cruise control learn to use it and love it... it's not as fun though.

 

www.valentine1.com

It looks like a little funky, if not basic but it is the best detector out there IMHO.

 

There is no hands down best radar detector out there.

The V1 hasn't been updated in a long time. There are other detectors out there that are equal to the V1.

I did some googling a while ago and read up on it. But I have decided to put off getting a detector until I get my comfort mods done.

 

Seems to me like they did update their product many times since it's been on the market. The size changed not too long ago and they also have had many software updates. So i don't know where you're getting this 'the V1 hasn't been updated in a long time' crap.

 

^^ Because their basic electronics (the type of antenna and the support electronics) hasn't changed in 15 years.

 

With coilovers the car feels as solid at 125 as it did stock at 75... now imagine how hard it is for me NOT to speed concidering 90% of my daily commute is highway.

I dont really look at my speedo much anymore, I can usually guess within 7mph how fast Im going based on what gear Im in and how high the engine rev sounds. Sometime still though I look down and see tripple digits and really get suprised.

 

Note - Ok they have JUST released an update, but even with this update it is reaching paraty with other brands. The V1 seems to be better in some areas and worse in others.

I would also like to note that according to some sites before this update the only recent change has been it's case.

It's mainly the feature set which is lacking. And it dosn't preform better then other cheaper units that or more comfortable to use... at least according to some of these sites.


Pulled from LaserVeil.com

Valentine One, v1.8 /w POP2

The Valentine, as expected, was quick at alerting to ALL radar/laser traps encountered and may provide ultimate performance [particularly with laser], but our venerable V1’s stellar performance was somewhat diminished by a greater propensity* to “falsing” on K band and required the most involvement of the driver to properly interpret its alerts. We would prefer it to be quieter [even at the risk of some advanced warning time to a real trap] because, after awhile, we found ourselves ignoring its K-alert anyway which can be just, if not more so, as risky.

This increased falsing was noticeable even in rural [remote] areas of our driving route. The Valentine falsed the least on Ka-band relative to the other two detectors and in the summer season - its been suggested - that this may become more pronounced as there will tend to be an increase of "cheap" radar detectors on the road as people do more vacation traveling. We'll have to wait and see...

*UPDATE: 19 NOV 05 This issue has now been resolved with an updated version (v3.25) and the detector now is now one of the quieter ones! In addition, the newer Valentines have a "J" [for Junk] feature which will automatically identify some Ka-falses as bogus LO leakage and auto-mute them out - a very nice touch, indeed. We will address the additional capabilities and features of our updated model when we release a follow-on to our report.

We still love the arrows, that immediately identify the location of a “threat” and have been accustomed to them for well over a decade! But, we did not specifically encounter a speed trap, during this test, where they would have made a substantive difference - which is not to say that there aren’t specific conditions, where they may have. And - as evidenced on our driving route of day six - they may occasionally be misleading, requiring proper interpretation from its owner.

Additionally, the Valentine was somewhat ergonomically challenged as compared to the other detectors from Bel and Escort.


Pulled from Radartest.com

Other than now being housed in the old case and having received occasional subassembly replacements and some software tweaks--improved Ka-band sensitivity, the addition of Ku band and Euro-spec Ka were among the most recent--it has remained largely unchanged since George Bush (not Dubya, we're talking the first George Bush here) spent his last year in the White House.

-

After spending time with the BEL and Escort models, the lack of features to be found in the V1, the most expensive corded model on the market, belies its age. Although standard today on $69 models, there's no auto mute, for example, requiring the driver to reach over to a hit the mute button to silence an alert.

-

Also absent is a text display or voice alerts; there's no tutorial mode to speed up the process of learning the alert systems, no programmable options like alternate audio tones or different visual displays to help tailor the detector to a user's tastes. Nor is there selectable band defeat, the ability to shut off one or more radar bands instantly by simply pressing a couple of buttons.

-

(Good news)
Valentine trades heavily on this detector's rear antenna and we found it gave anywhere from two to three times the detection range of the other units. It also enabled the Spectre detector detector to get 311 percent more range on a V1 going away than when approaching the RDD, making it a mixed blessing



Pulled from
consumersearch.com

The Valentine One took a lot of criticism in last year's reviews for its inability to detect radar guns in POP mode, which operates in hard-to-detect spurts. But Valentine has now added this feature, and aside from a high rate of false alarms, reviews say it works very well. The Valentine One is also great at detecting beams from laser speed guns, but once a laser has locked onto your vehicle, it's generally too late to avoid a ticket. Although the Valentine One is an excellent all-around radar detector, some reviews say its design and features are behind the times, and that it is too expensive, especially when the Escort Passport 8500 X50 is just as effective.



This site in the UK Click Here

Also, reviews it. They like it but in distance testing it gets the worst results.

===

So what's the conclusion here:

1. I haven't found a site that I really trust. I only believe them is that so many have reviews with similar results while not being the same. (If they were completely the same I would suspect copying)

2. The V1 is still good BUT definitely not an unchallenged king.

3. The V1 has the arrows, which one may or may not find useful.

4. It is more annoying to use. Some reviews have stated getting tired of the V1 and started ignoring it's warnings. But there is an update that may somewhat address these problems.

5. The biggest thing the V1 seems to lack is voice warning. So, to figure out what's going on you have to take your eyes off the road.

6. The V1 is one of the three best. The other two are the Beltronics RX65 Pro and the Escort 8500 X50. (Personally, I would probably get one of these two, but if I could I would want to sit with all three out in a store and get a chance to fiddle with them)

Sorry for the long post, but I figured people would want as much info as possible.

 

Wow, that's good to know. Guess I'll not be as eager to get coilovers. I speed enough without making it worse.

Does 75 seem slower to you or just as you go higher things don't change. Generally it feels like I am going 10 - 15 mph slower then I actually am.

Behold the power of teh double post. (Yes, I meant teh.)

 

I see what you guys are saying. I guess the software update would be more important to me but I guess that there is no need to change the hardware since the police is still using the same old crap and laser. Wouldn't be very cost effective for them to change the hardware that works well.

 

I thought there has been changes in police hardware over the years. It just depends on where you live.

The V1 still works. Especially if you have all the updates.

If you have it's fine, it just doesn't seem like the best product to buy at this point.

 

75 doesnt seem slower... basically the car feels so solid and planted at anything past 40mph that its hard to tell how fast youre going by how the car handles. With DSC off I can bob and weave better at 65 than I ever could have at 40 on stock suspension. The car is so solid and the body roll is almost non existant, so when you flick the weel in one direction, it feels like youre moving sideways.
Trust me, the more you do to this car the harder it becomes to keep the gas pedal off the floor at every oppritunity.
I get my midpipe in a week or so, then struts and sways shortly after... Im sure I should set aside money for at least one ticket per mod

 

i've been thinking about buying a radar detector and a nagivation (the one that can come stocked is too expensive..navigation in our van cost 1000). I've read about radar how that technology is always improving. I would think to get the best out their for the buck.

 

What you need is to get 6 radar detectors, and a police scanner. That will work.... that will work.

 

So you are saying you never speed? B.S.

 

Always check on-ramps has you pass them to see if one of the local gendarmes is getting on the freeway.
(Not that I ever break the law.... ;)

 

It's pretty sad to know that people like you are out there that honestly believe everyone breaks the law. No, I do NOT speed on public roads, and it sickens me when jack-holes dart in and out of traffic like they're in some sort of race. I could care less if they choose to kill themselves, but they are endangering others. There is a time and place for everything, and wreckless speeding belongs on a track.

 

I agree with you on the reckless speeding and darting (doesn't even save significant time anyway), but perhaps he means it strictly speaking. From my observations, my guess is that about 10% of the drivers on the road I frequent stick strictly to the speed limit, even on the passing lane (annoying buggers), while the mainstream "lawbreakers" are hovering 5 to 10mph above the limit.

 

If everybody went the same speed there would be traffic jams for miles. There is an unwritten window but once you hit 80 your shaking hands with danger my friend.

 

Sadly, you can count me amongst those that speed (just as a qualifier here, anyone traveling even .5 miles per hour above the limit is speeding, as the law doesn't give a buffer, ie - 70 in a 65 is ok, but 71 is not).

<rant>

I consider myself to be a law abiding citizen, but speed limits are just ridiculous (to an extent). Fact is, speed limits don't have a great deal to do with the design of the road. The highway geometry (for interstates at least...) is based on a design speed that is usually much greater than the regulatory speed limit. This is why you will lots of times see 2 lane roads with 12' lanes and 6' shoulders (the minimum dimensions for expressways, if I remember correctly from my highway design engineering class) having a limit of 55 or less, when that same road would have a speed limit of 65 in another part of the state (with all things being equal in terms of distance between ingress and egress points, usage, etc.). This is also why, for example, the PA turnpike will not change geometry but will have areas where the speedlimit goes from 65 to 55 very abruptly, with no change in highway geometry. IIRC, this is because the particular municipality thru which the highway is passing has designated the maximum limit for roads in or thru its jurisdiction, and in many instances they will use this abrupt slow down as a speed trap to generate revenue for the community.

For anyone to say it's safer to drive the speed limit is only partially true, because I've been in places (like philly, just for example) where everyone is doing 80+ when the speed limit is 55. So in that scenario, who is causing the hazard: the person moving with the flow of traffic, or the person causing an obstruction by driving slower than the rest of the flowing traffic? It's not much different than saying it's safer to be stationary, because you can say "well, you can't possibly crash if you're not moving, so it has to be safer", when in reality if you're sitting still on a highway you are creating an unsafe condition.

Again, the speed limit is arbitrary, and a better metric of safety in traffic is relative velocity to the vehicles around you, and thus the danger posed by speeders or loafers. If you're doin 35 and I'm doin 50 (regardless of the speed limit), the impact of a collision between the 2 of us will be equivalent to that of me running into you at 15mph (assuming we are moving in exactly the same direction).

And aside from all of that, if everyone is doin 80 in a 55, a cop will sit on the side of the road all day long and not pull over anyone. Why is that? Why would he not pull over EVERYONE, since all are goin over the speedlimit and thus breaking the law? Because the cop understands the flow of traffic. If you're deviating heavily (upwards or downwards, as you can get a ticket for goin too slow...), then you are causing a hazard and will be pulled over...

All that being said, it's best (safest) to drive based on the conditions, not on the speed limit. This is why if you're doing the speed limit, but the roads are slick due to weather and you get into a crash (ie - snow on the ground and you slide into a telephone pole), you will be ticketed for operating your vehicle at an unsafe speed (even though you were traveling at the posted speed limit).

And yes, the free flow speed of traffic (the speed at which unrestricted traffic will flow thru a roadway) is a condition that should be considered by all drivers...

Just my $0.02...

</rant>

 

Dude, I dont mean reckless driving. I mean cruising down the freeway, beautiful day, not alot of traffic and the road is stretched out before you. Lighten up!!!

 

Not necessarily...

There would be jams when capacity is exceeded by traffic volume. Otherwise, assuming sufficient spacing between vehicles, there wouldn't be jams just from everyone moving at the same speed. Consider the example of water flowing thru a pipe. Assuming there isn't a restriction, water flowing thru a pipe will not back up, but will continue to flow smoothly. Granted, the water that is in contact with the interior of the pipe moves slower than that in the center, but it still works out even if you neglect friction and the relatively minor difference in velocity.

Capacity is a function of flow velocity (among other things). All things being equal, a road with the greater flow velocity will have a higher capacity than one with a lower flow velocity...

 

I shake those hands everyday, and I am going with the flow of traffic.

 

What? 80mph is what your traffic travels? WTH!? Everyone where I live slows down to 20mph on the freeway to see a cop and a passenger car pulled over on the side of the road.

 

Ok atleast in my area of the world good Ol' Mass, the general concenus is "I'm driving fast enough". This is a bad mind set which leads to people like me and others to well "bob and weave" through traffic. I'm sorry if your in the far left lane considered the "fast lane" or "passing lane" you shouldnt be doing the speed limit or lower and not be KEEPING PACE with the car beside you! This cause's people do that bob and weave and in general cause's the good old classic "Road Rage".

Last year I drove for my first time out of state from MA to Rochester NY. I couldnt believe how much nicer the highways were. I found out aparently the Police WILL pull you over if your in the left lane for a extended period of time and not passing anyone. I couldnt believe it I was shocked and was in love. I was able to go my own pace and switched lanes only when passing someone. Oh that and when I got up behind someone in the same left lane they'd speed up pass an cars beside them and then get in the right lane. It was just amazing! These officers of the law aparently abide by the law of "hindering the flow of traffic" its a actual law not a myth. Our state is just now realizing that most Road Rage is caused by someone not being fast enough in a certain lane and hence causing a person to get mad and make recless mistakes they normaly wouldnt.

If you dont speed wheee good for you, have a cookie on me!.. Don't condem those of us who do responsibly at the right time and place. Its not like we are all doing 50mph through the center of town. 35mph is perfectly fine on city/town roads especialy if people are around and can easily just run out onto the street. Also just remember just because your own the road doesnt mean you own it. The person behind you has to get somewhere to, if your just doing the speed limit or under it, your just causing them to get mad and once they are out of your way they'll take their aggrivation out on the road by speeding. Then when you get home and hear about that nasty accident from that guy behind you well go you!

 

Here in New Mexico (And expect your state to be next), they are installing cameras everywhere. They goal is to have redlight cameras at every intersection, and speeding cameras every 5-10 miles. While I agree with the red light cameras, the speeding cameras are stupid. They completly take the person out of the ticket, and it all becomes a mechanical society. If I am going 5 miles over the speed limit to get away from some ahole, or because its an emergency, i dont want to come home to 3/4 speeding tickets with hardly a chance to state my case.