First of all---I know this is in another thread. However, I have put a lot of time into testing these and I want people to see it; thus the second posting of this---


Have you ever driven with a V1 in your car over 100 miles to actually 'see' how it works? No--not with a friend in his car...but a long highway trip to REALLY see how it works? You should if you haven't. Until then, let's reserve comments about "The V1 is this," and "The 8500 is that" until you do. Saying you know people who "have this and that experience," isn't fair. I just completed my 900 mile drive from Cleveland, Ohio to Charlotte, NC. I had the V1 and the Passport 8500 running on oppostie sides of the car to avoid interference---both had a clear view to the front AND rear.

Wanna know something? The V1 version 1.8 is unreal compared to my old V1-1.7 version I had about 9 months ago. I will swear by the KA band on the new version 1.8. In West Virginia they had a sign that said "YOUR SPEED IS..." It was transmitting on the KA frequency. The road was straight and flat. I got a chirp out of the V1-1.8 version, about 2.7 miles out. I looked at the Passport 8500...nothing. At about 1.8 miles out, the Passport 8500 Gave a tiny little chrip and then faded away. By this time the V1 was half way to full alert! By the time I was a mile out the V1 was at full alert and the 8500 was almost even half way to full alert. I quickly turned the V1 off to see if it was hindering the Passport 8500's performance---nope! It did nothing. Turned the V1 back on and it was at full alert! ADVANTAGE V1--version 1.8.

That was the first test. Next I got hit with a bouncing ray of laser in Virginia. It hit a car about 3 in front of me. The V1 went off and the 8500 was silent. ADVANTAGE V1-version 1.8. He must have triggered it again and the Passport 8500 went off at the exact same time the V1 did. ADVANTAGE--TIE. Point is that the first warning by the V1 got my attention and the 8500 did nothing. That extra warning the V1 gave me was needed as it was LASER---instant death. Again--ADVANTAGE V1 version 1.8.

Next warning. I am on 77 North in Beckley West Virginia coming home. V1 chimes in K band--one faint chirp and an arrow to the rear. The Passport 8500--nothing. I don't pay much attention to it and resume speeds of 80mph. Then I get a chirp out of the V1 again and nothing out of the 8500. This happens 4 more times. Each time the V1 gets stronger and stronger with the arrow to the rear. I break my speed to 4 over the limit after the second warning. Then it got really quiet for about 4 miles and I thought I was clear. I was always checking my rear view mind you and I never saw anything. I hit resume---80mph. BOOM!!!! K band half way on the V1 with a rear arrow and the 8500 chirped once. I look back and guess what is coming up on me HARD? Highway Patrol. He leaves his radar gun on and blows by me. The V1 was full lock for a LONG time--I am GUESSING about 3/4 of a mile. The 8500 never even went into full lock! NEVER, NEVER! I about crapped myself. Even when he was right next to me...no full lock. CLEAR ADVANTAGE V1--version 1.8 with ARROWS!!!!!!

Let me paint a picture for you. 80mph with Passport 8500. It chirps and I think it's an alarm from a building. I hit resume and move on. Actually it's a cop from in front or behind using instant-on radar. In this case the V1 told me to look in the rear view mirror and to expect a bogey coming up on me. Sure enough he did. Had it been the 8500 I would have just kept speeding up, confident it was a false alarm b/c my $300 radar detector from a company who has more models out than a car manufacture wouldn't fail me. Who knows..maybe I would have been "pulsed" in the rear by this guy and it would have been over--again, this assumes I had the Passport 8500 in this case. With the V1 I would have been at the speed limit and just fine.

Last case: Canton Ohio. 78mph in a 65 zone and faint forward alert from V1 on X band. About a second later I get something from the Passport 8500. I know it's instant-on (i.e Instant death) as I am in the middle of nowhere and it's a quick chirp that lights up for a second and goes right away; I slow to 70 and watch. V1 comes on with a warning followed closely by the Passport 8500. Then it just stays on as an alert---i.e, he left the gun on. I watched: I had full radar lock on him with the V1 about 1.5 miles out and full lock on him with the Passport 8500 at .7 miles! That's huge, Russ! OBVIOUS ADVANTAGE---MIKE D. VALENTINE---V1 version 1.8.


Ok--my point? Well as you all know I am a radar nut. I have had so many of them it would make most of you sick. I have owned a version 1.7 V1 a Passport 4200,4500,4600,7500 and now an 8500, a BEL 980, 855sti, a Whistler 400, 680, 2Se, 1685 and a 1785 ( I think that's the number). I sold the version 1.7-V1 for the 8500 b/c the 8500 was truly a better unit when compared to the V1 version 1.7. Then Mike D. Valentine came out with the Version 1.8 with improved KA performance as well as laser performance. Not to mention it's smaller and much lighter. I kept the 8500 to do some tests and try to end this war of which is better---true tests. The V1 is an exceptional product even if you have the version 1.7. However, the 8500 seems to beat it ever so slightly as I can tell by my previous tests wiht it against the Passport 8500. However, the new V1 version 1.8 is a lot better than the version 1.7 and is also better than the Passport 8500 in performance. In features? I think the 8500 is a gimic. I don't care that is has the ability to show me a bunch of bars to indicate a source of radar---POINT AT IT! Do the "V1" Point it out and that's all I need. If the Passport 8500 has the ability to develop 800 ways to show the band, strength, and number of signals, why the heck don't they point it out too? Bottom line? The majority of the features on the 8500 are gimics to ME. The ones on the V1 are real and needed. I only wish the V1 came with a cord stock that had a mute button on it. ADVANTAGE PASSPORT 8500. Yes, I know you can BUY the concealed display, but Passport GIVES you that--again ADVANTAGE PASSPORT. But the V1 gives you functional arrows--advantage Mike D. Valentine.

Another case. A tropper going the same direction as you 'pulsing' people heading the opposite direction. The Passport 8500 just beeps. The V1 points forward and indicates the same strength everytime--with practice you will understand this to be a cop moving the same direction as you. If it were a rear arrow, you would know he was coming up on you from behind---use it, you will see what I mean. A simple stupid "beep" is useless. Sure--"slow down." Why would I if I know he's in front of me and going the same direction. Or why would I if I know that he has already past. Or why would I if I know he's to my side---radar can't pick up cars from the side. And...well I could go on and on about the arrows.

Bottom line: I am keeping both. The 8500 is in my Fiances car. The v1 version 1.8 is in mine.

 

Great post! Thanks for all the info! I'm still not sure if I'm going to go from my 1.7 to 1.8 but confidence is high.

Jim

 

but I'm not certain that I will do it, yet. I don't doubt you in the slightest bit, and I've always agreed that you need to live with a V1 for bit before you can understand how good it really is. I just want to see some documented testing on the additional range that it has before I upgrade..

Thanks for the information, it hasn't fallen on deaf ears.

 

great material...i always wanted to know how they stack up. the tests out there done by companies can always be swayed by $. the V1 is a keeper!

BTW what mode were u running in the V1...small L or big L? or the all band?

 

excellent write up.. excellent

 

some performance tests between the two.. Actuall I'd like to see a performance test between the 1.7, 1.8, 8500, and Bel 980..

 

I've got a 1.7 so if there's anyone in NJ who has the 1.8 we could do some testing. Plenty of police in NJ.

Jim

 

Nice, i have a 1.7 Also unfortunately i am no where near to spending $200 to update. maybe in the spring but the 1.7 is still unbelievable as well.

 

that sign on.. I came from OSU thru WV to avoid tolls and ran into one of those signs in a construction zone but this particular sign was K band not KA.. I didn't even know they use KA in those signs??

 

Great write up man. If I ever have the money, I will highly consider a V1

 

Well I was running 77North from Charolotte all the way to Akron Ohio, so to answer one questions, I was on 77 in West Virginia.

Yes the V1 is great and I am glad to have run the test. My neighbor has the Bel 980 and he is going to test the V1 version 1.8 against it this weekend on his was to Tenn. from Cleveland Ohio.

More to come.

SHUMAX

 

Yea, I think I was on that same route.. But going South but IIRC they had one on both sides (3 miles or so about).

 

Wow, nice write up. Someone should add this to the FAQ. Now you have me thinking about a V1. I'm kicking it with my Bel 820 right now.

 

I always run "A" on the highway in the open. If I see that I am approaching a metro area it goes to half logic. If I am down town it goes to full logic, "L."

I just found out that my finace is making me go home to her parents house in Chicago this weekend. Now I get to test the Bel 980 against the V1 on my own! I MIGHT try to sneak the 8500 in too. However, my finace said she will kill me if I do

Women...

 

wow shumax i'm so greatful of your update and extensive testing of the two units.. i was skeptical about the upgrade because on the website it said "ku is only used in canada" so i thought, well why would i upgrade if that band does not exist in america.. but then with you saying that the "k" and "ka" band being strengthened i think i'de do the upgrade in the near future. This forum really kicks a$$ we even have people who buy more than one of the same product from many manufactures to test out "which is best". and in most cases it's not biased.. especially the reviews from true enthusiasts who aren't out to sell anything..

thanks again shumax.

 

hmmmmm, very interesting, nice writeup by the way.

 

I saw the pictures. It's not much smaller. The size of the V1 never bothered me though. Just the price and performance. The features were good though, especially the arrows.

His review brings up a lot of questions.

1) The Passport picks up KA radar a mile away. Isn't that sufficient?

2) He has his detectors on different sides of the car. This would account for the V1 picking up the laser in one instance and not the other. At another time they picked up at the same time. Laser is not wide spectrum. It is narrow. He could have picked up the edge of the laser on the V1 and missed it on the Passport due to placement.

3) The part of rear pickup on K sounds legit. I have a problem with this statement though, "Passport 8500. It chirps and I think it's an alarm from a building." That's his error in judgment. Also, he says it never went to full lock. I don't rely on full lock. I rely on 1/2 lock.

4) His last case... in Canton Ohio. Again with the full lock. What's his fetish with full lock? He got warning at the same time with the detectors. The detector is a warning device. I've learned when to ignore and when to pay attention. If I get 2 blips, I know it's potential bogey. I start slowing. If it's increasing or staying the same, I keep slowing. I don't wait for full lock. To rely on full lock is foolish.

5) He left the part about falses. I would be interested in that.

In short his review is unscientific. Doesn't use the exact position comparison that the experts use. He also relies on full lock for his analysis. It sounds like a good detector, but I need more than anecdotal evidence to switch. I'm waiting to see what http://www.speedzones.com says. And to a lesser extent, what http://www.radartest.com says.

I'm willing to switch. I have no allegiances; I just want something more scientific.

For the record... I'm currently using the Passport 8500. I also tested the Bel 980, which is also a fantastic detector. It actually outdoes the Passport in certain bands. I've used many detectors as well. My first was a Cobra in 1985.

 

That's with good environmental conditions, like a flat plain area where the rays have no where to bounce. Up here in the NYC area, most of the highways are hilly and full of curves and trees, so KA has a stronger chance of scattering before it gets to your radar. For me, whenever I get a KA warning, its usually panic time, and my source is normally less than a half mile away, sometimes even less than 1000 feet. The new 1.8 V1 has definitely made my KA better, and I think it sacrificed some X band, but I'm totally OK with that. I almost never get clocked on X band, it's usually a false.

When I took a road trip out to the midwest with my V1 1.7, it totally rocked. Best performance I had ever had with it. I attribute that to the flat plain areas I was driving. Laser still spooked the hell out of me though. No matter where you are, cops have a HUGE advantage with Laser.

DW

 

Watch out for the Bee III, especially in POP mode. That is nasty KA. It's new, so not widely used yet. No detector on the market can pick it up in POP mode. The Passport 8500 can pick it up in regular mode. I don't know about the V1. 1.8. Does Valentine list it in the specs?

 

Nope. Just says Ka and the frequency range. It does get Ku. Not much use here in the US though.

DW

 

I saw the pictures. It's not much smaller. The size of the V1 never bothered me though. Just the price and performance. The features were good though, especially the arrows.

His review brings up a lot of questions.

1) The Passport picks up KA radar a mile away. Isn't that sufficient?

No! It's not if they are using instant-on which is the case 85% of the time.

2) He has his detectors on different sides of the car. This would account for the V1 picking up the laser in one instance and not the other. At another time they picked up at the same time. Laser is not wide spectrum. It is narrow. He could have picked up the edge of the laser on the V1 and missed it on the Passport due to placement.

Or might it have something to do with the fact that the version 1.8 has more laser sensors, front and rear than the 8500? You are right about the spectrum though---placing them on opposties sides is a bit biased. Tell me how you COULD be fair though without owning a laser gun to test both in the EXACT same spot.

3) The part of rear pickup on K sounds legit. I have a problem with this statement though, "Passport 8500. It chirps and I think it's an alarm from a building." That's his error in judgment. Also, he says it never went to full lock. I don't rely on full lock. I rely on 1/2 lock.

You should! The fact that the V1 hit full lock first tells me that it was more sensative. Sure it might increase its visual warning quicker than the passport---i.e. light up more lights on the face quicker. But that's the point..to warn me of the severity of the signal, quicker.

4) His last case... in Canton Ohio. Again with the full lock. What's his fetish with full lock? He got warning at the same time with the detectors. The detector is a warning device. I've learned when to ignore and when to pay attention. If I get 2 blips, I know it's potential bogey. I start slowing. If it's increasing or staying the same, I keep slowing. I don't wait for full lock. To rely on full lock is foolish.

>>Foolish to you maybe. I don't rely on it totally. I use it as a judge as to how severe the radar source threat is. If it's weak I pass it off as a false or instant-on. More so a false if I am in an urban area. Sorry you read into that the wrong way---waiting till full lock is stupid. I am cautious the SECOND it chirps!


5) He left the part about falses. I would be interested in that.

>>The Passport falses more in the city than the V1. But the V1 does false a BIT more on the highway--hardly worth mentioning though so don't go nuts with this point and trash the V1.

In short his review is unscientific.

>>Ahh..obviously, I never claimed it to be anything else--hello?

Doesn't use the exact position comparison that the experts use.

>>How could I? I don't have radar and laser guns to test the units over and over in the same place on the windshield.

He also relies on full lock for his analysis. It sounds like a good detector, but I need more than anecdotal evidence to switch.

>>When did I say I rely on full lock? I just used it as an example. I'm waiting to see what http://www.speedzones.com says. And to a lesser extent, what http://www.radartest.com says. Good luck...they are good sources!

I'm willing to switch. I have no allegiances; I just want something more scientific.

For the record... I'm currently using the Passport 8500. I also tested the Bel 980, which is also a fantastic detector. It actually outdoes the Passport in certain bands. I've used many detectors as well. My first was a Cobra in 1985.

 

now I know who to tag behind when I'm on the freeway.

 

The only fair test is to put a single detector in a car in the same spot you would mount it and run tests in a controlled environment. Unfortunately most of us do not have the means to do this. That's why I like to rely on Speedzones.com for testing data. Your anecdotal evidence is helpful though.

Quote:

3) The part of rear pickup on K sounds legit. I have a problem with this statement though, "Passport 8500. It chirps and I think it's an alarm from a building." That's his error in judgment. Also, he says it never went to full lock. I don't rely on full lock. I rely on 1/2 lock.

You should! The fact that the V1 hit full lock first tells me that it was more sensative. Sure it might increase its visual warning quicker than the passport---i.e. light up more lights on the face quicker. But that's the point..to warn me of the severity of the signal, quicker.

I rely on 1/2 lock. I'm sure the V1 could pick up a small reading from instant-on. and nothing until you get right on the bogey.

Quote:

4) His last case... in Canton Ohio. Again with the full lock. What's his fetish with full lock? He got warning at the same time with the detectors. The detector is a warning device. I've learned when to ignore and when to pay attention. If I get 2 blips, I know it's potential bogey. I start slowing. If it's increasing or staying the same, I keep slowing. I don't wait for full lock. To rely on full lock is foolish.

>>Foolish to you maybe. I don't rely on it totally. I use it as a judge as to how severe the radar source threat is. If it's weak I pass it off as a false or instant-on. More so a false if I am in an urban area. Sorry you read into that the wrong way---waiting till full lock is stupid. I am cautious the SECOND it chirps!

Shouldn't have read that. Sorry about that.

Quote:

5) He left the part about falses. I would be interested in that.

>>The Passport falses more in the city than the V1. But the V1 does false a BIT more on the highway--hardly worth mentioning though so don't go nuts with this point and trash the V1.

Thanks! Sounds really good.

Quote:

In short his review is unscientific.

>>Ahh..obviously, I never claimed it to be anything else--hello?

I didn't say you claimed to be. A few people were ready to switch based upon your anecdotal evidence. I'm saying... hold the phone. Let's get more data in before switching.

Quote:

Doesn't use the exact position comparison that the experts use.

>>How could I? I don't have radar and laser guns to test the units over and over in the same place on the windshield.

See above.

Quote:

He also relies on full lock for his analysis. It sounds like a good detector, but I need more than anecdotal evidence to switch.

>>When did I say I rely on full lock? I just used it as an example. I'm waiting to see what http://www.speedzones.com says. And to a lesser extent, what http://www.radartest.com says. Good luck...they are good sources!

I'm willing to switch. I have no allegiances; I just want something more scientific.

For the record... I'm currently using the Passport 8500. I also tested the Bel 980, which is also a fantastic detector. It actually outdoes the Passport in certain bands. I've used many detectors as well. My first was a Cobra in 1985.

 

Hey-
You are right about a controlled environment. I just don't have that and neither does anyone else. With that fact that speedlabs and speezone fight with each other and take donations from different detector companies, I start to wonder if they are biased. One of them, and I forget which took a large donation from Escort, but V1 wouldn't give them a thing. They are the same group that rated the Escort as "worlds best."

I want more data too. For now the Version 1.8 is in my car, the 8500 in the finaces. I am constantly finding myself doubting the 8500 and liking the V1 more and more....especially for laser coverage...oh yea----LOVE THOSE ARROWS

SHUMAX

 

Interesting that Mike Valentine, Mr. V1, invented the original legendary Passport, and now the name has come back to haunt him

DW

 

You guys might want to read this..

Motortrend Magazine did some tests and look what they got for the radars...

http://www.motortrend.com/july01/radar/over.html

That was the 1.7 V1 btw.

 

it's interesting that almost ALL radar detector tests in the last 2 years knock the V1. I find that suspect. Further more, some tests actually provide completely FALSE information about the V1 (radartest)

What's really interesting is that people that have had experience with boththe 8500 and V1 tend to like the V1 better. I personally have a V1...my best buddy MAX2000JP has the 8500....EVERYTIME he rides in my car he comments on how much more he likes the V1 than his 8500......very interesting....

 

I comment on how much I like the arrows, which my 8500 doesnt have. Other than that I love my passport.

 

I went to Valentine's site and I only see one detector with no version number. Is this assumed to be the latest V1.8?

 

Yup. They only sell their newest version.

DW

 

 

Now, what's the price difference?

 

Excellent write-up man! V1 for life here! There's no comparison...

EDIT
Did your neighbor run his Bel against your V1? How'd it go?