I am just asking for a little advice on if its worth it to pay $30-40 more for the passport 8500. I know this belongs in the audio forum but 3/4 of the org memebers never visit that forum. BTW I am looking at getting this before my trip home for christmas. Thanks ahead and vote away.

 

I want a V1 but $399 for a radar is a little too much for me

 

in my area but the 985 can be connected to a Laser Jammer for $200 bucks, whereas, the 8500's laser jammer cost $500(which is basically the price of the 985 and Bel Laser Jammer together).

 

I had a bel 985 and I am here to testify it got me out of 6 speeding tickets on my way to and from Miami. I was going 100Plus MPH and the cops where pretty far away and it went off every single time. Expensive toy that bails you out of a ticket.

 

So you got rid of it??? the bel is what I was lookin at b/c I can get it for around 220. Just curious to why you got rid of it. Matt

 

i've had the bel980 for years and its never let me down. Get the 985 and enjoy

 

I've had both. You cannot go wrong with either. I currently have the 8500. Both seem to have similar senstitivity.

Passport 8500:

+ falses less
+ remote cord
- costs more
- heavier and bigger

Bel 985

+ smaller
+ audio alerts
+ costs less

 

Thanks guys

 

I borrowed it from the store on my credit card and returned it. They cost $320, I dont travel that much so I just returned it. If I had $320 to spare I would have kept it.

 

The bel 985 is just like a dressed up 880 the 880 works extremly well, but the 985 has more "bells and whistles"

 

Hmm... this post sounds familier

 

Matt,
I've been using the Escorts' for 15 years. I haven't gotten a ticket in 10 (knock on wood). The only Bel I had was a borrowed one years ago and it was a piece of shiat, but it appears they've come a long way. I like the battery powered Escort ( I have the solo now) great travel detector when you fly and drive rentals.
But for po-po lookout, nothing beats a CB and scanner (do you remember Pizza Hut?)

Just my .02

 

I think I got a hookup on the passport 8500 so I will more than likely go with it now. Ohh yea fast and the furious style hehe

 

Have you looked at radartest.com? They have good reviews and comparisons of all sorts of detectors. http://www.radartest.com/DS4HEM.html

Personally, I have no complaints with my 8500. I haven’t tried the 985 so I can't really compare them, but the 8500 is great! I love it.

 

I found the bel 985 for 189 new on e-bay and for 179 on a camera review website (don't ask me just search for on ask.com i'm a work so i dont' have the link) They also reviewed it with all of the top of the line detectors. One in the review was a front and back mounted with indash display which cost nearly 2k and scored HORRIBLY. The bell had the best overall score with price inclusive. I was impressed they did some really nice tests too. they said the bell detected Ka (the most used band) from more than 7 miles away. Thats MORE than enough time to slow down from 140-70

 

I say spend the extra money and get the V1. That's what I got right now. So far with the V1, no speeding tickets in the last 3 years. That's pretty good considering the way that I drive. Well worth it IMO.

 

V1 all the way!


Gange

 

I have had my 8500 since 99 and I had two tickets which only one was really my fault and both were laser. First was two years ago, I was on my way to work when I was pulling out of a 7-11. There were two cops doing a speed trap, a full size van was speeding in front of me when I pull out and since they laser the van and not me, they assumed that I was going the same speed. I try to pled my case but you know how that is...
Second time was more recent, few months back I was heading out to do some work in another city. It was about 7:30 in the morning and I came up onto this big hill and decide to punch it since I was going downhill little did I know that there was a cop sitting at the bottom of the hill(it was more than a mile and the sun was right in our face). I got up to about 120 when my 8500 went crazy reading laser. I stomp on my brakes as quick as I could. The combo of me going down hill and over 120mph, I was only able to slow down to where he clocked me at 83mph. I was lucky because I had some cross drill/ slotted rotors which help if I had stock rotors and pads he probably get me at least above 90 mph.
Overall, the KA and K band has done great, I haven't gotten and tickets from them and it saved me numerous times... One last input is that I'm extremely impressed with the K band. It pick it up about 1.5 to 2 miles away on a flat road.

 

heres a link that helped me decide on my radar.radartest.com

 

i currently use the passport 8500 and absolutely love it, i defintely recommend going with it

 

Come on. You have the best of everything and a fluke for an auto 2k2. Treat your girl right and get her a Valentine 1!

 

Per tests on radartest.com, either the 8500 or 985 would suffice. Personally, I would choose the Bel ( I will be upgrading to the 985 in a month or so ). I've used a Bel 745STI for the last 7 years and have been ticket free ( knock on wood ). I also had decent luck with the Whistler I had prior. I would stay away from Cobra and Unidens at all cost ( personal experience ). IMO, the Valentine was a great product when it came out and had some great reviews back then. Unfortunately, it has not aged well and needs some serious updating to compete with products that are $100 less and have more functionality and greater range.

 

Radartest.com is crap. It was shown to be funded by Escort. Also, Escort now owns BEL electronics. So it's all in the family. It looks like Escort is sabotaging the BELs to let the escort line shine. Bummer. If you look carefully at Ads now for the escort, the Bel is barely mentioned, yet it was a major competitor a just a year or so back.

DW

 

go to www.speedzones.com they test almost all of the major detectors yearly..

 

Have you decided which detector to get? I'm leaning towards the Bel since it's like $80 cheaper than the Escort.

Has anyone tried the Escort Solo (wireless detector)? It's about the same price as the Bel 985.

 

I have decided to go with the 8500 b/c of the price I can get it for. Matt

 

radar detetion ranges are not very consistant due to inconsistant battery levels of external batteries. As soon as you turn on your detector the power level degenerates, whereas with a wired detector the alternator keeps the power level pretty even.

 

Is it possible to find out what bands of radar are used in your state or area? Looking at the test sites some of the detectors perform better on certain bands.

 

I've been using the 8500 for about a year and no tix yet (knock on wood) The only thing, I can't say that 100% i've been saved from officers using instant on. Often NYPD HP sits on the side of the road with the constant X band on.


A little off topic, but I was thinking about this the other day. I know the Valentine shows radar to the front, side, and rear, buy why doesn't it show to WHICH side? (left or right)

 

It does point to the left or right direction.

 

Someone should set up a database with city and states so we with detectors can add to it.. According to www.speedzones.com the best detector for my area is the 8500 then the V1 and 985.

Where do you live?

 

Can you post the price and can you get additional units for your fellow org members? .

 

It points to the left AND right, it doesn't specify which

look at demo

www.valentine1.com

 

I get what your saying. I just misunderstood what you were getting at. Matt

 

I don't trust radartest.com because Craig Peterson tests and writes the articles. Craig Peterson is a known hater of the V1 since his days with Automobile magazine. He applied for a job with Valentine and was turned down. This was many, many years ago and Mike Valentine rebuted one of Craigs tests that showed the V1 performing the worst in a pack of dismal detectors.

 

I'm not sure if the logic is absolute on this. They have a "voltage regulator" (if you will) that maintains the power to the antenna internals at a constant rate. When the batteries can no longer maintain it, you get a battery low warning. At that point I imagine that it may be true that it can't consistently maintain the voltage needed for detection. You can tell the battery strength with a 5 bar scale. I've had the Solo for about 4 years. It has saved me numerous times, has multiple levels of X band filtering, varios settings for dim, volume and different tones for X, K, Ka, Laser, and emergency ahead (used if a few states).

My understanding is that the new ones are much more powerful.

It is a great travel detector to take when traveling and using rental cars.

Just my .02

 

That's a pretty cool site. I have the V1, and the test data matches my experience with it. Honestly, either of the 3 would be a great choice, 8500, Bel 98x series, V1. They are very sensitive radar detectors. The V1 is the top, with the most sensitivity. Un-fortunately, the V1 does false alot, ironically b/c of it's sensitivity. It's X band sensitivity is absoluteley enormous, but most radar sources in the X band are remote door, alarms etc. Can't win for losing

DW

 

i have an 880..i'm looking to upgrade. depends on how christmas and birthday treat me, i'll either be getting a V1 or 8500, whichever my wallet permits.
btw, the only reason i'm considering the V1 is because of the arrows. the detection of the 985/8500/V1 are all good enough for me (better than the 880, from what i've seen). i find myself saying more often than not "gee, if i knew where that was coming from i'd know to either slow down or ignore it" as theres alot of cheaper detectors that false mine.