Best Radar detector?

I prefer the Passport 8500. We drove on a 2200 mile round trip last week and it saved us over and over. The newer one is out with GPS and I'm sure it's probably even better. I have the Velentine One in my wife's car and it's got the arrows, which are fine but the sensitivity doesn't seem as good and it's a little bulky.

 

I'll swear by my V1. Range and sensitivity seem fine to me, and the addition of not only the arrows but the counter make a huge difference.

I think the GPS gives a false sense of security. You mark the location as a false alert, and it never triggers in that spot again. Even if Officer Friendly, who knows about that location, decides to set up a block or two away. There are a couple of spots in my area where I have seen them do that. The counter and arrows on the V1 picked up on it.

 

I have the Cobra XRS-9930 and it 's not good at all.....I've heard that the Valentine One is one of the best.....

 

I have a search button.

 

Paul,
Officer Friendly could be standing at the exact false alert location and the gps will block the false and pick up Friendly's signal. Do not need an arrow, when it goes off I slow down, there is radar in the area. This thing works. 9500 is a great detector.
V1 is also a great detector.
Dave

 

+1
A Valentine 1 is all you need.

I was going to say that.

 

V1

 

I have a V1 in the wife's car and its superb, but I also have a Bel Rx65 in my ride that's integrated with the laser jammer from Bel and the whole package is very neat & efficient. The combo has easily paid for itself over & over. The new Escort 9500i integrated system looks even nicer and hides the radar receiver behind the grill.

 

how far away from the radar are you when the decetor alerts you? Do you usually have enough warning time to slow down without slamming on the brakes?

 

Plenty of time to slow down. First you get 1 beep and 1 light and what type radar it is detecting and your cars speed. Lights and beeps increase as you approach the source. When you pass the source you will hear a constant tone and full lights. There is a mute button. On a straight flat road it could be over 1 mile warning.

 

Hmmm. Perhaps I was misinformed. Thanks, Dave. I'll look into it further.

(That said, I still love my V1...)

 

None of these detectors work for laser do they?

I had an 8500 and I was blowing by cops (in MA) with the unit on and going in rush hour traffic and it didn't even peep. Once or twice I got the laser indicator, showing me that they were picking out my car, but then it would have been too late to slow down.

In NY state different story - since they use mostly radar (rather than lidar) it would pick up faint signals from 1+ mile away.

I found it virtually useless in my state so I sold it.

Anybody else with similar experiences?

 

Valentine One + your eyes + some sort of laser diffuser for best protection. Slow down when approaching tree lines, or going over hills where cops could be hiding on other side. Also be wary of overpasses and brake lights in front of you.

 

I need to look into getting some sort of laser jammer. The ones I've seen are just to expensive for me right now. The V1 works great though.

 

As a foreginer, on my way to US later this summer, please tell me where / in which shops I can find Valentine One ?
Can it be found at Target, for example ?
Kind regards Anders

 

You wont find it in any stores. Only here: www.valentine1.com
I dont know if they ship out of the country. Probably they do but I dont know.

 

My 8500 picks up laser all the time, but I think if they hit you your pretty much at their mercy. I did get pulled over once on an undetected LIDAR. The officer told me he aims for the grill, and on my truck (big, white, and reflective), that's a pretty good size target well below the bottom of my windshield where the detector is mounted. He told me the beam is one meter wide at a mile off.

 

I have a couple of those built in Passport SR something or others...I think they are pretty decent. I have an old Valentine V1 somewhere...but to be honest I am not really sure any of them work that well.

 

They are probably out of date then.

 

+1, They're more compact (Passport), perform well (just as well as my previous V1) and I don't need arrows, if it goes off... I just slow down. And yes the GPS thing is a hang-up. Those cops know where all the gray areas are (in front of stores, etc) that set of "false" alarms. They like to lurk in those holes like sharks. I have more fun with mine than ever! It's like a fish finder... If I'm buzzing down the road and it goes off i gracious allow the a*** riding my tail to pass, and off goes the light show!

AND ABOVE ALL TRUST YOUR #1 DETECTION... ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

My-2-cents

Brian

 

Nothing beats the Valentine One in radar and lidar detection.

http://guysoflidar.com/august-2007/radar-detector-test.html

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detector-performance/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detectors/tests-reviews-comparisons/charts-by-radar-detector/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detectors/tests-reviews-comparisons/charts-by-police-laser-gun/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detectors/tests-reviews-comparisons/tables-by-radar-detector/

http://www.laserveil.com/laser-detectors/tests-reviews-comparisons/tables-by-police-laser-gun/

 

Passport, by far. V1's are way too busy, and way too sensitive

do some googling and not from vendors ^

have four of them, one in each car...wouldn't switch

 

As others have said the V1 is pretty decent, but there's no complete system I know of. Best and probably most cost effective is V1 (or equivalent) + being observant.