Beltronics RX 65 Radar Detector

Let me preface this review by admitting to driving faster than the posted limit more than I ought to so I'm pretty picky about radar detector performance. I needed an upgrade from the Beltronics 855STi that I had been using for quite a while and I found it in the latest 'Top Dog' offered by Bel, the Pro RX65.

I have not used either the Passport/Escort 8500 or 8500 X50. I have no direct experience with the Valentine 1. As a result I cannot comment personally on how the RX65 stacks up against its closest competition. I can, however, tell you how it has performed thus far in the short time I've owned it.

Depending on which review you believe as far as national publications go the top honors for radar detectors will go equally to the Beltronics Pro RX65 or the Passport/Escort 8500 X50.
Most reviews give X-band detection to the Valentine 1 by a wide margin. As the vast majority of devices emitting X-band signals nowadays are normally automatic door openers on various businesses I do not find extraordinary X-band sensitivity to be of any great advantage. Factoring in the Valentine's extreme size and price point falling $100 above its competitors removed it from consideration for me. So that left me to choose between the Beltronics RX65 and the Passport 8500 or 8500 X50.

I have been a fan of Beltronics products for many years now due to personal experience with their products and being continually impressed with the performance of such. When I went looking for a new unit I obviously looked to them first. After doing a bit of online research I decided on the Pro RX65 for several different reasons - not the least of which was price. (More on that later in the review...)

The Beltronics Pro RX65 features detection of X, K, Ka, and Laser radar bands, "instant-on" POP radar detection, as well as detection of the Ku-band radar found in use in many European nations. This last is a handy feature for the frequent overseas traveler but an unnecessary, unusable extra for those of us who find ourselves stateside day in and day out. Each one of the aforementioned bands can be selected or defeated via the unit's programming mode. Additionally you can set the RX65 to decrease rather than eliminate X-band sensitivity during City-mode operation if you so desire. You may also select or deselect a spoken voice alert which will tell you in addition to showing you what band of radar the unit is detecting.

The RX65's red, multi-LED display features 3 selectable brightness levels. The unit also features a "Dark" mode which uses audible alerts only and defeats any visual alerts during traffic-radar detection for stealthy night driving. Although the RX65's display is angled slightly upward I find it to be easily legible in pretty much any lighting condition.

The 'SmartCord' coiled lighter plug power cord included with the RX65 has a green-LED power indicator, a red-LED alert indicator, and a volume/mute control button on the end that plugs into your lighter/12v outlet. Depending on where you mount the detector it can prove much more convenient to reach for the end of the power cord to mute an alert if necessary than to do so via the volume/mute control button found on the topside of the detector's chassis. The point where the power cord connects to the unit is a phone-jack style plug that provides a rock-solid connection. There is no 'direct-wire' cord included with the unit. If one is needed or desired it is available at additional cost from Beltronics.

As there are no law enforcement agencies that have X-band radar guns in use where I travel I have the X-band detection turned off. The only time the laser alert ever sounds is near my local airport and near the large Air Force base here so I'll assume it is detecting the ILS beacons coming from the respective air traffic control and runways at these locations. As I do not travel any European roadways here in the buckle of the Bible Belt I have the Ku-band detection defeated as well.

What does that leave? The much more common K and Ka bands of traffic radar plus the instant-on POP radar. In my experience I find the Pro Rx65's detection of these radar bands to be absolutely phenomenal.

My municipality is fond of using those radar boxes mounted to trailers that sit on the side of the road somewhere and have a speed limit sign posted on the top of the box with a radar gun and a large, bright display that shows your current speed as you approach the box under that.

In my locale these roadside boxes operate on K-band. My most recent encounter with one was with the radar being located on the side of a highway just the other side of a bridge so you wouldn't see it until you're virtually on top of it. (were it an actual cop and you had a poor or no detector you'd be had for sure if you were speeding) The Pro RX65 alerted the first time at almost two miles away and began to show an increase in radar signal strength at over a mile away. Ka-band performance has shown to be just as sensitive in the instances I have run across law enforcement officials using it. The RX65 has only displayed and sounded an alert for POP radar twice in my short experience with it but both times I had enough time to slow before coming into view of the radar source. In short, in the three weeks I have now been using the Pro RX65 it has already paid for itself several times over giving me more than ample opportunity to adjust my forward velocity to legal limits before getting close enough to the radar source for it to register my vehicle's speed.

Audible alerts are loud, clear, and easily distinguishable from one another after learning what each sounds like. Beltronics' patented AutoMute lowers the volume of the audible alert on a constant radar signal after the first few seconds' detection to keep from giving the user a headache with a continued full-volume blast of radar alert if the signal remains on for an extended period. Beltronics units in the past revert to a Geiger counter-like click when the AutoMute engages. The RX65's AutoMute simply lowers the volume of the alert while continuing to sound the same alert tone. Pressing the volume/mute button on the unit or the SmartCord at any time during an alert silences the unit entirely.

As I have X-band radar detection defeated I have not noticed any real difference with the detector set to either 'City', 'Highway,' or 'AutoScan.' The latter mode is advertised to continually scan the incoming signals and automatically adjust for urban area or highway driving. Again, I have noticed no real performance difference regardless of what driving mode has been selected.

The Beltronics Pro RX65 will also display Safety Warning System (SWS) traffic alerts for those areas that have this system in use. There is no such system in use in the areas of Louisiana that I frequent so I unfortunately cannot directly comment on the operation of this function either.

The first thing you notice upon getting your hands on a new Pro RX65 detector is the attractive metal travel case that contains the new detector, all its accessories, and the associated paperwork. Opening the travel case exposes a preformed foam insert with various openings holding the detector, the coiled SmartCord power cord, and the suction-cup windshield mount.

My first impression of the smallish windshield mounting bracket was that it wasn't going to prove substantial enough to hold the RX65 adequately as the detector is a heavier unit than I am accustomed to. I have since been resoundingly proven wrong as the easily-adjustable system holds the unit in my desired location more than securely. You'll simply attach the bracket to your windshield using the two suction cups found on it, slide the bracket tongue into the corresponding slot on the topside of the detector, then while depressing the adjustment button found just forward of this bracket slot move the detector forward or backward on the bracket until it is parallel with the ground. Release the locking button and you're done! It just doesn't get any easier short of someone mounting it in your car for you.

The Beltronics Pro RX65 leaves traditional radar detector cosmetics behind and shows its flashy side with a titanium-colored case in place of a more common black detector chassis. As it looks decidedly different than its competition it is easily recognizable for the top-shelf unit it is. The downside to this is obviously the RX65's ability to attract the attention of thieves if you leave it in sight when you park your vehicle.

You'll find the four buttons that control all the unit's functions mounted topside on the RX65's chassis. They are all clearly marked and easily found by touch even when you aren't looking directly at the unit. Set somewhat back from the front of the unit from left to right you'll find three smaller buttons for power, City/Highway/AutoScan mode selection, and the display brightness control. Forward of these three buttons running sortof horizontally in an arc almost all the way across the front of the top of the unit is the volume/mute control.

Holding the display brightness and driving mode buttons simultaneously for two seconds will enter the programming mode which allows the user to adjust their choice of seven different features to whatever setting is desired.

The unit will display one of the following as your 'Pilot' (constant) display: system voltage and driving mode, driving mode spelled out (City, Highway, or AutoScan), or driving mode abbreviated (C, H, or A). For the times when the detector is alerting you to the presence of traffic radar you can choose from the "Tech" display mode which shows the actual frequency of the radar being detected, the new "Threat" display mode which will track multiple radar sources simultaneously and the relative signal strength of each, or a bar graph signal strength indicator.

All in all I find the Beltronics Pro RX65 to be a more than capable performer with an outstanding range, high sensitivity, and properly configured showed a very minimal amount of falsing during urban driving and none in highway use.

The other main draw to the Pro RX65 over the Escort 8500 X50? Price! Bel's Vector series of detectors are more widely distributed and readily available. The Professional series detectors are only retailed through a select group of sellers and more difficult to source from an authorized retailer. At the time of this writing Beltronics is offering a rebate program on factory-direct purchases of their Professional series radar detectors (see www.Beltronics.com for complete info), though I cannot say for certain how long it will last. After a factory-direct purchase of a Pro series detector Beltronics will rebate $80 towards the purchase of an RX65 and $60 towards the purchase of an RX55 for the return of any other radar detector regardless of brand or condition. Retail price for the RX65 falls at $329.99. The total purchase price for the Pro RX65 detector plus the optional 3 year warranty and shipping was just shy of $373.00. My cost to ship the old detector back to Beltronics was $6.00 for a total outlay of $379.00. After the $80.00 rebate was credited to my Visa my total expense for a factory-direct Pro RX65 with an extended warranty was just under $300.00. Find an 8500 X50 warrantied for three years at that price!

As this unit is software upgradeable the extended warranty also covers any applicable software upgrades that become available within the warranty coverage period.

Thus far I have no complaints about the Pro RX65. It looks good and works better. It's loud enough to grab my attention even over my stereo (a laudable feat inandofitself) The extended warranty will provide for worry-free use until this time in 2008!

If you've got three hundred bucks to spare and need a great radar detector I highly recommend snagging a Beltronics RX65 while ya can!