Dr.Murdock

Hi, im looking for a really good radar detector so i will be able to speed and not get a ticket. It is not really for me, its for my father (who bought me a TL), he wants it in his lincoln aviator bc he is beginning a house building business upstate and cant waste time going 55mph on a 4 lane wide highway with few exists and 5 cars in sight. The taconic and saw mill is filled with cops going north to fishkill. My cousin and some sites i visited recommend Valentine 1, what do you guys think about it? Would you recommend another radar detector? Is it worth it and does it perform as good as they say it does? Thx for your input.

rets

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/searc...searchid=70493

V1?

ny212kp_RENAMED

i just got the new escort x50 which detects pop and the v1 can't detect pop, and the escort will save u 100 bucks. V1 is only bettter in x band but no one really uses x band anymore except in NJ, but escort is the way to trust me v1 sucks

grudax

I just got a bel rx65 for 250 plus shipping; I haven't tried it yet though.

neuronbob

V1.

Here's my reasons: http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...173#post860173

EmuMessenger

The only thing better than the V1 would be the climate controlled seats in the Aviator!

żGotJazz?

The V1 doesn't suck. Performance-wise, it ranks up there with the Escort 8500 (non-x50) with small differences in functionality.

However, I am very happy with my Escort 8500 x50, which may (still waiting for the results of the shoot-out) now beat the V1 in the very important Ka band. I do know that my x50 has detectected photo radar, which none of my previous detectors have picked up reliably - this attests to the x50's sensitivity. Also, based on reviews I have read, the Escort line of detectors does a much better job of filtering out the "noise" of burglar alarms & door openers than the V1.

You probably won't be disappointed with either, but I recommend the Escort x50 for the better Ka sensitivity, filtering, and cheaper price.

rets

GotJazz,

I heard ppl complained that x50 cannot resist the hot environment... do you experience any issue like that?

Thanks.

Road Rage

Rets: I do not know about the heat resistance, but as an EE I can speak to the quality of construction of the V1 - I have had 3, they have taken all sorts of mechanical and environmental abuse, and not one has failed, ever. Most of the SMD's are 105degC rated, rather than the 80degC ratings of the comp. Those sorts of details add up - plus the V1 is made of a die-cast aluminum housing. I also have a Solo S2, which I bought only because the abilityt easily move it from car to car is a benefit for our fleet - performance and quality wise, nothing touches the V1, and I like the fact they they will upgrade it. To quote one of the more astute contributors, it "does not suck". What a rich lexicon.

P.S. "I use it and I love it". This is the GIR (generic Internet reply). IUIAILI.

rets

Upgrade program of V1 is apparently the most attractive part to me, too...

Most of time I dump it in my car, summer may burn it hard, I just like to make sure. Thanks for update V1.

TLXLR8S

i was thinking of waiting till V1 make an upgrade before i get one. does anyone have info on this?

Azuki

yeah, definitely V1. my friend who used to have a 300zx gets ticket all the time...after he got V1 he never got stopped

i don't drive fast...plus Virginia do not allow for radar detector so i am not buying anything

SFzip

I vote for the Escort X50.

This RADAR/LASER detector is very quiet, meaning very little false alerts. Occasional false K-band alerts do slip pass, but I use the SpecDisplay feature, where the actual frequency of the radar signal is displayed, to identify K-band threats.

In my area, all frequencies less than 24.150 GHz have been benign. However, at specifically 24.176GHz a local cruiser was sniffed out 1/2 a block ahead and two blocks to the right, downhill. When I crossed the intersection, I could see the rear of the cruiser with its lightbar flashing and an officer standing outside writing something.

So far, frequencies equal to or greater than 24.176GHz came from law enforcement signals, in my neck of the woods.

The LASER detection has been spot on and has alerted me BEFORE I was painted. I'm certain of this because the LASER alert went fullbar, but I could not see the source due to the pack of cars in front of me. A few seconds later, the LASER alert decreased in its intensity for a second or two then went fullbar again. This time I could see the motorcycle unit and the LASER gun pointing directly at me.

As for keeping the X50 cool under the sun, check out my install.

wv5b

I have had many radar detectors. I am 57yrs old. I have had 2 5L. mustangs with 5spd. I owned a z-28 6spd drove it 120K and now I have had an acura TL-type S and now have the new TL. I am a very fast and aggressive driver and the Valentine 1 is the best. Get on their website. They will upgrade it when neccessary for a small fee. I drive 60miles round trip to work on I35 and it is a pleasure to get on @6am in the morning and cruise 85-95mph to work. The Tl is the best car I've owned. My son is on his 2nd TL-S

żGotJazz?

Hi, rets - If there's going to be a hot environment, I'm living in it ... or it's certainly within shouting distance.

Remember a few years back when they had to shut down Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport because downtown Phoenix was at 121 Degrees F, and the FAA charts for minimum runway take-off / landing distances vs. temperature didn't past 120 Degrees F? (Yes, your airplane's takeoff and landing distances vary depending upon temperature, since that modifies the air density at the airport. And the FAA has issued new charts since then that go higher in temperature to avoid this problem in the future.)

Sigh ... There goes żGotJazz? again with more inane and useless trivia.

Anyways, back to the question. I haven't found any heat-related problems yet with my x50. I don't leave my x50 out in the direct sun, though. When I get to work (or anywhere else where the car will be out in the direct sun for a long period of time), I put my x50 in the middle console storage area. When I left the x50 out in the sun once, the case was hotter than I would like, and that was for a plastic case. I probably wouldn't have been able to touch the metal V1 casing without more pain than I would like.

Even if the V1 can handle the higher temperatures, I wouldn't leave it out in the sun. Long-term exposure to increased temperature is the number one reason for semiconductor failure, as long as the rest of the design is "solid". In fact, exposure to extreme heat is used during H.A.L.T. (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) to try and "age" the components and force premature part failures. H.A.L.T. testing is something that is done for many consumer products to try and make the stuff you buy more reliable.

I don't know if the x50 (or the V1) go through H.A.L.T. testing, but I sure would expect it. Their products are routinely put through extreme temperature ranges (well, for the human body, anyways). A radar detector in St. Louis could be exposed to tempertaure variations of around 125 Deg F over it's lifetime. I've seen temperatures at -20 Degrees F during the depths of winter and up to 105 Deg F in summer. Any outdoor product that isn't tested well beyond those extremes isn't a product that should be sold.