Which one Valentine 1, Bel RX 65, and Escort X50?

**twopu** · 02-04-2006, 07:37 AM

Every time I start leaning one way some one post and pushing me back another. I find it interesting that V1 owners have very few complaints about them. The one complaint seems to be false alarms. Other than that they love them. There are MANY more reviews about the X50 avg. 4.5 out of 5 stars. However, the FEW with complaints hate their X50 and want to buy the V1. There seems to be a small following of the RX65 with many positive reviews. I just don`t know if I want/need to hear what signal my radar detected. If it goes off I slow down.

Do you guys have this much trouble deciding or is it just me?

How does the Bel notify you of multiple bogeys?

How do you guys mount them? I hate packing everything up everytime I get out of my car. I have managed to hide everything so if someone were to walk by my car and look in they would not see anything tempting to take. However, with the radar needing to be mounted on the window I see no other option but to take it down everytime.

Thanks again for all the help!!!

**ncsu602** · 02-04-2006, 08:11 AM

Check out Bel`s website, they have a trade-in program. I got a $60 credit for having an old Bel to send them when I bought my RX55 around Christmas. I`m pleased with the RX55, even though it will false in town. This one was in my price range, so I`m not saying go buy this one. It might be worth looking into buying and old one on ebay and having it as a trade-in. They offered up to an $80 credit for certain models.

**JustinR32** · 02-04-2006, 08:35 AM

My biggest complaint about the BEL 980 was the awful windshield mount. Maybe they`ve changed that. The one on my unit had a single screw that tightened the angle at which the detector sat. the screw would constantly loosen as I was driving and the detector would droop, or in extreme cases fall off the windshield.

Tom

**twopu** · 02-04-2006, 08:58 AM

Well after additional research I`m leaning towards the V1 even though I didn`t want to spend the extra money. I found this information on another forum which helps justify the extra money.

>>Other detectors have almost on par preformance with the v1, but some people cant justify the extra 100 bucks for the rear antenna and the arrows.<<

"Well, an extra 100 bucks for : rear antenna, the invaluable locating arrows, the bogey counter, the best laser detection, upgrades which are either free or very low priced, repairs if needed on any unit no matter when made for a very low price... (I coulda had my 1992 V1 repaired for $40 to new specs - not all that shabby - but instead I took the $125 trade-in on it towards a brand new V1. Try that with ANY of the lesser `detectors`. ) And it`s made in the USA. That`s worth something too.

The best unit, the best protection, the best value, and it`s made in the US. Find the extra $100 and buy the V1; you`ll get that money back over and over again."

Any thoughts?

**Setec Astronomy** · 02-04-2006, 09:31 AM

I`ve had a V1 for a long time, a Passport before that, and an original Escort before that. I don`t know what you are talking about with the falsing on the V1, as mentioned, all detectors false on real radars signals from automatic door openers and intrusion alarms. The V1 has intelligent filtering (maybe the others do now as well), and I even have it on the most-filtered setting now that I traded mine in on the latest version. Oh...maybe you were talking about laser falsing...THAT is a bit of a pain...a lot of the CHMSL`s on the SUV`s and the LED rear lighting becoming more prevalent set the laser detector off.

The other thing is the mounting; I liked the visor clip on my Passport much better and it would go on either the top or the bottom. I hate the suction cup mounts, they always fall off at the wrong time, and are so difficult to install/remove quickly, like if you want to take it down for security reasons.

EDIT: PS I do love my V1, but it IS really expensive.

**White95Max** · 02-04-2006, 09:37 AM

Setec, you get frequent laser alarms from CHMSLs on SUVs?

**twopu** · 02-04-2006, 09:59 AM

Like I said, I`ve done a lot of research online and the FEW that has some issues with their V1 said that it gave false alarms frequently. This is only based on the reviews I`ve read from posts. I don`t own one so I don`t know what is happening with theirs. All detectors false based on their surrounding.

**Accumulator** · 02-04-2006, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by White95Max

...[you V1 users]..get frequent laser alarms from CHMSLs on SUVs?

Yeah, it does do that.

Still, I like the V1 so well that I have one for every vehicle and at least one spare. I get most of the "keeper cars" hardwired for them, with the power wire coming down from the top center of the inside windshield molding (yeah, this is a huge job on cars with multiple airbads like the Audis, but it can be done).

Note that the suction cups will usually leave permanent marks on the type of automotive glass being used these days, IIRC it`s a matter of the rubber cups reacting with the polymers in the windshield. Wasn`t a problem decades ago but it is now.

I had the original FuzzBuster (!), the original Escort, a later model Escort, the Passport, a built-in Bel, two other Bels that I forget the model numbers of (the then-best ones), and I borrowed Whistlers and Cobras from friends. Got the V1 and never looked back.

I`ve had three V1s repaired/upgraded. The early ones seemed less reliable than the more recent ones. No problems at all with the last few.

When I get popped these days, IMO no detector in the world would`ve saved me. The instant-on and (well-operated) laser are gonna get you if the LEO knows how to do it right (and bothers to). Get whatever detector has ergonomics/interfaces that you like and keep a rabbit/decoy ahead of you in traffic- far enough ahead that the LEO can`t just get you both.

**White95Max** · 02-04-2006, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Get whatever detector has ergonomics/interfaces that you like and keep a rabbit/decoy ahead of you in traffic- far enough ahead that the LEO can`t just get you both.

Heh, I do that all the time.

The things that I love about the Passport are:

Voltage system monitor. It saved me once as I was heading out of town. The charging system alarm was sounding, announcing that the alternator was putting out less than 10.5V. I turned around, and we took my friend`s car instead. That could have been a nasty situation. My battery could have died on the freeway, or maybe it just wouldn`t have started when we were coming home. Either way, it would have been a real inconvenience.

You can turn bands on/off individually. I went years without ever getting an X-band signal (that wasn`t a false alarm), so I turned the X off on my Passport.

Maybe I`ll just pay the $50 + S&H to have my Passport fixed, if I`m going to get false laser alarms with a V1 anyway. That could be part of the problem I guess, but it happens in lots of places where there isn`t much, or any, traffic.

**hondaguy2582** · 02-04-2006, 11:44 AM

Get the escort passport 8500 or the new bel model. Nothing against the v1, but I really think it gets outdated with escort and bel giving newer technology every couple years!!!

**White95Max** · 02-04-2006, 01:01 PM

I believe you can buy new software for the V1 to upgrade it to protect against new threats/bands.

**Setec Astronomy** · 02-04-2006, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by hondaguy2582

Nothing against the v1, but I really think it gets outdated with escort and bel giving newer technology every couple years!!!

Originally Posted by White95Max

I believe you can buy new software for the V1 to upgrade it to protect against new threats/bands.

They do upgrade the V1 periodically, they just don`t do it with a lot of fanfare and they don`t change the way it looks (except for eliminating the extra 1/4" or so in height that the laser detection used to add), and the upgrades available are not software changes, but hardware/firmware (AFAIK).

**Mikeyc** · 02-04-2006, 02:13 PM

I`ve had a V1 for the last few years and have been quite pleased with it. It`s definitely saved my bacon a few times and doesn`t false all that much. I do agree with other people that some of the newer brake lights cause laser falses. The arrows and bogey counter are awesome though.

**Setec Astronomy** · 02-04-2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Still, I like the V1 so well that I have one for every vehicle and at least one spare. I get most of the "keeper cars" hardwired for them...

I hardwired one into the back of a GM fuseblock, there used to be spare switched fuses in the block, and a device that went in there that you could wire to, but I can`t find them now, and the countermen look at me like I`ve got two heads when I ask about it. Somebody posted here about a connector that you can buy that will pull power off of the OnStar and/or electrochromic mirrors.

Note that the suction cups will usually leave permanent marks on the type of automotive glass being used these days, IIRC it`s a matter of the rubber cups reacting with the polymers in the windshield. Wasn`t a problem decades ago but it is now.

Holy crap! Thanks for telling me that! The one car that I am using the suction cup mount for I have the V1 essentially resting on top of the rear view mirror so when one comes loose there isn`t so much drama. The car with the good binnacle for the Passport underneath visor mount, I was lazy and never ran a wire up to the visor, so I would just mount the V1 on the passenger visor with the retractile cord going up to it...a few skydiving incidents with that when passengers decided to flip the visor down. I got so tired of removing the suction cup mount in my new car that I just went back to using the Passport in the old one...no Ka! At least those stupid traffic monitoring radars don`t set it off. (My Passport is circa 1985).

The instant-on and (well-operated) laser are gonna get you if the LEO knows how to do it right (and bothers to).

Isn`t it funny, just like anything else, that some radar operators suck or don`t care, and others are killer? I remember rolling past a NJ State Trooper on the interstate at 2:30 AM who was hunkered down in the terrain, perfectly hidden, I was going about 72 in a 55 (EDIT--maybe it was 65 :think: ), and he didn`t even ping me, for fear of giving a bounce to some guy a half mile down the road who was going 80. Then you see the inept operators who are hitting every car with the instant on, even the ones that are going 50.

**twopu** · 02-04-2006, 09:42 PM

Does anyone use the visor clip on the V1? I would like to have it in the visor (hidden) with a concealed display down by my radio. Will I experience a reduction in detection by doing this? I`ve read the tint can hinder it`s performance.