Question for all the speeders here

S

schoi

New member
Alrighty, the age old question.



Escort Passport 8500 or Valentine 1?



I've been a user of the Bel 985 for about a year, and it is a decent piece. I recently got a V1 to try it out, and have just borrowed a friend's 8500 for comparison. So far, with repeated attempts, it seems that the V is slightly ahead of the Escort on K band. As for Ka, well... on a rural road the other day, I didn't get the alert w/ the V until the cop was right there heading for me, but I was on a straight far away, and he was rounding a curve. I didn't have the Passport, but I don't really think it could have done much better.



Anyway, back to what I was saying: Escort or Valentine?
 
You'll always get responses from both sides of the fence touting why one is better than the other. If you care to read up on Car and Driver's radar detector test that they do every year, the V1 always wins and the 2nd place finisher is always about 20 points behind. My vote goes for the V1. My only an last radar detector.
 
I have a pasport 8500 and love it. Most radar here is K or Ka the Ka I always get a warning at least 1 1/2 mile ahead. The K is pretty close to the same for me. I haven't run up on any speed traps without plenty of warning but most cops around here leave them on all the time.
 
You will be happy with either one. If it were my choice, I would take the V1. The 8500 is a nice detector too though.



My Phantom III is a good product as well.
 
CB radio huh... do the handhelds have a decent range? Because I don't want some long antenna on the 'Vette. :p
 
Polaris said:
CB radio huh... do the handhelds have a decent range? Because I don't want some long antenna on the 'Vette. :p
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I don't know how good the range is. Probably 2-3 miles. I had a CB with a magnetic mount antenna so I could take it off after trips. I never got a ticket when I use it. The truckers let you know exactly where the cops are. The downside is not being able to listen to your stereo on long trips without turning off the CB and slowing down a bit.
 
http://www.speedzones.com/

The above link has good testing info.

I have a Bel 985 and last summer I followed a Vette that had a Valentine. Saw it when he passed me just outside Cincinatti. I followed him 3/4 of the way through Ohio on I-75. His detector went off a little before mine. We are talking 1/8 of a mile or less difference. Still plenty of time to slow down. His was on the dash & mine is mounted at the top of the w/s so that might account for some difference. But for the difference in price I'll stick to the Bel.
 
Polaris- Detector huh? Heh heh, remember my long-ago C5-as-ticket-magnet post ;)



Another vote for the V1 here. My wife and I never drive without them. Once we lend one to friends, THEY won't drive without one. I'm a little surprised you aren't already won over, seeing as how you've tried one. BTW, as a C5 pilot you might be interested to hear that Chuck Mallett swears by the V1, and he and his crew have a LOT of over-the-road C5 miles behind them (One-laps, etc.). He even offers a V1 connection (that plugs into the rearview mirror) as part of his package.



Valentine's customer service is great, too.



And note that with K/KA, if you get instant-on'ed, you're toast, same with laser. Won't matter WHAT detector you're using. Even in just around-the-bend situations like you mentioned (real world applications), the range differences between GOOD detectors aren't all that great.



I too have wondered about hand-held CB's. The XJS had one in the factory radio (now replaced), and it saved us MANY times. Like you, I can't bring myself to mount an antenna on any of my cars. FWIW, the little Bearcat scanner receives OK with just its little built-in antenna. But it won't really protect you from tickets.
 
Yeah... I think I'm just gonna go ahead and hardwire the V to the 'Vette. It picks up stuff like door openers so much more often than either the Bel or the Escort, but even so, I think I'm gonna keep it. To those of you that use the Valentine, what have been some of the more amazing experiences you've had, particularly on Ka?
 
Another thing to think about with the V1 that other detectors are not able to offer. The V1 can be upgraded to accomodate the latest speed enforcement threats.



As far as Accumulator's statements are concerned, he is correct in saying that if you are nailed by laser, you are toast. You are in an even worse predicament if the cop is holding a LTI-2020 Laser gun (Gets readings faster than the Kustom Laser gun). Years ago, Instant On Ka was still detectable due to residual signal after the initial pulse. Nowadays, it is a little tougher because cops have figured that out and zap you when you are too close to react. Also, many of the newer units don't have that "leakage" and might even use a higher frequency than Ka (I think it is Superwide Ka).



BTW, I am also looking for a CB to carry in the Maxima. I am going to use the magnetic mount K40 for the antenna. :D
 
Accumulator said:
BTW, as a C5 pilot you might be interested to hear that Chuck Mallett swears by the V1, and he and his crew have a LOT of over-the-road C5 miles behind them (One-laps, etc.). He even offers a V1 connection (that plugs into the rearview mirror) as part of his package.
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When I buy a detector I am going to get a V1. One, because 99% of the one lapers have them and swaer by it, two, good reviews, three, I know people who have them a do not leave home without it, fourth upgradeability.



If laser is used in your area you may also want to check this article on the lidatek laser jammer.



Eric
 
Polaris- You won't be sorry you bought the V1 :xyxthumbs The only problems I've had with mine have been burned out LED's, which Valentine took care of. Oh, I DID get one defective unit (excessive falsing), but I sent it back and as I recall, they even covered my shipping.



Be sure to get someone COMPETENT to hard-wire it for you (and yes, that's THE way to go!) unless you really KNOW your 'vette's electrical system.



We use the first (more sensitive) "Logic" mode, BTW.



No cool "save stories" here (isn't that funny, since we've been using them since the first version came out), but I CAN tell you that there will still be times when your detector is merely a "ticket announcer" :o



edschwab1- You oughta get that V1- you already KNOW all the reasons why! Interesting article on the laser-jammer. I dunno, though. There's an assumption there that the officer will be kinda dumb. I've known quite a few LEO's and some (most?) of them would still pull you over (based on what they term a "visual" clocking). And then, when (not "if") they spotted that perfectly legal laser jammer, they'd make YOU that day's amusement. Traffic stops can be as easy or as rough as the officer wants them to be. Every time I debate a jammer, I decide I'd rather just take the infrequent ticket. I get on OK with LEO's and can keep them cool about the V1 (I often get warnings instead of citations), but I'm not about to try it with a jammer. Per usual, just my $0.02.
 
The argument breaker:



107-v1_arrow.gif




-Bob



BTW: kempie, the higher up on the windshield the detector is mounted, the better it operates. I imagine that the V1 would have beat your BEL by a little more if it were mounted correctly.
 
dookiebob said:
The argument breaker:



107-v1_arrow.gif




-Bob



BTW: kempie, the higher up on the windshield the detector is mounted, the better it operates. I imagine that the V1 would have beat your BEL by a little more if it were mounted correctly.
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What he said.



I've been using the Valentine for about a month and a half, and it's really sensitive. Of course, it will pick up door openers and such that my 985 never did, but that has its benefits when you come across police radar. And, my V1 is hardwired to the Corvette's ignition. :xyxthumbs
 
dookiebob said:
The argument breaker:



107-v1_arrow.gif




-Bob



BTW: kempie, the higher up on the windshield the detector is mounted, the better it operates. I imagine that the V1 would have beat your BEL by a little more if it were mounted correctly.
Click to expand...



Actually...no. The closer to the ground, the better the radar detector will work. Police using laser for example aim at your lisence plate which is closer to the ground. The greater the distance between that laser and your radar detector, the slower it's reaction. Also, certain lasers have a pin point beam. Again, the farther away the detector, the worse it is.



This why truck drivers go for remote mounts so that they can get better accuracy. True, for X and K bands a little height may be a good thing, but those radars are not the sneaky ones. Laser, Stalker et al, are.
 
2hotford said:
Actually...no. The closer to the ground, the better the radar detector will work. Police using laser for example aim at your lisence plate which is closer to the ground. The greater the distance between that laser and your radar detector, the slower it's reaction. Also, certain lasers have a pin point beam. Again, the farther away the detector, the worse it is.
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:lol: You're telling me that about 4-5 feet of hood is gonna matter when you're going 55+ mph??? haha...



You are right in saying that lasers are aimed at your plate usually. But if you're getting a laser warning from a laser aimed at your plate, its WAYYYYY too late. The best chance you have is getting reflected laser from beams on traffic up ahead.



The best evidence I have is that both Escort and Valentine recommend mounting their detectors high on the windshield. (read the instruction manuals)





This why truck drivers go for remote mounts so that they can get better accuracy. True, for X and K bands a little height may be a good thing, but those radars are not the sneaky ones. Laser, Stalker et al, are.
Click to expand...



I do agree that Laser is the sneaky one here... unfortunately, nothing short of a Laser Jammer is really that good against it :nixweiss



-Bob
 
dookiebob said:
:lol: You're telling me that about 4-5 feet of hood is gonna matter when you're going 55+ mph??? haha...



You are right in saying that lasers are aimed at your plate usually. But if you're getting a laser warning from a laser aimed at your plate, its WAYYYYY too late. The best chance you have is getting reflected laser from beams on traffic up ahead.



The best evidence I have is that both Escort and Valentine recommend mounting their detectors high on the windshield. (read the instruction manuals)







I do agree that Laser is the sneaky one here... unfortunately, nothing short of a Laser Jammer is really that good against it :nixweiss



-Bob
Click to expand...



Can we leave the sarcasm at home please! If we have a difference of an opinion, that is fine and I respect that. But bantering is not needed!
 
Okay. Generally, the better view of the horizon your detector has, the better off it is. Being mounted in a high spot will aid in pulling in those signals.



You said, "Stalker". Stalker is still the name of a fairly popular police radar unit, with the key word being radar. Same thing applies here.



But you're right in laser being the opposite. However, there's a few reasons to still mount high.



(a) Laser - more correctly, lidar - units are much more expensive than radar units, with a difference sometimes approaching three times the cost of the radar unit. They are also somewhat harder / more of a hassle to use, from what I understand.



(b) As it is now, lidar is still shadowed by the use of K and increasing Ka-band radar.



(c) Because of the nature of lidar (that is, its general lack of "scatter"), it'll be pretty hard to pick it up, anyway. That's why people usually say that if you've gotten a laser warning and it is indeed from a police unit, you're either (a) lucky, or (b) about to be stopped.



(d) Like he said, manufacturers do generally recommend mounting it high.



The difference may not be much, but it is a difference. Besides, detectors are usually harder to see from outside when they're mounted high up.



And on remote detectors: All of the tests I've seen show them to have less range than the high-end ones, like the Escort 8500, the Bel 985, and the Valentine One. Their biggest advantage is their concealability and stealth factor.
 
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