best radar detector?

[boost junkie]

I have been leaning towards a V1 but some stuff I have read recently suggests that the passport 8500 x50 and the BEL RX65 might be a bit better. can anyone tell me which they like and why? (preferably actual owners)

[A4-Vblack]

Not a chance. The only people who will say anything is better then the Val 1 are those that have never had one. The range is awesome, but the real benefit is knowing where the threat is coming from.

I can't tell you how often it has saved my bacon. In example, let's say that you are getting signal and you pass a cop going the other way. Alright - the road is clear and time to hammer the gas. WRONG!

The cop that you saw was not giving signal and the speed trap is still ahead of you. The only way that you would know this is if you had directional feedback and how many signals are out there.

Spend the money and you will never regret it.

[theone]

passport sr-7, not that many people have it but my friend has it on his VR-4, that thing is awesome! its hardwired into the car and he loves it...

Sr-7 (http://www.passportsr1.com/sr7.htm)

[EVIL-AUDI]

I like the V1 but I use K40 myself. Not a bad word about it.

[RobT]

I've had both a V-1 and passport 8500. I personally prefer the 8500, but most of my friends prefer the V-1. You can't really go wrong with either one. I have seen both of them save me, and others as well. The 8500 will tell you if there are multiple signals. It just won't tell you what direction they are. I've found the 8500 picks up way fewer false readings, but picks up all the cops just as soon if not sooner than the V-1. The 8500 is a little less expensive, but perhaps the best feature of the V-1 is that it's completely upgradable. Buy it once and you will never need another detector.

Rob

[duffS4]

I just got my V1 installed last week for a trip to VT. THe thing is awesome. It's so nice to know where the threat is is coming from. It definateley saved me more than once.

[Hutash]

Just got a passport for the drive from SoCal to the Sonoma Grand prix and loved it. I do not see any big advantage in the directional signal of V1. If I have a warning I am going to slow down regardless.

[A4Jon1.8t]

I have an Escort Solo S2. Battery powered, no gay wires. I borrowed my friends V1's for a week and put it side by side with my Solo. The Escort ALWAYS picked up the signal before the V1 and had WAY less false alarms. Another place where I feel the Escort is superior is price, the Solo S2 is $300.
Here is a quote from Radar-Detectors.com about the effectiveness of the V1...

The Valentine 1 is an excellent unit with excellent range and filtering. The big drawback in our opinion is the price as it costs $399.00 and does not detect POP3 radar guns at all! In our testing, the Escort 8500 outperformed the Valentine 1 in range and filtering.
Another really good thing about the Solo S2 is that it is upgradeable, as is the Passport 8500. If you don't mind the wires, the 8500 is the way to go. But I own a motorcycle also, so the S2 way perfect for me.
In the annual Speed Measurment Labratories Inc. Radar Detector Shootout, they placed the Passport 8500 X50 as the hands-down best detector on the market. This is what they said...

It was the only detector to report constant on and instant on radar over the hill at the 2.5 cone. It consistenly alerted to the MPH's Bee III RDD POP Mode. It was able to defeat the new Spectre III RDD and it tied in the Long Ranger test to alerting as an outstanding 11 miles from the radar guns. The X50 also lends itself to easily interface with our motorcycle defense systems.
So there you have it.[;)]

[Hutash]

The wireless dectors to not scan continuosly (to save battery power), and therefore not as sensitve. Get a corded dector, unless, like A4Jon, you have a reason why you can't use the cord.

[EuroTall]

just dont buy Rocky mountain products..they're just a box with couple of lights ...they dont work worth a shyt.

I have the V1 and extremely happy with it....

False alarms can be limited on the V1 by the way...just put it on "L" by pressing the volume knob for 3 seconds and it eliminates 90%+ of false alarms... I barely ever get a false alarm since I did that.

[boost junkie]

everyone is saying how the V1 doesn't pick up POP and other types of laser as its disadvantage but if your detector reads a laser signal doesn't that mean you have already been tagged anyways? I thought without a jammer there wasn't much you could do about laser.

[A4Jon1.8t]

Laser and POP are two totally different things. Go to www.radar-detector.com and read up on it.

[boost junkie]

well, after some more careful research, it seems that the passport 8500 X50 has been rated higher than the V1. while the V1 works better on K and X bands, the much more widely used Ka and POP were detected better by the passport. does anyone have any bad words about the passport or any reason to spend an extra $100 for a V1?

[A4Jon1.8t]

Before I got my Escort Solo S2 a year ago, I had a Solo S1 for three years (battery operated also) and I loved it. The only reason I dont have it anymore is cause it popped off the bike one day during a wheelie and shattered. The I got the new Solo S2 and love it to death. Needless to say I have not been pulled over for speeding in 4yrs thanks to Escort's radar detectors. (knock on wood). [;)] I would definatly go with the Escort, it's $100 cheaper and has better reviews, you do the math.

[Hutash]

I did alot of reading before my purchase, and I think the bottom line is thay are both excellent, and it is a matter of personel preference. V1 owners swear by thiers, and so do Escort owners. My deciding factor was that I could walk into Best Buys and purchase an Escort (on sale even), while V1 were only availible direct.

[FITZ TITS]

taken from CLUBWRX.COM

Well, I figure I'll do a comprehensive review of a part of my car right now to help you guys out if you are in the market for a radar detector.

The Valentine One is right on the top of the list, just above the Passport 8500. Consumer Reports rated the V1 higher for the last couple of years I believe, and there are a few features that sets the V1 apart from the Passport. The only one that I know for certain is the one I will mention in this review.

That one feature that the V1 has over the P8500 is that the V1 can locate radar/laser from behind. This can be helpful if a cop turns out from a side street or is coming up behind you on the highway.

Ok, details about the V1:

It's expensive, and I'm not going to lie. For $450, you get the detector. I know you can get ones for about $70, but when it comes to something this important that can potentially save you from higher insurance, suspended lisences, and points, why settle for something less? I opted to get the Concealed Display ($50) which you can mount anywhere in the car pretty much. I have mine mounted on the steering column in the center, directly to the right of my OEM boost gauge. It attaches with some 3M velcro, and hasn't moved yet. Other people have mounted theirs where the factory Clock location is, under that little area on top of the dashboard. The thing I like about the concealed display is that you dont have to look all the way to the top of your windsheild to see what's going on. Just glance down at your speedo and you can see it. It reads in a red glow, which is very nice, easy on the eyes at night.

The detector makes a couple of nice beeping and chirping sounds when you turn it on, or turn the car on (depending if you hardwired it, like I did). There are three modes you can put the detector in, All Bogeys, Logic, and logic (lower case and upper case L's). logic (lower case) is the preferred mode that I use, and noticed that most other people use. It doesn't flip out all the time, but it still catches every serious threat. There is a very nice volume control, a mute button (that doesn't acutally mute, it just tones it down a lot), and a simple display. It gets radar in all directions. Front, back, and both sides.

The display works as follows: When the detector goes off, it will start with a single beep, and this beep depends on what signal it is from (X, K, Ka, or Laser). The beeps vary with the distance from you and the target, the intensity of their signal, and if it is pointing at you, or close to you. Once you get closer, the beeping becomes more and more frequent until you are locked on, and it is a steady "Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep" That can, however, get sort of annoying sometimes. It also tells you what direction the signal is coming in, how many there are, and the strenght of each signal. It can also track more than 1 radar at once, so you can avoid speed traps.

Pros:
Easy to use
Easy to understand
Saved me about 7 times from cops. Totally justifies the cost, IMO.
One of, if not THE best on the market
Concealed Display
Plug and play installation
High quality build
Durable

Cons:
Price
In the dark it is hard to see which red dot says which signal (X, K, Ka, or Laser) because only the dots light up, not the text. I dont have this problem anymore because I know the order of them.
The Beeping can be annoying sometimes
Picks up basically EVERYTHING. Motion Detectors, those flashing construction signs on the highway, Supermarket Automatic doors, Taillights of Chevy Trailblazers, and other things.

However, I have thanked this thing so many times. Definitly works. It goes off when I'm driving around a corner and up a hill, only to find a 1/2 mile later, a cop nestled in some woods I never would've even seen if I didn't have this baby. Definitly one of the best modifications you can do to your car.

Hope this helps


__________________

[FITZ TITS]

im planning on getting the Escort ZR3 which detects and jams laser (LIDAR). that's the biggest threat because it's harder to detect due to the low refraction rate of LADAR. Then later i'll get some cheap shit to warn me of radar. that unit doesn't have to be all high tech because radar has a high refraction rate and is easy to detect.

link to the ZR3 (http://www.escortstore.com/zr3.htm)
http://www.myradardetector.com/images/PhotoDraw306.jpg

[A4Jon1.8t]

That quote about the Passport not being able to pick up a signal from behind is incorrect. Escort has had 360 degree coverage for at least 6yrs now. My old Escort Solo I bought back in 1998 was 360 and the Passport 8500 is an even newer version of that. And the part about Consumer Products placing the V1 over the Passport 8500 is false too. It might have been better than the original Passport but not the 8500, and certianly not the 8500 X50. I have a subscription to Consumer Products and I'm looking at the article right now.
So, I don't know where this guy got his information from but he has been severly misinformed. [;)]