Looking for guidance on R3 settings for upcoming trip

[SSGNY]

Hello Everyone,

I am going to be heading on a trip to the south soon and I am new to the radar scene. After research and budget I am getting the R3 today.

I live in NY state so most of the radar will be used here after coming back from the trip.

Can anyone suggest settings for driving through multiple states on a road trip...NY, PA, OH, KY, TN?

What about set in settings for once I return (live upstate and not anywhere close to NYC)?

Also I have seen on certain posts about firmware 1.50 and newer types of firmware...should I just update it to its latest firmware?

Any info would be greatly appreciated. I was reading through some of the post and it can make someone’s head spin who isn’t used to it haha.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[The Pope]

Take a look in this thread: https://www.rdforum.org/threads/91594/

 

[SSGNY]

Take a look in this thread: https://www.rdforum.org/threads/91594/

Thank you The Pope for taking the time to help me out. I officially receive my R3 on Wednesday so I look forward to going to that thread and researching. Thanks again!

 

[yellowtibby]

For your trip and while running in upstate NY I would Ka Segment 2/4/5/6/8 vs run Ka Wide because upstate NY has some stalker 34.7 ka Band guns that are way off tune. The R3 has lightening fast reactivity so Ka wide isn't a huge sacrifice. I would run X band on only in Ohio and I would run K wide with k block on and highway mode in rural non urban areas of PA since PA state police are brutal with instant on low powered K band shots. PA also has low powered K band redflex speed cameras at select construction sites which give very little warning and range on your R3 so look out for white Jeep Grand Cherokee with cameras attached to their roofs. For the rest of the trip you can run K band at 40% (except in PA) and be fine. You can turn MRCD/MRCT off if you don't go into NYC.

 

[Sonic Mustang]

I'm also new to the R3.

I wouldn't be so eager to leap into advanced settings from the start. You wrote you're new to the radar scene so you have zero experience with detectors and zero experience with how any radar detector reacts to real police radar, how cops use radar guns or falses.

If I were you, I'd tend to leave everything on and use this trip to learn your R3.

I've been using radar detectors since the original Escort in 1979-1980. My last detector purchase was a Escort Redline in 2010. When I started using the R3 I ran it with everything on, nothing filtered and nothing blocked. I'm slowly adjusting the settings as I get used to it.

If I was making your trip today, I'd run my old Redline because I know it very well. Hell, I'm still getting used to the different alert tones on the R3.

My suggestion is leave everything on and initially use Quiet Ride (only). Set the Quiet Ride speed at the lowest posted highway speed along your route.

DO THIS ONLY IF YOU HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO KEEP TO THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT ON SURFACE STREETS.

I never speed in town. The residential speed limit in Cody, WY is 30MPH and our highest limit in town is 35MPH. I have my Quiet Ride set at 35MPH because I don't speed in town and the city cops won't write a local for four over in a 30MPH zone.

I would also the the Limit Speed to the maximum posted speed along your route ( or X MPH above - whatever you're comfortable with). For example, in Wyoming on highways with posted speed limits of 65, 70 or 75, a citation will not go on your record (no points, insurance doesn't know) if your ticketed for 79MPH or less. So, I have Limit Speed set to alert at 80MPH just to let me know I'm in the "points zone."

 

[SSGNY]

For your trip and while running in upstate NY I would Ka Segment 2/4/5/6/8 vs run Ka Wide because upstate NY has some stalker 34.7 ka Band guns that are way off tune. The R3 has lightening fast reactivity so Ka wide isn't a huge sacrifice. I would run X band on only in Ohio and I would run K wide with k block on and highway mode in rural non urban areas of PA since PA state police are brutal with instant on low powered K band shots. PA also has low powered K band redflex speed cameras at select construction sites which give very little warning and range on your R3 so look out for white Jeep Grand Cherokee with cameras attached to their roofs. For the rest of the trip you can run K band at 40% (except in PA) and be fine. You can turn MRCD/MRCT off if you don't go into NYC.

For your trip and while running in upstate NY I would Ka Segment 2/4/5/6/8 vs run Ka Wide because upstate NY has some stalker 34.7 ka Band guns that are way off tune. The R3 has lightening fast reactivity so Ka wide isn't a huge sacrifice. I would run X band on only in Ohio and I would run K wide with k block on and highway mode in rural non urban areas of PA since PA state police are brutal with instant on low powered K band shots. PA also has low powered K band redflex speed cameras at select construction sites which give very little warning and range on your R3 so look out for white Jeep Grand Cherokee with cameras attached to their roofs. For the rest of the trip you can run K band at 40% (except in PA) and be fine. You can turn MRCD/MRCT off if you don't go into NYC.

Thank you yellowtibby for the specifics. That is very helpful especially attempting to dig in a large amount of data regarding this device can be consuming on such a time crunch. Truly appreciate it