Well I have had my new 9500i for about a week now and after some Interstate miles and around town driving I must say I really am starting to like this thing.

One cool feature is it will display your speed on the detector when it picks up a radar signal. Yeah, I know I could look at the speedometer or the HUD but you instinctivly look at the detector when it goes off anyway and instantly see the speed you were going when it picked up the signal. Very cool.

It also talks and says the band detected. Again, very cool and very handy. For you purist's out there, you can turn the voice off if desired. It also has an auto volume setting that increases the volume of the detector to offset road noise or a loud stereo, for instance.

Also comes with a USB port so future upgrades can be done on your computer.

BTW, I have had the Valentine 1 and, don't get me wrong, it's a great detector also and the arrows are cool BUT it just gave waaay to many false alerts for me.

So all in all I give the 9500i a big thumbs up. Very high tech little gadget. Downside: It ain't cheap but as with a lot of things, you get what you pay for.

 

Good to hear.
Im gonna sell my 8500 I think and maybe pick up the 9500.

So you'd take the 9500 over the Valentine?

 

Yes, in a heartbeat.

 

I got mine about 8 months ago and love it!!

 

I have never been a Valentine fan, as I could care less where the signal comes from. I only care that the detector accurately picks up the signal. I have the 8500 X50 and have been wondering about the 9500 but had heard some bad press about it. Have the issues been corrected?

 

Exactly how does the GPS feature work?

 

The PASSPORT 9500i radar detector puts an end to false alarms. Its new GPS-powered TrueLock™ feature allows you to simply press the mute button a couple of times and never hear a radar-based automatic door opener or motion sensor again. Our patented design captures the location coordinates and the exact frequency of the signal and stores them in memory. Once stored, TrueLock™ will reject these signals, but is intelligent enough to warn you of a new or different signal in that same location. That's right, no more false alarms!


• Variable Speed Sensitivity provides real-time radar protection based on vehicle speed.

The PASSPORT 9500i radar detector can automatically vary its sensitivity based on the speed of your vehicle. At interstate speeds, all radar bands are operating at full sensitivity, providing the best possible performance. At really slow speeds, like parking lots and stop lights, the sensitivity is turned down to almost zero. No more irritating alerts when you are going below the posted speed. The result is real-time on-demand radar protection.

• SpeedAlert™ provides vehicle speed during each alert.

The PASSPORT 9500i radar detector provides all the information you need to make an intelligent decision during each and every alert. The radar or laser band, signal strength, and now your vehicle speed are displayed during an alert to help you make the best possible decision.

• Mark Location stores speed traps and other locations in memory.

Speed traps and camera locations are everywhere. It's a stretch of highway where they always sit, or it's a back road that quickly changes from 45 mph to 25 mph within a few hundred feet. You don't always remember, but now your PASSPORT 9500i will. The PASSPORT 9500i's "Mark Location" feature allows you to quickly store a specific location in memory. Simply tap the "Mark" button a couple of times and the 9500i will store this location in memory. The next time you approach this area, the PASSPORT 9500i will provide an alert well in advanced to remind you of the potential danger. This specific location reminder could keep you from being ambushed by instant-on radar or laser the next time you approach

 

Here is a link to the 9500i with info on it's features.

http://www.escortradar.com/9500i.htm

 

Nothing beats the Valentine One.

http://guysoflidar.com/august-2007/r...ctor-test.html

 

Depends on what test results you want to believe.

http://www.radarbusters.com/badgeratingsarticle.cfm

I'm not saying that the V1 isn't a good detector. It is and I had one. The difference in the number of feet that the detectors are alerted is so small as to be insignificant.

In other words the V1 and the Passport both warn you long before they lock in your speed.

The difference in the maximum range the detectors pick up a signal on Ka is between 37' and 133'. That is in a total distance of around 2000'. Plus, the V1 just goes off way too much for me. False signals became a real pain.

Also, while the arrows on the V1 are cool, the direction of the radar signal didn't matter to me, I slowed down regardless just to be safe.

I have often wondered if the V1 didn't have the arrows, how popular would they be?

The GPS feature of the 9500i more than makes up for not having directional arrows.

I like having the latest technology at my disposal and in my opinion the Passport 9500i has it, for now anyway.

 

Radarbusters.com is run by Radar Roy Reyer and he doesn't sell the Valentine One so do you really think it is going to win any tests on his site that sells every other brand of radar detector?

It is not just the arrows that make the V1 popular. It is the fact that it is the only radar detector with two radar antennas that can locate radar, point an arrow, is completely upgradeable, and is the most sensitive to radar and laser.

 

A quick search found a couple more sites.

I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that just because they don't sell the V1 it didn't get a fair test. But you can believe what you want. Using that logic one could assume that the detectors they do sell were rated higher than they actually tested.


The point is, the V1 and the 9500i are both top performers and warn you well in advance of the LEO getting a lock on your speed.

The "most sensitive" for the V1 is true. That's why it gives so many false alerts.

The Passport gives 360 degree protection also but since it has no arrows it doesn't need 2 antennas. It does have a GPS antenna that can warn of speed traps and red light cameras along with the ability to lock out known false signals.

The 9500i has a USB port and is totally upgradeable from your home computer and therefore doesn't need to be sent in for an upgrade.

Just pointing out the technological advances in the new 9500i.

http://radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=1064

http://www.myradardetector.com/compare_all.htm