123

That doesn't mean every detector without arrows is a shitbox. Ridiculous statements in this thread....

Shawn S

Ken I’ve given up trying to convince these people.

If there’s a new detector buyer here seeking info I’ll try and share the info on the V1.
But if it’s an existing 8500 owner I’ll let them think what they want.

Only a long time user of the V1 will understand the benefits of the directional arrows and most 8500 users can’t be persuaded otherwise.
They are BOTH great detectors and the V1 offers a few extra features for the 100-dollar premium.

Shawn S

Sypher

Opinions in this thread. No need to bash people's opinions. The best thing to do, if you feel a need to respond, is to say you don't agree and attempt to explain why.

123

And my opinion was that there are ridiculous statements in this thread.

elliot

this thread is humorous.. who looks at the arrows after noticing a blip on the radar? by checking out where the threat is, you're wasting valuable ticks to slow down before getting caught.. the arrows add latency to your braking time, thereby making them irrelevent.. right? :P

CLpower

first off, when are you guys gonna understand they aren't false alarms.





2nd, I did a trip to SF w/ both the 8500 and the V1 and the V1 was much more dependable. It'd pick up on a cop on the 5 literally 4-5 miles ahead of me and the 8500 wouldn't pick up on them for 1-2 miles after that. I liked the 8500, but personally i'd take my v1 over it, and my v1 is a few years old.

CLpower

I agree, i've had a bunch of detectors, and the arrows truely have proven to be a blessing, it's amazing how much more comfortable you are w/ them.

Zapata

v1 ownz joo! Best $400 i ever spent!!!! I was doubtful before i made the purchase just because the price is a little high but you get what you pay for!


Directional arrows are priceless!!!!

heyitsme

maybe not technically, but picking up signals other than police radar is annoying.
hows that more dependable? picking up radar 2 miles away is plenty, to me these longer and longer distances on new detectors is an annoying feature unless its laser.
ok, but when the goal is to hear the fm signal, whats the difference if its in stereo or mono? does a v1 user slow down because of the arrows or because of the beeping?

i'm not against either brand but people recomending the v1 just because its the most expensive=best doesn't make much sense.

unixadm

Perfect example of the advantage of Arrows:

You are driving on a freeway...your Radar Detector goes off and you slow down....you then pass the cop, the detector slows down a little, but still is beeping......

What you don't know is that 2 miles up the road is ANOTHER cop....with any other detector, you would assume it is still picking up the cop BEHIND you and you will hit the gas again......when in fact it is picking up a NEW cop in front of you.

The V1 will tell you that there is another speed trap ahead.

I am about to make the V1 purchase....I've owned MANY other detectors and have gotten caught in the scenerio above......After seeing the V1 in action, I will be getting that with my new CL-S 6sp.

Sypher

There is no difference when the goal is to hear the fm signal. Some people enjoy hearing a more complex signal is all.

I'd say I take my foot off the gas when the beep goes off and I look to see where the arrows say the signal is coming from. With the arrows, it is much easier for me to figure out if the cause is Walgreens or Rosco P. Coltraine. If I was moving at a brisk pace and the arrows helped me prove the the beep was caused by Walgreens, I can resume the brisk pace much sooner than if I had no idea what caused the beep. So I guess the arrows are more for the speed-up part of my reaction than the slow-down part.

With the arrows, I might pick up a low signal ahead of me and watch it go to the side and then back as I passed the Walgreens. Seeing it go to the back would tell me I had passed the source of the signal, it wasn't strong enough to be a threat, and I could resume my previous pace, even if I continue to pick up the faint signal behind me for a while.

Without the arrows, I would pick up a low signal a few times and wait until I didn't pick it up anymore. I'd notice that I drove by a Walgreens, but I couldn't be sure that it was the source, so I'd stay slow until the detector was quiet for a while.

1999TL

I stopped reading at the 2nd page, read these kind of discussions too many times.

V1. The arrows are worth the money. It just saved my ass twice today on a road trip. Well, one of the times I was following a car and heard the instant on and slowed down. 1 sec later I heard full strength, so I'm guessing he tagged me after the guy in front of me. Without the V1(well maybe any detector) he might have pulled us both over. He was coming over a hill.

kensteele

dude, I so wish this was true. but unfortunately it isn't. Hehe, no the arrows don't add any time....

believe it not...i made this very same exact statement right down to the last words almost...a couple of years ago.

"What good are the arrows? I hear the beep I slow down. Only a moron would keep driving fast. What does the V1 owner do different that a non-V1 owner wouldn't do? Nothing..."

Today, I fully retract that statement I made years ago. I even admitted I was wrong. Cause it's just not true. There ARE distinct advantages to having the arrows, it makes for a distinctly different driving experience when dealing with traffic radar...enough of a difference that I honestly find the whole arrowless ordeal somewhat...well, I honestly didn't feel this way until AFTER the V1 era.

Examples:

I have passed thru an intersection, got a brief brap, saw the sideways arrows, turned my head first left, caught a glimpse of the cop just for a second approaching the same intersection about a block down, and I kept speeding right thru that intersection without missing a beat. Without the arrow, I would have first looked ahead and then rear and missed seeing him on the side and therefore would have been searching for the next few minutes because the single beep was so faint.....

I have been driving down the freeway and my V1 was increasingly beeping as my arrow pointed to the rear. Why? Because I had passed a cop that was on the other side of the freeway with his radar pointed backward. And you couldn't see the otherside of the freeway as you approached him because of a high wall between North and Southbound traffic. Only as I put some distance and a little bit of height could I gradually see up and over that wall (when I looked back) and see him and only because he had somebody pulled over so his lights were flashing.

Trying locating a completely blacked out traffic cop at night without arrows. I used to get entire whole episodes with full-on lights and never could see where that cop car was parked.

How about those cops that use their radar sparingly and you get a couple of faint beeps when they are ahead of you, and when they pass by on the other side (this is at night), you know it cause you get a couple more faint beeps showing from the rear now. I can speed up cause I know he passed. Without the arrows you don't know if you reached this speedtrap yet or not.

Granted most of this is for the hardcore driver, the casual speeder might not benefit from this that much. I'm really down on the Escort/Passport because my experiences with them have been horrible...not average...but down right unsatisfactory. And I wrote about it HERE while I was going thru the madness, if anyone paid attention when I was posting last year(s). So my "apparent" hatred stems from the inability to "understand" how the 8500 unit thinks and reports. That's all. I'm sure the 8500 works out fine for the currently owner.

unixadm

Another BIG selling point on the arrows.....

Instant on Radar

With a regular Radar Detector:
You are driving and get a quick blip....then nothing....maybe just a stray signal from another radar detector....then another 1/2 mile another quick blip...then nothing.....then all off a sudden BLAM....full on red lights and they got you.

With the V1, you would see that the blip came from in front of you both times...that is a BIG indication that they are doing instant on, then off.....time to slow down, and cruise past the bogie at legal speed.

If that same blip came from behind you, or to the side of you, then you can pretty much feel confident that it isn't a trap up ahead. Without the arrows, you will either ignore the little blip, and possibly get nailed, or always be slowing down for the stray signals.