It's been years since I owned one. I am thinking for the Fear & Loathing at the Dragon road trip I should get a radar detector. What's ideal these days and what do they cost?

 

You only need buy it once...buy the best...V1...

 

I will check it out. Does Best Buy or someone like that sell these?

 

You can only buy direct...http://www.valentine1.com/

 

Sid is right. I have a V1 wired into each car.

 

+ 1 million.

V1 rules.

 

V1 for sure, all others are completely inferior to it.... it's about as sensitive as they come, filters out the trash better than most any other, and tells you WHERE the radar is coming from. Costs about $400 new if memory serves me correctly, not cheap but you'll not regret it.

Mine saved me twice in the past two weeks, once with laser.

 

USPS worker + gun nut...

 

been a v1 user for about 8 years... I am also a user of their upgrade program for nominal costs.

very happy... no tickets... thats like 8 years now and about 190,000 highway miles (im around 25k a year on the highway)... and i drive very fast. but safe.

 

11 years ago, I got a speeding ticket because I wasn't paying attention while talking to my wife...I told her that ticket just costed me 3 times what a good RD costs and needless to say, it was the last ticket I got without my V1...I still got tickets now and then but it was always in another car without my V1

 

Valentine One is the best! Had one since 1992. Just got an upgrade -- which is really a brand new unit ---- for $130 off!

 

Thanks everyone! I just ordered one!!

Where has everyone mounted them? What about the remote display; anyone using that?

Thanks for your help.

 

V1 - clipped to headliner over passenger side of rear view mirror, flat power cord running under edge of headliner and A-pillar trim, through dash, to hardwire tap behind euro parcel shelf
Remote display - velcro'd to top of steering column in front of tach/speedo, using curly cord to hardwire tap behind euro parcel shelf
Remote audio control - mounted in front of right knee in top of euro parcel shelf.

Love it... sorry, no pix yet... Josh Wardell has some pix on his blog of similar setup

 

Anyers to your OP and supplemental questions mixed throughout, many photos along the way. Hope you find the info useful.


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...radar+detector

 

I've got my V1 mounted right by the Rear-view mirror. I have it hardwired too. I just ran the wire by tucking it undderneath the headliner, and then tucking it underneath the rubber seal by the door.


Here are some pictures of where I have it:

 

Ditto for my install

 

Don't want to rain on any parades, but the V1 isn't rated above the Passport 8500 X50, though it does depend on whose review you read. I got mine at Best Buy. Many reviews put the Passport ahead of the V1. It can't do any more about lazer than a Passport- if you're the actual target, you're toast. That being said, my Passport has screamed at me 3 times in the last few months, each time w/ "lazer" on the readout. I hit the binders big time in each instance and when I saw the cops, I was ignored in all three cases. In 2 of the cases, it may be that I wasn't the actual target and the detector picked it up anyway. In at least one case there was no other car in the area, so I was the only target, and yet I wasn't stopped. In every case, I had ample time- the distance from the source was considerable. It's possible that they hit you w/ lazer and look for a continuation of your speed, but not being a cop, I don't know if that's how they work. Since I had my speed down below the limit within seconds each time, perhaps I was given a "pass." Several reviews state that the V1 falses more than the Passport in many instances. Some take that to be extra sensitivity, but where the rubber meets the road against actual radar and not automatic door openers, the Passport does as well or better in just about every area. Not bad for a less expensive unit. The big selling point w/ the V1 is the directional indicator, but a false is still a false. When my detector goes off, I don't care where the bogey is, I'm slowing down. My favorites are when the indicator starts slow and picks up speed and intensity. In every case, there's either been a cop or one of those radar speed readout stations used to tell you how fast you're going. At any rate, no matter the unit, it's still a game of cat and mouse, and playing it is a risk.

 

Radar Roy actually rated the V1, 8500 X50, and Bel RX65 Pro close. The V1 has the nice directional which would be handy for K band. Roy actually stated in his results the RX65 Pro performed best in the Pop category (ka), which is heavily used here in Texas metro. I like all three though.

 

The woman of the house has the new 9500i and loves it... GPS integration lets you mark speedtraps and cameras etc... she did a nice writeup for our club:

The PASSPORT 9500i delivers extreme long-range warning on all radar bands including X, K, Superwide Ka, Ku, and instant-on POP modes. Multiple front and rear laser sensors provide 360 degree laser protection.

The PASSPORT 9500i’s GPS-powered intelligence provides permanent relief from false alarms including automatic door openers, motion sensors, and other radar-based sensors.

The TrueLock feature permanently eliminates false alerts by location and frequency. In driving around San Diego, I’ve identified several areas (near Miramar for one) that provide false alerts. By simply pressing the “Mark” button the PASSPORT marks the location and no longer sounds the alert – unless the alert is a different frequency than the one that alerted me when I hit “Mark”, meaning if an alert sounds again in the same area, I take my foot off the accelerator as odds are good it’s a real alert.

AutoSensitivity mode provides real-time radar performance based on vehicle speed, plus Highway and City settings. The auto feature is nice in that it doesn’t alert when I’m going 25MPH.

SpeedAlert feature provides an instant view of your vehicle’s speed during an alert and I’ve found it to be very precise.

MarkLocation feature allows you to instantly mark known speed traps, cameras, and other areas of interest. For example, there are 5 cameras along Mira Mesa Blvd in San Diego. I’ve marked them each and as I approach them the PASSPORT announces “Approaching your marked location” and provides distance readout “5500ft, 5400ft, 5300ft” etc etc

AutoVolume feature automatically increases the alert volume in noisy conditions. A welcome feature when traveling top-down in the MINI, or with music turned up.

Preferences feature allows you to customize up to 9 features.

ExpertMeter tracks and displays up to 8 different radar/laser signals simultaneously. So far, I’ve seen 2 at once.

SpecDisplay feature provides actual numeric frequency for any radar signal.

Selectable radar and laser bands (on/off) allow you to customize which bands are monitored. I choose not to use this option. They are all “on”. It would be my luck I’d select not to monitor a specific band, and it would be the wrong one.

SmartCord provides easy access to the Mute and TrueLock features. Given that the plug-in lighter socket is so low in the MINI, I don’t use this feature. It’s easier to reach up and hit the Mute button on the device if I so choose. However, once I order the hardwire cable (called DirectWire SmartCord) the location of the convenience buttons will be more accessible. The PASSPORT also allows for discreet night driving by offering a dark-mode on the display screen. However, you can still be visually alerted to signals because the SmartCord plug has a small (yet bright) light on it when it detects a signal.

Audible Sounds – PASSPORT uses a “Geiger-counter” type sound to indicate the signal strength and type of radar signal being detected. When I encounter radar, a distinct audible alert will sound and occur faster as the signal gets stronger. As the signal gets stronger the audible alerts will blend into a solid tone that is impossible to ignore.

Each band has a distinct tone for easy identification:
X-band = beep tone
K-band = raspy brap tone
Ka-band = double-brap tone
Ku-band = beep tone (similar to X-band)
POP = solid brap tone

Since laser and POP signals are a threat no matter how weak the signal, PASSPORT goes full alert for these two signals. I have yet to encounter a false alert on either of these two signals.

GPS Signal Indicator will flash on and off until the GPS satellite signals are received. The unit will audibly announce, “GPS signal detected” (for example, pulling out of the garage), or “GPS signal lost” (pulling into the garage, stopped under an overpass, etc.) Once the GPS signal is received, the indicator on the screen will stop flashing.

The PASSPORT also offers the SWS feature (Safety Warning System). Since Safety radar is a relatively new technology, I don’t encounter very many of these yet. However, the PASSPORT is programmed with 64 possible messages. So far, I’ve received announcements such as, “Work Zone Ahead”, “Left Lane Closed Ahead”, and “Emergency Vehicle in Transit”. I have not yet heard the PASSPORT tell me the “Drawbridge Is Up” or “Moose Crossing”….but it CAN!

How SWS Works – Safety Warning System uses a modified K-band radar signal. As Safety transmitters and transponders become more widely used (the number of operating transmitters grows daily) these Safety radar signals will become more common.

In summary, I’m a gadget-girl. I am enthralled with new technology and I research techno-toys that interest me. At a price of $449 the 9500i might not be for everyone, but if you’re a “newest, latest, greatest” connoisseur, you’ll love it. Obviously, the way to avoid a ticket is to obey the posted speed limit. I do….generally…but the investment of $449 has already paid for itself for me personally. At least that’s how I justify the expenditure.

Also note – you can get a Red or Blue SmartCord for $29.95, the DirectWire SmartCord for $29.95, an Accessory Kit for $19.95, and a leather Travel Case for $19.95.

Once ordered, your PASSPORT arrives in a leather hardcover box via 2-Day Express Delivery.

 

I have both the V1 and the 8500. I would much rather use the V1. Yes, it does alert more, but not annoyingly so. The directional arrows are a definite big advantage. It is very nice to know if radar is following you, as opposed to on the other side of the road, especially if you are on a divided highway.

 

I run with a V1 and I just love it - it has saved me SOOOOOO many times in the last 30 days alone. The 9500 looks like a real step forward, and I'd love to know if Valentine is preparing something to resond to it. In my case, the added value of the GPS marking is negated by the fact that I live in the mountains and drive on rural roads and highways to work, so I'm perfectly happy without the GPS function.

 

I have my 8500 mounted low in the window and I didn't want to hot wire it. Since the unit mute is too far away to be convenient, what I did w/ my smart cord was to get one of those Y cigarette lighter power cords that has tails, which gives me a bit of length to work with. Then I drape the cord through my down tube cupholder and the smart cord buttons are just a bit higher than my shift ****- out of the way and yet easy to reach. The 9500's features sound absolutely awesome. Can't justify getting one at this point, but if one has the money to spend, it sounds like the Passport folks are making it pretty hard on the competition.

 

I knew 1/2 way home from AMVIV that my next "mod" would be a radar detector, and this thread isn't helping any! (helping my bank account that is).

From the NAM threads, I gather that of all RDs, V1 and high-end Escorts are what seems to be the consumers' choice. Which leads me to wonder: At where in the pricing spectrum does an RD become so cheap that it's useless? $65? $100? $100? Or to put it another way, at what point on the top of the pricing spectrum are you "probably getting a good device".

Or to put it another way,

"if you're going to be spending money on an RD you probably don't want to spend less than $____"

Any takers on this one? :i:

Is Cobra (big-box brand of choice) out of the equation?

 

Keep It Simple S*****...V1 indicates radar signal very well and more importantly...which direction they're coming from...ask any fighter pilot what's more important, bell and whistles or functionality...

 

One of the better features of the 9500i that wasn't mentioned in her review... the USB port. From the rep at Escort this will enable users to update thier detectors rather than seding it in, additionally it will allow people to share marked locations.