great range, locator and bogey counter are great, upgradable

The warning leds are the same color and right next to each other-hard to visualy tell what band it is at night,the laser warning doesnt work very well in the daytime (got a laser ticket with no warning whatsoever on a bright day) also the X and K band chirps could be more diffrent, It takes awhile to learn how to use it effectivly also one real pain in the a** is other cars with cobra and other cheap detectors falsing the V1 on K band but i suspect this happens with any other detector

The V1 is currently the best detector avaiable but it still has a few problems, Overall its great and has warned me far in advance from many radar traps. But you cant get away from instant on radar and laser with no cars in front of you(this is why i bought an active phantom X/K band RCD jammer and a blinder m-10 laser jammer aswell). I would recomend over anyother dtector it but dont bet your license on it. It would be sweet if they made a remote version of the V1 since the suction cups are a pain and the visor clip doesnt allow the use of the visor.The quality is outsanding on it.I would like to see a mode to reduce K band falsing due to the increase of K band door openers.

Similar Products Used:

Bel 855sti-the V1 has much better range and fewer falses

Range and location arrows.
Auto dim for night use.

Price

Get the V1 if you are looking for a great detector that shows you the location of the signals. The V1 does not come cheap but if you want the best, invest. Compare this to the price of a single ticket and the increase on your insurance. I have had my V1 for just over 2 months and it has more than paid for itself. A must have for highway travelers.

Similar Products Used:

Best on the market

sensitivity, performance, best so far, less protection for instant on radar

INSTANT ON RADAR ON EMPTY ROAD(NOBODY INFRONT OF YOU)

I swear I still got a ticket when I used V1, I was caught by the instant on radar, I would like to remind you guys to be carefull when driving alone(nobody infront of you), because it is useless, so watch the empty road ahead of you. I tried the Phantom 2 jammer and detector, believe me, never buy that things, I caught by a laser, that thing doesnt even jam or beep when the laser hit me.

Similar Products Used:

Phantom 2 jammer and detector(never never buy that)

Directional arrows. False alarm filtering. Bogie counter. Build quality. Remote display. Use of simple phone line for wiring.

Cost - but in this case you get what you pay for!

Simply the best radar detector (locator) available. Nothing else comes close. Once you've used it, you're hooked. If you can justify buying a RD, this is the one to get and compared to the cost of a ticket and higher insurance premiums, it's likely a good investment. Besides, take a look at the prices paid on eBay for a used V1 - that says it all.

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Uniden, Whistler, Bel (745)

Very Dependable. Easy to dismiss false alerts.

Could use stronger filtering for logic modes.

I bought my wife a V1 after an incident with a crooked cop in Lawtey, FL (so crooked they made it on the 20/20 TV show). It does a great job of warning of speed traps (ie, radar cops hiding where the speed limit changes).
I purchased one for myself this year. The unit privides the best warning I have seen to date. It is fairly easy to differentiate which are true police radars.

Similar Products Used:

'95 V1, '00 V1

Everything. The detector is far better than others on the market. The direction arrows are the biggest plus. It's ability to track multiple bogeys is also very helpful. The ability to be updated is nice.

Not much! The range isn't as good as I expected, but then again, no of the others I've tried are any better.

It's pricey, then again, so is a healthy speeding ticket. For the serious speeder or high milage driver, this is the one you want.

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Uniden rd9-xl, Whistler, escort... None can compare

This unit has incredible sensitivity and very low false rates. Not only does instant-on Ka and K band no longer become a terror but you also have great warning against laser - it has saved me from laser on two consecutive occasions. Also, it mounts and dismounts very quickly and very easily and once mounted on the windshield is very solid and stable. This is an indespensible tool for any serious driver and a must when driving in "speed-trap land".

None.

Decided to get one after I moved to Georgia and found out the South was just chocked full of redneck revenue cops - I'm proud of my clean driving record and want to keep it that way. This is the radar detector I've been looking for all my life; however, it is not a ticket to speed - you've got to use common sense and keep a sharp lookout. Drive Safely and respect your fellow motorist.

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I also own the Bel 980 and run them in tandem on occasion. The sensitivity of each is similar however, the Bel 980 falses on Ka Band every now and then and this can scare the snot out of you when your in the fast lane. Also, the valentine mounts and dismounts easier and is much more solid when mounted. Also, the arrows on the V1 are indespinsible - I love them.

good detection range on x,k and laser
directional arrows helpfull on highway

weak performance on ka band
overpriced
no dim/dark mode had to purchase the optional remote display

I have never been so dissappointed in a product. I read so much hype about the v1 I was sure it was going to really impress me. I drove through three states and traveled over 2000 miles this is what I found. I have a bel 745 sti I put both of them in the car and went searching for radar,I found a k band trap I went through it several times with both units on and with one at a time on.(sometime the bel would cause the v1 to false so i wrapped foil around the bel) . Reaction from the units was almost identical.
Encountering ka band sometimes the v1 was almost blind to a continously on signal. Around the city the thing drove me nuts even in its most filterd mode all arrows would be on and they would take turns flashing. Everytime it would pick up a new signal the deet deet would sound like it is supposed to but when it is picking up 20 or 30 signals at once it will drive you crazy.I am not saying the v1 is bad it makes a good unit on the open road and it is not siginicantly better than bel to warrant the high price.I have just purchased a new bel 970 vector it seems to be better than anything I have used. I will post review when I have had encounterd significant radar/laser signals to make a judgement.

Similar Products Used:

uniden-v1 was better than uniden in all areas
whistler-v1 was better than whistler in all areas
bel-v1 had better x and laser range, equal on k, bel was better on ka
(bel 745 sti)

Everything this product does, it does significantly better than the nearest competitor (if the competition does it at all)! This stealth detector (no VG1's won't see it), is a necessary addition to any vehicle, for any driver, under any conditions. I don't drive at excessive speeds and certainly don't recommend that others do, but I strongly suggest you know when you are being "clocked".

This detector immediately reports to the driver:

[1] What type of radar (X,K,Ka) or laser it is detecting.
[2] Where it is coming from (multiple directions possible) with strongest direction blinking.
[3] How many sources (bogies) detected. Will alert you if number of bogies change.
[4] Strength of detected signal. Will increase volume of alert as the strength (possible distance closer or risk) increases.

I also like:

[5] Multiple modes to best suite your driving and environment.
[6] Fully programmable.
[7] Nice installation hardware.
[8] Excellent construction with multiple antenni for increased sensitivity.

It has already provided me with timely information on more than one occasion.

There are absolutely NO weaknesses with this product. You, however, must become comfortable understanding what the unit is detecting. On a recent trip to NY, I was driving down the Taconic Parkway, and my V1 was "reporting" to me, every other vehicle that had a detector turned on. At first I couldn't believe it... but due to the directional indicators, I could verify the bogy moving right past me on the other side of the road.

In addition to the V1, I purchased the remote display - get it. For $40, you'll have the safety of nobody tailgating you to "draft" your investment in radar and laser detection.

If you are going to spend a nickle on a detector, save up and get this one.

Drive safely!

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Uniden RD10 - no offense, but no comparison at all!

1. Solid, military-grade construction, alloy housing
2. World-class performance against all threats (photo radar N/Obs)
3. Clarity, volume of audio alerts, easy to interpret
4. Visual locator display offers next-level information
5. Threat-count display performs as per posted testimonials
6. Quick-release windshield mount, coiled cord permit fast removal
7. Possibility of additional upgrades and retrofits as needed
8. Formidable resume of its developer, Michael Valentine
9. Car-magazine reviews benchmark RWR performance against V-1 and Escort
10.Tolerates/tolerated by Escort run in tandem in same auto (but not BEL, Uniden), which helps with X-band falses
11.Can remove and carry in coat pocket if necessary when car is parked
12.Mute button and muted volume control
13.Good-quality coiled cord resists internal breaks

1. Weight requires suction cups, glass to be kept squeaky-clean to avoid "detector dangle", difficult on hot days or in humid weather
2. (Operator error?) Can't figure out how to change logic modes w/o engaging mute
3. Not sure if it can detect pulsed or spread-spectrum radars; vulnerable like all its inferiors to instant-on and certain other techniques
4. Attractiveness to thieves requires precautions

Paid full price, and fairly priced by comparison with detectors costing 50% less. It's the same size as the old Maxon RD-20 and -25, between the first generation and the newer small units with incredible shrinking stripline antennae that give up a good deal of sensitivity on X band as compared to older screamers like the BEL 944-S Express and the Escort. I chose the unit sans laser and bought a cheap laser detector instead: with laser, you're dead anyway, unless you cheat and mount 100w drivers right next to your front license plate and drive around with your brights on 24/7 and a strip of magical, IR-filtering plastic from Edmund Scientific (or your local bag-of-tricks store) over your plate. Unless you're a fanatic, in other words.

The V-1 performs as claimed and my experience has been in line with the other postings to this page. It is the apex development of its kind.

FAILURE CASE: Got bagged by Texas DPS in 1998 with K-band instant-on radar while closing on an Interstate. Trooper ignored a new black Dodge Ram crew-cab "doolie" that was passing me on the right, to profile my older GM B-body as a potential northbound drug courier. Got the ticket, but that was just the invitation to the search. No way did the trooper get a good clock on me with a larger target passing me in the right lane and heavy holiday traffic overtaking from behind, but that wasn't the point. Moral: There can often be a wrinkle, so be philosophical and don't blame your RWR. Moral #2: even using a CB and two RWR's, you can get a ticket if a) surly, DOT-oppressed truck drivers refuse to communicate and b) you meet a trooper coming over a rise who is looking for someone who looks just like you. When communication is good, I'd say my CB is 70% of my protection. Snap-shooting Texas Kojaks make flying with just a RWR very risky unless you've got eyes in the back of your head (as someone comes out of nowhere and roars down an on-ramp in full, emergency-power acceleration to snap and grab the first guy he overtakes: a usual Texas practice), or a close personal relationship with the Freightliner 1.4 miles behind you (and receding).

A further consideration is that not just distance but time-to-lock is the key, and at >80 mph even the Valentine-1 will be taxed, even under favorable circumstances. Get a radio, and learn to use it like someone who's just spent 14 years hauling for Schneider National and Jimmy Crete. If need be, take a clipboard and write down all the mile markers they call out....half of them will still be good, +/- 10 miles, 90 minutes later. And run with the best RWR you can find, and back it up with a running companion. The V-1 seems to tolerate, and not to interfere with, Escort products. Shop around in pawn shops and you may be able to find an example of another model that is similarly simpatico: the idea here is that distant alarms recorded simultaneously by detectors employing different designs is always, but always, police radar. Think of it as backup logic to use with the Logic circuitry in your V-1 or Passport. I run my V-1 with a late-production, big-box Escort with a Whistler laser detector strapped to its belly; they're an excellent combination. My sensitive BEL 3-bander, however, and the newer Unidens are intolerant of either of these units. I have run an old RD-9 successfully with a borrowed Passport 2500 (the original Passport), and it should work with newer Valentine and Cincinnati Microwave products, but I haven't tried it yet. Try an old RD-9 clone or a Maxon from the pawn-shop bargain box as your running mate, if you like the two-detector idea; just try before you buy.

Similar Products Used:

Whistler 1270, Uniden LRD2200SE, Maxon RD-25, Uniden RD-9XL, Uniden RD-9, Escort, Whistler Q-1000, Cobra ESD-6100, BEL 942 Vector