I was in the same boat as you ubermensch about 4 months ago, I bit the bullet and got the V1 it was worth the $400 and has already saved me. The arrows are bad *** you know how many times those cops try to come up from behind...... i sit back and laugh as I see my arrow pointing behind me and sooner or later if you are going slow enough you always see the cop pass you then the arrow goes to the left or right and then points forward as he passes you. Either way enjoy your detector and good luck.


Matt

 

Thanks man I appreciate it, I will check out the V1 further and make my final decision.

 

Are you shopping by price alone, are you reading anything people have posted? Maybe Zincognito is on to something.

The last thing you want is a cordless radar detector. To get real protection you need a detector that is on full time and cordless detectors just don't work that way.

Here is why you can't shop on price alone.

You could spend your money now and buy any of the top rated detectors and be happy.

or

You could buy a cheap one, realize it only goes off after you receive direct hits from police or it goes off so often for no reason you ignore it. Then go out and buy any of the top rated detectors and be happy.

I love my V1 but the belltronics and passport are also respectable products that work. Save yourself some money and buy a decent detector the first time out.

Chris

 

I have to agree with Chris ( Hyper ) just because it's cheaper don't settle for less or if you are on a budget then save for one of the ones Chris listed. I spend a good amount of money on my Passport but it was worth it rather than relizing I bought something not up to par and wasted my money.

 

Battery powered radar detectors are best for Mountain Biking ,
but in a car you need maximum processing power.
I've read the new Passport 8500 is good, and improved
over the 7500 I returned due to unlimited false alarms.
The V1 rules owns entire field with the direction feature.

Ok go buy the Whistler now.

 

I have done many many months of researching radar detectors. It came down to two things for me the first was this forum http://www.radardetector.net/ and two, buying the 8500 first then realizing I wanted the V1. the 8500 and x50 from bel are awesome, but the reputation from the V1 and the arrows plus the distance from real life preformance won me over. The 8500 had good detection and all but the v1 seems to not false for me that is. Now keep in mind that there is alot to note with a a$$hole detector i mean a radar detector. Where I live southern cali, carlsbad to be exact, the po po dont use X band or even k bad really unless its an speed sign. I disabled xband on my detector to speed up the sweep time it does on the bands. I ignore k for the most part unless it goes off in an area it normally doesnt go off if it says KA then I know its a cop it never fails, on average it gives me a mile or so warning on the highway. Whatever detector you get notice it will not false to say but pick up real radar, not every radar source is cops keep in mind (its a radar detector not a cop detector) so if Ralphs super market reads a K band it does not mean its bogus. Any how im off track now, gotta love Vodka!! just like most people hear say get the best and you wont regret it. In my honest opinion, get either the V1, Escort 8500 or the X50 beltronics or the new Bel STI, they are the top 4 and wont let you down. I tried the 8500 and the V1 and I liked the V1 better, was the 8500 good hell yes it was! but I wanted to know if there was better and to me the V1 had better real life preformance. Also Mike Valentine will upgrade your detector for a fee and other companies make you buy new detectors. Mike is a guru and has a passion for this industry and believe me when I say if he does get surpassed in technology it wont be so for long.


ps. V1 even all the test I have read has the best laser detection among other detectors out there.

Matt

 

also from my readings there are 4 levels of detectors in general. I hate to bring price into this but you do get what you pay for that is why these things are priced the way there are...... $0-$99 is level one, dont waste your time herer i had a cobra 9300xrs blah!!! $100-$199 better but if you gone this far why not spend a little more. $200-299 good detector just dated technology. $299-??? Top performance from the Manufacturer this is the cream of the crop!! If its performance you want you will get it from here!!


Matt

 

I'm not shoppng by price alone. the whistler is cordless. the one with the cord is only a hundred. I don't want that one. Did you read the features that I posted about the whistler, those are the features that I want.\\And just because you buy a v1 that does not mean that you will never get a ticket. The best way to avoid one is to slow down. No matter what kind of radar detector you have it is not fool proof

 

I'm going to look into that v1.

 

Cool Man... But dont think im saying its only V1, I prefer the v1. but the truth is the v1 8500, x50 or sti will do you good. I just like the v1 in real world over the 8500.

 

If you don't have coin for the Great V1, then park your car in a
garage for three months and suspend your insurance to pay for it!
All brand-X detectors are crude technical compromises,
so they are a missmatch with the Z. Always drive safely.

 

I agree. Everyone knows that the V1 is the most expensive one out there. My real question though is, why when it comes to something like this would you want to buy product that we all know will be significantly inferior??? I guess when you get your first ticket for speeding and wonder why the Whistler radar device didn't detect the police soon enough for you to react AND you get a ticket for $300 plus you will come to realize that you shoulda saved up that additional $200 and picked up the V1. Hmmm let's do a little simple math...$200 for Whistler + $300 for speeding ticket = $500. V1 = $400. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to answer this one.

 

I think it is painfully obvious to most who have been following this thread that you have no interest in what others actually have to say. You ask what we think, then say you will look into it and come back with something else. Thats fine but why bother asking.

As for the specs on the Whistler, I did not need to go any further than "cordless" to dismiss it. More than a feature list, do you have any testing that shows how it compares to other detectors? If you really like that model, save you money and get the corded version, it might work a little better.

I did not say I would be ticket free with a V1 but I certainly have better odds than I would running something I have learned to ignore because of false alarms or one who's range is so short there is not enough early warning to do anything about it.

Chris

 

i have a passport 8500 x50 and absolutely love it. i think that it is the best alternative if you don't wanna spend the big bucks for the v1.

 

I don't think that your bicycle will go fast enough to get a speeding ticket. Save your money and get a better bike.
As usuall, you are doing nothing but wasting peeps time here.

Prove me wrong and post a pic of your Z. And to make sure it's yours, get a close up of the gauge cluster on the dash.

 

Keep in mind if you are in states or countries that use radar detector detectors. The new spectre III RDD are capable of detecting most detectors out there now, and the Beltronics STI a new detector is the only one that is able to completely avoid it.

The "Pro" Radar Roy suggests on those that don't have an STI point their emitters/receptors down to minimize the RDD's capabilities. Just a tip to all of you. This is most likely going to include VA, D.C., Australia, and some parts of Canada.

 

True. And a good point as well. But Valentine is already working on getting one so they can figure our how to avoid it (as per their site).

 

Radar detectors are not illegal in my state, fortunately

 

The Rangers are bored in CA and enforce 15mph limits
on bike trails to pay for their Holiday Party Kegs. Given
the cordless' range limits they are perfect for trails.

 

lol...I feel ya.