radar detectors
 

this is could be like what is the best oil to use (amsoil) or which is better, BOSCH, MSD or permadoom. (MSD)

looking at radar detectors. looking to spend around 500

I have an el-cheapo $20 radar detector I got years back off 1saleaday.com Detects all radar perfectly, has saved me several times, even picks up laser (luckily I wasn't speeding coming around the curves when it did because from what I understand, when you get caught by laser it's too late). The problem...picks up absolutely everything X and K band. So...it's always going off.

IMO, the high cost ones filter out non-critical signals the best...because my $20 one has saved me from every highway Ka band speed trap.

Valentine used the be the top dog - has this changed ?

Generally speaking, no...still among the best, if not the best. My old valentine was giving me lots of falses on K band because of the anti collision radar used on many new cars and trucks. I sent it in for an upgrade, no longer have the problem. The new ones already contain this weak K band filter.

love my V1, but they have not updated them in a while.

the arrows are a godsend.

Sold my V1 post upgrade. Weird performance. But mostly, numerous false alarms. Just bought an Escort 9500ix for my motorcycle. It has GPS which is very cool. For example, on "auto" setting, the detector will get more and more sensitive the faster you're accelerating. Very nice on a 175hp motorcycle. It warns of red-light cameras and almost never false-alarms. Couldn't be happier. Have only had it a couple of months but it's already saved me at least twice. Seems lightyears ahead of my V1 in terms of technology.

What's the charge to update the V1

I'm a Long time User of V1's 15-20 years?. Countless saves.............but the newer Car Radars and crap makes it false trigger so often on some stretches of main highway's it's near useless.


V1 dings your wallet $299 to "reflash" your firmware. $399 for a whole new V1.


Interesting to note, my friend sent his in for a "Upgrade" with Velcro on the bottom. The unit they sent back was fresh factory new.

The new Escort 360 has me peeking at it, but that is $699, and is quite a bit larger. I also am not keen on the display. Anyone have first hand experience?

I feel naked without one in a car, I have 5 cars and 2 detectors, I need a couple more.

I have heard a lot of good things about the valentine but I think escort has upped their detectors this year.
I think BEL makes the V1.

I have seen that the V1 has better detection but with the new escort and the GPS and false replies I am leaning towards the escort.

watch valentine come out with a new one the day after I buy one

If you drive in a populated area, WAZE is a good alternative. Any reasonable amount of traffic and you will have the cops reported in there practically as they park on the side of the road.

G

$299 to reflash and a new one costs $399???

Mine's about 16 years old. Seems to still work great, but I'm not sure it's worth a reflash only at$299!

Unless things have changed they used to have a $75 reflash, but depending upon how old your unit is, the costs escalated. So maybe the $299 is for a really old unit (mine would probably be that much).

Mine is ancient. It does alert for some of the newer cars and still alerts for all of the bands (I could disable them individually if i wanted).

V1 is a great detector, and the arrows are great. I believe Escort has upped its game and is now firmly a competitor. I'm not sure that V1 has added some of the really nice new features, but I think I've heard that the patent on the arrows has run out for V1, so escort has something similar?

Think I paid $200...for all the new updates. That's the beauty of the V-1...the exterior looks the same, but the internals change as needed. I was about to toss mine with all the falses on K band, but called them and was told about the update.

I've been happy since..very few falses on the highway. I take it down when town driving, since I don't speed in towns..traffic in the areas I drive wouldn't allow it anyway.

Love my v1. Only use it on road trips though. Too much traffic in the city to need it.

I am getting hooked on WAZE. Cop on the right shoulder of the freeway up ahead? No way. Yes way.

So, is waze a smart phone app?

Yes. Acts as a nav system and alerts for traffic, stalled vehicles, red light cameras, highway patrol, etc.

Waze is great in populated areas. Useless if nobody's on the road. Bought a belltronics pro 500 2 years ago and it is the best I've used. Bell and escort are owned by the same people. Have a detector in all cars. Have 2 bell x65s a bell 950 and an escort 9500. All good units but they do pick up the new car collision radar. The pro 500 as far as I know does not very few false alerts. Also tells you how fast you are going if hit by laser.