Valentine One - What's the Verdict?

"bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways" (bugattatra)
03/13/2014 at 04:40 • Filed to: None

Looking for a good radar/laser detector. Anyone have experience with the V1? I've heard from a few sources it's the best available, but $400 is steep. Less than a fat ticket, but steep.

DISCUSSION (26)

jkm7680 > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 05:56

I live in the only state where radar is illegal. I wouldn't pay $400 for a radar detector though, it seems like a bit too much.

KingKai > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 06:30

This is useless for Lasers. If you are in a state where lasers are more common, don't bother.

JZelnick > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 06:40

I have this and a laser interceptor in my M5. I would be in jail multiple times if I didn't not have it. It's paid for itself multiple times over and it provides stress free driving everyday.

Crocket Bernet > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:05

If you want a ticket buy another one. If you don't get the V1, shit works.

Jonathan Harper > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:06

I've had one since I was 17. It has saved my thousands in tickets and my license many times over. A very worthwhile investment.

BKRM3 > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:22

I have the passport 9500ix with GPS in my E90. It's far less annoying than the V1, which chirps constantly. If you live in a city you might prefer the passport. It's better at filtering nonsense and it automatically blocks out "fake" cops (e.g., construction signs) after you pass them 3 times. I will say that neither the passport or V1 alone should be relied upon to save you from laser. There is just no way to alert you early enough. They make jammers for that. Luckily, my state uses radar 99% of the time.

Clown Shoe Pilot > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:46

I've got a V1 and it's pretty excellent. It's even saved me from laser before in traffic. Other times (early morning driving when I was pretty much all alone on the road) the laser alert just informs me that I just got nailed.

Sinanigans > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:51

Do laser jammers really work? Any that you kind folks recommend?

Milky > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 07:55

I'll be the other voice here, I got a cheap Cobra ($100ish) when I was 17 and haven't got a ticket with it in my car. That was 7 years ago.

I think to prove the point more, 2 of those years I had a car with a non-working cigarette lighter (aka no detector in the car) and I got 2 speeding tickets and almost I lost my license when I was 16 due to speeding.

Everyone else is saying how the V1 has saved them, well I have the same results from a lot cheaper one.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 08:21

I go about 75 mph, that way I don't get a ticket.

Chteelers > BKRM3
03/13/2014 at 08:40

This. The 9500 with GPS is the best detector on the market. GPS cuts down on false positives, making real alerts more noticable. Just one missed ticket pays for the detector. Look no further.

Brian Silvestro > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 08:41

They're more of an investment, I've had one side I was 17, a passport 9500. Highly recommended.

Slow4o > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 08:52

I have had one since 2008, and the only ticket it didn't save me from was getting lasered when I was leading a pack from a stop light around a bend. There was nothing it could have done. It has saved my ass countless times though, and definitely worth the price. I will say I agree with some people that the 9500 Passport is also awesome based on its GPS function and filtering capabilities, since the V1 will chirp a lot in the city. But I still think the arrows on the V1 make it better than the Passport (IMO). Also, look into the windshield of the next exotic you see, and more often than not they will have a V1.

rad_mike > bugattatra - parallel double-park that muthafucka sideways
03/13/2014 at 10:21

The V1 is fantastic. It's really all about the directional information and bogey counter.

DieHardDan > BKRM3
03/13/2014 at 11:03

The one problem I found with the 9500ix is the constant red light camera notifications. Aside from that though the ability to mark known false alerts is just unbeatable. After a few days driving around your usual places and marking all the false signals it really works perfectly.

DieHardDan > Slow4o
03/13/2014 at 11:05

You know, I have never thought about it much until you mentioned it, and I do tend to look inside most exotics, and I almost never see a radar detector of any kind in them. It always kinda made sense too since usually those that can afford them tend to be in an age group where speeding on public roads is a thing of the past.

Slow4o > DieHardDan
03/13/2014 at 11:25

Have you looked up near the rear view mirror? Most of the ones I see have them permanently mounted there, so they are pretty stealthy. Maybe just depends on the area, but most of the ones at C&C here in Houston seem to have them.

BKRM3 > DieHardDan
03/13/2014 at 12:02

I feel very fortunate indeed to live in Pennsylvania, where, with like 3 exceptions, we don't have red light cameras. Few things make me as furious as the idea of a big-brother-meets-money-grab camera at every intersection.

DieHardDan > Slow4o
03/13/2014 at 13:32

That's a very good point. That is not where I'm used to seeing a radar detector mounted, but makes complete sense. The owners of high end cars would have them hard wired and tucked away somewhere neatly. I'll keep an eye out next time I duck down to check out someone's ride.

DieHardDan > BKRM3
03/13/2014 at 13:37

I agree. I take those things as a personal affront to my freedom. Not to mention I kind of feel like there is some old fashioned honor in the cat and mouse balance drivers/cops. You catch me doing something wrong fair and square and you give me a ticket. This type of trickery disturbs that balance. Worst of all I have heard reports that some municipalities have started decreasing the length of yellow lights because it drives up the revenue generated by people running red lights. This is just totally unacceptable not because of the cost incurred but by the increased chance of a terrible accident when someone can't stop in time for their shortened yellow light period. Unfortunately I live in NJ, but close to New York city. Around where I am there aren't too many red light cameras, but if I do drive into an area where there are tons of them the 9500 just won't shut up. I wish that feature could be disabled, because it is far more annoying than the simple chirps you get from a regular false alert on a radar signal.

BKRM3 > DieHardDan
03/13/2014 at 13:43

I absolutely agree about its level of annoyance, even though I've only heard it a couple times. I don't really use my 9500 unless I'm on a highway trip because in PA only state police officers are authorized to use radar. Local cops have to time you or have you run over a super obvious strip in the road. Now THAT's freedom =) Have you called Escort to see if there might be optional firmware for turning it off? I believe you can plug these things in and update them, so the company might already have a solution!

DieHardDan > BKRM3
03/13/2014 at 14:56

I have gone through and read some threads in various forums on this topic and it does not seem like anyone has a solution yet. I may try and contact the manufacturer. I'd be surprised if nobody asked for this yet.

jlay > DieHardDan
04/15/2014 at 18:05

You can turn off the red light camera notifications. It's deep in the menus, you have to hold a couple buttons to access it, but it says how in the manual.

jlay > rad_mike
04/15/2014 at 18:10

Do the directional arrows really matter? I have a Passport 9500ix, which obviously does not have arrows, but I just can't see how arrows would help. Whenever it goes off, I immediately slow down. If the beeps fade quickly, it means the cop was coming towards me and going the opposite way and I can speed back up. If the beeps fad, but less quickly, I probably passed the cop sitting still. If the beeps don't fade, then I know the cop is traveling the same direction as me.

I'm not sure how arrows would help save me any time in those scenarios. I guess in the scenario that they don't fade, I would know if it is in front or behind, but I'm not going to speed in front of a cop and I'm not going to speed up to a cop either.

Thoughts?

rad_mike > jlay
04/15/2014 at 20:43

Hey jlay - I hear what you're saying, and will respond that I really value the information from the arrows. They're especially valuable with multiple bogey scenarios. Within the first week of running my V1, I ran into a situation with 3 different bogeys all coming online within about a mile of the first detection. One was a cop that had someone pulled over. I could see this one, but quickly had two more and knew from the arrows that one was tagging from behind and the other from up front. I passed the one ahead who was up on an an onramp facing the opposite direction, and the other eventually passed me. I'm not saying you NEED this data, because yeah, if you detect something you'll obviously just make sure you're not speeding. That said, it helps you understand the situation around you with A LOT more clarity. Up to the individual to determine how important that is. For me, it's just a clearer picture of what's going on, but agree you could do with less.

jlay > rad_mike
04/16/2014 at 09:27

Thanks for the reply, I'll have to try out a V1 sometime.