best radar detector?

...based on results I read, I would get the latest Passport myself

Anthony

 

Valentine 1 !

 

You will find that most people on the boards here favor the valentine 1. I am in the minority and am used to an Escort. Both are good and really do not think there is much difference.
Bottom line is that in certain situations no radar detector is going to save you. When you are blasting down the highway and no other cars are around and all of a sudden you are painted with an instant on radar gun, you are history. You are only saved in that intstance by the officer using the gun on the person in front of you somewhere. Then you will see your detector sensing it by as much as two miles.
Laser I have never experienced as mine has never gone off in that mode. By me in Florida, they use a lot of Ka band while they drive. I see them coming and going for miles.
I had a friend swear by a radar jammer but I have my doubts with that system.

 

Radar jammers do work, if they are active jammers. Those Rocky Mountain Radar pieces of crap DO NOT WORK. If you want a jammer that works go with the Scorpion Jammer. They have the X and K version which is 500 bucks and the X,K,and KA version which is 1500. They also sell Laser Jammers...which is your ONLY defense against radar...

www.scorpionjammers.com

I use a Valentine...I custom built it into my 348. The unit is hidden above the seatbelts in that compartment. I have two tinted plastic windows that it shoots out of, one front one rear...i have the separate audio knob and the remote display is mounted in the radio cover.

Can post pics if anyone is interested..

 

either Valentine 1 or the RMR-C450 from radarjammers.com The second i mentioned jams and detects all radar and laser including new pop radar.

 

THE RMRC450 SUCKS !!!! i have a thread in "OFF TOPIC" about it. i bought one, i tried it, i was not happy. also i specifcally asked if the voice can be turned off. i dont want o listen to my cars talk to me , in English or Spanish.

you can reprogram the RMRC450 to turn off the voice when it detects a signal. guess what though, every time you turn off the vehicle, the damn thing is reset. the start up of the detector sounds like a damn commercial, in a very irritating voice. i hated it, i am getting an Escort or V1 for the Ferrari.

 

Well...my dad has a V1 built into his rear view mirror in his Porsche, and loves it, it works great...

 

Do a test with the RMR-C450....The laser jammer will work however the radar jammer DOES NOT WORK. Its a gimmick...there playing the odds on paying the tickets...and even when the do...They still have 350 bucks of yours and your still stuck with the points. Rocky Mountain Radar jammers DO NOT WORK. You can read report after report about. Car and Driver did a survey, Rocky Mountain Radar jammers failed to jam the all guns EVERY SINGLE TIME. Read tests done through Speed Measurement Labs....Same response... Do not waste your money on these things, your just getting a radar detector, and for the money, you can spend 50 bucks more and get the Valentine 1...Tried, tested and true.

 

The directional arrows on the V1 are very handy- that's their advantage over the Escort.

 

I've used a Valentine 1 since the early 90's and think it is the best. Mine has been back to Valentine twice for upgrades.

 

I have both a V1 and Escort and had them both on the windshield of my M5 at the same time. The V1 is far superior in picking up the radar and laser first along with the great direction finder function of the arrows. I gave the Escort to my wife who now uses it in her H2.

 

search the archives. there's an insane amount of data in there.

V1 here.

doody.

 

Pics please! I'm looking for ideas on how to set up a V1 in my 355B without having a big black box suction cupped to my window...

-R

 

There is a company in NY that will insert a V1 into your rear view mirror. You send them your mirror or a replacement one and they install the circuitry of a V1 inside the mirror with the display itself mounted in the corner of the mirror. I saw it on www.bmwm5.com a while back. Does anyone have the link or name of the company that does that? It looked pretty cool but I didn't want to pay the $1k that they wanted which didn't include the cost of the mirror and V1 unit.

 

to the best of my knowledge, that company did NOT insert a V1 into your mirror. it inserted the V1 REMOTE DISPLAY into your mirror - you still needed the detector mounted on your window (or wherever you mount it). that company got out of the biz - or they got out of all but BMWs or something like that - in late 2003 or early 2004 - if memory serves. i remember them selling off their inventory on ebay.

to the best of my knowledge, nobody rips apart a V1 detector unit to do a remote installation of it. if you want a pure stealth setup, a K40 is your only option. i don't know why V1 doesn't do this or offer such a product to installers. maybe it's a patent issue - who knows. i don't see any technical hurdle to ripping apart your V1 and stealth-mounting the fore and aft detectors (with proper weather-proofing, of course).

all that said, it's really convenient to be able to pop the little bugger out of one car and take it to another. painfully convenient.....

doody.

 

I'm thinking the best bet is to stick the V1 above the rearview mirror and hardwire it into the switch for the map light. I never use that thing anyway.. might as well put the wires to use. Anyone done this on a Berlinetta yet? I know one guy here did it on his 355 spider, which is a lot different since the dome and map lights are right above the rearview mirror as well. Wondering if it's possible to route a wire across the roof. There doesn't seem like a viable option for the 355 because the cigarette lighter socket is at the back end of the center console. I'm not a fan of having a big coily cable stretching across the car... ah well. Everyone seems to swear by the V1, but not having the ability to easily split it up for a stealth install is making me lean towards the K40.

-R

 

I had a V1 but absolutly hated it. Yes, it does work but, I think is a bit out dated (looks wise). Yes, it does have some neat aftermarket accessories but, I still don't like it. I would go with either a Passport or Bel. I am a huge Bel fan. I love the voice indicator. I also like that fact that it mentions other things besides just radar like, accident ahead or step grade or emergency vehicle ahead. I think those extra features alone make it worth it. V1 charges to much and caiters to yuppies who will buy whatever is the most expensive out there. OK, now you V1 lovers relax that was just my $.02

 

I just ordered the Bel RX65 but nothing works like concentration and monitoring the traffic. One thing I have noticed is that no one bothers to warn other drivers about the presence of police units-very rarely do I see the flashing of headlights as a warning anymore...

 

I have had my Passport 8500 since '01, and it's worked wonderfully for me. I've only been painted with laser once since I purchased it, and it actually scared the bejesus out of me at the time. It was late at night and the wife and I were on a freeway north of Columbus, OH. We came over a hill and the trooper was sitting 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile away at the bottom of the very long hill in the median with all his lights off. All at once, the alarm goes nuts - I'd have been toast if I was speeding.

From what I understand, the laser beam is very focused (go figure). The downside of that for the cop is that it's harder to aim at single vehicles. The downside for the speeder is that his detector has to pretty much take a direct hit for it to alarm, and when that happens...it's probably too late.

 

I have the Valantine and the new Escort Solo.

The Valantine is better

Ciao

Dino

 

I've used both the Passport and the V1. The V1 works best, and you've got the added benefit of using the arrows. You can't do any better than that.
Those who get jammers: either they don't work, or if they do, you've committed a felony. Federal Communications Regulations, and the enacting statutes make it grossly illegal for you to transmit on those frequencies, and it is a major crime for you to do so. So you avoid an infraction, or a misdemeanor and commit a felony in the process. Not good avoidance techniques.

Art

 

All this time I thought they didnt use laser at night.

 

My Escort is suctioned cup right next to the rear view mirror on the passenger side. I have a 4 inch hard wire that is spliced into the map light and comes out at the edge of the headliner by the rear view mirror. You can't see hardly anything. I assume you can do that with a valentine also.