JokerABC

The 8500 beats the V1 in the latest Motortrend extensive test!

http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...12_0402_radar/

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

It beat it by 0.1 of a point. Are you joking. I would hardly call it the "gold standard" like Motor Trend did. I say there is no clear winner.

mattg

here we go

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

Escort Passport 8500
(94.9 points)
SML Top Protection Dashtop Radar/LIDAR Detector

The Passport 8500, with its high-sensitivity, state-of-the-art POP mode capabilities, small size, and high-quality construction, remains at the top of the pyramid for overall radar and LIDAR detection. With its optional ZR3 laser shifter ($500 MSRP), it's the lone high-end detector offering the ability to legally interrupt most laser guns, making it the choice in laser-rich driving environments.

Price: $299 (manufacturer direct)
Escort: 800/433-3487

WHAT'S HOT ·Available optional plug-in laser countermeasures, with POP mode protection
WHAT'S NOT · X-band performance falls just a bit short of leader
BOTTOM LINE ·Remains the gold standard in radar/LIDAR dashtop detectors




Valentine One
(94.8 points)

Although the external case has remained basically the same through the years, the Valentine One V1 is a top-flight instrument to detect all bands of radar as well as LIDAR. Owners swear by the effectiveness of its front-panel direction arrows. While it offers the highest level of sensitivity, its level of user-friendliness, overall protection, and value falls just a bit short of competitive units.

Price: $399 (manufacturer direct)
Valentine One : 800/331-3030

WHAT'S HOT ·Designates direction of the threat; high sensitivity in all bands
WHAT'S NOT ·Less POP mode sensitivity, size of case
BOTTOM LINE ·Great protection overall, but at a premium price.



The applaud the Escort for having an optional plug in laser countermeasure, but frown upon the V1's cost. The optional laser countermeasure cost $500 more!

Shawn S

COOL…. You guys finally got a “win” and it looks legit this time, not paid for like the others.
It seems they like the V1 & 8500 pretty much the same, but gave the nod to the 8500 based on the lower price.

I honestly think the design of the V1 is becoming quite OUTDATED and Mike Valentine better get his ass in gear on something new.
They need to come out with something SMALLER, lighter and less susceptible to falsing.

BTW… What’s this “optional laser shifting technology” they speak of ???

Shawn S

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

"At the El Paso testing, Motor Trend was able to check out a few radar devices that offer law enforcement to again tip the balance back in their favor. The most notable are laser guns with integrated cameras, now entering service use. The same technology that has made digital cameras so popular and affordable, is being applied to traditional laser guns, where a heads-up display (HUD) shows the officer the targeted vehicle and when he squeezes the trigger, the front of the vehicle is photographed and the image is time/date stamped with distance and speed automatically. No longer will you be able to claim in court that the officer incorrectly targeted your vehicle. With a camera-equipped laser gun, the officer's testimony of speeding with no corresponding visual evidence will be a thing of the past. Laser guns currently outfitted with digital cameras include the LTI Digi-Cam, Kustom Signals, Laser Atlanta, and Stalker."


THAT SUCKS ASS!!!!!!!

turbowhat_RENAMED

i have an idea, its called a jammer.??


that way all cops get to see is a nice picture of me in my car and 2 fingers.

Neech

I was thinking the same, Shawn. I for one will never let go of the arrows but I would really love an all new digital display. These LEDs have had it and are tough sometimes at night with the volume low to determine what band is being detected.

When I asked Mike V. what was in store a year ago November, here's what he said:
So he has had a year and nothing yet to show for it. I hope he's used this year wisely.

My 2 cents, unless he comes out with something new soon, he should come down in price because the 8500 has something to show now and the arrows in most eyes (not mine tho) are not worth 100 beans.

proaudio22

Eh, I always thought these two were pretty close.

Shawn, the plug in laser shifter thing is a jammer that mounts to the front of the car. $500 is about right, more than the damn detector!

I think if Mike were to introduce a new, smaller model V2 or something - it would sell like hotcakes. Keep it the same price, drop the V1 to $300.

Universe93B

The 8500 is great!! But I'd definitely be interested to see what valentine has in store for the future....like a new design, display, features, etc.

NJ_CLS_driver

What a lot of people don't know about Motortrend, they give awards to companies that give the most advertising to the magazine, watch for a while then comment, like the Toyota Prius winning car of the year, it's just that toyota paid the most advertising.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Where are the test numbers in each test. I'd like to compare them. Seems rigged to me as well.
However as I stated alot of times I had both & really saw no difference in performance.

123

Sure, everything is "rigged" when your product doesn't win.

zeroday

escort 8500 is shit. i bought one a year and a half ago, used it for two months till it stopped working. called escort to get it fixed and they said they need a store receipt from an authorized dealer to do warranty work. i had lost my reciept. they wanted 50 dollars to fix it. it's been sitting in my drawer ever since. fuckers.

Scrib

If an new and improved V1 comes out I'm buying it.

dj5

I have had an 8500 for about 18 months and it works great. Would not take a road trip without it.

Can go wrong with either the 8500 or V1. V1 needs to drop the price and come out with a new model to be competitive with the 8500.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

It already is competitive with the 8500. The rear radar and laser sensors with directional arrows easily justify's the extra $100. Once you've used it you won't be able to live with out it.

dj5

Not...............or I would have purchased a V1.

zeroday

just admit you wasted your money on an inferior product. I did too. It's ok to admit when you make mistakes.

Universe93B

OH right, there are a lot of failing 8500s like yours there. Nothing is perfect in this world. Time to realize.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

I think he is saying that the features of the V1 justify the added cost over the 8500, nothing to do with the reliablity (i.e., not failing)

turbowhat_RENAMED

just buy both

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

The 8500 will interfere with the operation of the V1 if you run both at the same time if i'm not mistaken.

gdubb

I can get a 8500 for $255. I might just do that

AQUI NO!

hey Gdubb, can u get more than one? I'm interested if u can.

NOVAwhiteTypeS

i've said it again. v1 over the 8500.

the 8500 come to about 90% in sensitiviy to the v1. Atleast during my testings w/ false alarms (driving by stores on the main road) .

and the rear protection on the 8500 is like non existent.


and yes the arrows are cool and deff help in determing false alarms. (front, side then rear gotta love it)


as most of u know, I've swore by the 8500 for 2 years until I was enlighten 1st hand riding w/ soopa driving from albany to montreal.


as for laser protection try the escort zr3 shifter or lidatek which is known to be one of the best.

Universe93B

Same sensitivity. Testing with false alarms is junk because the V1 falses a lot more.

NJ_CLS_driver

My product did Win, I have the Escort 8500 so now what ?

gdubb

I found the deal off ebay, but Im going to meet him locally.

here are a few links to ebay for the about the same price

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2449529037



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=39767



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2449668859

Zapata

directional arrows are priceless.....while i know where the signals are coming from those with the 8500 are flying blind....that functionality alone puts the v1 over the 8500.

NOVAwhiteTypeS

EXACTLY what zapata said, when I had the 8500, on the highway it would often go off and I would just assume its coming from ahead and slow down but then get all confused cuz it would keep beeping and I would see nothing. Sometimes I would be driving for miles w/ the cop behind me and just constant radar going off and being confused. eventually I'll realize the cop is in the rear but I would of found out MUCH earlier had I had arrows.

All this changed once I used the v1. when on a highway and the rear arrows go off, I simply would move over and slow down and wait for the cop to pass me.

Some of you might say,
"Well everytime I get a radar bleep I slow down automatically, who cares where their coming from... "

But what the arrows does is CONFIRM that it is indeed false by showing you that u are ahead , next to , or already passed the threat. instead of flying blind.

With the Escort 8500, when passing my local grocery store, I would only get a warning until I drove to it, and it would stop when I pass it, or it would be REALLY faint . W/ the v1 I know get the same alert before the shopping center, and when im next to it I get a <-----> arrow and then a strong rear signal even long after I passed it, Thus the V1 has stronger rear sensitivity.

Im not saying the escort 8500 sux, trust me it saved me for 2 years w/out a ticket , and its a damn good radar, its just that the extra 100 dollar u spend on a V1 you are getting about the same frontal protection but just more data/information to determine the treat.

If your the kind of person that will slow down no matter what to ANY radar alert and you want to save money then the 8500 is the way to go.

IF your the kind of person that HAS to know what kind of threat,

They both have counters which is a good thing.

One thing the escort has over the 8500 is the remote mute,
and the ability to show u the exact frequency of the most strongest band. And also another option to show 2 Ka 2 K and 4 X band and each signals frequency, the V1 only shows you the Number (up to 9) frequency and the strenght of the strongest threat.

One time the escort was benifiecal to me was when a cop was sitting 1/4 miles behind a shopping center. The escort alerted me w/ 1 weak KA and 3 strong K bands. Because of this feature I was able to determine that there was a cop shortly ahead. Of course if u had a v1 it would of shown k and ka and a strong signal(from the false K band).

NJ_CLS_driver

why do you need to know where it is coming from, isn't the point of the detector to slow down if speeding, and know that its near ? until the signal is gone you go near speeed limit, when gone, speed back up

Neech

Say you go by the same false alarm everyday. Eventually you're going to ignore it and not really slow down. One day, there you are crusin past that false but this time there's a cop is running radar on that same band just passed that spot. The arrows would have point to the false AND the cop giving you something to react to. That's just one situation.

Zapata

You've got to be kidding me.

It's called RADAR.......radar just doesn't tell me there is a threat, it tells me WHAT and from WHERE so i know how to act appropriately.


For me the decision was simple when i was deciding what to get. 8500 was much cheaper than the v1 but when i thought about the information i was getting out of the v1 that i wouldn't get out of the 8500......the decision was made even as it was more expensive.

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

EXACTLY!!

V1 DETECTS MULTIPLE RADAR SOURCES!!

NOVAwhiteTypeS

so does the escort 8500 but the v1 has arrows...

NJ_CLS_driver

haha, sorry had to send that before, knew that would get you fired up

Shawn S

There’s no convincing the people who don’t understand the usefulness of the V1 arrows and bogey counter.
They don’t know what they’re missing. I’ve gave up trying a while ago.

I try and help NEW people when they’re deciding on which one to buy, but have pretty much given up arguing with stubborn 8500 owners.

Shawn S

NJ_CLS_driver

Both are great Detectors, and when my 8500 dies will be getting the V1, or when a new model comes out

PavDog

Hey, just don't speed.























buwahahahahaa!!!