Mine got stollen and i need to get another. I think that it is a security issue while driving. Any suggestions on what is the best for the least cash?

 

Valentine One, $400.

 

Valentine one, 400 bucks. Every other radar detector is useless compared with that device. Also invest in a Bearcat scanner with the police band warning feature. I've had both my V-1 and Bearcat for two years and never gotten a ticket. It's like having both an AWACS (V-1) and a RC-135 electronic recon plane (Bearcat) guarding your six.

 

My Bel has saved me many times. The Valentine is really useful for the 360 radar feature, but other than that it is a big, clunky 1942 model that really needs some updating.

 

I have and would reccomend the Passport Escort 8500...... Its about 300 bucks, its upgradable like the V1, its smaller, more accurate and picks up radar much better than the V1.....

 

I agree on the Passport 8500.

--Don

 

All of my friends had Valentine Ones when I was looking for a detector. I knew they were awesome but I read some good things about the 8500 so I went and bought one. I owned it for all of 3 days before I sold it and bought a Valentine One. $400 is a lot but it is by far the best money I have spent on my car. The arrows are priceless and it picks up everything so much farther away than the Passport. Buy anything else and you are just hurting yourself. My $.02.

 

According to the reviews the Passport 8500 and the SR7 killed the V1....

http://radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=1026

The V1 is on the next page.

--Don

 

Would you rather trust radartest.com or the world's largest car magazine, Car and Driver, who has been testing radar detectors for 25 years?

 

Besides, that Passport doesn't have the arrows or the bogey counter. Without those features, what's the point?

 

Doesnt matter to me either way. Ibelieve radar detectors are a false sense of security, as well as a good excuse to think you can get away with speeding. Other have mentioned that they used theirs for XX years and havent gotten a ticket yet. I have NOT used one at all and I as well have not gotten a ticket (knock on wood) in Id say a good 10+ years.


But knowing which side of the road the cop is on makes THAT much of a difference? He is still there regardless.

--Don

 

The arrows are actually VERY useful. Say you are hauling down the interstate and pick up something from the rear. With arrows you don't have to worry unless it gets REAL strong. Otherwise you wouldn't know where it is. Radar detectors are not fool proof. Friends of mine with V1's have gotten pulled over and gotten tickets just for being stupid. You can't go flying down an empty road in the middle of the night and not expect to get shot with instant on. I do believe that with a good radar detector and a little common sense you can get away with some pretty serious speeding. Obviously your method works and you don't need a radar detector but many of us do.

 

I just got the 8500 last week......2800 miles and cross country trip later, It picked up popo from about 2 miles away each time, leaving ample time to bring it down from the computer regulated cruise of 90. It works great!

 

i used some cheaper radar, cobra or something like that for a while; ive been using the 8500 for about a year now and i have not even been pulled over once..with my previous radar i received 4 tickets;
the v1 arrow feature may be cool, but, for 100 dollars less i think the 8500 will be just fine

also, what is this bearcat scanner with police band warning? i cant find that feature on any of the scanners; can someone send a link to this please?

 

I followed radartest's recommendation and got the Bel 916 Express. It was less than $150 and it works great.

 

Exactly, I couldn't have said it better myself. The bogey counter also makes it easier to detect those multi-emitter traps like those Georgia state troopers like to pull. You'll detect one, make a visual of the offending cruiser, get back up to speed, and blamo, another cruiser is waiting a few yards away in the bushes. If you had the bogey counter and the arrows, you would know A. there are two emitters B. both of them are ahead. Sure, you have to use the old Mark I eyeball as well, but a V1 makes speeding almost too easy.

 

As a matter of fact that happened to me twice today. I picked up Ka way ahead, passed the cop, kept picking up Ka from the rear but V1 started pointing ahead. BAM, state trooper sitting in the median. Those damn cops were all over I-20 this afternoon. The 8500 is not a bad detector by any means but I say go with the arrows if you can afford it.

 

but an extra 100 bucks for arrows and a bogey counter? I guess in the long run, its would be worth it...... But Im happy with my 8500 though..... Its already saved my a$$ many times from getting speeding tickets

 

we have a "bogey counter" on our 8500 as well, in expert mode u can display 2 or 3 of each band simultaneously, so we know how many cops there r also, still dont have the arrows though...