Please vote got to buy one soon

 

No question. V1 wins!

 

Got the brand new Escort 8500 X50 already on pre-order, which should significantly exceed the V1 for sensitivity.

 

1. it's not about sensitivity, it's about direction. Valentine1 has direction symbols.

2. In a recent situation, V1 (in my TL) was able to detect LIDAR (laser) around a corner from a cop hiding under a bridge. Escort 8500 in a G35 *NEXT TO ME* ? Nothing.

If you're looking at the V1 I'd go with an "open box" -- you'll save $50 in the process.

 

I don't have any experience with the new 8500X. I have a straight 8500 and a V1. Both offer excellent protection and flexibility. I like the V1 better. The arrows definitely you help find the radar gun quickly. The add on module that gets the display off the windshield and into the cockpit is like running in stealth mode. The V1 is worth the extra bucks.

 

If the direction feature is not a priority, the Escort Solo S2 is a great detector and it's cordless. But I must admit that I like the threat direction feature in the V1. If you are trying to get a good detector and spend a little less green, the higher-end (non PRO Series) Bel's are pretty much as good as Escorts but do not have as many features so price is a little less. Beltronics is owned by Escort, Inc.

Also, there are multiple threads on this forum related to detectors. Do a Search...

 

I want to get a V1 fast, where do you look for good prices, open box at the stores ? is it cheaper on the web?

 

uhh ebay

 

Been using V1 for past 4 years....haven't failed me yet. Highly recommended.

 

V1 Rocks

 

i think the V1 web site is the only place to get one. unless you go to ebay, and get a good used price. stores dont sell them

 

Now that's funny!

So, using your own statement, if the V1 was 1/10 as sensitive as every other radar detector out there, you'd buy it because it had directional arrows? Come on ...

The main two things that I find to be really important about a radar detector are:

(1) Sensitivity, and
(2) The Ability to filter out false signals.

Sensitivity is the most important feature of all, because I need to know about the radar gun before the radar gun knows about me. The more warning I get, the better. Thus, the more sensitivity, the better - and the less chance I have of getting a ticket.

With radar guns getting more tricky and sensitive (POP guns and Photo Radar trucks, for example), I need all the sensitivity I can get. I'm sure hoping that the Escort 8500 x50 will help with the Photo Radar trucks that are cropping up all over our area. All my older radar detectors have failed pretty miserably against photo radar.

It all comes down to this: If I can consistantly and reliably detect a radar gun from 3 miles away (which nobody can yet to my knowledge), I can guarantee you that I'll almost never get a ticket. The only exception would be when I'm the only one on the road (besides the radar officer) at 3:14 AM, but no radar detector can stop that one ... :cop:

The Ability to filter out false signals is a nice-to-have, so that I don't get so much noise that I begin to ignore the detector. But, it isn't a requirement. For example, if I'm traveling a familiar route (say, to work every morning), I can learn the "pattern" of where the false signals are. I can also determine if the radar gun is in a police car that is travelling in the same direction that I am by the length and strength of the signal.

Directional Arrows are also a nice-to-have, but if I check the radar display for where the signal is coming from instead of immediately hitting the brakes, I'm significantly increasing my chance of getting a ticket. I've trained myself to hit the brakes automatically if I hear the detector go off unexpectedly. If I don't see the radar cop, who cares? I know that the cop is out there if I'm getting a reading from the detector where there normally isn't one.

What if I had an alert and Directional Arrows and I still didn't see the cop? Should I just keep going above the speed limit (if I already was)? To me, that would be a foolish move.

I'm not saying that the V1 is a bad detector (it's an excellent detector, and similar sensitivity to the old Escort 8500), I'm just saying that the Directional Arrows are not the end-all feature to make your decision on. With the higher sensitivity Escort 8500 x50 now available, you should give that a strong consideration, as well.

You can read some impartial and independant tests of most decent Radar Detectors here. You'll see that the V1 and the older Escort 8500 are pretty similar in overall functionality (some areas the V1 did better, some the 8500 did better). The higher sensitivity 8500 x50 will probably put the Escort on the top of all the ratings - but we'll have to wait until the 2004 shoot-out tests are run before we'll see that, hmmm?

 

So where can I get more information on this new 8500X?

And what exactly did they upgrade in this radar detector?

 

You can check out http://www.escortradar.com/x50.htm for more info on the Escort 8500 x50.

I am mostly interested in the improved Ka band sensitivity (the most popular frequency range for new radar guns, and used exclusively for Photo Radar).

There haven't been any official reviews yet, to my knowledge.

 

Excellent post IMO, though I somewhat disagree with a couple of your points.

Mostly true, with one exception. You don't necessarily have to be the only car on a deserted road to be vulnerable. If you are part of a group (say the lead car in a lane or coming around a curve, and confronted with instant on or laser, if he can get an unobstructed line of sight on you first, you're probably busted. A skilled cop with instant on that sees a faster car coming up behind the leaders will often wait to flash the one he perceives as traveling the fastest.
I agree 100% that the wisest first response to an alert is to slow down in a safe manner, only checking arrows when safety permits. I also agree with you that ignoring an alert in the absence of visual sighting is a bad plan. Skillful radar operators learn to position themselves in clever places where we may not see them easily or even think to look. While arrows may not ensure locating the gun, they are still a very useful tool in trying to find it. Short of that, the arrows give a clearer indication of when the threat has diminished or passed. There's more to it than reading signal strength alone. A Passport can also count the number of hits, but it doesn't break them down into multiple categories or tell you which band or direction the strongest hit is coming from.

Like you, I intend to follow the next round of tests and comparisons involving the new Passport 8500X. Until then, I'm not about to toss my V1 and order a new, untested Passport model based solely on Escort's biased, pre-release, self serving hype. Escort also hypes the older 8500 as having blown the V1 away in last year's Speedzone tests. While the Passport outscored the V1 in a couple of areas, anyone who's actually read the write up knows that the statement as written isn't true at all.

 

All valid points, UminChu! I sit corrected!

My response was mostly intended to provide a bit more useful information about the Escort than the usual "V1 Totally Rules! Escort Totally Sucks!" type of one-line responses that are common in these radar detector threads. lindros2's response just got the ball rolling for me ...

As I mentioned, I (and more importantly, the experts) think both the V1 and the Escort 8500 are excellent detectors. You really can't go wrong with either.

My main concern is coming up with a usable detector for photo radar, which I've seen plenty of in Scottsdale, AZ and other areas around Phoenix. I've seen the flash of the cameras quite a few times (thankfully, I haven't been the target vehicle yet). I was in a co-worker's vehicle when he got caught. It's hard to stay focused on good driving when you're getting paranoid and constantly searching for the photo radar vans.

Hopefully, the new Escort 8500 X50's better Ka sensitivity will help against the photo radar traps. Boy, I'd sure like to see photo radar added to the radar detector testing that www.speedzones.com does.

I wouldn't expect you to toss your V1 even if the 8500 X50 does top the charts! Most of the newer functionality will probably be approaching the point of diminishing returns. Besides, the V1 is supposed to be upgradable for life - so they'll probably come up with similar functionality available within 6 months or so anyways.

BTW, has anyone done many of the upgrades to their V1 in the past? If so, how expensive do the upgrades tend to be? I've owned other "upgradable for life" products in the past, and the upgrades tend to be pretty expensive - like around 80% or more of purchasing the new product instead.

 

GotJazz -- To clarify my statement, sensitivity is important. I'm just saying it's not exclusively important. Note that Car & Driver found the V1 (prior to the 1.8 upgrade which has better sensitivity and Ku band coverage) to be extremely sensitive on X and Ka.

I've owned BEL's, Escorts and my now second V1 (sold my first with my Audi). The V1 has saved my hide more times than the others. I don't drive a lot over the speed limit - my situations have been 50-in-a-35 while not paying full attention. This is more valid in the Northeast than in Georgia...

Regarding getting a V1 fast -- I just called them directly.

 

thanx for everyones replys..see i'm still suck on which radar to get lol...i'm gettin the escort 8500 red x50 for about 280..and for the v1 i can barely find it on ebay and if i did it is still like 350 but for a 1.7 model. When i go to the v1 site and enter in the model number of the 1.7 the upgrade to the 1.8 is like 230 bucks which crazy. So do any of you know where to get the v1 cheap cause otherwise i have to go with the x50.

Also on the side note do any of u kno the difference between the blue display of the x50 and the red display of it the blue display is 40 bucks more i wanted to kno if there was any performance differences on them

THANX for the replies guys
V.V.

 

I just got my V1 upgraded for $189 + $14.50 Shipping ($7.50 to send it in, $7 to get it back). The primary reason I did the upgrade was I wanted to get a second set of mounts (visor and windshield) and another hard-wire module. I decided to take the plunge and do the the "upgrade" which consists of the latest model complete with all the mounting/installation items.

Before I did the upgrade, I went to the V1 site where you can enter in your Serial # and get a recommendation on whether or not to upgrade. My old V1 was 5 1/2 years old and I was expecting to get the "Yes, definately upgrade" pitch. I was surprised to receive a response along the lines that my model is still just fine for Radar, with the only improvements with the current model being with sensitivity to Laser and a slight (1/4") reduction in height.

Like I said, I did the upgrade not so much to get the latest protection (I was very satisfied with what I had), but I was going to spend $40 anyway to get the supplies I wanted so I decided to get the latest model.

Using standard UPS shipping, I dropped my old model off at the local UPS Store on a Monday at noon and the new unit was on my doorstep when I got home from work on Friday.

 

V1. The direction arrows alone make it a great choice. It has saved me many time (I have a red sports car that just screams for cops attention).

 

AFAIK, the blue display is the only difference. I'm going "blue" for two reasons:

(1) Better match with the TL's interior, and

(2) Less eye-catching for police officers and tailgaters.


Gosh, was I ranting again?

Hey, don't worry, lindros2 - I already knew that you were aware of the importance for sensitivity. It was just the way that your statement was worded that got me going, not your actual message. I apologize if I caused any offense.

 

Valentine 1 without a doubt.

 

are there any detectors that work decently for value conscious individuals like myself?

 

Valentine 1 Is It!!!

 

Yes, the Walmart strore where I live sells upper end Cobras for $100. I can't remember all of the bands it detects, but I remember that it detected K, Ka and Laser.

 

I look at the V1 and I look ast the Escort 8500/Solo S2(cordless).

V1 is huge and I am wondering how do you place your V1 in your TL? how do you hide the power core?

I have been monitoring V1's price on ebay. It is roughly about $300~$330 to get a V1 1.8 new or slghtly used condition. Escort 8500 cordless is much smaller than than V1 and cheaper than V1. Escort 8500 X50 is about US$250~US$270 on ebay. Escort Solo S2 is also in that price range (acutally a little cheaper).

I am also in a great dilema in choosing which radar detector. I want to get a radar detect which looks good with TL and does not have those tedious hideous wiring and also having a great coverage protection as well.

 

Owned my Valentine 1 since '98. My friends bought theirs because of mine. I would love to send it for updating, but am scared of getting a ticket while it is gone.

 

V1 gets my vote!

The V1 (v1.8) is smaller than the previous versions and isn't as big as you think. I have my V1 hardwired w/the concealed display and the location where I mounted it..it doesn't obstruct my view of the road in any way.

 

i have a v1 radar but am wanting to somehow hardwire the radar directly to the fuse box or map light. Does anybody know how to do this?

 

how did you hard-wire your radar detector?

 

I have a '03, so hardwiring is different but I do believe some members have a DIY on how to hardwire a V1 in a '04. Use the search feature..

 

If the "search feature" worked properly, it would be more helpful ...

 

V1 has kept me out of trouble for years now.

 

I've got the Escort Solo S2 - basically, the same as the Passport 8500, but cordless. Got a good deal on a new one on EBay - the guy even threw in a free SmartCord, so I can plug it in if I want to. I would probably only do that if my batteries went completely dead, and I wasn't at home to change them... I hate having the power cord hanging down while I'm driving! And I'm too lazy to hard-wire it. :p I just use a pair of rechargable AA batteries. Had it for about 2 months, and it's been great so far!

 

You can hardwire this and alot of the Audi TT guys have the remote display mounted inside one of the driver vents. I do not have a picture of this offhand but you can search the TT forum at audiworld.com

 

I have a 15 year old detector that still works fine.

But, I just got a Cobra 9221WX on UBID for about $50 that has 9 bands including weather and emergency beacon detectors.

I haven't gotten a ticket since 1975 and I beat that one in court. I don't even know why I use one. Oh, yes. Like someone else said, sometimes I accidently speed like 48 in a 35 just because I didn't notice the limit.

They will also pickup incoming Sidewinder missiles. Maybe that's why I got one. Plus, it looks good and adds to the techno quotient of the TL's interior.

 

I just picked up the Escort Solo S2 for about $315 at Best Buy. Great detector, has already saved me a ticket!

 

aiet ...I worked out some numbers came out liek this
Valentine 1 v1.8 $399+ the conceled display which is:40.00 plus 10 bucks shipping total P.I.M.P. package is 450

Escort 8500 x50 gettin for 270 on ebay shipped

I think i'm goin wit the escort 200 dollars isnt worth it for just gettin arrows for me i'd rather spend it on gettin xm radio for a year or something.
Do you guys Agree with my decision?

 

1st post to this forum ...

I've owned a Valentine 1 for just over 8 years. In that time, I have NOT received one speeding citation. The detector is great. It works just as advertised. The bogey counter and the directional arrows a wonderful tool in detecting and finding police radar.

That being said, I just sold my V1 today. I purchased two new radar detectors, the Escort 8500 X50 ($339 + S/H) and the Bel RX 65 ($299 + S/H). Why two? Because I couldn't choose between the detectors and both offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

I've had both detectors now for 5 days. I have yet to pick up a police radar gun, but I have encountered the usual false alarms (banks, house alarms, door openers, etc.) with both detectors. I'm getting ready to go on a trip to Missouri and wanted to see which detector I think is better. Bel is owned by Escort, Inc., so I don't expect much of a difference in performance. I really believe it will come down to personal preference, but on radartest.com, the Bel RX 65 did outperform the Escort 8500 X50 in the detection of POP radar.

I have both detectors in EXPERT mode. In expert mode, the detectors will show more than one radar source if detected. For instance, you may encounter an X band radar, as well as a K band radar, or K band radar and KA band radar (just one of the many different scenarios). What I like about the Bel is that when the detector detects 2 or more sources of radar, the detector gives you an audible alert, the radar band identified, as well as a number (strength) alert of 1-9. The Escort, when detecting multiple sources of radar, gives you an audible alert, the radar band identified, but only gives you dots starting with a dot, then proceeding upward to what appears to look like the letter " l " . The higher the dots go up, the stronger the signal.

It is VERY hard to determine the signal strength of the radar source detected with the Escort 8500 X50. The Bel RX 65 is much easier to read and understand while driving.

I will report more when I detect an actual police radar source.

Hope this helps.

CE

 

I've had the Escort Solo S2 for about 5 months, and I'm seriously looking for alternatives, because I don't feel safe with this unit.

The S2 detects K and Ka bands well and virtually no false alarms. On the highways, it detects radar-equipped CHP cars 100% of the time—from the front and from the rear. On the streets, it sniffs out radar-equipped police cars just as accurately. However, the S2 cannot see photo radars! I'm not sure about POP/Instant-On radars.

Laser detection does not exist on the S2! Every laser detection had been 100% false. Also, the laser alert can be tripped every time by moving the S2 from the windshield down to my lap, as it passes the Navi screen. And the worst feeling I've had with the S2 was driving toward a motorcycle unit with a laser gun pointed at me from afar and the S2 was silent! This happened twice! I even waved at the cop on one occasion.

I'm seriously considering the V1 as one user reported that it could see laser hits around corners.