hey guys. Im going to be invest a little bit of money into a radar detector here soon. I got a long road trip comming up ( MD 2 FL ) Im trying to get a radar detector for the trip. I dont know much about these. Ive been reading some website but everything they show is mad expensive. My friend has a Cobra and it worked pretty day. We cruised up to PA to check out UTI and it saved us a time or too.

Please Post:
Detector Model
Price you paid
and a rating 1-5
Any comments about it

I think this will also benefit others. Ive seen thread on here before about this but none seemed to be to successful. Get posting!


-Sean

 

Had a $119 bell...dont know the model...but this was like 4 yrs ago...thing let me down many times (hills, on/off radar, whatever) just figured I cant rely on it...From what I hear the best is the Valentine 1...its the one they all compare themselves to....Escort is also one of the best makes...they frequently compare them side by side as the market leaders in quality...at about $500. Anyone have a radar Jammer?

 

ya, i wasnt looking to spend 300 dollars on one.

 

Passport Escort 8500 X50...

I give it a 5. Hasn't failed me yet and I deal with Ka bands daily. Usually come across LASER few times a week. Id say ive felt safe upto 20 over the limit, any more than that and you NEED a good eye and reaction time.

 

Escort Passport x50
$250
5 hot chili's

awesome range and great detecting capabilities. ease of use. but the bottom line, use your common sense when driving and never depend on the detector too much no matter how great a review it has. btw, laser jammer/shifters are illegal in most states. unless you can fork over the cash and hide it really well, dont get it.

 

BEL 985. I give it a 4.5. Replaced a BEL 745Sti. No tickets in 12 years. Top detectors are the 8500 X50, BEL RX65 and latest Valentine.

 

Valentine 1
$400
5+
Great radar detector. It has saved me many times. Drive smart and learn to ignore false alarms and when to slam on the brakes.

But nothing short of a real laser jammer will save you from laser.

 

NOTHING compares to a Valentine 1. It's expensive, however I think that it's more than worth the money.

 

Well, the bel rx65 compares well and is actually better. The only thing the V1 has on it or any other unit is the arrows.

 

The arrows are part of what make the V1 so good. Letting you know where the signals are coming from is a incredibly useful when deciding if it is a cop or a Circle K. Many other detectors have better "ergonomics", or a lot of flashy options like a digital readout, but the V1 doesn't need that.

The V1 is one of the best investments I have ever made.

antoher radar detector thread:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=289013

 

there's a massive thread on this...and i'm almost positive radarking will chime in.

anyhow, escort 8500 here.

 

Escort in one car, V1 in the other. I think they're pretty much equal as far as range and quality -- and about price...

The V1 is upgradeable which is good... I have the plain 8500 Escort and I don't think it is. BUT if you have the cash you can pair the Escort with a laser shifter, and I don't think you can do that with a V1.

 

passport x50 or V1...the only 2 options. dont bother with a noisemaker that costs $100. just do it right and use it for life. (no rhyme intended)

 

radar jammers dont work, and if they did they wouldnt jam laser becuase laser is different than radar. there was a test done on a website by an ex state trooper who tested numberous radar detectors. V1 came out on top, followed by escort. the only reason escort placed 2nd was because it does not detect "POP" radar.

 

i bought a valentine 1 about a week ago, its already saved me at least 10 times, its amazing better than my x50 passport, ran them in 2 seperate cars and the valentine was at least 10x better in signal and range, also the arrows do help alot definately worth the extra money

 

What you gonna do with your x50?

 

Bel RX65 got it for 270.
rx65 is supposedly better the V1. some ppl like the directional arrows on v1.

i give my rx65 a 5
got me out of trouble way many times.. payed itself over and over alreadyl.

 

I have a Passport 8500 (non X50) and I'm happy with it. I chose it over the V1 since I was able to get a very good deal on it, however If I would have had to pay retail, I probably would have gone with the V1 because of the upgrades they offer. Either way, these are both good products.

 

I think no matter what anyone says, your industry leaders are the V1 and Passport 8500 & 8500 X50 (& the BEL that was mentioned a few times, pretty much an 8500 X50)... In almost every review one beats the other MARGINALLY... I personally own the 8500 X50 Blue and it has yet to fail me... I don't think the directional arrows are worth the extra $100... If my radar picks something up i'll slow down regardless if it isn't a signal I already know is false (CVS Pharmacies, etc.) K or Ka...

When I got my detector it was $275 shipped on ebay for the blue one and ~$250 shipped for the red... They may be cheaper now...

Edit: I'll give my detector a 5 when paired with someone who is responsible... Radars aren't cloaks so you cant expect to save you if you are being downright wreckless...

 

I have both.

Valentine1
$399.99
rating:5

Escort 8500
$239.00 (Amazon has a sale on the X50's for $229.00)
rating: 5

Love them both. Saved me plenty of times

 

If you like false alarms all day long.
My vote is for the 8500 x50. I love mine, and it also has great creature comforts like the insant mute button and the auto mute. many selectable features. Even my frine who has a v1 secretly envys my 8500. They are both excellent units though. I would rather have then easy access mute button on my cord rahter than the arrows. I honestly think that the arrows are over rated.
8500 five stars

 

i recently got a somewhat old Valentine One for 35$ which was an amazing deal, even though to upgrade it to the current spec its 280$$$. But i would highly suggest getting one they are worth the money. I have had many experiences where i am just shocked at how far away it picks up cops. I was leaving school today and on my way home and it went off and then about 5 blocks down the road there was a cop behind a huge line of cars and it still got it. The valentine will show you what direction the cops radar is.

 

Valentine One is the only radar detector that has 2 antennas to detect radar from both directions. Every other radar detector must rely on radar bouncing into the front antenna if the car is shot from behind. Valentine Research has a patent on 2 antennas and arrows so no other radar detector company can do this. The V1's second rear-facing antenna allows it to beat the X50 in rear radar detection by 2-3 miles as of the latest testing.

As far as size, the Valentine One at 16.2 cu. in., is smaller than the Escort X50 at 18.95 cu. in., and the Bel RX65 at 16.32 cu.in. The V1 is wider, but it is thinner and shorter which gives you more mounting options. As you can see, the Escort is the biggest of the three. The V1 only weighs 6.4 oz. which is less than the Rx65 and the X50 as well.

If you are looking for stealthy, the V1 is flat black in color where as the X50 and Rx65 are shiny silver for thieves to love. The V1 is made out of magnesium and both of the others are made out of PLASTIC.....Hmmmm...I wonder which one melts quicker in a hot car.

The V1 comes with everything you could possibly want like a coiled cord and a straight cord but the X50 only comes with one. The V1 comes with a direct-wire kit but that will cost extra with the X50. The V1 comes with a suction cup mount and visor mount but the X50 only comes with a suction mount.

As far as resale value, I sold my V1 that I bought in 1997 on Ebay in 2001 and I got $365 for it. I basically spent only $10 a year for 4 years to be completely ticket-free with my V1. I then took that $365 and put it towards a brand new V1 which only cost $399 + S/H.

The 2 antennas, arrows, magnesium case, best laser and radar detection, best resale value make the V1 untouchable. I could on an on about how great it is and how I have been ticket free since getting my first V1 in 1997 but I don't have the space to rant.

 

Plastic cased radar detectors don't melt, so that is not an issue. For the most part, all detectors in the $300+ range will give adequate protection. Rear detection of the V1 is nifty, but not necessary.

No radar detector is worth anything if you simply fly everywhere you go without being careful.

 

The Passport is known for overheating and going into a self-calibration mode endlessly because of the heat and with the V1, this never happens.

As far as the rear antenna on the V1, ever hear of Stalker radar? The cops use it and other radar guns to sneak up on you going through traffic and they also shoot you from the entrance ramps when you drive by.

http://www.stalkerradar.com/same_lane_fastest.shtml

This is what it can do:

"The Stalker DSR gives complete flexibility to measure both the Strongest and the Fastest vehicles in all four locations; front opposite lane, front same lane, rear opposite lane, and rear same lane."

With the V1, you know with the arrows, the rear antenna, and the bogey counter which direction the cop is coming from and going to, how many, and you have the best rear radar detection by 2-3 miles. Avoiding a speeding ticket is like war, you definitely want somebody watching your back and with anything other than a V1, your back is barely covered.

 

Going into "self calibration" mode and melting are completely different. Since I have never owned a Passport, I have no comment on this issue.

As far as the Stalker DSR, if they "instant-on" you from behind, you are done. Regardless of the directional arrows or 2nd antenna. This is the same with ANY radar detector. If your detector goes off and you are the target you get a ticket. Radar detectors are only good if they give you advanced notice of the cops using the radar on someone ahead or behind you. That is precisely why I proceed with caution going under overpasses and I pay attention to vehicles behind me that may be going faster.

The V1 is not infallible. From radarbusters.com: "The Valentine does have the advantage of having dual antennas, allowing its directional arrows identify the direction that the radar is coming from. However, Radar Roy and other reviewers have all agreed, that the filtering on the Valentine 1 is inferior. So much so that in the November 2004 issue of Autoweek magazine's review, they called the Valentine 1 the "Chicken Little of radar detectors".

Escort and Beltronics have a single antenna that is bi-directional. This allows you to receive radar from front and rear, at distances equal to or exceeding that of Valentine. Escort and Bel also have the best filtering on the market today."

From laserveil.com (ultimate radar detector review 05): "The Escort 8500 X50 appeared to false the least during our drive, followed closely by the RX65 Pro which was also quiet, overall, and then the Valentine v1.8 /w POP2. As we already mentioned, the V1 tended to false on K-band even in rural areas. The V1 v1.7 was devoid of this behavior and falsed only somewhat more than the RX65." So, it seems the newest V1 is worse than the previous.

And (a positive for the V1)

"If your looking for the maximum sensitivity [particularly with laser] and are willing to tolerate a noticeable increase of K-band "falsing" rates - with this particular version - and/or require directional information about the radar source, then the Valentine One still stands alone. In our opinion, Valentines aren't really designed for the casual radar detector user - requiring more involvement from its owner to interpret its behavior."


So, per tests, the older V1's are still the "benchmark", which I feel is a well earned title. When comparing the current V1 to the RX65 or X50, tests have shown that the rear antenna only enhances rear-laser detection since both the Bel and Escort both have di-directional detection that meets or exceeds distances of the V1.

As I have stated before, a detector is a tool. All three are very good at what they do. In the last few years, every test has either shown the BEL or the Escort as the winner with the V1 as a 3rd. I'd honestly take any of the three for personal use and be happy with them.

 

Audtatious,

All you have to do is look at the radar detector polls on all the performance car sites to see that the V1 is the best:

SoCalEuro Site:

http://www.socaleuro.com/forum/showt...ight=valentine

Valentine One gets 68%
Escort gets 9%
Bel gets 9%

Corvette Site:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...=valentine+one

Valentine One gets 70%
Escort gets 29%

Not bad for a $400 radar detector that makes up less than 1% of radar detector sales. How is it that the V1 which makes up less than 1% of radar detector sales has beaten Escort and Bel in every radar detector poll? Make no mistake about it, Valentine One is the undisputed champion of radar detectors!!

 

Since when have personal opinion polls been the defacto standard for determining the usability and quality of a product? How many of these people who voted have done their own testing with the products "side by side"?

There are multiple corporations and publications who have tested the products in an appropriate manner (I have posted a couple of them). All three are great products. All three will provide adequate protection as long as they are used properly. I simply don't understand why V1 owners are so defensive about their detector that they require people to admit it is better than any other detector out there? Tests have substatiated that it is a top-tier detector along with the high-end Escort and Bel. Why not simply leave it at that?

 

If you paid $400 for a radar detector you'd think it was great, too! You hear it from all the K2 guys, even though their detectors usually don't do as well in tests, but if you pay an arm and a leg for a detector, you're usually pretty fond of them.

I'm not saying the V1 isn't great, I have one, and I love it, but it does false quite a bit, and the upgrade option isn't that great, considering the cost of an upgrade is near $300 once you've had the V1 for a while.

It's always a pissing contest between the V1 and 8500, multiple tests prove one or the other better than the rest. I think if I didn't own a V1, and were to buy a new radar detector, I'd buy the 8500, just because it's cheaper. However, having the V1, I'd prefer to upgrade it, even at a slightly higher cost than a new 8500, just because I love it.

dh

 

my roomate's V1 goes off every 5 seconds and swears to me there are cops in parking lots. his falses much more than my escort solo. the v1 is good but i have to agree with how it falses for no reason...it's like a girl and gets scared for no reason.

 

these threads are always amusing. even with a high end detector, you WILL get caught if you drive like a maniac. there are always those who are brand loyalists, as in the case of radarking. drive sensibly and don't depend on the detectors 100%.

 

Thinking it is great is fine. Loving the product is fine. Constantly saying it is the best regardless of anything else on the market is moranic. Right now, I'm personally brand loyal to the higher-end Bel units since I have been 12 years and over 400k miles without a ticket utilizing 2 differnt models. I know what I have is not the best and I don't claim it as that (it's a 985 anyway). I would be just as happy with one of the three top detectors as discussed in this thread, but would not slap down anyone who has one of the others. They are all great detectors.

Comparing the RX65 vs 8500 vs V1 is similar to comparing a '02 Maxima SE against a GLE. Similar performance with slightly different accessories.

 

Anyone who does not drive with caution is a fool who will get a ticket. Detectors are a tool to help avoid tickets via advanced notification. If you are running 85mhp on the highway and you don't have vehicles in front of you, nothing is going to save you from an instant-on ticket unless you visually spot the cop first.

 

how about dont drive like a psycho and u wont get a ticket. if ur not doing ne thing wrong then you wont hafta worry about a ticket. everyone here talks about driving carefully but the fact of the matter is y ou wouldnt need a radar detector if u drove carefully.

 

the new x 50 does.It is also updatable. Anyway, My friends v1 constantly goes off and that thing is annoying - and it ahs no mute button, so if you are trying to enjoy music, you have this thing hootin and holering. FUNK DAT! My x50 has much better manners than the v1..... They are both good at what they do do you ever notice that the pro valentine people are the only ones on these threads thathave such dogma and never seem to hear the voice of reason? Like stated before, they are all marginally on par with eachother (the high end one's) Do you V1 guys have small peckers or something?

 

Valentine do have a mute button, there is one circlular know which is the initial volume ,and then there is another thing you can turn behind the big **** which you set to how loud you want it to be after you press the button

 

the x50 has an auto mute feature that automaticly lowers the volume after a fewa seconds, and then it also has a full mute button on the cigarette adapter. This is is in the perfect spot especially in a 4th gen

 

The V1 is better than the X50 or Rx65 as seen in videos proving it.

Here is why:

1)V1 detects LA laser gun in stealth mode, the 8500 X50 & RX65 do not.
2)V1 detects instant on radar using the quick trigger 100% of the time, the 8500X50 detected it only 56% of the time.

Go here for the videos:

http://jammertests.com

The guy who runs this site does it for free and he owns many radar and laser guns to test radar detectors and laser jammers of his own and ones that people send him. Videos prove that the V1 is the best at laser and radar detection so I don't have to listen to somebody claim they have the best when I know what the best is already......V1.

 

Well, I'm so proud for you that you found one site that did tests showing your beloved detector is so far superior. I retract everything I have ever said and will write all the other sites that have performed these tests to tell them they are wrong. Guess I need to jump on the V1 ******* like everyone else has. The BEL and Escort are total crap. Thanks for the info

 

I am glad you are seeing things my way now.