haha my dad (who's a police chief) reccomended me to get one.. however, my mother doesnt want me driving fast. She believes that because I want one is so I can speed. Which is not true.... Anyways, I wont get into it.. I just gotta wait til im 18 and Im getting a 8500~!

 

i got one without parents knowing...so hopefully i can keep it a secret. i dont think they would approve. i have an 8500, and it has been good to me so far.

 

I tried that. But got caught+ + its a bish to have to take it up and down, up and down. Ya no?

 

I actually have a couple of friends that bought Valentine One's and have hid them from their parents for over a year. They have to take them down whenever they go home and stuff; sounds like it sucks. I just bought one, put it on my windshield, and my parents never said much except that they didn't like it. Back to the topic of the thread, the Passport 8500 is completely inferior to the Vaneltine One. Yes, I have owned both and the V1 is worth its weight in gold.

 

Don't forget in VA the cops use the radar detector detectors to catch the "smart guy" using one hidden. I don't believe the V1 has stealth mode to hide from it and I don't remember if the Passport does either. So when I travel home to VA I turn my V1 off and take it down from the windshield...to be caught is fine and forfeiture of the unit. Having said that, I've owned both and have no doubts that the V1 is the top unit...has saved me many more times than I could count.....

 

This came straight from the Valentine One website and doesn't look too good for those in VA:


Aren't radar detectors illegal in a lot of places?
- T.G., Virginia

You still have the right to know when you're under radar surveillance almost everywhere in the US. The exceptions are Virginia, which bans detector use, and nearby Washington, D.C., which bans possession. Canada is much less friendly toward civil liberties. Detectors are banned everywhere except British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.


Does Valentine One have "stealth?"
Is this the same as being VG2 proof?
- H.C., Idaho

The real question is, can V1 be found by an instrument called a "radar-detector detector?"
Good radar detectors, like good AM/FM radios, are super-heterodyne receivers, and they all share a common trait. They receive, but they also transmit a signal; it's called "local oscillator emissions." This transmitted signal can be found by another radio if it's tuned to the right frequency. A radar-detector detector is merely a radio tuned to the right frequency range for most detectors.

VG2 is the most famous of the radar-detector detectors.

A little history: Escort was the first X-K super-heterodyne detector. Jim Jaeger and I invented it, working out of his basement in the mid-seventies. Since then, other detector makers have taken the easy way and copied Escort's frequency scheme, which means they have the same L-O frequency. So VG2 knows right where to tune for them.

The one detector that's apart from the pack is V1. I didn't copy myself. So VG2 misses Valentine One. In our tests, Valentine One is better than all others for VG2-proofing. Our best competitors are pretty good, maybe good enough. Some others resort to a dubious strategy; they switch off their radar protection when they sense VG2 nearby.

Recently, we've been hearing of another radar-detector detector, the Spectre RDD. Used first in Canada, enforcers of detector bans in Virginia and Washington, DC, and the nationwide ban in heavy trucks, surely have this tool on their must-have list. It claims to have been designed specifically "to detect the latest state of the art stealth-type radar warning receivers." Does it find V1? Very likely, according to reports we've been hearing from a few V1 users. One participant in an internet chat room, who claimed to be a Canadian enforcer, said "I've snagged a Valentine 1 already." We've been unable to acquire a Spectre RDD for testing. Until we can do so, be advised that no super-heterodyne receiver is perfectly undetectable, and that includes V1.

 

I've been pulled over in VA and caught with a radar detector twice. The only thing they can do is give you a ticket which they didn't give me. The VA law states you can't have a radar detector available to a power source. When I'm in VA I just keep my dectector in "dark" mode.

In DC I've been caught once with a radar detector. The cop started throwing a fit claiming it's a $500 fine, nonetheless he gave no ticket. DC's law is very strict it states Radar detectors are illegal to possess which is very similar to there gun law. So in DC they can probably confiscate your detector just like a weapon. I still don't bother with turning my detector in Dark mode in DC because they have bigger fish to fry than the bored suburban police. DC lets their photo radar vehicles deal with speeders and red light camera's deal with red light runners.

 

Damn guys, I know everyone is tellin me not to get one in VA. I'm paranoid as hell now, I know I should drive "smart" but still. I like to speed but it seems there's like 3 cops out there for every driver. Friday, going and coming from school, swear to God, I saw 12-15 cops with 4 people pulled over. Some cases there were 2-3 cops per vehicle! Its crazy down here, and I need protection! Thanks again for the replys. Its that you can own a radar detector in VA, but not with a power source. Can't I just stash the detector in my glove and the power cord down my pants or something (hypothetically, prob. somewhere better). Then I could say it wasn't hooked up?

 

When I got pulled over for my tint violation here is Alabama I took my V1 down just to be safe. I knew I wasn't speeding as I was the one that passed him. Even through my 20% tint in the back windshield he saw me and gave me a speach about how if I thought it was necessary to take my detector down when I was pulled over then I needed to rethink using it.

 

I know one thing. If I lived in a police state like VA that uses the law to collect revenue the way it sounds like they do, I'd buy one of the Escort Solo 2 battery powered detectors so as not to have a cord to **** with.

The cordless detectors don't have the range or sensitivity of the corded ones, but it would still be far better then none at all. And it could more quickly be turned off and hidden.

Can't believe I just recommended a detector other then a V-1, but I did own one of the first generation Escort Solo's (with only X/Ka bands) and loved the convinience of not having the cord.

I've had my current V-1 since Christmas 1993 and need to update to the current release and wish I could loose the cord.

 

Have you hard-wired it?

 

No. I move it between vehicles too often.

 

http://www.ehowa.com/mythoughts/nospeeding.shtml

A great read on the subject of speeding tickets, how to avoid them and what to do if pulled over.

CM.

 

Your dad's a police chief? Doesn't that mean automatic immunity from tickets?

 

IF you do a search, that link is false testing. He is against mr. valentine.

 

i had a bel vector 985 for about a month and i liked it a lot. it even had a tech mode that lets you know the specific frequency you're getting tagged on... in my opinion it's well worth the money and competitive with the passport and the valentine while costing about $200-250. i rode in a friend's 350z when he had a V1 and frankly I was unimpressed.

 

what is it with you guys and mad old threads recently, also this one is completly useless, the new V1 software update is a different ball game (very many problems, lets hope they fix this one) and the 8500 X50 is different too

 

"unbiased" my ****.........................

 

There are two kinds of detector owners: Those that have a V1, and those that wish they did.............................

 

umm.... the last post before mine was
12-08-2003, 10:11 PM

mine was

12-10-2003, 02:11 PM


so it is you who brought it back.

 

Close, but no cigar, seeing to the fact that its a POLL, somone voted, bringing it back, they didnt post, it was like 3rd from the top when i posted...but almost...

 

And those that own V1's and think they are gods because of it...

Dont get me wrong its a nice detector, and clearly kills anything below $300, but its other compe***iors have some features it doesnt, the same as it has some they dont.(and the aarows will be off patent in 2011)
Rx65 and 8500 X50 are both way better in a non highway situation, way less falses, they also have the better display.

Bel STi (new) is the only detector to be spectre (a radar detector detector) immune, so if you live in Va, it should be the only choice.

I could go on all day long, im not saying the V1 is inferior, but it isnt the ONLY choice worthy of speaking of.

 

There is an old saying that goes something like this: "If you have a ten dollar head, buy a ten dollar helmet; but if your head is worth more to you, spend accordingly........"

 

oh... sorry then. you're right

 

Yes, it is...................

 

Haha its cool man, it did look like that, easy mistake.

 

Ok, first off, nice old saying...but it doesnt really help here.


And I want to know where you speak from here, how in depth is your knowledge of radar and laser, what certifications do you have, if none of the afforementioned pertain to you, atleast which models have you used?

Thanks, despite the fact that i disagree, even IF the V1 is the best, does that mean that the seccond and third and fourth best aernt worthy of consideration?

Thanks again

 

I am a professional engineer, and as for my certifications, well, that is none of your business..................

I have had the pleasure over the last ten years or so of side-by-side testing most of the major brands, including the Bel 55 and 65, the V1 (six different models), most of the Passport units (some going back to the original Escort), Uniden, etc., etc. Some of the units cost as little as $65; one cost twice what the V1 sells for. Many of the units I tried out had range issues, including the Bel 55 & 65, some were very insensitive to lasers, some randomly falsed for no apparent reason. One unit claimed to be Ka capable, but never signaled the presence of the beam, even when it was 3 feet away. So yes, you might say I have some background in this subject.......

What have I owned? Escort, Passport (the original) Bel, and others; plus a few european units you probably have never heard of (they use different radar frequencies than North America). What do I currently use? Easy: V1. Why? Simple: best range, best sensitivity at range, best sensitvity to radar band type, best sensitivity to lasers, it is also equally as good at sensing the European radars (yes, I drive there too) and perhaps most importantly, it is upgradable. Over the past six years, Valentine Research has upgraded it three times to keep it current for newer threats, and did it overnight for very low cost, making the original $300 a great investment value. I drive through VA and the DC area 6-8 times a year, have seen Lidar traps, and they never sensed my unit. I have also driven all over Canada, with the unit "stealthed" so it could not be easily seen, and again was never picked up. So, it does its job..... And yes, there are newer detector-dectector systems coming on line, and Valentine Research has already announced new updates to deal with them, just like they have done in the past............that kind of performance makes "second" into "first loser"................

 

my friends dad has the v1 and ive seen it work wonders

 

not worth it since you're in VA. Now if you do a lot of out of state driving, get an 8500 and save yourself the 100 bucks.

 

Since no one in this thread lives in Virginia; and, "If you have a ten dollar head....................."

 

my passport has saved my @$$ on more than one occasion. I just bought it recently and when I looked at the latest reports they said that the V1 is in need of an update while the Passport was ranked #1

 

Not saying that the Passport is a bad unit, just saying it isn't the best out there, regardless of what you have read. And V1 just released yet another update, staying ahead of the pack.................................

 

I Like The V1 the best only thing is that it really doesn't have all the POP signals like the Whister do thats why i have both.

 

Ummm......from their website, the V1 covers: "V1 provides PoP coverage beyond Ka—specifically the MPH Industries models Enforcer™ (K and Ka) and the BEE™ III (Ka)." This gives the V1 coverage beyond several other brands.

What other "PoP" modes are you refering to?

 

the escort 8500 has POP detection as well.

both the Escort and the Valentine are pretty close. only differenece is the $100 for the arrows. sometimes i do wish i had arrows but you slow down anyways once it detects a police radar.

 

I've had a Valentine 1 and it has so many false alarms. I even turend off the X band totally and still it had a few false alarms not as many but it still had some.

Hope this helps.

 

I can live with the occasional "false alarm" (typically casued by door openers, which actually are real sources of radar signals, making the term "false" acutually false itself) as the unit catches every signal and lets me know where it is and how many are out there. In reality, you get used to regular sources of door signals; which often can come in handy as the cops sometimes use the "false" signals as a cover for a real trap for those without arrows and counters, making the arrows and source counter a life saver....................

 

most cops nowadays dont use the X-band anymore. some in my area actually use K-Band but mainly its Ka-Band or LASER due to a more accurate and faster reading. X-band you can most likely turn off because its rarely used. as far as false alarms goes, like JFP IN PA said, its the K-Band sensing motion detectors for auto-doors and such. on your regular route you take, just try to remember where all the usual K's are and if you get a K where you know you dont, then its probably a cop. with the Escort it has a display option where it tells you how many bands its detecting and what is stronger. i believe the V1 has the same set up as well but with arrows too. in the end, be smart, dont rely on the detector.

 

wow. Well, i have an 8500 X50 blue LED. got it as a gift. Here's what i can tell you:

No Detector will be flawless. <-- Learn this and you'll go longer without tickets.

8500 seems to trade Arrows for Expert mode, which shows me up to 6 (iirc?) differing signals. This lets the false go off (typically K band) and shows me the fast approaching Ka band REAL trap. Mind you, i never had a V1 but like the ideas put into it. I would say the largest factor with usage of any detector, is for the first 2-3weeks, you drive all over your typical stomping grounds. Mentally note areas that false regularly. Usually for me it was K band coming from Walgreens and CVS storefronts, but i wouldnt ever turn it off. I have been passing a couple sitting cops and they were using K. This last friday even I've been a few cars back from an Ohio HP using X-band.

Ka or Laser = If you get nailed, its VERY likely you're getting pulled.

Drive smart, and use the detector like an additional tool, not a replacement for observation.