GSman

iTrader: (2)

Hi,

I live in Los Angeles and probably do 90% of my driving on the Freeway. Does anyone know if the CHP use radar/laser guns? How about LAPD?

I've been thinking about investing in a radar detector, any suggestions? I use to have an old BEL 10+ years ago and it was pretty useless with all the false alarms. Have there been significant improvements with the current models against false alarms?

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks,

CSHFLW

Valentine 1 or the Passport 8500......only good radar dectors availible.....read this months car and driver for a review on them.

GScorpion

I have the 8500 Passport and no complaints. Read this months Car and Driver...radar dector test. The Valinetine 1 came in first...again. But I think that the 8500 is great for the money. You can't go wrong with either one.

mooretorque

And another vote for Val1 but I agree, the Passport is a great deal and can apparently be programmed to cut down on X band falsing (K and wideband Ka predominate with the lawmen these days).

I would not worry too much about laser. It is very unlikely that you'll pick up scatter, and if it's you (and you are speeding) that is the target, just go ahead and pull over, since you just got toasted. But the police don't like it much since it has to be used just like a rifle....at rest, aimed at a particular object. This cuts down on their ability to collect revenue.

TXSTYLE

iTrader: (1)

8500 Passport. Period!

www.radartest.com

TXSTYLE

iTrader: (1)

Well the same can be said of any article from any publisher that receives a "kick-back". And I personally know that this takes place, having known a car magazine editor. I had a very long thread about this a while back. So to make a long story short: A police friend of mine; a friend who owns a Valentine One; and several different tests done by us personally. Winner: Passport 8500! And as far as knowing where Mr. Johnny Law is? I don't really care, cause' I slow down whenever their detected.

broke_gs

true that. if your radar detector goes off, you are going to slow down. it doesn't matter where the signal is coming from. i posted this on another thread, but here it is again:
www.speedzones.com

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

Yah.

That's what I've been thinking. If you hear the radar go off, you HAVE to slow down.

And for the bogey counter: If it shows 2, that means there are 2 cop cars ahead eh. OK. So who's stupid enough to shift down and slam on the gas pedal as soon as you pass the 1st police you see?

I've been judging between V1 and Passport 8500 for some time now, and I'm not really sure if the extra 100 bucks justify itself in the V1.

broke_gs

the 8500 also can detect multiple signals simultaneosly. you can program it to display multiple targets or even the actual frequency. it rocks.

GSman

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for some good comments. How important is it to detect from behind? I think the V1 has a rear sensor, don't know about the 8500. Also, will metallized window film interfere with the effectiveness of the detectors? Can the 8500 and V1 be hardwired and hidden in the GS and any pics?

Thanks,

lex430

But, if I am not mistaken, the passport will not tell you that! it will only show that it detected something, and not how many, so when you pass the first one, you might think you're cleared, and started to speed up, which is what the 2nd cop is waiting for!

GSman,
do a search!

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...5&pagenumber=1

BriGuyMax

too bad that site is COMPLETELY biased. They don't even give correct info about the Valentine 1....they say it weighs more than the 8500...when the 8500 is the heaviest detector on the market. The also claim that the V1 is not programable...and it is. The guy who runs that site hates Mike Valentine..and will do anything to put him down...check out the new car and driver for a REAL test.

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

The best thing to do is listen to owners' experiences I guess From this forum I see that both Passport 8500 and V1 gets lotsa support. Which is good because either one I use I won't be disppointed.

broke_gs

The passport does have the option of showing multiple targets. You have to setup the display to show it. It will show you the band and verticle bars next to the bands it detectes. The higher the bar, the stronger the signal. If you see two, then there are two signals. I've been in a situation where it was showing 2 KAs and an X before.

///MDex

Usually yes, if you are in an unfamiliar part of town.

If you cruise by the same places, and it always goes off, and always shows '2', you know they are falsies - ie. grovery store, banks, etc.

But, if you go through that same section another time and see 4, then beware

My new V1 should be showing up today, and I hope to have it hardwired within the next week or so. To me, its worth the added piece of mind.

If I didn't get the V1, I'd think I'd always wished I had, y'know?

HTH