Guys,

I've been searching and reading a lot of information on the Passport 8500 and the V1. I've gained a lot of valuable knowledge but I would like to know how you guys like the performace of each radar now. Has any feedback changed? Is there a newer radar that you guys prefer? All information is welcome. Please don't reply with posts telling me to search because I have been searching for a long time and I am just curious with how you guys like each radar now.

Also, people in the NYC / Long Island / New Jersey area...do you guys think it is worth it to have a radar? I believe it was Stillhere153 who told me radars are unecessary and to just get to know the areas in which I drive. However, when riding down the LIE or other highways, I feel as if there are cops all over the place because I got pulled out of nowhere for an 80 in a 50 and can't afford to be doing that again.

Thanks in advance. All responses are greatly appreciated!

 

i didn't know Long Island used laser, recently i was tagged 85 in a 55 LIE around Islandia, when i asked the trooper for the reading it was laser (did not have my V1 with me - probably may helped); had my V1 for 6 years i take it when i go out of state - it/upgrades works and i never bothered to change brands.

 

I had the 8500 on my old Maxima. It worked great. I know there a new version of the passport with GPS function that the radar can remember whats a false alarm ( like hospitals, tolls booths etc...) But i'm hearing good thing from the V1.
Which i will be ordering one real soon.

 

I have 3 radar units between our 3 cars. My wife uses an 8500, I use a 9500 and our sports car has the V1. I used the V1 for several years and regularly updated to the newest version as they came out - until the new 9500 came out . I find while driving in the same areas of the city as before my 9500 works as well as and in most cases better than my V1 - far fewer false alarms! Our 8500 is as good as the 9500 but lacks several features of the 9500 - see below for those. The range is truly a toss-up between all 3 - so don't use that as the deciding factor. The programming, convenience and ease of use are hands-down better on my 9500 than my V1. The 9500 does not need to have the sensitivity settings (Highway, City) changed - the sensitivity changes with vehicle speed although you can manually change it if you want. The 9500 can monitor vehicle voltage - as does the 8500 and several other options and the 9500 can display your speed on the display. So if you are driving along and get tagged you can look at the display to see how fast you were really going. The things I like best of all are the ability to have it warn me about schools zones, speed cameras, red light cameras etc. etc. The other thing that is a HUGE benefit is that as you use it and find where the false alarms are, you lock them out - hence no more false alarms - although if the signal pattern changes from the exact one you locked out the unit will still give you an alarm. This feature has saved my a few tickets already. If it were me, I would opt for the 9500 for the few extra $$ it costs. If you are in a state where detectors are illegal then I would get the new Bell - it is undetectable by any current technology.

My

Good luck in your search.

 

Thanks for the assistance so far guys. I've heard of the 9500 but the things I have heard have not really been all that great. Also, it is quite expensive but not much more than the V1 so I guess I should consider it. V1 seems to be the way to go but I'm not really sure yet. I like the Passport 8500 because it seems work great as a radar and as a plus, it matches the interior really nicely (I am not basing my decision on this!). But like I said, I've learned that the 8500 functions really well as a radar and that is why it is in the running for what type of radar I get.

 

Just watched the video of the 9500 in one of the threads in this subforum and I really like that "speed-trap" feature. I don't race down highways or local streets or anything but I would like to have a radar that functions enough to save me from the times I'm doing 80 in a 50 that is not overly priced. Please help!

 

V1 for the win!!! I mean, how can you not love a radar that saves your ass and gives you the direction the radar is coming from? That plus the concealment of the remote transmitter has had me touting it's greatness since I've had it hardwired in my car! I was coming home the night before last, and it told me about a bogey laying in the cut up ahead out of sight. I just looked at my radar and smiled and said thank you baby!

 

Agree 100%. The Valentine is in a class of one, then there's all the rest (oh, and I have both).

 

I personally run the X50. I love it and have no complaints. I have been running it for 2 years and no tickets at all! Has saved my ass alot. Now, my buddy does use the V1 and I have never seen a more sensitive radar detector! If I were to do it again (which wil be soon), I will purchase the V1 with Pop2. Best there is. My X50 will go in the wifeys car because she does more in-town and I'm on the freeway most of the time.

 

Escort 9500i with gps is the best. Saved me going 90 in a 60

 

Ahh I see.

 

I was in your position prior to buying one of these and I did a lot of research on them all. I think the 9500 will be the way to go in NY because of the lockout from all the false alarms. I use to live on LI and it was a nightmare with all the false alarms. Once you mark all the false alarms, you will love this thing. The V1 is awesome also but do it once and do it right! Spend the money now or pay the state of NY later.

 

honestly you can't go wrong with either of them... it is all a matter of personal preference....

 

Valentine One. EOD.

 

If your area uses LASER, then DON'T buy any one of them. 99% of the radar detectors are useless against laser. Well yeah it'll say LASER but by the time you see it on your radar detector, such as V1 or Passport, the cop will already know your speed.

If your area uses radar bands, k,ka,x then they are BOTH great detectors. I have owned both. I don't own one anymore because my entire area uses laser.

So I repeat, if you want to buy it for LASER protection, don't bother with either one of them. It's pointless because they are not effective against laser, only radar.

 

In NY and NJ more and more places are using Laser and I just got pinned for 89 in a 65 on I80 in NJ a whiel back and he used Laser. My V1 went off but only went off when I was 10 feet in front of the cop. So it became useless. However if you are in states where they are still using Radar then the V1 is the best of the best!!

For laser there is no protection unless you get jammers and shifters.

 

With lasers, you have no defense unless you get a Laser Jammer/Shifter and not the BS Escort Jammer.

For Radar detectors I use a Beltronics STI Driver, its great!!! Main reason I got it when I purchased it, I was in Virginia which is illegal to use a radar detector, this is the only one that CANNOT be detected!!!

Its Great!

 

Here in Ohio I have found my V1 to be very effective against laser, which is about 85% of the speed detection that the police uses. It detects "off axis" laser very well. If you are the only one on the road, or one of just a few, you will probably get nailed, though. Nothing can defend against that reliably.
I have had V1's for over 10 years, and recommend them

 

Just curious if you're aware that by the time the V1's laser tone goes off, it means you've been tagged already and your speed has already been registered on the laser gun. The wavelength of a laser is so narrow that's why many radar detectors fail to see it.

 

The laser can also get the person ahead and let m know as well. That's why I never speed alone! When I'm alone, I go no more than 70 mph while traveling at night.

 

Valentine one "HANDS DOWN" Other radars are very good but Valentine has a directional Pad Pointing UP,DOWN,and in the middle. Great thing about valentine is you buy it, and then anytime they upgrade the technology you just send it back to the www.valentine1.com and they upgrade the technology for free, you just pay for shipping. Its a life time investment! [IMG][/IMG]

 

Get an escort, (at the time i had an 8500 and my friend had a V1) were standing right next to each other and then my radar starts beeping, im like "get out of the way cop" and 3 or so seconds later his V1 goes off.... thats a long story short, it's happened on many occasions. I'm now rockin the 9500 and it's pretty much amazing haha. IMHO anything escort is a safe bet. good luck!

 

anyone use a laser jammer? if so what kind? i have a k40.... iv heard it doesnt even work but idk if thats true cuz i was hit going 90 in a 55 and wasnt pulled over....

 

K40 work but they are expensive!

http://www.k40.com/unde_main.html

 

That's why I referred to "off axis". If he hits the car in front, I'll know it. If he hits me directly, you are right. Look at the demo on www.valentineone.com , and it will demonstrate. From experience, I believe it to be true.

I have some good sources on the laser technology. The latest is the ability to track multiple targets. I use some other tricks that most consider hogwash, and the cops think they are infallible. Still I've used the V1 for a long time, and I've had one ticket in 32 years, and that one was because the alignment internal to the V1 had failed and didn't register K band. It was promptly fixed.

This is a hotly debated issue which I won't debate. It works for me, and that's all I have to say on it.

 

this is my 3rd car in I've hardwired V1 in, I cannot leave without it, it's like forgetting your cell phone home, this radar must be there. It paid for itself, no joke, over 50 times by now.... I love the arrows.

 

Damn right! My V1 is just like AMEX!!!

 

I am also interested in a FAIL SAFE radar detector/defuser. I am looking at getting a K40 Calibre, anyone have any other suggestions?

 

i just hardwired my 8500 to the doom, very stealth. u cant even see it due to the blue tint on top of the mirror

 

With either radar escort or Valentine i think you'll be safe.... but I personally dont feel like having a VCR hanging off my windshield lol (V1)

 

Heres a good link comparing the Escort 8500 x50 and the Valentine (V1) head to head

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

 

my question to anyone whos had the 9500 and the v1
regular freeway driving do they perform equally? for the same price as the 9500 u can get the v1 with remote mount...verry attractive offer but only if the v1 is as good as the 9500...im not worried about false alarms in the city cause i dont drive like a jackass in the city,but on the freeway its another story..

 

I had the 8500 - had it replaced by escort twice. I replaced the 8500 with the v1 shortly thereafter. I liked the V1, but I had to sell it. I have the 9500 now and I can say it is the best detector I have ever used. The ability to lockout false signals is great. Once the false signals are locked out its dead quite. - the range is fantastic. If you use the gps speed trap feature you on known location you'll get a notice 500ft before you approach that location. If you want a short video/demo let me know I can put something together.

 

All depends on the area you be driving in... Do you need stealth (ie. RDD Invisible?) If you do, I highly recommend the Bel STI Driver, I have it, got it because I was in VA which RDs are illegal, drove by hundreds of cops and 80% of them had a RDD but I was not detected, also was saved over 10 times in a 1yr period. If you do not need Invisibility then go for the V1. Check out Radardetector.net because there are numerous versions of V1 and they have the most info in RDs

 

Actually already put a small video together on another thread about the speed trap gps location. If you watch the video, note the cop wasn't there at that time but is there 9 times out of 10. jnc2000 is right, great detector and worth the extra money. In Atlanta I marked all the speed traps. They use laser so unless you know where they sit, you are a dead man as soon as they pull the trigger.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172502

 

The 9500i with the "mark location" feature is a very unique and convincing feature that works. But does Escort offer a remote display like V1? That is a feature that I would rather have vs. the "reminder" feature, which is what the "mark location" feature is. I can remember my own hot spots.

 

Radartest.com is sponsored by Passport... Wonder why they win?

 

I take it you didn't read the entire attachment. If you have, you would've noticed that it gave a non-bias report of both detectors with all the pro's and con's. Now it's up to you to decided which one you like?

 

For the valentine radar, does the device need to be mounted on the windshield, or can it be in the compartment next to the cigarette lighter. Thats where i have my current one, but im looking to upgrade to the valentine. The only thing mounted on my windshield now is the sensor that detects the radar. Is it the same way for the Valentine.

 

Escort 9500i... cant go wrong (almost completely eliminates false alerts) best radar ever in my opinion, and my good friend even admits to it and he has a V1 which he wants to dump for an escort because i always get alerts a few seconds before him even when were side by side.