Considering Valentine 1...

[Chewbacca]

After getting a second speeding ticket in a matter of a couple months (from the same dumbass cop!!!), I'm thinking that it's time I invest in a radar detector.

Does anyone here have a Valentine One radar detector? Does it really work as well as everyone seems to claim? I wanna get your thoughts and opinions before I spend $400 on one.

 

[Gbourdon]

I was looking at this and the passport8500. Everyone on www.akarally.com goes with V1

 

[Crock]

I bought a used whistler radar detector for 20 bucks off a friend. It works great and I have no complaints.

I normally drive ~10 mph over the speed limit but safely.

 

[Gbourdon]

Word. I have a whistler that I got for free but I know that when we are on group drives other people pick up more with the passport than I do with my whistler

 

[Swerny]

After getting a second speeding ticket in a matter of a couple months (from the same dumbass cop!!!),

Sorry man, but if the cop caught YOU twice, who's the dumbass? (yupnope)
you > (chair) < cop

Seriously though, like the others have said, I think the Passport is the way to go.

 

[geomatics_tech]

the passport 8500 has a laser jammer available now too, not sure if its legal where you live, it will give you a couple more seconds to check your speed b4 being tagged.

**** the po-lice

shaun (canada)

 

[ProtegeES03]

yes **** the police... it must be their fault that it's illegal to drive above the speed limit.

 

[msp35]

Look into one that pays your tickets if you get caught. I can't think of what company it is, but they always have ads in Automobile Magazine. I think it was only $250.

 

[ZeroAccess]

there are stipulations that they will pay your speeding ticket...
Like if its a certain time of the day and your driving a certain mph over with a certain color car on a certain road and the cop uses a certain radar and yea you get the point.

Been driving 5 yrs and I have 4 speeding tickets, been pulled over though honestly too many times to count I use to keep track till I got around 30+. I've found that if your respectful to the cop and what not they normally let you slide, I've had cops drop a 100 (he said 96) mph in a 35 to gimme a 24 over when I was on my bike.

I'll be watching this thread also though for damn sure :-D

 

[daedalus]

Escort Solo S2 + Escort ZR3 = Protected up the wazzooo.

The only time I would get a valantine is if I had a BMW so I could integrate the display into my radio or rear view mirror. Read all of the reviews... Solo S2 wins every time for a reason.

Plus, no wires. Everyone comments on that too.... "Dude where is your wire???" CLeans up the appearence inside your car X10

 

[Crock]

Plus, no wires. Everyone comments on that too.... "Dude where is your wire???" CLeans up the appearence inside your car X10

I ran my wire under the dash and spliced it onto a 12V with a fuse. No wires AND no batteries! Now that's the way to do it.

Whistler had the wire + fuse for cheap on their website.

 

[Mr Detailer]

I have the Passport 8500 and it's saved me many times. I typically drive 5-8 over in the city, and 5-15 over on country roads. It's just extra protection for me - knowing if there is a cop shooting radar nearby. And you never know... I could be having a little high-speed fun at the time.
I've known several people that have gotten speeding tickets even though they have good radar detectors. You still have to drive relatively close to the speed limit, and don't think that you're immune to speeding tickets just because you have a radar detector.
Good Luck

 

[girth]

I got a cheap-ass Uniden one for $90 from Best Buy 10 years ago and that baby works great. I recommend saving your money and going with a cheap one first. My brother bought a $300 Bel and that thing was WORTHLESS -- it just beeped all the time basically, even when a cop was nowhere in sight.

 

[Mr Detailer]

My brother bought a $300 Bel and that thing was WORTHLESS -- it just beeped all the time basically, even when a cop was nowhere in sight.

It was probably reporting X band. My two favorite things about the passport 8500:

1. You can turn off individual bands. I have NEVER seen a cop using X band before, so I turned it off. Most alarm systems and automatic door systems transmit X band, so that's where all those X band reports come from. With X turned off, it's much quieter.
2. It has a charging system meter to constantly report the voltage from your battery/alternator. It saved me a couple years ago when my alternator was going bad. I was on my way out of town (about 25 miles) and I noticed it said
"11.2 V", so I went home and we took a different car. If we had taken my car it may not have had enough battery power to start the car to get home.

 

[jrodhotrod]

I own an Escort S2 and love it.

I'll also go with the others here and recommend either the S2 or the 8500. They are essentially the same detector, just the S2 runs on batteries and has no wires involved.

 

[rocketspeed]

I have the v1, wouldn't trade it for anything. My wife uses a cheap $80 Cobra one and the V1 works better- long range, which is great for cops using instant-on. You'll usually pick up a blip when they zap cars ahead of you on the road.

My only complaint is that it does false alarm a bit. You get good at distinguishing the false alarms from real ones, though.

The arrows and counter for the number of signals being tracked are indispensable.

 

[Chewbacca]

Sorry man, but if the cop caught YOU twice, who's the dumbass? (yupnope)
you > (chair) < cop

Damn Canadians... Spot of Tea? (piss)

Anyways... Thanks to everyone ELSE for the great comments. I'll definitely be looking into the Passport 8500 as well. The Valentine1 is still a bit too expensive for me. But I guess if it'll save me from tickets in the future, it'd be worth the money.

 

[Swerny]

Damn Canadians... Spot of Tea? (piss)
I'm not British.
Sorry dude, i couldn't resist.
If you read the rest of my post, I endorsed the passport. (dunno)
Good luck with your decision.

 

[Chewbacca]

I'm not British.
Sorry dude, i couldn't resist.
If you read the rest of my post, I endorsed the passport. (dunno)
Good luck with your decision.

I was just playin, too... It's cool...

Well, I just finished reading some reviews on Passport... and I'm torn. Still leaning towards getting the V1, though.

Is there anyone from Washington here? I don't know the laws around radar detectors here, but an acquaintence of mine once told me that he got pulled over with one and the cop took his away! Can they do that!? That pig probably made some money off of it, too!

 

[Swerny]

I'm j/k as well.

it varies from state to state, and they are illegal accross Canada.