Radar Detector BEST??
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 2
From: Alton/Godfrey IL
The V1 has some appeal, but as you note, it is more expensive. Besides, it really looks bulky when compared to the Escort series. I've pretty much accepted the reputation and performance of my Escort and, above all, decided not to be in so much of a hurry these days.
I have to ask: those of you who feel compelled to buy a radar detector - of any brand - why do so? Are you driving over the speed limit or just want to look like you do?
My Escort has ben useful over the years, but if only to allow me to sometimes notice if there might be a trap ahead. If I'm doing 70mph in a 60MPH zone and get picked up by an instant-on radar unit, then I guess it doesn't matter if I have a V1 or a Bel or an Escort, does it?
For the modest price of an Escort, it does just about everything I need it to do. I'm sure, from what I've read, that the V1 is great - but that doesn't make it fool-proof. If you insist on breaking the speed limit, the LEO's will catch you eventually. Don't you think?
I have to ask: those of you who feel compelled to buy a radar detector - of any brand - why do so? Are you driving over the speed limit or just want to look like you do?
My Escort has ben useful over the years, but if only to allow me to sometimes notice if there might be a trap ahead. If I'm doing 70mph in a 60MPH zone and get picked up by an instant-on radar unit, then I guess it doesn't matter if I have a V1 or a Bel or an Escort, does it?
For the modest price of an Escort, it does just about everything I need it to do. I'm sure, from what I've read, that the V1 is great - but that doesn't make it fool-proof. If you insist on breaking the speed limit, the LEO's will catch you eventually. Don't you think?
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Spring Lake MI
This is an interesing debate between the V1/Escort 8500. I have the escort 8500, but I had a friend just make the switch. I'm getting some real world feedback from a friend of mine whose 8500 was stolen, so he decided to buy the V1 as the replacement..mostly becuase of all the talk about how good it is.
The jury is still out overall, but his first impressions were that technology wise, it was well behind the escort. It lacks much of the features you get used to. The range is better, but at the expense of more false alarms. The thing is going off all the time with multiple threats..too many to be useful sometimes. Oh, and if you want to mute it? No auto-mute, no mute button on the power cord, etc. just to name a few.
Like I said, the jury is still out overall..but I'm going to stick with my 8500 for the time being.
Unfortunately, all these detectors are pretty much expensive devices that tell you your screwed. Lasers and instant on is a killer..nothing you can do about that.
pkstr
The jury is still out overall, but his first impressions were that technology wise, it was well behind the escort. It lacks much of the features you get used to. The range is better, but at the expense of more false alarms. The thing is going off all the time with multiple threats..too many to be useful sometimes. Oh, and if you want to mute it? No auto-mute, no mute button on the power cord, etc. just to name a few.
Like I said, the jury is still out overall..but I'm going to stick with my 8500 for the time being.
Unfortunately, all these detectors are pretty much expensive devices that tell you your screwed. Lasers and instant on is a killer..nothing you can do about that.
pkstr
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: Magnolia TX
Just got the 9500i a week ago, ordered the invisocord and used a visor bracket placed under the interior windshield trim with VHB tape. Clean, functional and the newest technology of the series. The GPS allows you to lock out unwanted signals.
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Question for escort owners? No offense and not trying to start a war but why do you guys buy those escorts? The V1 is only $100 more and covers a real 4 sides of the car with arrows at a longer distance. Why would you ever not go with the V1? Keep in mind I went with the 7500 years ago and made that mistake.
Another is the Escorts really are pretty good radar detectors.
That said, I have both an 8500 and a Valentine 1.
The Valentine 1 is just all out superior to the Escort but thats not to say that the Escort is a bad detector. Its an excellent detector.
Its just no Valentine 1.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
The V1 has some appeal, but as you note, it is more expensive. Besides, it really looks bulky when compared to the Escort series. I've pretty much accepted the reputation and performance of my Escort and, above all, decided not to be in so much of a hurry these days.
I have to ask: those of you who feel compelled to buy a radar detector - of any brand - why do so? Are you driving over the speed limit or just want to look like you do?
My Escort has ben useful over the years, but if only to allow me to sometimes notice if there might be a trap ahead. If I'm doing 70mph in a 60MPH zone and get picked up by an instant-on radar unit, then I guess it doesn't matter if I have a V1 or a Bel or an Escort, does it?
For the modest price of an Escort, it does just about everything I need it to do. I'm sure, from what I've read, that the V1 is great - but that doesn't make it fool-proof. If you insist on breaking the speed limit, the LEO's will catch you eventually. Don't you think?
I have to ask: those of you who feel compelled to buy a radar detector - of any brand - why do so? Are you driving over the speed limit or just want to look like you do?
My Escort has ben useful over the years, but if only to allow me to sometimes notice if there might be a trap ahead. If I'm doing 70mph in a 60MPH zone and get picked up by an instant-on radar unit, then I guess it doesn't matter if I have a V1 or a Bel or an Escort, does it?
For the modest price of an Escort, it does just about everything I need it to do. I'm sure, from what I've read, that the V1 is great - but that doesn't make it fool-proof. If you insist on breaking the speed limit, the LEO's will catch you eventually. Don't you think?
That said, we all at one time or another will drive over the speed limit, sometimes unknowingly. The speed limit may change from one part of the road to the next and one may not notice the decrease in the limit until its too late.
Or you may be driving along and not realize that you are going 8-10 over the limit. Happens to us all.
Its during those times that its good to have a radar detector.
If someone in front of or behind you gets zapped, and you hear it, (and in the case of the Valentine 1, see it and from which direction it came) it makes you more attentive.
First thing you are going to do is slow down, next thing is you are going to start looking for the source of the radar. If you have a V1, you know exactly where to look.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
This is an interesing debate between the V1/Escort 8500. I have the escort 8500, but I had a friend just make the switch. I'm getting some real world feedback from a friend of mine whose 8500 was stolen, so he decided to buy the V1 as the replacement..mostly becuase of all the talk about how good it is.
The jury is still out overall, but his first impressions were that technology wise, it was well behind the escort. It lacks much of the features you get used to. The range is better, but at the expense of more false alarms. The thing is going off all the time with multiple threats..too many to be useful sometimes. Oh, and if you want to mute it? No auto-mute, no mute button on the power cord, etc. just to name a few.
Like I said, the jury is still out overall..but I'm going to stick with my 8500 for the time being.
Unfortunately, all these detectors are pretty much expensive devices that tell you your screwed. Lasers and instant on is a killer..nothing you can do about that.
pkstr
The jury is still out overall, but his first impressions were that technology wise, it was well behind the escort. It lacks much of the features you get used to. The range is better, but at the expense of more false alarms. The thing is going off all the time with multiple threats..too many to be useful sometimes. Oh, and if you want to mute it? No auto-mute, no mute button on the power cord, etc. just to name a few.
Like I said, the jury is still out overall..but I'm going to stick with my 8500 for the time being.
Unfortunately, all these detectors are pretty much expensive devices that tell you your screwed. Lasers and instant on is a killer..nothing you can do about that.
pkstr
You can mute it by reaching up and pushing in on the power button. Same as reaching down and pressing the mute button on the adapter of the Escort.
If you are getting what you refer to as "falsing" perhaps from x band, then simply turn the x band off. Or you can go to Logic mode.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
From: Seattle Washington
You can't be protected from instant on...UNLESS....that cop is up there and lights up another car way ahead of you. You will get a get a hit from the cop spiking the car ahead of you.
This actually happened to me today.
I vote for V1. Great unit, great design philosophy, and they take car of their customers (which is often overshadowed by the actual performance of the detector-their customer service is just top-notch).
I recently sent my unit in for an "upgrade" after owning if for....oh geez...10+years! Didn't realize it had been so long until just now. Anyway, it cost me like 180 bucks and I had a brand new detector in about a week. Great deal, if you ask me. My old unit broke one time--probably a combination of being dropped a bunch of times and being left in cars that were too hot--and even though it was out of warrenty V1 took car of it free of charge. Even if I would have had to pay it would have been 40 bucks. So it is safe to say I am a loyal customer of theirs.
This actually happened to me today.
I vote for V1. Great unit, great design philosophy, and they take car of their customers (which is often overshadowed by the actual performance of the detector-their customer service is just top-notch).
I recently sent my unit in for an "upgrade" after owning if for....oh geez...10+years! Didn't realize it had been so long until just now. Anyway, it cost me like 180 bucks and I had a brand new detector in about a week. Great deal, if you ask me. My old unit broke one time--probably a combination of being dropped a bunch of times and being left in cars that were too hot--and even though it was out of warrenty V1 took car of it free of charge. Even if I would have had to pay it would have been 40 bucks. So it is safe to say I am a loyal customer of theirs.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,380
Likes: 103
From: Visalia CA
I dont need arrows. When my detector goes off in KA band, I slow down if needed. I dont care where the CHP is, I just need to know he is there. Now being able to lock out stupid false alerts in city driving from all the automatic doors, thats priceless. Nothing worse than a detector that crys wolf.
Last edited by rothchilds; Apr 22, 2008 at 12:09 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
I dont need arrows. When my detector goes off in KA band, I slow down if needed. I dont care where the CHP is, I just need to know he is there. Now being able to lock out stupid false alerts in city driving from all the automatic doors, thats priceless. Nothing worse than a detector that crys wolf.
(and look until I see him).What if one is behind you, tailing you, and zaps you?
Your radar detector goes off. Sure, you slow down. But you have no idea where he is.
You keep driving at this slower speed and come across a LEO on the other side of the road, other side of the median, where he cannot cross over, and chase cars going in your direction, and it looks to you like he is clocking traffic which is oncoming to you. But he is really just sitting there with his radar off unbeknownst to you.
You see him and figure that it was his radar signal that you were picking up on your arrowless detector. So after you get a half to 3/4 mile away from him, you pick it back up.
And get your *** zapped, from behind by the unmarked car which was tailing you, and has been tailing you a few cars back, because the source of the radar you picked up was coming from behind you all the time. He tailed you the whole time, including when you passed the parked cop.
Had you had arrows, you would have known that the initial hit came from behind you and not in front of you.
And when you passed that squad car, you would have known that the source of the initial hit could not have come from that car because it was in front of you when you got the first alarm.
Thats situational awareness. And thats part of what the V1 gives you that the others don't.
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Apr 22, 2008 at 12:26 AM.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
I love it when people contend that they "don't need to know where the cop is, I just slow down when my radar detector goes off (and look until I see him).
What if one is behind you, tailing you, and zaps you?
Your radar detector goes off. Sure, you slow down. But you have no idea where he is.
You keep driving at this slower speed and come across a LEO on the other side of the road, other side of the median, where he cannot cross over, and chase cars going in your direction, and it looks to you like he is clocking traffic which is oncoming to you. But he is really just sitting there with his radar off unbeknownst to you.
You see him and figure that it was his radar signal that you were picking up on your arrowless detector. So after you get a half to 3/4 mile away from him, you pick it back up.
And get your *** zapped, from behind by the unmarked car which was tailing you, and has been tailing you a few cars back, because the source of the radar you picked up was coming from behind you all the time. He tailed you the whole time, including when you passed the parked cop.
Had you had arrows, you would have known that the initial hit came from behind you and not in front of you.
And when you passed that squad car, you would have known that the source of the initial hit could not have come from that car because it was in front of you when you got the first alarm.
Thats situational awareness. And thats part of what the V1 gives you that the others don't.
(and look until I see him).What if one is behind you, tailing you, and zaps you?
Your radar detector goes off. Sure, you slow down. But you have no idea where he is.
You keep driving at this slower speed and come across a LEO on the other side of the road, other side of the median, where he cannot cross over, and chase cars going in your direction, and it looks to you like he is clocking traffic which is oncoming to you. But he is really just sitting there with his radar off unbeknownst to you.
You see him and figure that it was his radar signal that you were picking up on your arrowless detector. So after you get a half to 3/4 mile away from him, you pick it back up.
And get your *** zapped, from behind by the unmarked car which was tailing you, and has been tailing you a few cars back, because the source of the radar you picked up was coming from behind you all the time. He tailed you the whole time, including when you passed the parked cop.
Had you had arrows, you would have known that the initial hit came from behind you and not in front of you.
And when you passed that squad car, you would have known that the source of the initial hit could not have come from that car because it was in front of you when you got the first alarm.
Thats situational awareness. And thats part of what the V1 gives you that the others don't.
Good point...the arrows would definitely come in handy in your scenario; I have the beltronics version of the Escort 8500, and I love it. I do wish it had directional arrows, however.
RT
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
But the arrows and the bogey counter are indespensible in my opinion
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1562667406
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1562700465
1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Some videos for you
Hi,
Check out these videos, interesting comparisons.
Valentine One, ~300m warning, Ka photo speed camera.
Whistler Pro78, ~320m warning, Ka photo speed camera.
Whistler PRO78 Safety Warning System radar detector alerts.
Check out these videos, interesting comparisons.
Valentine One, ~300m warning, Ka photo speed camera.
Whistler Pro78, ~320m warning, Ka photo speed camera.
Whistler PRO78 Safety Warning System radar detector alerts.
Last edited by Corvettedood; Apr 22, 2008 at 12:46 AM.