shumax

I sold the V1 for $390 lastweek and got a Passport 8500 off of EBAY, new, for $290 to my door which is about $30 cheaper than from ESCORT direct seeing as how I live in Ohio and they charge sales tax.
Anyway....I have driven about 500 miles with it so far and this is what I think. It's silent....dead silent. The V1 used to make all kinds of noise on the road. Most annoying was when a Uniden or Whistler radar detector would pass me, it would alert in Ka almost always...ANNOYING. Who can forget the laser that went off more than it should too. I sent it back twice and it never got any better even after they replaced it once.
The 8500 does have one downfall: no pointers for the radar source. I got a full hit with instant-on today and the guy flipped the median and came my way. Then I kept getting a signal and wasn't sure if it was him or not. I was tracking two signals and come to find out it was him and then one more AHEAD of me in the median. I wish I had that arrow so I could tell who was producing the stronger signal. There again, maybe it doesn't matter...if it alerts I should slow down, regardless of where he is at, right?
The programming logic is amazing, nothing short of it to be honest. I also like how small it is comapred to the thick, dated look of the V1. The 8500 doesn't include a direct wiring kit like the V1, not does it include a visor mount like the V1. I think that $100 you save can be spent at their store buying the accessories to get it up to par with the V1.

OVerall...good unit with lots of features that is upgradable in the future. Range seems to be almost the same as the V1's without the 10year old designs false signals that annoyed me to the point of selling it. Would I sell my V1 and buy one if I was you? No! If I was in the market to buy one or the other, I would get the 8500 and put the extra $$$ in an intake!

See ya-
SHUMAX

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

I do agree that the V1 gets rather annoying sometimes, but that's what you have to deal with when you have the best range. I have never used any other detector that has the range of the V1 including the Passport 8500. My V1 has saved my *** so many times, I can't even count. I have never had that with any other detector, I'll stick with my V1.

shumax

I can't comment for sure, but I would say the range is about the same. If not its hardly worth mentioning the differance. I feel that the sensativity of the V1 ~MIGHT~ be toooo much. I think that there are times when I get a warning 4miles in advance and I am slowed down in plenty of time...almost toooo much time. I know I will get slammed for that b/c people think that is the best thing you could have. I agree; to a point. The V1 is so sensative it almost is to much, in fact it is. It flases enough to make me think I have a $50 Uniden on my dashboard from the 80's. DOn't get me wrong; its a nice unit. I just think its outdated and needs to be replaced. When Mike comes out with the V2 I will buy one I am sure

SHUMAX

Paul6speed

I have the 8500 too. It hardly falses. I had a Bel 980 too. Excellent detector, but falsed more than the Passport. I ran both detectors for a few weeks at the same time. I eventually sold the 980 on eBay. Check out http://www.radartest.com

RussMaxManiac

Shumax, it isn't just your V1 that goes off all the time, the cars that I have been in with the V1 always go off on anything it picks up. Very annoying. Radars are supose to ONLY go off when needed and that is what my BEL does. The V1 is a waste of money.

RussMaxManiac

Sorry but the V1 is rated 2-3 place in range to passport and Bel.

bill99gxe

iTrader: (1)

I would say something but I would probably have to delete my own post.....

Shingles

You know Shumax, I think you might have a defective V1. Mine does not go off on everything and anything. As am atter of a fact, my dad has a Bel... if we are parked next to each other, mine never goes off.

As for the comment about how radar detector is only supposed to go off when it is a "police radar". Let me simply ask you this... just how in the hell is a radar detector supposed to know that it's from a police car and not from a garage door opener when the freqency is the same? The police radar gun does not send out a signal that say "hey I am a police radar, set of your alarms now". I claim that x radar can know the difference and y can't is plan ignorance. Radio wave is radio wave. Manufacturers of radar detector have to write complex codes to help figure out what junk signal is. Most of the time, this is done based on the strength of the signal recieved.

As for range, where does it come from? Sensitivity.... the more sensitive, the greater the range... the more sensitive, the more it will pick. That's just pure and simple facts.

V1 is extremely sensitive no doubt. It will pick up a lot of junk stuff... but even V1's site admit to this in a way. That's why there's such a thing a the bougy counter on their unit. It said on there site that doors usually come in pairs... etc. These are little things to help you decide.

To say taht the V1 is a waste of money is like saying the Lexus is a waste of money. Perhaps it is so to some... but think about it... V1 does not use a plastic case, that costs money, V1 has a direction indicator, that costs money... etc.

I've owned the V1 for some 6 months now. Since then it's had over 20,000 miles put on it. I can say with out a doubt that it's got amazing range. I have picked up on several occations signals that are in excess of 1 mile. Like Shumax said, perhaps V1's range is a little too much... i mean if you can't slow down enough in one mile, you haev other problems. But like I said, the V1 has been one of the best $400 I've ever spent. A waste of money is buying PIAA Super whites over Philips blue vision.

-Shing

bill99gxe

iTrader: (1)

......or changing your oil every 3,000 miles.....



Well said, Shing. I think I would've gone personal in my response......proof that you CAN moderate yourself.....

RussMaxManiac

So he had 2 defective V1's? And everyone I rode with there V1's are always chriping alot? Doesn't mean I won't buy one, but I would be irritated by it going off all the time,

Shingles

The point is if it goes off, it's picking something up. The fact taht the other detectors aren't gonig off does NOT mean they are better, just the fact that they are programmed to be not as sensitive. Let's not ignore all the other thigns I pointed out. Maybe you chose to be in the "dark", but I'd like to know what it's picking up. If I am annoying, I hit the mute... To claim that the V1 is a waste of money because you are annoyed at it picking radio waves that's there is to me, an incorrect assertion.

-Shing

Nine7Max

but only because I couldnt afford the V1. I mean i'd love to have the signal arrows and duel radar.. but I got my bel 980 brand new for $210 on ebay whereas the V1 was in the range of $400 new. Bel980 passport8500 and the V1 all have excellent range, but my not being a hardcore speeder didnt require me to get the V1

GarthG

iTrader: (1)

If you thought that the V1 was too sensitive, why didn't you fiddle with the sensitivity? There are instructions on the V1 website on how to change what is shown and how sensitive it was. It also has stuff about when it should mute and some other things. . . Most people don't know the V1 is programmable, but it would have fixed some of the things you were complaining about.

Washington DC Maxima

quiet. The V1 and Bel have a better range and cheaper filters for X bands than the 8500 does that's why they beep more often. Actually the V1 has the best X band range(x band is basically useless nowadays though). All three give over 1.5 miles of warning for K and KA bands which are the most important. Whether you have arrows or bogey counters you still should slow down for almost two miles if you get a brief beep in the K and especially KA Band since instant on my be ahead or in front of you. But for regular constant tracking they all perform within .2 miles or less of each other in K and KA.

Personally I rum my Bell in City mode since that cuts off sensitivity to my X band only which is the band that gives me all of my falses, except when I'm in a plaza parking area. Also since I live near so many Military and Govt buildings, control towers, radar towers, motion sensor etc.. some X's can never be defeated.

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

Shing,

Man, I loved your post on the V1, right up to the part about the lightbulbs....low blow man...low blow....hehe

-Vogz

shumax

You posted:The point is if it goes off, it's picking something up. The fact taht the other detectors aren't gonig off does NOT mean they are better, just the fact that they are programmed to be not as sensitive. Let's not ignore all the other thigns I pointed out. Maybe you chose to be in the "dark", but I'd like to know what it's picking up. If I am annoying, I hit the mute... To claim that the V1 is a waste of money because you are annoyed at it picking radio waves that's there is to me, an incorrect assertion


The 8500 is just as sensative as the V1. It has better circuitry that allows it to understand what is real radar and what is not. The V1 is 10 years behind on that idea. They always say it trounces the new radar detectors. It might trounce a Whistler, but it won't trounce a Passport unless you count all the false signals.

Now you can sit there and say I am full of $hit but my company actually insures the place that makes the circuitry cards for the PASSPORT and the V1. Sounds to good to be true, huh? I inspected this little mom and pop shop and they told me that the same circuitry goes into both units. Once just has more features; the V1. Now if you read carefully you will motice that I wasn't disputing features, I was disputing its ability to filter without pushing the big round button(Thanks Adidas-Boy for pointing that out to me...in 1 year I never knew what the button did) Yea right..had it figured out the first time I tunred it on Why should I have to run aroundin logic mode so that I don't have to be warned about an approaching UNIDEN dectector? No thanks..Mike needs to get to work on his filtering if you ask me!

Now they have the same circuitry but the Passport has something called DSP and a circuitry chip that the V1 doesn't have. If you are still inclined to know more I can give you the shops number and you can call them yourself. I wish I could say I was bull****ting you, but both V1 and PASSPORT use the same supplier for circuit boards and 99% of the same parts, the edge going to the PASSPORT according to the person who puts them together......all this in greater Cincinnati Ohio

Good day all-

SHUMAX

Shingles

Shumax,

I will agree with you on one thing, the V1 is ten years old. However, the radar technology is atleast 20-30 years old. Sentivity ultimately defines range... that's a fact. Maybe V1 has less effcent code to handle the signals. Maybe the passport isn't as sensitive. Without a scientific test, you or I could not make claim on either points.

Regarding the Uniden deal.. if you read my post carefully, i pointed out that my never did that. Perhaps there's something wrong with mine, perhaps there were something wrong with yours.

About your statement on the two units using the same boards... yeah Abit mother board and Asus mother board both uses the same basic circuitry. But they are different boards, produced at different factories with different designs. See what I am getting at?

As for the DSP bit... trust me... the V1 has a DSP. All a DSP is is a digitial signal processor. circuitry chip? There are lots on the V1 as well. Just about everything and anything that needs to process digital signals will have a DSP in it... your cell phone, your TV, your sound card, your pager probably has one in it.

I am not going to debate the effectiveness of the V1 vs the Passport. Frankly I think both are great units. the only points I was "debating" about is the "V1 is a waste of money bit".

-Shing

bill99gxe

iTrader: (1)

I didn't know DSP was "new-fangled" technology.....

Shumax,

From a hardware standpoint, I don't see how the V1 could accomplish its feature set without the use of DSPs......Otherwise there would have to be so much analog switching (read "old-school") technology in there that the unit would resemble a small cinder-block. If you thought it was big currently, it would be 3 or 4 times the size without the use of DSP....

So, the point you make regarding DSP is argumentative and smells of marketing B.S.....

I work in the power monitoring business, and I can guarantee you that we at Square D use 99% of the same parts as PML, Westinghouse, GE, etc. for making power monitoring equipment. While we don't use the same board suppliers (we have our own maker), the processes used to manufacture them are virtually the same.

There are only so many ways that you can manipulate resisitors, capacitors, and inductors to measure power accurately. Same goes for filtering/deciphering radar signals. The primary difference is in firmware/software programming, not hardware....

I wouldn't doubt the contention that the Passport is "more livable" in the real world because of firmware programming tweaks, but rest assured its not because of DSPs or a disgrontificator, etc......

[Edited by bill99gxe on 02-07-2001 at 02:52 PM]

shumax

I wish I had more time to be concise with you egg heads DSP is an old techonolgy and I won't argue with you on that...you are right. Shing said that there are different cards used in the business. That might be Shing, but what you didn't understand is that these people BUILD the cards for them (ESCORT AND V1) not some overseas company. They build them from the ground up and all V1 and ESCORT does is package them. Again if its Marketing bull$hit as you say...give me a call and we can get you in touch with them to talk about the marketing bull$hit they are doing in some mom and pop shop in greater Cincinnati.
Again, I am not trying to say the ESCORT will kill the V1. What I am saying is the V1 needs more filtering technology in todays radar receiving world.

SHUMAX

Shingles

So correct me if I am wrong, you are saying a small mom and pop shop is designing this boards and putting them together for Escort and V1? Well, I'd have to say this ain't no mom and pop shop. Surface welds and precision placement of DSPs on the board is not something you and I can do with a welder from RadioShack.

Let me put it to you this way... anyone that tries to tell you that X brand is better than Y brand because of a DSP, sorry, I won't have any dealing with.

We can carry this on all day long, but I won't as I feel I've made my point. I am certainly happy that you are happier with the Passport. I am happy about my V1. not saying I would never buy another detector... but at the current market, this is the one I am sticking with.

-Shing

shumax

Well they do 1.5 million in sales to V1, ESCORT and Motorola. They are in a 20sq ft building worth only 300,000, so you tell me how you 'class' them...we call that 'mom-and-pop.' The equipment they use is top-notch yet the have 5 people who work for them, maybe as many as 7. They are currently building another location to expand and grow into.
Again...if you really don't buy it I would be happy to give you the contacts name and you can tell them I sent you. I know they would remember me as I talked at length about the detectors with them

Glad you are happy with the V1...I was till I ran the 8500 and learned that long range IS possible with great filtering. The v1 is incredible in terms of range; so is the 8500..it just seems to do better with filtering.

See ya-
SHUMAX

LeoB

not yet owning a detector, but being interested in getting one soon, I have found your tete a tete discussion here very informative. Your non-hostile presentations of facts you both believe to be true reflects the virtues and qualities of this board that I so enjoy. Being a non-tekki type, permits me to, through your discussions, develop a better understanding of some of the things the advertisers are trying to promote for their products. It's great consumer education..rather than having gone on for too long..keep up the good work! Personally, from everything I have read here so far, I think I would choose the V1, mainly because:
1. I am in a rural area remote from major cities
2. The highways I drive do not pass by any major cities

therefore, the potential for a great number of falses is not an issue.
My main need is maximum sensitivity. Sounds like the V1 does this the best.

Shingles

$1.5 mil is really not mom and pop IMHO.

See, I still don't have any interesting in talking to them as I don't know what it is they do. Heck if all they do is solder chips on PC boards, frankly I am not inclined to talk to them as I doubt they are/were the original designer of the circuitry.

It seems to me that you "bought it" from them. I am not really trying to "buy" anything here... they shouldn't have to "sell it" to me if it was pure facts. If they can present say a circuit design spec for both dectectors.... and I was wrong, I'd buy you a round or two.

Yes I do believe you that the Escort probably has better filtering, 10 years is a long time to find a better way...

-Shing

shumax

Shing-
In my industry that is Mom and Pop...what do they do? They take a blank board and physically push in the resistors, the chips...etc. Then the do some hand soldering..very little though. The boards are placed in a line solderer and they are run through the machine which hits the resistors ends that 'poke' through the back of the board, with some solder. Then they climb a conveyor belt and are heated and cooled over and over to ensure durability. Spiking the heat and cooling cycle helps to ensure its durability. Again, they don't do any designing...the simply take the plans and MAKE the boards for them. They MAKE the product, they DON'T design a thing...except a way to do it faster I guesS

10 years is a long time to figure out a filtering problem...wonder whats taking ol' Mikey so damn long!?

SHUMAX

MaineI30

I have reprogrammed my V1. I completely turned off X-band detection (I mean, WHY???, it's all interference around here -- cops are all K and Ka) and -- that's right -- I disabled laser. The laser decision was basically 1> My Alpine head unit was setting it off and I couldn't seem to make it stop; 2> For christ's sake, when you get a laser warning you are already busted anyway.

I am pleased with my V1 but it still goes off CONSTANTLY around malls, shopping centers, etc. On the highway it is very handy. Around town, it's still noisy as hell. I tolerate it though because it's a great tool and works well. Once another one comes along with better rankings, I'll probably upgrade. Until then, Mike is my man.

/aac