V1

[sde]

just got a V1. it goes off on x and k bands everytime i get close to an intersection where there are stores, or passing a shopping center. this is burglar alarms? i guess i knew x band could be a burgler alarm, but do they trigger k band too?

[cliss]

Sometimes alarms and other innocent items will set off K-band, but in my experience it is very rare.

 

If you drive in an urban setting, you may consider using one of the logic modes--hold the power button down to engage one. See your manual for details.

 

-Casey

[Guest JessterCPA]

Is the Valentine 1 still considered the best out there?

[cliss]

Is the Valentine 1 still considered the best out there?

I think it's a Coke vs. Pepsi debate. I have a V1, I'm a Valentine whore, and as such, will tell you it is the best. As they say, once you get the arrows you will never go back.

 

However, I've heard some decent empirical tests have shown some escort products to be better--although I've not seen such tests with my own eyes.

 

-Casey

[blackheart]

In Salt Lake I'm finding it more & more common for false alarms on K band, but at the end of my brothers street there is a house with an alarm system the even triggers KA every time I drive towards it.

 

I've had Escorts & Passports (along with many others that were crap) and they are good units. BUT, I'll never go back. The arrows and counter are fantastic.

[sde]

i'm still finding lots of x and k false alarms, even in logic mode. i'm thinking that this unit is best suited for freeways. there is not much use having a radar detector if it is always going off.

[warnoldscu]

I have the Passport 8500 X50, supposedly it's supposed to be every bit as good as V1... though you'll see a lot saying the VI is better than the 8500, the newer X50 version is supposed to be equal or better, not to mention cheaper. I've never had a V1, but I can say that I like my Escort... I get false alarms on the K-band too...

[mwiener2]

The only thing the V1 has over the new X50 is the arrows. Personally, Idon't care where the signal is coming from, i'm slowing down. So in my book, the X50 wins hands down because it's smaller, cheaper, and looks cooler(I got the blue one).

[nov26_2]

I have a passport 8500 and i find it almost no use at all. I get false alarms on everything except Laser. I can drive by troopers all day on the GSP in New Jersey without a beep, but get within 500 yards of a fast food place and you can bet X will go off.

I had better luck with it on trips to the south. I have always wondered if the state troopers here in NJ don't bother with radar or never have it on when I pass?

I've resorted to staying with the flow of traffic and around the speed limit

[rporter]

Yes, there are many alarm systems that work on K band. Been this way for quite a while now. Really no way around it.

 

IMHO, detector makers could almost drop X band coverage from detectors, except I've found that Ohio still has some of their old X band instant-on radar guns used on occasion. They were the first ones to get them years ago, and it seems thay still use some of them along with their laser units.

[mwiener2]

nov26_2, just so you know, they're called radar detectors, not cop detectors. Just because you see a cop and it's not going off doesn't mean it's not working. How you have it mounted is also a huge role in the effectiveness of the detector.

[rc0032]

The only thing the V1 has over the new X50 is the arrows. Personally, Idon't care where the signal is coming from, i'm slowing down. So in my book, the X50 wins hands down because it's smaller, cheaper, and looks cooler(I got the blue one).

Does the X50 provide coverage from behind the vehicle?

 

 

“Valentine One is the only detector with two radar antennas -- one front and one rear -- to scan all around your car and precisely locate each radar threat.” – from the website.

[rporter]

IIRC, Escort does, as do most good detectors. But, IMHO this is a rather useless feature. Cops rarely use radar in the direction of travel. In the past 20 years, the only time I got nailed that way was with VASCAR near Kalamazoo MI by a state cop, and the detector would not have helped, anyway.

 

I also put my detector directly in front of me, low on the windshield, Not as optimal as a higher spot, but long-range readings are not as critical today (despite Valentine's bragging on their range) with all of the low-powered instant-on units out there, as well as laser. That spot prevents anyone from seeing it from the rear, and it catches my attention quicker since it is near my line-of-sight.

[KGreb]

I guess it all depends on the tactics used in your area. I seemed to get a lot of hits from Texas State Troopers from the rear antenna on my V1, but never by other police units. Also got a lot of X-band hits from local cops out in boonies - they probably can't afford to upgrade the old units.

[rporter]

I suspect that most of the rear radar hits are really troopers panning traffic going in the opposite direction. Just about as easy to pace you (or use VASCAR) when they are going in your direction.

[nov26_2]

Thanks for your input Mweiner. However, if you read the post, I stated it is possible they do not have them on. I just find it strange that it never picks up a trooper. See the difference?

[warnoldscu]

nov26 - I'm guessing you don't have the 8500 x50? You should look into it since everything I've heard has said that it's every bit as good as the V1 - like mwiener said the arrows are the only thing the V1 has over it, but it does look way cooler and like him, I'm slowing down either way.

[kinddog]

There is a way to disable the X-band mode. I did it and it's great. No cops use X-band anymore anyway.

 

Go to their website for the instruction codes.

[Trent Bates]

As kinddog stated, there are options for V1 to allow disabling certain bands and other features. Check the website!

 

Regarding the statement comparing V1 and 8500 X50:

Many recent tests show that the maximum range of the 8500 is slightly greater in some scenarios on certain bands than the range of a V1. NONE of the other single-unit detectors provides anywhere near the amount of rear detection that a V1 does. With a single forward facing horn, they just can't do it. Thus, total detection range of a V1 is much greater overall but you are in the middle of the detection bubble instead of being on the back end of it.

 

V1 currently doesn't detect POP mode. That's a big issue!

 

 

Regarding the statements about slowing down when encountering a signal:

I've heard this arguement a few times before. As a previous multi-Escort owner and a current V1 owner, I no longer agree. KNOWING that the signal is behind you or in front of you is much different than knowing there is a signal in your area.

Instead of wasting my time looking all around for the police car when I get a signal, I know where to look and can adjust my driving accordingly. If I get a faint rear signal, I don't even bother slowing down unless the signal increases in strength.

 

Pricewise, a V1 is the most economical choice for a multi-horn unit! Try finding any other unit for under $1000!

[jim1969]

V1 now offers POP mode. I have the Escort 8500 X50 and love it but now that I've used a radar detector I see the value of the arrows and wish I had them.

[Trent Bates]

V1 has POP support! That's great! I just checked the website and see that I'll have to upgrade right away!!! That was the ONLY downside to owning a V1 for me!

[jim1969]

I know. I bought the Escort because of it. I still think that the the owner of Valentine 1 is a dick because he was always saying how POP is useless. All of the testing said differently but he still argued against POP. I bought a unit with POP. Now he change 180 degrees and has POP. I would've bought the V1 in the first place. I've already hardwired my Escort.

[rporter]

V1 now offers POP mode. I have the Escort 8500 X50 and love it but now that I've used a radar detector I see the value of the arrows and wish I had them.

 

Well, as you get experienced in using your Escort (or any other detector), you may learn that the arrows are just a gimmick.

 

I have gotten in many "discussions" with folks who have drunk the V1 Kool Aid, but, in spite of that, I have recommended the V1 to detector newbies, and folks who don't use their detectors much. As you use a standard detector, you learn where the reasonable real radar spots are, and you also learn to understand the direction of the radar.

 

I've been into Escort detectors for years, and I particularly like the cordless Solos for a number of reasons. Per the tests, the battery detectors lose range, but IMHO long range has been becoming one of the least important factors in detector performance with the low-power instant-on units, plus the cops are getting a LOT smarter about using them. Many younger cops, who have used detectors themselves, are savvy on how to trick folks with a detector.

[Trent Bates]

I was upset about Mike Valentine's stance on POP detection as well in the last 6 months. Prior to that, I understood where he was coming from. Here's how I saw it:

 

The radar gun manufacturer came up with a somewhat inacurate detection mode that could either be useful or ignored by the Police Enforcement Agencies.

 

On paper, the POP mode was not necessarily viable for speed measurement so it probably appeared to be a waste of time for Valentine to support it's detection.

 

Valentine gets ranked lower in recent tests because it lacks POP detection even though it should be ranked at or near the top for it's other merits.

 

This hurt sales so Valentine changed it.

 

Although it took longer than I would have liked, I always believed that Valentine would eventually support POP detection. After all, This is the company that has won nearly every detector challenge for 12-13 years straight!

 

I'm going to hate to send in my unit for the upgrade! Maybe I just won't drive anywhere during that time! (I often work from home so it's not quite as bad as it sounds.)

[brad21]

Oregon still uses X band, mostly State Troopers. I have a few year old Bel 850 and feel nekkid without it. For what I spent I have saved quadruple the cost in speeding tickets, not to mention insurance premium hikes. Yes I get false alarms too, but you learn to "read" the falsies from the real deal.