WOW never heard that one before.. Interesting..

 

FOUR years with a V1 and knock wood, NO tickets.

Saves my butt everytime I am in the turbo.

Even instant on sends waves in the air and the thing bleeps.

Its great when there is a CAR behind me with off and on radar strikes.

I like the front and back detection ability.

I wouldnt have anything else. Once you bond with the V1 and know what every sound means you wont live without it.

I am not sure what the inventor looks like but WHO CARES?


Cabman

 

The creator of the V1, Mike Valentine, is a serious Porsche fanatic. He drives a Carrera GT and is on Rennlist.

 

+1

Valentine 1 has not failed me yet. My last Porsche had a built-in Escort SRX; while I liked the range it had over the Valentine 1 (shouldn't really compare built-in vs portable), I was always looking for the arrows, LOL.

///Michael

 

the V1 arrows help a lot... you have a lot more confidence over where the radar source is coming from...

also, from a sensitivity perspective, the V1 in my experience has fairly "precise" alerts from the way it goes off/sounds/blinks when a radar source is near (you just know there's radar around!). like any detector, there can be falses, but it seems easier to tell the falses apart from the real sources with the V1.

 

Valentine 1----All the rest just tell you when to reach for your wallet.

 

I have used one for years and recommend the V1. However if you are not an experienced user you can get into a false sense of security.

(1) Instant on is a killer,especially on an empty road. Experienced cops wait for the really fast drivers to nail them.
(2) By the time your laser detector goes off you're nailed and there is no leakage from the laser to give you advance warning.
(3) Laser jammers are against FCC regulations so need to be very careful. The best ones emit a very short burst of interference to allow you to slow down.
(4) If you are travelling to Canada forget the V1. They are illegal and detectable by the cops. Forget them being invisible. Instant confiscation and large fine.
(5) Obviously there is still VASCAR ad Aircraft,plus some speed cameras which can nail you.
Generally, you still need to be very alert when you use this stuff. It is not a magic invisibility cloak.

 

who this guy?

 

i'd totally buy a high tech product from that ^^^ guy above!

 

No offense to the V1 guys, just trying to learn something, so I would like to know how the V1 helps you once the laser hits your car? If I'm not mistaken, it is a passive receiver like most radar detectors. It is not a jammer, correct?

 

lasers are precise and usually instant on.
NO radar detactor can help you.
part of it is luck. you HOPE the laser was on another car before you, and your V1 pick up. you slow down.

for example, i live near hwy 280, i know the area well. they dont use laser. and near SFO lots of neon bill board emit laser. so if i am near SFO and laser warning goes on, i dont really care. i will take a chance. if my laser warning goes on with my V1 near my house on 280, i pull the parachute to slow down. basically you need a good detector and you have to be aware of your surrounding.

on hwy 5 northbound to thunderhill, if V1 goes off, slow down quick. it's not false alarm. i have seen chp hiding perpendicular to the fwy in the farms.... oh, sometimes the may be traveling opposite direction to you, but they will make u turn and get you.... they got me.

 

nor cal laser operators get out of their cruiser, sometimes they stand in front of the car with no protection and shoot at oncoming cars with laser.... i stared at them so long, at times, i almost took them out... meaning running them over with my car ;-)

 

that's right. I5 north or southbound thunderhill is where i'm slowest. there are no false alarm there. everything is real bogey and they're all over the place. I505 towards I5 is where i'm fastest. i have not see any popos there.

V1 won't save you from laser. nor will it save you from popos with instant on who travels from opposite direction and only flips the on switch when you're almost nose to nose. don't ask me how i know!

 

This is a much debated topic on this and many forums. As taylorcoleman pointed out do a google search for other radar specific forums and you will find great (if not at times somewhat "geeky") info on radar detectors in general.

Consider design and features which are important to you and then just use and learn the RD you choose.

I have used the V1, 9500i and Redline, and all are excellent radar detectors. (But I never got used to the V1's audible alerts and "boxy" design; the 9500i is OK but I miss the V1 directional arrows; the Redline has phenomenal range but is a little on the quiet side even at max volume.) Some firmware versions (not necessarily the latest) of the V1 are better than others, and the first version of the Escort Redline did have some problems. The 9500i(x) is updatable via USB and downloadable firmware from Escort. Beltronics has also had a couple good radar detectors (STI??) but are no longer in production and hard to get.

Newer is not always better, but unfortunately you get what you pay for and the more expensive RD's to tend to have the better antennae, electronics, etc.

 

Is that a joke? You actually buy products based on what the designer looks like.