Just bought a V1 off ebay...do I need the concealed display?
 

I just received the V1 I bought off of ebay, and realized that the auction I bid on did not includ the concealed display (I was watching several...). Is this something I really need? I read through VaSteve's post and others as well, but I'm not sure if I need one or not. Does mounting the main unit above the mirror make it hard to see the arrows? I don't mind buying it if it will help a lot. TIA.

I bought one and dont use it.

I think it's only needed if you live in a state where detectors are illegal, or if you're putting together a custom install. I have one, but have still never used it.

BB2 = too fast for radar...

-Wayne

You don't need it, but I like to use it in my cab. Otherwise with the top down you're announcing the V-1 (and all those snazzy flashing arrows) to anyone approaching from the rear.

With the remote the V-1 could pretty much go unnoticed, even in a cab, assuming black visors. With the remote plugged in the V-1 is completely dark. I mount my valentine on the passenger visor immediately to the right of the mirror.

I'm thinkin' a targa would have somewhat the same visibility issues as a cab...

Any of you looking to offload the remote display?

Re: Just bought a V1 off ebay...do I need the concealed display?
 

it depends.. the V-1 chirp is not very loud.. If high db audio or exhaust you're not going to hear it. The high mounting is out of your driving vision. Once you hear it seeing it is no prob.

At night people behind you can see the main display light up. Some of those people may become angry if they see you are using a radar det. Some of the angry people can give you a ticket -- for virtually anything.

The remote solves this night time problem.

Thanks guys... so when the concealed unit is plugged in the main one doesn't light up? Hmm...anyone want to sell theirs? :D

Oh, no -- I use the radar detector. Just not the remote display. I keep meaning to install it, but the base unit works great for me.

In fact, it's riding with Tyson across country right now, (hopefully) keeping him out of harm's way.

I suction cup mine to a point just below the mirror, because with windows down I don't always hear the warning. But I'm a going deaf old fart... However, I always glance at the mirror every second or two...

Truth be told, I don't really need it either, but I like gadgets. :D
The arrows rock, and so does the bogey counter. That thing saves my butt all the time.

Hear the laser go off the other day. I saw a motorcycle officer sitting on the side of the road about a 1/4 mile up. I had just enough time to take it down (I was behind a truck) before I rolled by. He gave a me a look like he knew something was up. :) I don't think he was using laser correctly, but it's someone else's ticket that day.

Jeff, if your using that one your coast to coast drive, you're going to love it - remote or not.

sometimes the bait would get eatten 4X/day on my rides.

fwiw. I could't complete the audio out to a seperate mono amp on the last ride. I even got the frequency from V to get the best specific speaker.

Hmm...I glance at my mirror all the time when I'm going fast, just in case I see familiar Crown Vic or Impala headlights ;)

Steve, it's exactly why I finally bought it. I'm a gadget freak too, but need to save $$ for the roadtrip. Now with less than 10 days left in MD, I have to hurry up and learn how to make the best of it. Then again, there's that trip I have to take down to NC to pick up a Recaro seat this weekend...if the cop sees the V1 will he/she still confiscate it after I show my Hawaii license? :D

I use my V1 everyday. Really doubt you can see the valetine below the mirror in a Coupe or Targa from a crown vic...in fact I would bet on it.

Having just had that conversation a week or so ago with LE.

from the pass visor it's probably impossible to see. The rear line of sight has to be real low.. like if the PD were using go-carts.

"The rear line of sight has to be real low..."

If you are mounting the unit too high, you will mess up the rear detection and the directional arrows to some extent. I called the V. tech. people and they told me to put it slightly below or to the side of the mirror. Also said Mike V. is a big Porsche fan.

no historical problem.. the rear detect works real good. In fact the rear alerts allow much time to decrease speed 'cause the approach is the difference between your speed and the PD. I get kinda bored waiting for the bear to overtake me.

Ron, The bear could be in an umarked car...

My guess is that you are getting some rear signal but that it is attenuated. The manf. tech. support said dodn't put it too high, so unless I know for sure they are wrong.... well you can see my reasoning. They also seemed familiar with the issue.

I don't care what the bear is driving 'cause eventually he passes w/the V-1 screaming. It's still a boring wait.

I didn't say the mfg is wrong on their info.. only in that it didn't apply to me.

I'm familiar with the issue. You do what you gotta do. You can test your assumptions north of LA on I-5 'cause the PD tries real hard to be radar effective in that area and the rear shoot is effective. They even park in front of broken down trucks or vans and shoot drivers from behind after they passed him. Enjoy.

ps: my car has the traditional 1deg rake.

Well, we can always measure the line of sight. We take a 911 (with 1 deg rake) and a Crown Vic, park the latter behind the former.....

yeah, I guess so. maybe just stand behind your car and slooowly lower your line..

all I'm doing is giving my somewhat hard info. That's my profile or I state that it's not.

V1 in Tysons case should be for voltage detector. He ran into a altinator problem in PA. He's spending the night and waiting for a overnighted replacement.

Ok, I'll bite.

My car is at Euro ride height. Makes my V1 a measured 40" off the street directly below the rear view mirror.

From somewhere between 5 and 10 yards the V1 comes into view depending on your height and how flat it is. At 50 yards if you have the eyes for it I suspect you can actually see the V1. You aren't going to see it up close from the rear or walking up on a approach unless you are really looking and the lights are all flashing. (Neither will anyone trained in LE be looking for a V1 on the approach, they be looking for your hands) You want to make LE feel all warm and fuzzy and skip giving you a ticket? Don't be digging for registration and DL, just leave your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 and wait for them to arrive @ the window and ask. They aren't in any hurry, trust me.)

10 days ago I had a RCMP follow me for several miles in broad daylight.

When he finally pulled me over and walked up to the car he asked how I knew to slow down....V1 in plain sight mind you. I ended up pulling the unit down and handing it to him. He took a closer look with me out of the car at how it was installed (suction cup V1 mount)

Having been in his position myself, looking for a radar detector (if they are legal) is the last thing on most traffic cops minds. Plates, registration, lights, insurance card and the simple fact that if you are being an idiot driver and need to be pulled over anyway typically means you are an idiot and are just as likely to come up with a gun or try to run him over. Car stops suck and are very high risk for LE.

Radar detectors are part of the game. You speed and they try to catch you. You have to be a little paranoid to think LE is going to rip you for using a V1. What can they do besides write you a ticket Rodney?

If you get busted most of the guys will be laughing at the expensive toy (if they notice it at all) that obviously didn't work for you...."here is a ticket and ...oh, have a nice day" :)

Just don't tell me the lights or box are a signal that you are Mario or Al Capone. Just the facts mam, just the facts.

My V1 has paid my insurance and then some every year.

Make sure you hardwire it in in someway. 911 cigarette lighters are bigger than other cars and the thing shakes loose over every other bump:

"deet-doot, doot-doot, da-ne-na-ne-nah-nah"

It seems like V1s on ebay sell for almost what they sell for new. Why do the used one hold their value so well? Are they somehow better than the new ones?

I would get it. You need to react quickly to radar sometimes and it's really nice to haev the thing in easy reach of the eyes... Plus, being in MD you want the concealment.

Ah.. it worked. Thx to rdane for doing something Ron & I are/were too lazy to do. Now, who will measure the ht. of eyeballs for someone sitting in a Crown Vic? I'm sure you can find an officer sitting along a roadside somewhere, and approach them with a yardstick....

We also need someone to determine how far behind you can see the V1 light up at night. Ibet it's more than 50 yards.

my original V-1 got up-dated when they up-graded the whole line up.

don't know about an old one keeping its value.. the up-grade is over $200 to the old one.

I see them selling for $350-375. To me for less than a $50 difference on a $400 item I'd go for the new one with a warranty every time. I saw one with the remote unit sell for $400. That's only $30 less than a new unit. I just figured I was missing something.

They seem to hold their value really well, which is odd, considering that Valentine keeps upgrading them -- and sending an old unit in to get upgraded isn't cheap. Before I bought one used, I'd want to check the age of the unit by entering the serial number at this link, and letting Valentine email me about what upgrades the unit would need to be as good as new (and what that would cost).

http://www.valentine1.com/images/v1bottom.gif

Randy may be this will help you out. Here are pictures of a SureFire flash light with 60 lumens or three to four times brighter than a two D-cell flashlight hung from the V1 mount just below the rear view mirror. As a reference the Surefire is bright enough to turn your head in broad daylight.

15 feet & 4X
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/ape.sized.jpg

25 yards @ 4X
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/apd.sized.jpg

50 yards again @ 4x
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/apc.sized.jpg

Here is on light glowing
@ 15 feet and 4X
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/apa.sized.jpg

@4x and 15 yards or where a cop would be in a normal stop
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/aoz.sized.jpg

@4X and 25 yards
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/aoy.sized.jpg

@4x and 50 yards
http://standingwave.org/albums/porsche/aox.sized.jpg

Somewhere between 30 yards and 50 yards with 20/20 vision a V1 with all lights flashing across the board became invisable for two of us pacing back and forth.

More importantly you need to find someone who cares if you are using a detector and can actually see it as you go by 50+ mph. I know it is there and the car is standing still in broad daylight I am having a hard time seeing it.

R Dane? Why would you want a sure fire light? ;) I've been thinking of getting one through the NRA. A good purchase? IMHO, a V-1 is the best self defense device since the SA Colt..(this to stay on the V-1 topic)

interesting. I agree as to whether a cop would care. Two things: 1. some people use them where state law makes them illegal (they may not be illegal, but no one has challenged the state/fed conflict of laws in a published court case that I now of).

2, a cop that did see it migh be more likely to make a stop, or more likely to write a ticket. Many cops are "car guys" but we need to face the fact that a det. is a device whose main purpose is to evade certain traffic laws.

But Jack, that is semi protection for people who have them stolen. Recently, at a local mall, I arrived at one of our daily drivers to find the guy parked next to us in a panic. He'd left his V-1 in sight, window smashed, you know the tale. Whenever I call V-1 for anything, the first question they ask is the serial # of my unit, then talk to me by my first name, ask my last name. If I give the wrong one, I assume bells will be sounded. To go back to the guy in the mall lot? I suggested he call V-1...first call, as his best bet to catch a thief.

Outside of states where they're illegal, has anyone ever come across a police officer who was upset by a radar detector? I've been pulled over with them, and it's never come up in the discussion, even when the stop was for speeding.

I've been running one detector or another for years. Jack, in the "few" times I've been pulled over? No comments from the cop about the detector. However, that doesn't mean he didn't notice, then put me in his book as a "professional speeder"...as opposed to the speeders who don't use self defense. One long ago ticket that I fought in court, the officer testified that I had a detector. I still won, thanks to having hired a good lawyer. Hell, I'd have paid the fine for speeding...this guy wrote me up for "careless driving", a much higher penalty. Why can't these guys take a joke? He admitted, during the trial, that he was outside his car in a gravel company's lot when I went by...he taking a leak. He said I must have been going 130! Yet I was stopped less than 2 miles later...my lawyer, using math, demonstrated that he must have been doing 310 to catch me...;)
Case dismissed.

I had an old Escort and I got a ticket while using it. The cop just kind of smirked at it. I think a radar detector essentially means that you don't ever get a warning - although in Porsche you probably have to be a hot chick to get off with a warning. :)

I did learn one lesson that day. Don't speed when you aren't paying attention and have the radio blasting. The Escort would have warned me far in advance but I didn't hear it until it was too late.

I came a cross a judge one time (or maybe the creep was a hearings officer) who was upset at a radar det.

Never have in the 2 years and 15K miles I have been using my V1. I have been pulled over 4 times now with the V1 in plain view. 3 in Washington state and the most recent in BC, 120kph in a 60. Only one ended with a ticket, HOV lane with a single driver. The other three let me walk with a warning. 3 of them noted the V1 and asked if it was radar. I have had two cars follow me close enough to read my plates and then back off...may be they saw the V1 and gave up ;)