polishpianist26

ok, so about 3 weeks ago i purchased a brand new passport solo s2 radar detector. i paid a little under 300 for it. since i've gotten it, it has yet to detect a single police car. and i do realize that all police cars that pass you dont always have there radar on. but there has been numerous times when i have passed policemen parked on the sides of the road clockin people with there radars and the stupid detector doesnt go off!!! has anyone else had this problem with this model detector. or is this just a faulty detector?? i believe i am now gonna have to try and get my money back and spend a little more and buy a Valentine One. however, if anyone is looking for a detector that can detect the stop light cameras, then buy this one, it detects em all.

SiGye

Maybe its not hooked up right or mounted correctly because that's a pretty good radar detector. Usually if your detector is working correctly it can pick up the radar from automatic doors. So, to test it try driving by a Safeway or 7-eleven and pray it goes off. If it doesn't go off you must've gotten a dud, I'm sure you could return it.

racersir

Take it back and get a V1 is the best

polishpianist26

yea i thought it was a pretty good detector too. the reason i took it over the v-1 was because i thought it was equally accurate, but looked better. but it does go off when i go by certain department stores, or when i pass stop lights that have the cameras hooked up, it just doesnt go off when i pass any police cars or the stationary police vans that clock people. i have it mounted about six to eight inches below my rear view mirror, i just dont get it?????

Zippee

I have had real good service from Passport. Give them a call and tell them what's going on. I'll bet they will send you another one.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Is that the wireless one? Cause they do suck. And what do you mean by "detector that can detect the stop light cameras"? Those don't use radar. They use sensors embedded into the
pavement.

polishpianist26

yea, its the wireless one. in charlotte particularly around the southpark area where i work, most of the stop lights have large cameras near them that take your picture if you run a red light. the detector goes off everytime i drive near one. why are the wireless ones no good?

Dan

Here you go; http://www.valentine1.com/cordless/

Warren803

Valentine 1 is not necessarily the best now though. They keep repackaging the same detector year after year. While it used to be hands down the best, others have caught up, if not surpassed the valentine 1.

http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9090

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

The 8500 & V1 perform the same yes. The difference is the directional arrows. One you use them on the V1 you will always want them. The arrows are very helpfull.
The camras are likely a SWS(Safety Warning System) signal being picked up. The whole SWS system is really useless. A radar detector has 1 purpose. Adding SWS, & other HW junk takes away the perforamnce of the detector. IMHO.

Zippee

Seeing as Valentine doesn't make a wireless they are not really an unbiased source, are they?

Valentine is good, but I like the Escort 8500 better. Works as well for less $$$.

polishpianist26

i am gonna try and contact passport and see if i cant just exchange it for a new one. looking at those test results the passport looks to be just as good as the valentine. if the next one sucks as well, which i hope it doesnt, then i'm just gonna get the valentine.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Do a search. A member here had tried the wireless one out for a week. He posted his results.

Shawn S

I’m a big V1 supporter, but even the most diehard Escort fan will admit that ANY cordless detector will have some serious deficiencies.
Proper detection required a 12volt power source to be effective.

Shawn S

And not to get into yet another V1 vs Escort argument, but just so that the uninformed know…..
It’s well known that the radartest site is bought and paid for by Escort.

Zippee

It's also well know that other sites and most of the magazine tests are bought and paid for by Valentine. Take them ALL with a large grain of salt!

Both are good detectors, you have to decide if you are willing to pay almost $100 for flashing lights and arrows.

Dan

I would go $200 for the arrows!

falabarce

It all depends on what you want.

You want tickets: go wireless

You want no tickets: V1 and 8500. I personally don't care to know where a cop is...I just want to know to slow the hell down. I have an 8500 now and love it. It's hard wired to the top left of my windshield so it's not seen at all.

mc_yanzo

The cops that you see could also be using laser. Since they aren't tagging your car, it is highly unlikely that your detector will go off.

Happens all the time with my V1.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Laser will set off a detector. That's why it has a laser aleart. However by the time it does go off they already got you.

falabarce

They should come out with a new voice alert that instead of giving you a laser alert, it simply says, "Pull over buddy, you're screwed" in a very friendly female voice.