If you have to ask then you just don't get it. I will never buy a detector without arrows.



When I was trying to decide which detector to buy I read TONS of threads on the subject. There was one post that finally swayed my decision. It was from a forum member called seawolf. He is a career Navy man that specialized in radar. He explained that there is only one real choice for radar detectors...V1
Here is a link to one of his posts.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1564049016
This isn't the actual post that swayed me. That post was longer and much more detailed and explained exactly why the V1 was the superior detector.
If you want to hear it from a "radar expert" I'd suggest you PM seawolf.

 

 

Same here, in my '06 vert.

Actually, if you do a web search, there is a forum out there (I'm at work at the moment and don't have the link on this machine) that is strictly about radar detectors, run by some ex-highway patrol guy.

After reading through there, what you will find is that none of them are perfect. Escort has it's problems, Valentine has it's own problems, etc, etc.

More than anything, it's a matter of personal choice as regards to design and features, and above all how much green you are willing to put down.

To tell the truth, when it comes to "electronic countermeasures" in my car, I don't rely on just a radar detector, regardless of make. This is because there are circumstances where even with one, Johnny Law can still nail you.

What works best for me, at least on the more heavily traveled roads, is to a CB or similar radio in the car, so I can listen to the truckers. I have found over the years that with both the radar detector and radio, I can pretty much travel with impunity as regards to law enforcement.

Of course, YMMV.....

 

Ummm, nothing but the best here....FUZZBUSTER or SUPER SNOOPER

Sorry, had to do it. Hopefully this will get a few laughs !

 

9500 i here. Works great. Agree that arrows are meaningless. When alarm goes off you check your speed and adjust accordingly. 9500i displays your speed and radar type.
I've had radar signals several miles away. It'll beep once or twice then stop, 20-30 seconds it'll do the same. As the Leo's car follows the roadway each time it lines up with yours the alarm will go off (Radar being directional) When he gets near I'll get a steady alarm. Don't need arrows. Don't care where he's at. Just need to know when he's out there and when he's gone.

 

V1 for me .. have them in all 3 cars....

 

The V1 is good but the Passport 9500i is just more technologically advanced, for now. Very cool detector.

What most test's fail to mention is that the V1 gives many more false alerts than the others and that gets annoying. The arrows are cool but I slowed down regardless so in the end the arrows made me aware of the direction of the signal but as I quickly learned, that really didn't matter.

And the 9500i (and the 8500) can track multiple bogeys in expert mode.

 

Continue reading and you may want to get your eyes checked.




Nothing beats the Valentine One in radar and laser detection and that is a fact.

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

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detector-performance/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detec...adar-detector/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detec...ice-laser-gun/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detec...adar-detector/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detec...ice-laser-gun/

 

The K40 is great if you like to spend $2000 for a device that has marginal radar detection and no ability to jam laser because it sucks.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9fwJCRDk2Ik

 

This thread has been flogged to death but will mention something that few discuss...............I have the V1 and the 9500i. Had the merc tinted and told them not to use any metal on the tints..they ignored this and the V1 was all over the place and very erratic. Sometimes wouldn't register anything, even passing a cop station which is always a good sign if it's working correctly. The Passport is in the vette and works brilliantly(no metal). Put the Passort in the merc with the metal windows and it worked fine..............Point of this post, you decide, possibly not a lot, doesn't really prove anything, apart from the fact, just make sure there is no metal in your tint on the V1..it doesn't like it.

Having both devices..they both work well..I thought I would miss the directional arrows on the V1....not really, as I simply slow down accordingly, but I wouldn't give up the V1 either. Anyone else got both and tried using both units at the same time to see which works better, or would the electronics interfere with each other?

 

You can't run two or more radar detectors together because they will interfere with each other.

http://guysoflidar.com/twodetectors.html

http://valentine1.com/lab/DoItYourself.asp

 

I've got a Passport . . .an 8500 and 9500. After borrowing a friends V-1 for a weekend I'll stick with my Escorts.... arrows don't matter to me, if you get a valid alert from K or Ka, you better lift your foot off the gas and start looking around.

It's true, we beat this subject to death every week when a newbie hasn't figured out how to use the search function and reignites the irreconciliable debate.

Just my .02

 

I guess I need my eyes checked, I still cannot see where it says, the V1 is so good that C&D has put it in a class all by itself.... I know all about those guys tests, there are other sites that say the Passport is better, you need to get your eyes checked and reread what I asked...

 

I have a 1 month old Escort 8500 X50 for sale. Comes with the hard case and everything! Cheap! I was driving a lot for work but I don't need it anymore.

 

Which sites say that the Passport is better than the V1?

Is it Radarbusters.com that is run by Radar Roy Reyer that doesn't sell the V1 but does sell Bel and Escort or Radartest.com that is run by a guy named Craig Peterson that works for Bel and Escort and bashes the V1 with his fake tests.

 

I didn't read the articles that you provided the links to but, is it really material to supply a performance matrix that is current to 2002? Hasn't technology IN ALL THE BRANDS changed since then, thus making the matrix obsolete?

I'm not arguing or taking a position on any of the different manufacurers. I'm requesting info, for my own analysis and purchase.

 

Whistler Pro78

 

V1. Have the escort also and im sticking with the Arrows. I dont get all the false alarms people think it gives.

 

V1 without a doubt

 

V1 for sure.

It's all about the arrows. Are they useful? Ask a blind man if he'd like to see and most all would say yes. Do you absolutely need to know where the radar is coming from? No. Is it good to know? Yes. Especially if it's coming from the side which means no action required.