I'm looking to buy a radar detector soon, and originally i was set on getting the Valentine 1....but...i started researching it and it doesnt seem as advanced as everyone made it seem to be, nor does it even seem to be much better than the rest.

http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9090
I was on that website, and they review the three "best" radar detectors out there. I was wondering if anyone on this forum has experience with any of them (or all three)? I know a lot of people have the v1, but what about the other two detectors?

 

With the Valentine you pay $100 more for "front/back" arrows. To me it wasn't worth it so I bought the 8500.

I love it.

 

I have the beltronics vector series and a Phazer II radar/laser jammer and no tickets so far!!! (knock on wood)

Its a great combination and it really fucks with the cops and they dont know who its coming from, unless they have a radar detector detector,

 

 

word. i scored me an 8500 x50 and i love it.

 

have you had a V1 before? all who have had other radar detectors(such as the 8500) and switch to the V1, all say they would never go back. something to check out.

 

 

damn...its so gay, dc and virginia are the only places where theyre illegal :-/

 

i dunno, im happy with my x50. the arrows must be nice, but im not so excited about them that i would pay extra money for them. as for range...my x50 picks them up plenty far enough away...i dont need any farther.

 

I went from an 8500 to V1. Have been loving it ever since. I got a steal for it too, only paid $50 for the upgrade.

 

Borrowed a V1 for a 2 week trip....the arrows were nice but not worth the extra $100.

 

V1 for sure is the best got 3 cars and have one for each of them

 

passport escort

 

that's a way to spend a chunk of change.

that's quite a bit of driving to trial the detector. i'll take your word on it. my brother has one and said it does the trick. i will definitely have to get in shortly after i install this crank pulley.

 

V1 all the way keeps you on your toes just very sensitive though

 

God another RD thread? Search man, there's only about 25 or so posts about this debate.

 

Only if they catch you. I never take mine out just because I'm in DC or VA.

 

Love my V1. It's paid for itself many times over. Won't go back to a lesser brand.

 

And Car Talk is the place for this anyhow.

 

You can get a concealed unit, and you will be fine. I have had one for 10 years living in DC-

 

I have both and i gave the V1 to the GF. I found the 8500 to be better. the arrow are the only thing nice about it and i can very easily live with out

 

once you are doing over 90, they are pointless because you cant slow down in time... i mean you can do the whole panic braking thing but you would only get it down to 80ish if you are lucky, which is still a ticket.
Also most cops keep their radars off until they see a car comming, and by that time you are F***ED.
...My sister is a cop (highway patrol in a new charger...she tells me all the stories...)

Just my .02

if you still want one V1's are the best...did a little test with her radar and my uncle's v1 lol

 

if you aren going 90 on the highway then radars arent for you....tickets are.

radar is good if you are going about 10 over. anymore than that and your just pushing the envelope.

 

oh and i dont know what kind of radar you are using, but you need a new one cause my radar gives me at least a mile of warning to slow down.

 

wow hold on to it then...
if you are doing 10 over then why do you need a radar...cops wount mess with you if you are going with the flow, which usually does 10mph more than the speed limit anyway... if the limit is 50, ppl are usually doing 60-65 and cops do not care unless they got something up their a$$...
Once u start doing like 15 more then they would have a reason to pull you over...

who said I was doing 90? i said over 90...

 

anyone have the BEL RX65.

http://www.radarbusters.com/products...onics/rx65.asp

supposed to be the best one out right now. its just missing the arrows which are just minor features anyway.

 

i have gotten 3 speeding tickets in the last 2 years. all of which were for 10-12mph over. its a bit diff in texas. they have some of the most strict highway patrol around.

 

V1 all the way!!!!! I've had mine for 2 years now and I love it, will not drive with out it.

 

I've got the 8500 X50 Blue, love it. Have not tried the V1 yet.

 

don't bother getting any rador detector right now. the cops are switching out there current one with new and advance one that your current rador detector can't detect!!!!

 

more info please!

I just installed my V1 the other day

 

i borrowed my friend's radar detector (HybridNRG).... and everytime that thing went off, regardless for what,... i would get paranoid and start looking around like crazy! LOL... i rather not have one than to be losing my mind everytime i heard a beep

 

One thing that no one has mentioned is "upgrade ability". If you had a Passport 8500, when they came out with the next generation, you had to have old technology or spend $300 again. The V1 can be sent back for an upgrade.

I think the V1 is hands down the best product on the market for 3 reasons.

1)The "bogey counter" allows you to determine false signals from speed traps.
2)The Arrows let you know whether they are behind you or in front of you.
3)I think it has the best range of anything on the market (for under $1200).

 

Double check to see what the cops are using, in Hawaii radar is history and tthe lazer is in. By the time, the sensor goes off the cop already has you clocked. The only benefit of having a detector is if yoy are lucjky enough to have the signal bounce off one of the car in front of you. Most of the times it's to late. Good Luck.

 

Correct! There's nothing "new" here. Police are moving towards laser, but it still has drawbacks, like it needs to be stationary, & can't be used at night. Also laser guns are 2 times teh price of radar. Smaller police deptarments can not afford to swap out there entire fleet.

 

I've used the V1, but I have the 8500 X50.

I like the X50 better, since it can track up to 3 signals at a time. This really helps if you're traveling the same road all the time and know where false signals are given....then, if you see more signals than usual, you know something's up.

The x50 gives ample time to slow down. I've had it detect a cop up to 2 miles away. Also, it is able to detect POP signals, which is where the cop turns down his gun between cars so as to be undetectable to cheaper RD's.

Go with the red x50, which is cheaper than the blue x50. I have the blue one, but I was working in an electronics store at the time & bought it for $212.

Best of luck!

 

I know this isn't blackmarket thread but is anyone selling their radar???

 

The V1 does all that as well. And the signal tracking doesn't need to be turned on in a special mode like the 8500 does. In addition the arrows on the V1 will help detect faster what's real & what's not, since it tells you what direction it's coming from.
I had both of these, & like the arrow feature on my V1. Other then that there is not much of a difference. Either is fine & will work.

 

The V1 can track 8 signals at a time. With the arrows it lets you know if you have passed a signal source. Another benefit is that automatic doors are the number one source of false signals. They always operate in pairs, one for inside one for outside. If you pick up a signal and the detector reads 2, 4, 6, or 8, it is probably a false signal. If you are driving by a known false signal and it is reading "3" instead of "2" or "5" instead of "4", then you have a speed trap parked near a false signal (the cops in my area are known for this).

In the end both the V1 and the passport are the best options for the money. I think the V1 gives you more information.

 

ouch...so then a radar is perfect for you....
I got pulled over doing 160 on a 40 and they let me go....but there was no cars on the road, it was like a 3 lane road and 2-3am...it was like a straight road where everyone speeds according to the cop that stopped me...but he liked the car and was in a good mood so he was just like "so how fast did you get it up to?"

In that situation, even if i had the V1, i dont think i would have had enough time to slow it down that fast, because people think that if they get a radar detector, they can speed as much as they want, and when it goes off, they have time to stop, but it does not work that way...

Also i had a passport radar detector too, it was like $400, and that one was pretty good, they have some videos on youtube about it, and they show how they test it etc...
just checked, it was the 8500, youtube it, they have a lot of info on it.