I installed my V1 in the new 8 today. Hardwired into power in the headliner, detector suction cup to the windsheld, remote display on the top of the steering column. All that works good.

Then I go for a drive - and pop open the OEM Nav screen and the laser detector in the V1 goes off. I can block the front of the Nav or the V1 and it will stop. I can sometimes drop the angle of the screen and it will stop. Sometime if I switch it to night mode it will stop. Sometimes after the Nav has been on for a minute or two it will stop. If I close the Nav screen it stops right away.

Anyway, anyone else having this problem? I have had the V1 false laser on some of the GM SUVs with the goofy CHMSL but otherwise no trouble. But it seems to pick up "something" from the OEM Nav screen that it thinks is laser.

I drove the car home with the Escort 8500 on the glass and it never had a problem with the Nav, but I think the V1 is top-rated for laser so it is probably more sensitive and picks up from a wider angle.

I have another V1 in the S so I can give that one a try too - but MAN is this a pain in the backside!

I will contact Valentine and see what they say. I may also be able to craft a little attachment to the bottom of the V1 to keep it from looking "down" on the Nav screen. I could also program off laser - since if they hit you and you are speeding you will get a ticket, but I would prefer to know when I am getting zapped.

Dennis

 

Odd, mine doesnt do that, must be 05 nav screen

 

Mine did the same thing!
Thank you for figuring this out
I always thought that it was my wife FX!
So I ended up "disabling" laser detection.

 

Where is your V1 mounted? I didn't have time (once I found the problem) to re-do it. Mine is mounted with the suction cups above the mirror on the right (passenger) side and is level. Maybe if I moved it to my side or hung it on the visor it would be better?

I am going to experiment some with both V1s and the 8500 and see what I find.

My V1s are the "next to newest" models, not the latest POP ones. It could be an upgrade would help - the folks at Valentine will know.

Dennis

 

I called Valentine and they said "Yep, some Nav screens do that". They suggested moving it around to various spots to try to find one that would not set it off and/or putting something over the screen to block the IR that is hitting the detector (not an option for a flip open 8 Nav).

I like where the detector is mounted, but I may try a couple more sports just to see. I am thinking I will try some black plastic or carboard taped to the underside of the V1 sticking out toward the front a little bit. Trying that by hand seem to shut it up.

Dennis

 

Mine is mounted to the left of the mirror as high up and as close to the mirror as possible whilst keeping the suction cups on the glass and not the dots.

My V1 has the latest POP modes.

 

To post a follow up to this.

I had pulled my 8 out from under the carport the other day and left it in the hot sun (I was working on installing a new stereo in the S). Later on in the day I took my other V1 and tried it in the 8 and it didn't go off much - strange. So I reprogrammed the V1 in the 8 to watch for laser again and it too didn't go off as much. In fact I noticed that the longer the display was on the harder it was for me to get either of the V1s to false on it.

So I left the V1 programmed for laser and I have been testing. A hot car or a "warmed up" NAV display = no falsing. So what I do now is either angle the display down with the tilt button and/or mute the V1 when I first get in the car. IN a few minutes (less than 5 with it 90+ degrees out) I can tilt the NAV back to full upright and the V1 does not care.

We will see how much trouble this will be in the winter - it could take "forever" for the display to warm up enough to stop setting off the V1.

Dennis

 

Nice to see it working!

I dont use my Nav very much.

 

Just to update, on cooler morning the V1 never shuts up - I guess the NAV panel does not get warmed up enough. I say "never" - I eventually shut it off to make the laser warning go away.

At lunch the same day in 90+ heat the V1 shuts up within 15-30 seconds.

On the way home in a rain storm and 83 degree temps it "never" shuts up.

I will have to program off the laser, I suppose. It only works right when it is really hot in the car.

Dennis

 

are you sure it is setting off laser? seems odd it would do so

but if it is, probably coming from the IR sensor for the Nav (remote not sold in US markets)

 

I am sure - the screen (not the IR sensor) is setting off the laser detector in the V1. I tried the one from the S and it does it with that one too - it does not set off the 8500 laser. I tried overing up the IR sensor and it made no difference - I have to cover the whole screen to shut it up.

Valentine said they had gotten complaints from other NAV owners (maybe not an RX-8 owner) about this.

I will just program off the laser like I did before.

Dennis

 

I get laser hits all the time here from troopers/cops...I have an escort 8500 but not the nav correct

I'm getting a blinder m20 xtreme jammer so no need for laser detection from the escort anymore :D