhome or with my pickup (and even a couple times with all three). Even equipped with the finest speed counter measurement devices money can buy during this 265 mile four plus hour trip I’ve had several close calls in Wickieup and Kingman with the Arizona State Patrol with my heavy foot.
Also the delay at Hoover Dam with the Homeland Security check points are also extended during this mad rush to Vegas with all the “Zonies” heading up to see and play with all the new electronic gizmos.
So this year I was excited to have finally figured a way to cut my time to Vegas by 75% while also forever avoiding speeding tickets!
After spending a year learning how to fly, two weeks ago I passed my FAA check ride and became an officially licensed general Av8tor!
I’m also fortunate enough to live so far out in the sticks (or cactuses) in Arizona that I’m able to land and take off on my own extended driveway (airstrip) without freaking out neighbors.
So this morning Don Norton (aka: RacerX) the Cheetah rep who lives in Phoenix drove over and we jumped into my Cessna 182T (918RR – Crazy Radar Roy) and flew to the CES show this year.
At 8:00 am, just as the sun began peaking over the eastern horizon we lifted off to the south, banked to the west climbing to 8500’ toward Laughlin Nevada. An hour later we headed north to Searchlight and then started our decent into Henderson.
This was Don’s (RacerX) first trip in a private plane so the night prior to the flight I sent him a link to the AOPA website so he could take a short introductory course on emergency flight operations. During our lift off I could see that Don was still a tad nervous and I joked saying that this was way over 25 miles away from my home and this was the longest flight that I had ever taken and hoped that I could find Las Vegas.
But I commend Don as he hung tough even through some moderate turbulence and we spent the day at CES checking out all the latest radar detectors and jammers and flew out the following morning at 6:00 am.

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I’m a Av8tor!!

Looking back on my twenty year law enforcement career my most exciting times was when I was assigned as an undercover narcotics officer during the mid 80’s. During this period a large percentage of the drugs smuggled into the southwest from Mexico came in by small private aircraft.
Therefore I spent allot of time working with other federal and state law enforcement agencies working air interdiction. I would fly with DEA or DPS in fixed wing or helicopters searching out clandestine airstrips that would have extra full barrels hidden in the weeds, then stake out the location(s) for days if not months.
Even though I have a fear of heights during this assignment I developed a very strong passion for general aviation, however it took an additional twenty eight years to fulfill this dream.
Last November I signed for private pilot training at Buckeye Flight School and in April purchased Cessna 182T that had over 2500 hours that was rebuilt from a previous encounter with a taxiway sign. As this was a much more complex aircraft with a glass cockpit and a high performance engine additional training and certification was required so I set back my solo back till July until I felt completely comfortable with my own bird.
After completing my solo I decided that I wanted to add my own “personal touch” to my bird and registered the N-Number of 918RR. 918 is the police code for “mentally ill” and RR is my initials.
A few days before Christmas and eighty flight hours and 245 landings since starting my training in my Instructor felt I was FINALLY ready for my FAA check.
One of my biggest obstacles during my flight training was trying to get over the fear of doing power on nose high stalls. For some reason putting the aircraft in an unusual attitude and waiting for the plane (and your stomach) to start plunging from the sky just didn’t feel right. But knowing that I would be tested in this procedure during my check ride my instructor and I practiced these the entire afternoon prior to the test.
That evening I laid awake thinking of all the questions and my answers to the oral questions the examiner would ask such as airspace, airspeeds, stalls/spins and then the final one hour flight with the FAA examiner. I knew I was ready but would I choke?
The following morning without much of any sleep, I reviewed my notes, headed out to the hanger to do my preflight, taxied out in front of my home waving to my wife and flew out to Buckeye to meet with the examiner.
The oral exam was a little tougher than I expected but I was pleased when the examiner ended the test saying that I did somewhat better than average so then I knew that I knocked out part one. Then we walked out to my bird, did another preflight and climbed aboard 918RR (Crazy Radar Roy).
Arizona is home to numerous flight schools that cater to international students and because Buckeye Airport is a rural non towered airport, many of the schools send their students to practice their take offs and landings there.
While taxiing to the runway I heard one of these students announcing his placement and intentions in the pattern in broken English. I realized then that my checkout ride just got a little harder because I had to take the time and watch for him in the pattern because I had no clue in hell he was saying..
The evening before I had prepared a flight plan to Flagstaff airport 200 miles to the north and the examiner wanted me to set my departure up for this airport knowing that the entire town was under two feet of snow.
After my run-up at the end of the runway, I announced my intentions on the Buckeye Unicom and took off from the airport setting up my departure north to Flagstaff. After getting all setup and ten minutes into the flight the examiner says “Hey, we can’t go there, it’s snowed in. Let’s go to Blythe (California).
THANKFULLY my bird is GPS equipped so after entering a few coordinates into the panel we were flying west.
After reaching 4500 feet the examiner says ok now the fun stuff, get it set up for a power on stall.
I slow my bird down to 50 knots, added full throttle and begin my nose high climb. What seemed like an eternity looking directly up into the sky with the yoke pulled into my chest the plane finally began to buffet and entered a stall. As soon as I did I lowered the nose, adjusted the throttle and fell into straight and level flight!
The rest seemed easy a short field take off (the airstrip at my home is VERY short field), a landing with no flaps and a go around. Finally an hour into the ride the examiner said “Take us back Captain”.
Now came what ended up being the hardest part of the test, trying to keep my excitement level down to grease this final landing as a student pilot, taxi to the FBO and get my BIRD shut down in one piece!
Then that moment arrived, while coming in on my 45 degree entry into the downwind leg, the Chinese student announces that he is turning crosswind placing him directly into my path! Glancing over to the examiner I announced that I was doing a 360 to re-enter the pattern. After putting the plane into a forty five degree bank I realized that I didn’t mark a location on the horizon nor did I set my bug. At this point I assume that the examiner sensed my disorientation and pointed to the GPS with the airport displayed six o’clock off my nose.
I leveled off, announced that I was re-entering the pattern, landed and taxied back to the FBO. After shutting down the engine the examiner reviewed the good points and the not so good points (momentary disorientation due to stress) and ended by congratulating me saying that I passed!
I feel very fortunate that after being bitten by the “aviation bug” that I was finally able to live out my dream and followed through what seemed to be one of the biggest challenges in my life in controlling my fear of heights. No longer do I look up at all the aircraft circling my neighborhood and wonder what it’s like to be way up there, because I’ve been there and I can return whenever I want!

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