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RADAR DETECTORS
Outing the Cops
We're way beyond Smokey and the Bandit. The latest portable radar detectors sniff out all types of police activity - X, K, and Ka bands - while screening for the false alerts that once plagued city drivers. Switch one on and leave speed traps behind. - Gordon Bass
SPLURGE: Valentine One $399 (plus $39 for kit), www.valentine1.com
The Valentine One picks up any radar band within a 2-mile radius. Its glowing arrows indicate whether Johnny Law is ahead of, alongside, or behind you. The controls and interface are a marvel of logical design, and the Concealed Display Kit hides the lights by routing the warnings to a display below dash level. This helps conceal the unit and deters parasitic slipstream riders.
BEST BUY: Cobra ESD 9870 $190, www.cobra.com
The ESD 9870 gives an adequate 1.5-mile warning for all bands, and it's amazingly user-friendly: Incoming hits are announced in a seductive voice, and warnings are automatically disabled when you're idling. That's a godsend in stop-and-go traffic. In an ironic touch, the unit monitors and announces Safety Alert transmissions from emergency vehicles and train crossings.
OVERRATED: K40 RD850 $300, www.K40.com
The RD850 has first-rate sensitivity, but its minimalist owner's manual and inept display will keep you in the dark about who's lurking around the bend.
iPOD RADIO TRANSMITTERS
MP3-FM
Sure, the new iPod can put 10,000 songs in your pocket. But how do you play all those MP3 files on your car stereo? Cassette adapters are so 2002. These devices transmit your tunes from player to stereo using an unoccupied FM radio band. - John O'Brien
SPLURGE: C. Crane Digital Wireless FM Transmitter $80, www.ccrane.com
The Crane is tops, thanks to its easy-to-read digital display, great audio, variety of power sources (Edison, cigarette adapter, AA batteries), and wide range of frequency options (88.3 to 107.7). It's the only transmitter with a signal that can reach 30 feet across an apartment to a radio in another room. Makes you wonder if this device might be sharing music with other drivers.
BEST BUY: irock! 400FM $30, www.myirock.com
A petite package, this AAA-powered transmitter produces crystal-clear sound as long as you're within 5 feet of the antenna. And with the included cigarette adapter, you can rock out as long as you want. But be warned: The unit supports only four FM channels (88.1 to 88.7). If your airwaves are packed with commercial signals in that spectrum, you're SOL.
OVERRATED: iTrip $35, , www.griffintechnology.com
This compact unit piggybacks on the iPod for added portability, but menus are sluggish, changing stations is an ordeal, and indoor range sucks.
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