In Atlanta, before the 96 Olympics, they installed a traffic monitoring system to tell which roads were congested. The system uses radar to determine average traffic speed. It also has video cameras that they can switch to to look at the traffic flow.
No, you can turn on your TV in the morning, and see how busy the traffic is before you depart for work.
hey everyone. ok, i just got my first ticket yesterday and obviously i'm not too happy about it. luckily i can go to traffic school to get the points off my record so my insurance doesn't go up. well, anyway, i don't want this to happen again so i've decided to go ahead and get a radar detector. i know that the v1 is probably the best detector on the market, but to be honest i just don't have 400 bucks to spend. i was just curious as to what u guys would consider to be the #2 detector on the market and the price for it. thanks a lot
Don't bother. Radar jammers are either 1) useless, 2) illegal or 3) both.
If you mean the VG-2 protection, that is pretty much standard with all modern detectors. That won't block radar, but it will keep them from picking up on the fact that you have a detector.
Instant on is the ONLY radar that poses a challenge to ANY modern detector. You are absolutely correct regarding anti-falsing being a very important feature of the detector. Speedlabs did *several runs* per detector against instant-on. I've NEVER ONCE, ever, while driving with a good, modern detector, failed to pick up a stationary always-on radar AT ANY TIME. They are NO CHALLENGE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN. Instant-on is another story. I drove with cobra RD3120 in an X & K band state & sometimes, you hear the instant-on blip in front of you, sometimes, your first warning is the meter pegging. So, I would say, that given the *facts* of radar, 11000 feet versus 8000 feet of "range" is absolutely irrelevant as *any modern detector* can beat a stationary radar. However, good detectors can beat instant on, *some* of the time, and how often is dictated by a) luck (foremost) and b) detector sensitivity. Naturally, having one that has poor anti-falsing is bad. The V1 is an absolutely phenomenal detector, #2 according to Speedlabs, #1 or #2 according to everyone else's reviews. The BEL 855/955 is also very good, and bested V1 against Ka stationary and Ka instant-on (Speedlabs), which is the *most* challenging radar band. X band is so easy to detect as to not even be worth testing any more. K is getting the same way, as long as it ain't instant-on. Ka band is the more modern, has the narrowest beam of the 3, and has newer, low-power instant-on modes, to make it tougher to detect down the road.
As far as jammers go, the passive ones are a toaster, junk, they do not work. The Phantom RCD will jam X band analog & a Falcon (I believe) K band gun, NO Ka band. As pointed out, it is FCC illegal, and is also illegal in some states. You can buy one at http://www.car-trek.com/jammers/. It is the only radar jammer that works.
As far as laser jammers, some will jam both the LTI Marskman LIDAR and the other major LIDAR gun brand all the way to the gun, using both headlights & license plate as targets. The top rated one (by Speedlabs) was the K40 Laser Diffuser, but there are others with varying degrees of effectiveness. They also cost $$$ and mount to your license plate, so don't mess up parallel parking or else it's smashola.
As far as VA goes, it's a $40 ticket w/ no points to have a detector. They cannot confiscate it.
Radar jammers are illegal, but they do work. I don't mean ANYTHING from "Rocky Mountain Radar" or ANYTHING advertised as a "passive jammer." These things DO NOT work, period, point blank, end of story. Do not buy a passive jammer under any circumstances. However, active jammers do work, but they aren't that available and none to my knowledge are tuned to the more modern radar frequencies. The illegality is pretty trivial...
ther is this new bel 990 (299$) that claim to be programmable for different frequencies, so usable internationally... anyone know something more about it?!
check this site: http://www.sodi.com/et_autov.htm this sweet tool is the most common device used by law enforcement in europe....most of the time linked to a camera... do you know if there is anything against it, even if the producer claims it's undetectability? I suppose you would need some sort of bouncing back active-radar.... I'm moving soon to Italy and I'm afraid my lame uniden won't be much of an help against those sneaky laser beams....
We just had a local news story on laser jammers. Apparently, a store here is back-ordered on them even though they cost $500 CND. They reported: yes, they do work but are detectible by police. The police demonstrated the error signal they got on their guns that says some kind of jammer is present and they stop the car. Here is where the controversy is: laser jammers emit light, which is not illegal, but it sure pisses off the cops. In some cities they confiscate the devices but not in others, so it depends on where you are caught. The RCMP weren't sure they were allowed to take them. Regardless, the cops charge you with obstructing a police officer or something like that.
Two years ago, after driving ticket-free for six years, I got three speeding tickets in five months. (each one was for 13 miles over...coincidence?) I was in college during the day, and I delivered pizza at night, and I was working when I got the tickets. The 3rd ticket made up my mind to do something about it, and I started looking at detectors. Pretty quickly, I decided on the V1. I got the radar-only model for $359 (I think they've discontinued the radar-only model since.) Day after day, this has proven to be the smartest money I've ever spent. It has prevented a pullover DOZENS and DOZENS of times, mostly on surface streets where speed limits are 25-35-45 and the township cruisers only use radar and have lots of places to hide. I've read comments that the V1's locator arrows and the bogey counter are useless; I couldn't disagree more. When I drive my fiance's car and use her cordless Escort Solo, I find myself looking at the thing and wishing it would tell me where the cruiser is, or being able to count the hits so I know it it's an automatic door or something. I also feel sorry for those who want one and say they can't spend the $400....my advice is, babysit, walk your neighbor's dog, eat canned corn for a month, but get the money together! It is worth it! Go ahead and ask how many V1 owners in this forum regretted their purchase. Delivering pizza for nine hours a night gives a detector a workout like no other driving, and since I bought mine there are two other drivers who have bought V1s. Yes, in the dark, they do light up like Christmas trees, which can be a problem. I've mounted mine to the visor, and ran the power cord under the side moulding down to the fuse box. I've never had anyone indicate that they've seen it. Another driver took the guts out of a VHS cassette and put his V1 in it. He just lets it sit on the dashboard. The cassette has a clear window he can see the lights through. The third guy uses the remote display unit. He is hiding the main unit on the rear deck of his car, INSIDE the housing for the third brake light. He says it works fine back there. (Yeah, I admit we sometimes have too much time on our hands.) I'm gonna buy a new truck next week, and I'll be getting a new V1 for it too! Chris
Canada is a police state...in the USA they cannot confiscate them, or if they do, they have to give them back. In the USA, the FDA regulates laser devices, so the InJustice Dept and the rest of the police agencies don't have authority over them. Lasers are used in so many areas that banning their use for jamming LIDAR is next-to-impossible. It's not like the FCC, which is playing with very limited bandwidth.
The above-mentioned Autovelox device is unbeatable, though it probably doesn't work well in the rain. You can always go over 190mph and it can't measure your speed then! The device is no more than a stopwatch...the cops might as well just put those run-over sensors in or on the road...that's the purpose it serves.
When Car and driver did a report on radar and laser detectors one or two years ago, they tested jammers for both as well. They did find that driving with your high beams on did delay the lidar's ability to record your speed by a second or so. Possibly enough time to drop your speed a few mph.
Also I was wondering if anyone has heard of a device that works like a corner reflector. I remember in college physics my text refering to a rotating reflective device that can be put on a bumper that reduces the speed the radar "sees" the faster you go.
I am looking for the best radar/laser detector on the market. I hear many good things about the valentine one but it is out of my price range. I am looking for something in the 200 to 250 dollars range. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Living in Phoneix, tinting is a requirement. That being said, I was worried about the effect of 35% metallic tint on a V1 performance. Theoretically it should only impact the rear detection (and I still should be able to pick up reflected signals coming in from the front). I am going to buy my V1 and take it near one of the local WalMarts and test the rear detection with the rear window open and closed, but my question is
has anyone already had any experience with this???
The Valentine1 web site has test results of the effects of window tinting on the detector. Look under Mike's Lab for Report #3 on Laser Detection(which as of now is the current one at: http://www.valentineone.com/mikeslabcurrent.html)
Does anyone know when the next version of the V1 is due out? I called Valentine One and all they would say is that their engineers are constantly looking to improve the unit. The last update was made in the spring of 1998. Given that radar detectors have relatively short life cycles before new and improved versions come out, I'm skeptical about paying $400 + for a unit that might be upgraded in a couple of months. Any thoughts? PS. I know that I can pay for an upgrade if I buy one today, but who wants to go through that in what could be just a couple of months.
OK, OK, so I agree V1 is tops and the battery powered types, like the Escort Solo are near the bottom. My problem is security. I can't be leaving my detector in the car where it can be seen by passers-by. Not only will it be ripped off, but my window will be smashed in the process. The best detector is worthless if it isn't plugged in and operating, and I can't take the time to install and uninstall the thing every time I get in and out of the car. So, what I want is a wired receptacle, sort of like the docking station for laptop computers, so I can slide the detector in, it will connect up to the car's power, and away I go. Then slide it out and put it away. Is such an installation available, and if not, why not? Seems to me that Valentine ought to have such a feature. The Solo may be lame, but it's easy to put into use, especially for city driving, and not get ripped off.
What's so hard about it? Slide the detector into the bracket, plug in the connector and go. Removing it from the bracket is easy, and doesn't require a screwdriver like some other models.
Somewhere out there on the WWW is a page dedicated to one guy's hardmounting of his V1 in an NSX. He built a custom mount for it on the back windshield and disguised it to look like a 3rd brake light. I'll post the link if I can find it.
I've got an solution for your Radar Problems.. perhaps already mentioned, paint your car with the same paint that the stealth bomber has, it absorbs radar, and won't reflect it... Now where can I find this paint... I hope it comes in other colors... F-
Well actually it is the paint in combination with the flat angled sufaces, If I remember correctly 3M or Dupont makes it. as well as radar absorbing coating on the windshield. I did see a think on SpeedVision where a guy had a car that looked like a Stealth bomber, looked funny but actually performed quite well. Oh well F-
My V1 saved my butt a couple of weeks ago heading east of Mesa, AZ on Route 60. About a mile out, I was alerted to an X-band signal that increased quickly until I came up to and passed one of those moveable "Your Speed Is XXX MPH" units. About a mile ahead, the V1 alerted me to a second X-band signal which became stronger as I came upon a trooper parked on the shoulder writing a ticket for a hapless traveler. Obviously Smokey had counted on anyone passing the MPH unit to feel that they were home free....until his rear-facing radar nailed them.
Another mile down the road the V1 started picking up a Ka-band instant-on signal. Sure enough, there was a second cruiser, facing oncoming traffic in the center median, about a mile and a half beyond the first Ka alert. Alan Funt was right: "When you least expect it...smile, you're on Candid Camera". Those guys really know how to set traps.
I carried it on the plane all the way from NY, but it was worth it. My Valentine One sure kept my vacation from turning sour.
I want a slide in/slide out "hot shoe" receptacle because I slide in/out my Solo three or four or more times a day. I don't want to have to connect and disconnect the power wire each time. It's a small refinement, obviously, but makes the difference between being used and not used ALL of the time, which means it is going to be active when you come upon a radar trap. That's one of the reasons I wish a permanently installed receiver behind the grill would work. The alternative to a permanent installation is a wired "docking station" into which you could slide the V1, and it's connected and operating. And then slide it out and secure it awqy from prying eyes, out of sight, when you park. I do much the same thing with my Nokia handsfree cell phone installation. The phone snaps in, the power and outside antenna are automatically connected, and it powers on ready to operate in the "car" mode, even if other settings have been selected for manual use. That's what V1 should do, IMHO.
I think you have three options right now: 1) Hard-wire the Valentine somewhere where it won't be stolena 2) Spend the extra four seconds to plug it in when you get in the car, or 3) Put up with the less effective cordless and/or in-dash models.
The valentine uses the "back" of the unit for radar & laser sensors. The power jack is on the side of the unit.
Still, you might consider writing Valentine Labs and make the request. They may consider it.
bhepler is 100% right. I have owned a Solo cordless for two years and was unhappy about the short range of detection (¼ to ½ mile). Too dangerous. That's why I invested in the Valentine One about two months ago.
I hard-wired the small, included, "Direct-Wire Power Adapter" to a location right next to the suction cup windshield mount. I leave the 5 inch power cord plugged into the V1 while it's stowed in my glove compartment. I spend about five seconds to slide the V1 into the mount (I'm obviously older and slower than bhepler) and plug the other end of the cord into the adapter. I'm sure that I can handle the unplugging and stowing in the four seconds.
Forget the behind-the-grille location for a radar detector. It's way too low for early over-the-hill detection, and signals are blocked by the grille material.
It cost a few $$ but what it has saved me in tickets and insurance costs, I could have bought a dozen of them !
So I was driving at night, on a road that had its share of hills and corner where there were numerous hiding places for the law enforcement. There were two cars infront of me, all of us traveling at a speed considerable higher than the posted speed limit. As I think back on the event, My V1 began warning me about 3.0 miles from the police radar. At first, it would alarm, then go silent, then alarm again. As the group of cars got closer, the V1 has been in constant alarm mode for awhile. We were about 1/2 mile from the police radar when the radar detector from car directly infront of mine, alarmed.
Well, the two guys infront of me were pulled over and for myself, I had slowed to the posted speed limit before passing the "critical" distance point of detection. The guy infront of me, his radar detector works great at a distance of 10 ft. parked on the shoulder directly infront of the police car.
I found out a week later, the guy infront of me was a good friend who lived in the same town. I asked him what the damage was from the ticket. He was fined $175 and a total of $350 in insurance penalties. He was so pissed off that he threw the radar detector out the passengers window before he left the scene.
You mentioned a concern about spending big bucks on the V1 when the technology will at some point become obsolete. To my knowledge, V1 is the only detector on the market that will upgrade your existing unit with the newer technology. They refer to it as "no planned obsolesence." It will cost you a relatively small fee, and you'll have to be w/o your detector for a couple of weeks--but it's better than buying a completely new unit. And, as someone else already mentioned, the V1 is so good, even if you never upgraded, it will still provide excellent protection for a long time.
gibble: I've owned pretty much every high-end detector on the market, and if you can't afford a V1, I'd recommend a Whistler. But--if you're willing to spend $250--can't you just save up for a couple of more months and get the V1? Believe me, you won't regret it.
There pretty much is no substitute. I could tell you dozens of stories I've heard and a few of my own experiences, but the posts have pretty much summed it up.
Save up $400, bite the bullet, and get one. You will not be sorry. Ever.
Has anyone gotten a ticket using the valentine 1? I was wondering what the situation and circumstances that caused you to get caught. I am thinking about purchasing one, and wanted to know how good my chances are using one. I used to have a Bel 8? something radar and a Uniden BCT9 Mobile Police Scanner but it still didn't provide me with all the protection I would have liked. Would appreciate the flaws in using the unit.
Not to be an [non-permissible content removed], but this is an unfair question. If you ignore the warnings and are still speeding when you pass the cop, you're still gonna get a ticket.
It's not like life insurance; it just helps you stack the odds in your favor.
I'm sure people can tell you about all the times that it's *saved* them . . . it only takes one time before the V1's paid for itself.
Eh? I wasn't aware that they had this. Do you have a web site where I can find info on this thing?
I have a BCT7 that has saved my butt a couple of times. I'm having a problem with the lockout button, though. I stopped using it when I bought my new car. I kind of miss it, though.
Unfortunately, I would say that it is merely 95% fool proof way. Cops are human too, despite the rumors.
There is also the problem that by going the speed limit, you are impeding traffic by not keeping up with the flow, causing a road hazard, etc. There's a pretty good discussion relating to this over in sportcars. Check it out.
v1 may beat instant on with great sensitivity it can pick up instant at least 1 mile away but can't beat laser! depending where you are, sts got to watch for those unmark trooper. you may passed them with out knowing
yeah the reason I got a ticket was because the Idot in front of me was going like 60mph in a 70 or something like that. So after being behind him for a while I decided to pass him. Well that is when I got caught from a cop traveling on the other side of the road. I wasn't even done passing the freaken guy either. What is the dam difference anyways, 70 and 80 shoot aren't you gonna be likely injured doing 70 and 80? Well I guess I will never know since I don't plan on getting into an accident doing 70 or 80. Not to mention that I rather have some driving a sports car doing 70 or 80 then a semi truck or a sport utility.
Sorry (for all of us), but the Valentine One is only sold directly by the manufacturer, at full list price. Don't we all wish that we could have gotten a better price for the V1 elsewhere. Something about the short & curlies.
Valentine 1 is by far the best on the market! It has saved me numerous tickets in past six months where my other detector had me marked all ready. Down side is cost but sometimes ya gotta pay to get the best. I also like the fact that you will never have to buy another because Valentine will update your detector as new technology develops, but of course you have to pay for the upgrade too!
I am happy to say, I own a V1. I am in the market to buy another radar detector for my wife but I don't want to spend $400. I know, i'm a cheap [non-permissible content removed]. Anyway, I have read some reviews comparing the Uniden LRD6599. It has ranked #2 behind the V1 on two reviews. Can anyone enlighten me on their own experiences or experiences from friends, on the performance of the 6599 model ?
You might as well just get her a speeding ticket. What are you thinking sir! You know as well as other V1 owner, that there is no Substitution for a V1. I had a Bel, what a piece of crap. I threw it away. I had a friend who had a Uniden and it worked no where near my bel and my bel was crap. So go figure, is it worth saving the money and risk getting a 200 dollar ticket or would it be better to spend that 200 dollar your wife might be fined and get a V1? Well, if it were my choice I rather spend the money for a radar detector for a membership in SCCA and going to the local strip. Hey there you can drive as fast as you want and not worry about getting a ticket.
Comments
No, you can turn on your TV in the morning, and see how busy the traffic is before you depart for work.
If you mean the VG-2 protection, that is pretty much standard with all modern detectors. That won't block radar, but it will keep them from picking up on the fact that you have a detector.
to MongoaPawn re: Automobile Magazine report....
Instant on is the ONLY radar that poses a challenge to ANY modern detector. You are absolutely correct regarding anti-falsing being a very important feature of the detector. Speedlabs did *several runs* per detector against instant-on. I've NEVER ONCE, ever, while driving with a good, modern detector, failed to pick up a stationary always-on radar AT ANY TIME. They are NO CHALLENGE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN. Instant-on is another story. I drove with cobra RD3120 in an X & K band state & sometimes, you hear the instant-on blip in front of you, sometimes, your first warning is the meter pegging. So, I would say, that given the *facts* of radar, 11000 feet versus 8000 feet of "range" is absolutely irrelevant as *any modern detector* can beat a stationary radar. However, good detectors can beat instant on, *some* of the time, and how often is dictated by a) luck (foremost) and b) detector sensitivity. Naturally, having one that has poor anti-falsing is bad. The V1 is an absolutely phenomenal detector, #2 according to Speedlabs, #1 or #2 according to everyone else's reviews. The BEL 855/955 is also very good, and bested V1 against Ka stationary and Ka instant-on (Speedlabs), which is the *most* challenging radar band. X band is so easy to detect as to not even be worth testing any more. K is getting the same way, as long as it ain't instant-on. Ka band is the more modern, has the narrowest beam of the 3, and has newer, low-power instant-on modes, to make it tougher to detect down the road.
As far as jammers go, the passive ones are a toaster, junk, they do not work. The Phantom RCD will jam X band analog & a Falcon (I believe) K band gun, NO Ka band. As pointed out, it is FCC illegal, and is also illegal in some states. You can buy one at http://www.car-trek.com/jammers/. It is the only radar jammer that works.
As far as laser jammers, some will jam both the LTI Marskman LIDAR and the other major LIDAR gun brand all the way to the gun, using both headlights & license plate as targets. The top rated one (by Speedlabs) was the K40 Laser Diffuser, but there are others with varying degrees of effectiveness. They also cost $$$ and mount to your license plate, so don't mess up parallel parking or else it's smashola.
As far as VA goes, it's a $40 ticket w/ no points to have a detector. They cannot confiscate it.
anyone know something more about it?!
http://www.sodi.com/et_autov.htm
this sweet tool is the most common device used by law enforcement in europe....most of the time linked to a camera...
do you know if there is anything against it, even if the producer claims it's undetectability?
I suppose you would need some sort of bouncing back active-radar....
I'm moving soon to Italy and I'm afraid my lame uniden won't be much of an help against those sneaky laser beams....
for Craig Peterson's review of radar detectors;
The number 2 choice is the Uniden LRD6599SWS
that you can buy at:
http://www.uniden.com/docs/store/itemlist.cfm?cattype=prd
for only $126 ("like new") + $12 for FEDEX 2-day shipping. That's 1/3 of the price of the Valentine One!
Day after day, this has proven to be the smartest money I've ever spent. It has prevented a pullover DOZENS and DOZENS of times, mostly on surface streets where speed limits are 25-35-45 and the township cruisers only use radar and have lots of places to hide. I've read comments that the V1's locator arrows and the bogey counter are useless; I couldn't disagree more. When I drive my fiance's car and use her cordless Escort Solo, I find myself looking at the thing and wishing it would tell me where the cruiser is, or being able to count the hits so I know it it's an automatic door or something. I also feel sorry for those who want one and say they can't spend the $400....my advice is, babysit, walk your neighbor's dog, eat canned corn for a month, but get the money together! It is worth it! Go ahead and ask how many V1 owners in this forum regretted their purchase. Delivering pizza for nine hours a night gives a detector a workout like no other driving, and since I bought mine there are two other drivers who have bought V1s.
Yes, in the dark, they do light up like Christmas trees, which can be a problem. I've mounted mine to the visor, and ran the power cord
under the side moulding down to the fuse box. I've never had anyone indicate that they've seen it. Another driver took the guts out of a VHS cassette and put his V1 in it. He just lets it sit on the dashboard. The cassette has a clear window he can see the lights through. The third guy uses the remote display unit. He is hiding the main unit on the rear deck of his car, INSIDE the housing for the third brake light. He says it works fine back there. (Yeah, I admit we sometimes have too much time on our hands.)
I'm gonna buy a new truck next week, and I'll be getting a new V1 for it too!
Chris
The above-mentioned Autovelox device is unbeatable, though it probably doesn't work well in the rain. You can always go over 190mph and it can't measure your speed then! The device is no more than a stopwatch...the cops might as well just put those run-over sensors in or on the road...that's the purpose it serves.
Also I was wondering if anyone has heard of a device that works like a corner reflector. I remember in college physics my text refering to a rotating reflective device that can be put on a bumper that reduces the speed the radar "sees" the faster you go.
has anyone already had any experience with this???
If so let us know
Report #2 is the effects on radar detection.
Hell, even if they upgrade the technology, it's not like this technology sucks. I've been saved so many times I've lost count.
It's *SO* worth the money that I'm going to buy my brother one for his birthday.
Somewhere out there on the WWW is a page dedicated to one guy's hardmounting of his V1 in an NSX. He built a custom mount for it on the back windshield and disguised it to look like a 3rd brake light. I'll post the link if I can find it.
perhaps already mentioned, paint your car with the same paint that the stealth bomber has, it absorbs radar, and won't reflect it...
Now where can I find this paint... I hope it comes in other colors...
F-
Oh well
F-
Another mile down the road the V1 started picking up a Ka-band instant-on signal. Sure enough, there was a second cruiser, facing oncoming traffic in the center median, about a mile and a half beyond the first Ka alert. Alan Funt was right: "When you least expect it...smile, you're on Candid Camera". Those guys really know how to set traps.
I carried it on the plane all the way from NY, but it was worth it. My Valentine One sure kept my vacation from turning sour.
I think you have three options right now:
1) Hard-wire the Valentine somewhere where it won't be stolena
2) Spend the extra four seconds to plug it in when you get in the car, or
3) Put up with the less effective cordless and/or in-dash models.
The valentine uses the "back" of the unit for radar & laser sensors. The power jack is on the side of the unit.
Still, you might consider writing Valentine Labs and make the request. They may consider it.
bhepler is 100% right. I have owned a Solo cordless for two years and was unhappy about the short range of detection (¼ to ½ mile). Too dangerous. That's why I invested in the Valentine One about two months ago.
I hard-wired the small, included, "Direct-Wire Power Adapter" to a location right next to the suction cup windshield mount. I leave the 5 inch power cord plugged into the V1 while it's stowed in my glove compartment. I spend about five seconds to slide the V1 into the mount (I'm obviously older and slower than bhepler) and plug the other end of the cord into the adapter. I'm sure that I can handle the unplugging and stowing in the four seconds.
Forget the behind-the-grille location for a radar detector. It's way too low for early over-the-hill detection, and signals are blocked by the grille material.
So I was driving at night, on a road that had its share of hills and corner where there were numerous hiding places for the law enforcement. There were two cars infront of me, all of us traveling at a speed considerable higher than the posted speed limit. As I think back on the event, My V1 began warning me about 3.0 miles from the police radar. At first, it would alarm, then go silent, then alarm again. As the group of cars got closer, the V1 has been in constant alarm mode for awhile. We were about 1/2 mile from the police radar when the radar detector from car directly infront of mine, alarmed.
Well, the two guys infront of me were pulled over and for myself, I had slowed to the posted speed limit before passing the "critical" distance point of detection. The guy infront of me, his radar detector works great at a distance of 10 ft. parked on the shoulder directly infront of the police car.
I found out a week later, the guy infront of me was a good friend who lived in the same town. I asked him what the damage was from the ticket. He was fined $175 and a total of $350 in insurance penalties. He was so pissed off that he threw the radar detector out the passengers window before he left the scene.
gibble: I've owned pretty much every high-end detector on the market, and if you can't afford a V1, I'd recommend a Whistler. But--if you're willing to spend $250--can't you just save up for a couple of more months and get the V1? Believe me, you won't regret it.
Save up $400, bite the bullet, and get one. You will not be sorry. Ever.
It's not like life insurance; it just helps you stack the odds in your favor.
I'm sure people can tell you about all the times that it's *saved* them . . . it only takes one time before the V1's paid for itself.
I have a BCT7 that has saved my butt a couple of times. I'm having a problem with the lockout button, though. I stopped using it when I bought my new car. I kind of miss it, though.
There is also the problem that by going the speed limit, you are impeding traffic by not keeping up with the flow, causing a road hazard, etc. There's a pretty good discussion relating to this over in sportcars. Check it out.
>
it can pick up instant at least 1 mile away
but can't beat laser!
depending where you are, sts got to watch for those unmark trooper.
you may passed them with out knowing
Sorry (for all of us), but the Valentine One is only sold directly by the manufacturer, at full list price. Don't we all wish that we could have gotten a better price for the V1 elsewhere. Something about the short & curlies.
It does seem to work the best though. Good luck.
Down side is cost but sometimes ya gotta pay to get the best.
I also like the fact that you will never have to buy another because Valentine will update your detector as new technology develops, but of course you have to pay for the upgrade too!
Ray T.
Well, if it were my choice I rather spend the money for a radar detector for a membership in SCCA and going to the local strip. Hey there you can drive as fast as you want and not worry about getting a ticket.