CleanCL

dont get me wrong, i think the V1 is a great item, i believe it's up there with the others. the problem i have is that people tend to discredit other comparable brands like passport.

CleanCL

as far as portable units go, a bunch of people i know use them and love them. i think you cant go wrong with either the v1, x50 or if you have the money the hidden units are a nice touch and i think provide better all around performance.

MBoom

It looks to me like it's time to give you an edumacation on the V-1 (Valentine One) and its radar locator system. Most people who haven't used it have some difficulty understanding why V-1 users are so enthusiastic. Here's my best shot at explaining it:

Having read a lot of comparison tests of the top units from Valentine, Escort and BEL, it appears to me that most high-end radar detectors have pretty comparable range, in most cases significantly greater than the range at which your speed can be measured. I've actually gotten intermittent alerts from my V-1 at ranges of over five miles, but I've also experienced that with a Passport.

The things that distinguish radar/laser detectors seem to revolve around the user interface--how easy is it to control, and how accurate and precise is the information it gives you about radar/laser threats? I think, based on my experience with a handful of other detectors, that the V-1 is close to the top in terms of controls, alerts, etc., but perhaps not as easy to use as the Passport or BEL products. However, in my experience it gives you much better information about potential threats. It would take forever to list all the variations, but here are a couple of examples; they all revolve around the V-1's ability to tell you the number and (roughly) the location of radar sources:

1. Example 1: driving down the road, I get an "alert" from a radar source and slow down for it. As I'd expect, a half-mile down the road, there's a trooper in the median "painting" traffic. As I pass by the trooper, the alert strength for that radar drops off and the V-1 arrows shift to indicate that he's now behind me. However, a second or two later I get a second alert. The display shows me that there are two radar sources and one of them is now ahead of me. Bottom line? A second LEO is waiting down the road for those who think they're past the point of getting busted. I've encountered this on a number of occasions.

Example 2: Driving down the road, I start to pick up a radar alert. The arrow indicates it's behind me. As the minutes pass, the signal strength increases. With one eye on the mirror, I see the trooper filtering through traffic, hoping to catch a chump in a Lexus. This time he strikes out, since I was able to determine he was behind me and gaining on me.

Example 3: Driving on an urban interstate, I get four simultaneous alerts. The arrows indicate that the radar sources are to my side. It's pretty clear from the visual alerts that I'm getting the radar signal from the radar-operated doors on the K-mart that I'm about to pass by. No threat, so I don't slow down.

Example 4: Driving down the interstate, I pick up a faint signal ahead of me. It appears that the source is traveling in the same direction. Police cruiser? Nope--it's the guy in the Honda who I was about to pass. His cheapo Wal-Mart radar detector is poorly filtered and is spewing out lots of radio energy on the radar frequency. I can tell that, because as I creep up on him and pull abreast of his car, the signal strength increases, and the locator arrows tell me that the radar source is beside me, not ahead. Meanwhile, all the drivers with Passports are lagging behind, worried about the (non-existent) cruiser that's driving ahead of them in the same direction.

I've had all of these things happen--some on several occasions--with the V-1. Is the V-1 better than all its competitors? No, probably not in every situation. They do tend to be more sensitive (and thus give more "false" alarms from sources like door openers and burglar alarms), and they don't have the same degree or ease of programmability as some competitors. But in my mind, the radar counter and locator features really make it a much better choice. Yes, I could buy a detector like yours and just choose to slow down until 60 seconds after an alert sounds, but with the V-1 I'm able to tell with a high degreee of reliability (1) whether a radar source is a real threat; and (2) if it is, where it's located and how its location may be changing relative to mine.

It's a different game when it comes to laser, which is detectable only when you're in its line of sight. However, I've gotten laser "bounce" on a number of occasions, well before I've been targeted.

I don't question that your XR7/ZR3 combo is a high-quality system that works well, but the Passport offers a degree of practical functionality that exists in no other radar/laser detector. I will admit, however, that I'd really love to have an "invisible" system like yours, with an integrated laser jammer. Maybe someday Mike Valentine will see that there would be a huge demand for a hidden V-1 system.

Yes

it'd be cool if someone built a radar detector with gps integration showing where the signal is coming from on your map. it'd be even cooler if it broadcast this information to other drivers so you could see where every radar trap is in the city. i'd pay a little extra for a monthly service.

CleanCL

nice info. i really knew all about that, but i've been pulled over so many times in the past i personally choose not to take risks, though i believe all your info. the laser shifter is what attracted to the passport system since local authorities have been leaning towards laser more than before. from my experience coming around tight turns, as you said, won't alert you on laser until you are hit. and i've been hit at well above the speed limit, and my shifter goes bezerk... but i haven't gotten a single ticket. sure, i still get pulled over half the time, but the best they can pull off was, "well you were speeding" but never give me a number and end up giving me a ticket for something meaningless such as tints. the other half of the time i simply drive by at the speed limit and the officer just stares at my car as i slowly drive by with a big grin. as i said, i do not doubt the ability of the V1, that was my other deciding factor. but given the budget i allowed myself, i preferred the practicality of the hidden system. to each his own, as i've said in the past, i believe with any of the systems mentioned previous will be more than adequate.

Habious

I live in Northern Virginia and drive in/out of Washington DC every day. Radar detectors are illegal in both NoVa and DC so, a concealed unit is the ONLY option for some of us. I'd like to get something fairly good but reasonably inexpensive but, it simply cannot be in plain view; it has to be a hidden system.

The Passport SRX looks like exactly what I'm looking for....I just need it to cost around $400.00 :-)

tfischer

The technical problems with making a "hidden" detector that is exposed to the elements, extreme temperatures and yet still has sensitivity to signals while located much closer to the pavement than ideal render an inexpensive hidden detector impossible. There is no such thing.

The Valentine, generally considered the top of the line, costs about 400 as is. I believe there are some notes on the Valentine web pages regarding why Valentine does not make a hidden, remote or external unit. His conclusion is that it cannot be done and still give protection.

As for the VA law, your position is that you will not break a law that says you cannot have a little box inside your car, (whose purpose is to receive broadcast signals) but you do want to enjoy the occasional excursion beyond the legal speed limit. I just drove from Raleigh to DC, which took me through a good part of Virginia, and nobody stopped me to inquire about the V-1.

bt430

Then you were a lucky man. VA Troopers have equipment to detect radar devices and just love to use it. I believe they can even take it if they catch you.

BT

JohnnyCake

Also live in the WDC area. Two comments:

1. Many of the police departments have gone to "instant on" radar. When they pull the trigger, you're toast regardless of how much you spent for your radar detector or where its mounted. The cops aren't stupid, at least around here. They aren't pulling the trigger constantly so you can get a whiff of the radar on another car. They wait until they have someone who is pretty clearly speeding and then nail them. The only whiff you're gonna get is from the other guy who *is* getting the ticket.

2. With one exception, the police have the upper hand on the radar detector detector. Their technology is now better and the days when good radar detectors were "invisible" are long over. In Virginia, this means you're gonna get pulled over for having a radar detector, if that is what the cop is looking for. With the concealed units, the cop rap is always the same. "Because of the alert I got, I have probable cause. You can tell me where the detector is or you can have your car impounded for our technicians to investigate. Your choice." So you can take the $150 ticket or lose your car for a period of time while they look for it. Regardless whether they find it (and they probably will unless they are morons), you're in for a major hassle.

There was a day when the savvy motorist had the upper hand. Not any more. The cops rule. The only hope now for the savvy motorist is a lazy cop who doesn't bother with targeting individual vehicles or the hope that they have outdated technology.

I hear Ohio still uses X-band.

AndrewNm

How come the dealer did not install the shifters under the grill too?

bt430

I recently installed the SR7 in my car and it's working very well. Got a 3 mile warning on a radar trap the other night. Because I'm replacing the front bumper cover I have the shifters temporarily mounted in the lowest part of the grill. I'll move them lower once I get the new bumper cover.

BT

tonydt1g3r

I am pretty sure most people can agree the v1 is one of the best if not the best. And the functionality is awsome. But everyone can pretty much also agree the v1 is the ugliest radar detector since its inception


my radar detector I've had for like 10 years LOL

tfischer

I never heard anybody say that the V1 was ugly.

I didn't even know that ugly was an issue.

After all, we all know that form follows function.

The V1 is beautiful because it works.

A ticket is ugly.

talwang

iTrader: (4)

Bought my first V1 with concealed kits in 1994 and then traded it in for a newer upgraded version in 2004.

The new one is little smaller in size, but still no where near being slim. haha

RaDaRkInG

No, the V1 still beats the X50 and it is smaller and weighs less.

http://guysoflidar.com/march-2007/ra...ctor-test.html

As hard as it might be to believe, the Valentine One, 16.20 cu. in., is smaller than the Escort X50, 18.95 cu. in., the Bel RX65, 16.33 cu. in., the Bel STi, 16.33 cu. in. and the Escort 9500i, 21.72 cu. in. The Valentine One is wider because it has 2 antennas and not 1 like every other radar detector, but it is shorter and not as tall which gives you more mounting options.

As far as weight goes,

Valentine One -> 181.5g (6.40 ounces)
Escort 8500 X50 -> 253.7g (8.95 ounces)
Beltronics RX65 Pro -> 236.6g (8.35 ounces)
Beltronics STi Driver -> 291.6g (10.29 ounces)
Escort 9500i -> 269.2g (9.49 ounces)

As you can see, the 9500i is the largest in size and the Bel STi Driver is the heaviest. The Valentine One is the smallest and lightest radar detector of the Top 4 radar detectors made today.