I'm about to get an Escort 8500, anything else thats better for the $?

 

I really must say that I have been completely satisfied with my investment in a Valentine. Atleast first thier website www.valentineone.com and have a look before purchasing. But I think the model Escort you've mentioned is a close second, good luck with whatever you pick.

 

the escort beat the valentine 1 in a match it also beat the expensive k40 go to WWW.radartest.com and you will see that the escort beat the valentine 1 k40 and many others sometimes by even a few miles of protection, and you cant beat that price

 

did you actually read what radartest.com says about the valentine 1 and the k40? basically they didn't take the time to learn how to use them properly. i'm not going to even get into it, but if you are impatient, get the bel or escort, if you have time to "tune" your V1, get that, and learn it, you will become one with your v-one

 

I bought my V1 not too long ago & I can tell you that it saved me numerous times from 5.0 on city/highway. Another satistied V1 customer.
01'-S
Focals & Xtant, Polarg M6, V1
Copmtech sways so far but want more...

 

heres some background. TypeSKid use to have a V1 but go caught w/ VG2. *valentine claims there immune to vg-2* I personally have the 8500 and passed cops numerious times even when i was the only one on the road and was getting hit w/ radar they didn't detect my detector. I do like the arrow's on the v1 but I wouldn't get the v1 just cuase of that feature. In va cops use mostly KA on highways and K on local roads no X. w/ the 8500 you can filter out bands you don't need. can't speak for the v1.

 

I like the BEL 980. That's what I use, and it always helps me out and detects everything. Motortrend picked this as their recommended radar detector.

 

this article?

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


"In the over $200 category of high-end detectors, the nod goes to the Passport 8500, which edged out the remaining three units by a tiny margin in the category with the scales tipped by its reasonable price, outstanding X-Band performance, and filtering capabilities. "

 

I have all 3. A 8500, a V1, & a K40.

The V1 is good. I don't think it's worth the money now days though. The V1 is also too big. It does great on X, & K bands. However KA is just terrable. They need an update to keep up with the new guys. The V1 is just outdated. I did hear they are coming out with a new dash model, that is smaller, & up to date. When I don't know though.

The K40 is small, & very light. The indicators are hard to read, but are very simple. It's a no frills detector. It does good on KA, & X bands, but K is bad. I got a ticket using it. K band 109mph in a 70. Put it this way, I saw the cops lights before the K40 went off. It has worked very well with KA. I was saved a few times with it. It is also VG2 safe. I have driving to NYC & passed VA with no problems.

The 8500 Is the newest one I got. I have yet to take a road trip with it, so my experience is with local driving only. It's very sensitive. Picks up alot of false signals. Accross from my building there's a starbux. For some reason that store emits a KA signal. The V1, & k40 ignor it, but the 8500 doesn't. It reads it as a real threat. Even in city mode. Same with the Kmart doors. It has saved me more then once though from a few speed traps. Detected the KA, & K bands at least a full mile away. It also has great rear detection. A cop the other day was following traffic about a 1/2 mile back from me. I was in the right lane, he was in the left. He had his K band going. The 8500 went on & stayed on untill the cop made a turn onto a local street.

Conclusions??? Well I prefer the 8500 for now. It is the most sensitive, which for me is better, I'd rather have a false signal then non at all. It can also be programmed, & has some good features. It also has a good reading display. Also a detector's prformance depends alot on where you drive. Some areas they work better, some they suck in.

 

EXACTLY my point. I don't care if it falses every 5 min as long as it saves me from a realone. better safe than sorrry.

 

The V1 can turn off or on any of the bands in a special diagnostic mode. I have been driving a 2000 Corvette for the last year and have never gotten a ticket with the V1. I HAVE gotten wreckless driving tickets but I have detected State troopers on straight roads from MILES away! I have driven at speeds up to 178 mph and NO radar based tickets. Nothing can beat the Valentine 1...

 

Well, your comments about the V1 are about 6 months old but close.

The V1 is actually smaller than the 8500 now. Its height was reduced when they moved the rear laser sensor to the left of the rear radar sensor.

KA was only a fraction of a second off that of the 8500 at like 3 fookin miles. I get so damned much Ka warning on the highway that I'm usually convinced it's a bogus signal, only to pass a cop like 3/4 of a mile or more down the road. Again - this model has been out for 6 months now.

The rumors of the "V2" are just that - rumors.

The V1 can be programmed as well. You can turn up sensitivity on Ka, as well as shut off X, or turn on Ku (for those aussie friends. ) - amongst other features.

So - and I've posted this at least 5x before - the V1 is better to me because of the arrows, which work - and its range is awesome, and the rear radar sensor is awesome. BTW - I ferreted out a laser trap the other week on the interstate a full mile away.

I am a V1 believer.

 

I was always told K-40 is the best.

 

ya, i believe it is



the reason i didn't get it is because i like the fact that the V1 is portable and can be moved from car to car.

 

I have to say, V1 is really the best radar out there. I've had my for like a year and half, saved my butt many many times, well worth the $400. But, really, once you've used the arrows and radar counters, you just can't go back to the regular radars. If you think the price tag is too high, why do you try it out for like 30 days and return it if you don't like it?

 

Valentine One really is the best out there. It has been recently updated to vastly improve Ka and is thinner. It wasn't really big anyway. I have a new radar test in Word format, an independent one, not like that BS www.radartest.com, in which the V1 trouces the Bel and Escort.

 

Guys, Valentine just released the v1.8 version. I suggest get it. It is rated better than the escort 8500 which I have right now and am selling with a hardwire kit for $250 + shipping.

 

motortrend didn't even do their own test. check the web links, they sent you to an older test that was already out there:

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...threadid=43330

 

v1 think about it this way......if you were a fighter pilot would you want you radar just to tell you it picked something up? How dumb would it be if it didn't tell you what direction the bogey was comming from or where it was located.

I struggled with the decision for a while. I considered the BEL dectectors and in the end decided that V1 was the best choice. V1.