i at one time had an escort passport that worked well, what do you guys use and how well does it work.

 

I have had an Escort passport and it worked very well. However for the last ten years I have been using a Valentine One and I am very happy with the results that it has given me. Both units work well but Valentine is my choice.

 

V1 has been the way to go. I have one but haven't used it since my dd became grandmas Buick.

What I've noticed is it works really well in some states and not at all in others. In ny it works beyond awesome. In nj and pa,where I now live, it is unreliable and almost pointless to have. Get feedback from someone in your state to see how they work and if they're worth the money. I think my v1 was around $400 new

 

Grow up! Ditch the RD, most don’t work or are owned by people with driving tickets! I often pass cars with RD’s slowing down to near or below the posted speed limit.

 

 

V1. No question. Saved me more times than I can count. Paid for itself the first week I had it.

shmoky

 

Whistler XTR-695... screen is not sunlight readable...but the blue led's and aural tone work OK when a radar signal is detected....

 

Valentine One

 

Many years ago, the last time I used a radar detector, I had a very pissed off police officer behind me for a short period of time on back roads.

Now I just use 20/15 vision. Thanks Lasik!

 

I have an Escort 9500 series, some may think they don't work but I KNOW it's saved me more that once. Here in Texas cops like to drive around in everyday cars with ghost markings on them so you don't see it until your right up on them, it has warned me they have active radar and I'm able to make my adjustments.

 

Valentine 1. Use it every day in every car I drive, never leave home without it. With that said, Radar detectors will still leave you vulnerable to getting tickets. Radar detectors fail in 3 areas:

1. State police/hwy patrol coming up behind you without radar to clock your speed-need to pay attention at all times to who is behind you AND know the unmarked cars the police in your area use-Chargers, Ford Crown Vics, Tauruses, Fusions, Explorers etc

2. Instant on radar-NY State police are notorious for Instant on.

3. Laser-Generally too late when the detector goes off-not always if they are reading someone very close to you though.

If you consistently drive above the limit, then the best radar detectors are helpful but NOT full proof. Just last night, cruising at 80 at near darkness in an area where I have seen the "boys" before so I slowed to the speed limit and moved to the center lane behind the cover of the cars in front of me, and low and behold, sitting in the median 90 degrees to the flow of traffic with the passenger side window open, a state police car-Valentine did not go off BUT probably using LASER to read someone else or just waiting for the next victim-Not in the C3 BTW.

 

Most cops use the radar gun with instant on in New Jersey but I have a badge so I'll take my chances without one. With my luck I'll start trusting it and will get crazy

 

and in Virginia, they have radar detector detectors. some don't show up on those. i don't look at a detector as any type of insurance or cure but only as a tool. i have never had a problem anticipating traps. i think the valentine has gotten high marks for several years, as did passport. i am leaning to the valentine.

 

I own the V1 it is up there on quality, But I do see the advantage to what my boss owns. GPS radar detectors remembers and delete all the secuirity, microwave, telephone, airports.......

I've taken high speed trips with both my V1 and Escort Passport 9500ix mounted side by side.

The V1 has superior long range detection. Which is both kind of good, but also kind of bad. The V1 has me guessing and looking for that KA band highway patrol miles ahead. so you have to watch the signal strength bar. It is very annoying if you are traveling in the same direction. Like last week I was driving 500 miles back home. My V1 would go off indicating ahead with low signal strength. I was driving about 85 in a 75 zone The V! kept alarming for 30+ minutes and then finally I caught up close enough to see the highway patrol car. He was turning on and off his forward projecting radar as he met on coming cars.

The V1 must use lots of power because in the window the box gets hot to the touch especially with the summer sun blaring in. If given the choice over again I would lean towards a GPS equiped unit because the V1 driving around in a city freeway might have 4-5 alarms going off in every direction and you have to figure out what is a real threat.

My V1 and Tom Tom GPS cruising down the road.

75 mph posted speed limite, red background because I'm a little over at 86mph. It is 1:20 pm and my destination is still 203 miles away

 

i guess it isn't as bad as it once was after that idiot jimmy carter advocated a 55 m.p.h speed limit nationwide

 

I'm Grandfathered in. I was driving here when they didn't have speed limits. If you wanted to drive 120 you could, but it was up to the cops descression about pulling you over. If the road conditions, weather, your vehicle, or you weren't up to driving fast you could get a ticket.

Now that my state is broke they raised the price on tickets and they are out there to make money

 

Good point about Police using radar detector detectors in states like Virginia where detectors are STILL illegal-Hard to believe!

The Valentine 1 gives NO signal for the police to detect its use-not true for most detectors and especially cheap radar detectors. Can't tell you how many times my Valentine will go off incessantly for miles until I come upon a car using a cheap detector giving off a strong signal-always get away from those clowns as soon as possible.

Paid $400 for my Valentine 1 in 2000 and 13 years later still helps me avoid unnecessary speeding tickets. IMO, buy only the best detector (there are only a few), otherwise don't bother!For $30 a year, its been well worth it!

 

I guess everything is relative: I would take a 75 MPH speed limit all day long here in the Northeast! I am out of compliance driving at 75-80 MPH in a 65 mph limit! Everyone drives 70-75 MPH here making for a turkey shoot for the enforcers if they need money!

 

Generally out in rural highways they let 10 over go. The last time I got stopped and let go I was doing 94 mph. Just a hello and slow it down he didn't even ask for my Lic. They know who you are by calling in your plate

 

I use my speedometer (which I verify with my GPS navigator), then stay within 5 mph of the speed limit. That's worked well for me for the last 50 years. I highly recommend it.