One thing to consider is Geico owns a subsidiary that makes...radar guns for police departments!

(its true...talk about providing rope to hang you with...)

IMHO, radar detectors only make me paranoid...more...

 

FYI...

Valentine One is currently offer 2-band POP.

For my upgrade Status Report ($55 upgrade):


V1 Description: Radar circuitry known in-house as V1.8. This is our latest and best performer on both radar and laser with just one exception—it lacks POP Protection. Upgrade Recommendation: You have a sophisticated security system, and we’re cautious about recommending an Upgrade. If you believe in keeping up with technology, particularly if the POP Mode is being used in your area, then go ahead. V1’s approach to the POP problem is superior to all others in the industry.

 

Hof, you've had good luck with Bel, but I haven't. I've tried two of them over the years (don't remember the model no.'s) and they drove me nuts with falsing. One of them I took back before I even got home. I hooked it up in the store's parking lot and started driving home and it just beeped almost constantly. Turned around and got my money back.

My Escorts through the years have cost me a little more to buy, but they have been golden. In almost 20 years of use, I have gotten only one ticket and it was a ripoff. I was pulling away from the entrance gate at Yellowstone Park and my detector sounded off. A Park Police cruiser was approaching the gate ... he turned around and put the lights on me. I was amazed, since I had just started up and no way could have gotten to the 50+ mph he claimed I was doing. I even offered to go back, absolutely floor the accelerator and show him the car isn't capable of going from 0 to 52mph in the 150 feet I had traveled when he radared me. Needless to say, I lost the argument, in spite of the obvious violation of physics he accused me of. When I learned the ticket was only $5 I felt better, but that was years ago and I am still p!ssed off about it.

Mike

 

You're right the old Bells were just terrible, but Bel is now owned by Escort and share the same technology (post #20). My guess is that between the current two, their performance difference is statistically insignificant.

 

Can't say that I've had as terrible a falsing problem as you have experienced w/ the Bels you purchased... My current Bel isn't anywhere close to top of the line (Vector 940), but it does what I want for much less money...Vectors have done good by me over the years... Although, w/ emerging "clocking" technology that police are now integrating in the field, I think I will up the ante and invest in Bel's "professional" series product...PRO RX65. Seems that this is "the one" to buy. I'm just worried about the "shadow VG-2 technology". Hope it's up to date, because I'm moving to the D.C./VA area and you all know that the cops there have radar detector detectors (RDD) because radar detectors are "not allowed" (have to be careful not to incriminate myself...don't know how many coppers roam these forums...lol Anyone have anything to offer on the best technology for RDD immunity?

 

Hof, here's a good test of the Bel RX65, Escort X50 and Valentine V-1 on radartest.com: http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9090

As far as RDD, the article says the latest detector-detector out there will nail all the current detectors.

Mike

 

Mike, surely you jest!!!

I already posted that same article earlier in the thread!!!

 

"Just got my Escort 8500, Since you'all have had them a while already....whats the BEST place to mount it? Low... high....middle of windshield?"

Since the face is angled having it up high (out of line of site for most police cars) and to the right seems to work the best. I had to bend the suction cup mount to a more accute angle since the Max's windshield has so much "run" or slope to it. I have the mute button mounted under my steering wheel to the right so I can tap it easily above my knee. The wires are all out of site. It's hot wired to the fuse box (additional $30 kit from Escort) Totally worth it. I've been pulled over and cops didn't even see my detector. (I was pulled over by sight alone, the 8500 didn't go off so I know he didn't have the gun on me. He never gave me a ticket either.) I have not gotten a ticket since having my 8500 since I bought my Max 1.5 years ago. I drive 80 miles a day at least 10mph over the limit. But you have to be a smart driver. Nothing can prevent all speed trap tickets.

 

V1 2-band POP upgrade AND new warning feature

Just upgraded my V1 and warranty same as new for one (1) year. Some new firmware and hardware upgrades, hardware is Serial Number area being replaced with a different Serial Number.

When the signal-identification system determines that a current warning is NOT, in fact, a radar threat, it notifies you with a "dee-dah-doo" sound and terminates the warning. At the same time, the letter "J" will flash briefly in the Bogey Counter.

My Hard-wired V1

 

I have a V1 in the Max and a built in Bel in my Porsche and when I put the V1 in the Porsche with both radars running the V1 wins everytime

 

Funny lesson I learned. Prior to owning a radar detector, whenever I got pulled over by cops for speeding, they would give me a ticket about 6 out of 10 times. Eventually, I bought a radar detector. OK, pullover by cops reduced by 50% but the pullover almost always guaranteed the tickets 10 out of 10. Later, I heard that cops have something where they know if you have a radar detector in your car.

Now, I don't know a radar detector anymore, and haven't so far been pulled over. I think also my driving habit has slowed down than a decade ago.

But the lesson learned is this: if cops know you have a radar detector, guaranteed that if you get pulled over, you're getting a ticket. If they don't know you have one (and like I said, they have something in their cop car to deflect the signal back from a radar detector back to them), you're chances of a ticket is not as high.

 

I have a SOLO s2 from escort and i think they should change the name to SLOW SLOW because i trust it less than a used car salesman. I have gotten bagged twice with it on and it does not react until the cops are right on top of you. Thanks god i had a cop in the car with me both times and the tickets were waved off. I wish there was a firmware upgrade that would make it better.