Quality metal "box", directional arrows, two volume controls with simple knob, ideal windshield mount

Pricey

V1 rules. I have one from 1997, and a new one for my second vehicle from April 2003. Outstanding range and acuracy, never disappointed by directional arrows... as for false alerts, use Advanced Logic Mode (small L) and turn the volume alert down and you will hear loud beeps only for true radar. Like the Statie on a prior web review states, people with V1 don't get pulled over. Period. I have used mine for years, the most stable and rattle-free windshield mount I have ever seen... and I take mine on/off every time I park, it STILL never falls off.

Similar Products Used:

Bel

The arrows are great. You don't have to hunt for the source. It points to it. It has an antennae for the rear. Very helpful.

It falses way too much. I have gotten to the point I pay it little attention. It use to mean something when it went of and in plenty of time. Has become useless with over sensitivity without selectivity. Other cars with radar detectors set it off far worse than before.

This started out a great product, but I made the mistake of upgrading in 2002 to what is still the latest software. Before it rarely falsed and now it falses five to fifteen times a day and I can tell no difference in sensitivity, just selectivity. I called V1 and talked to them but they act like it is just me. I know better than that because I tried another new one and it was just as bad. Now the laser goes off when facing a low sun and when approaching certain types of brakes lights. They have made a strategic mistake in their latest software upgrade and we are paying the price. This was my third upgrade. I suggested they take care of their customer but I suspect they will fix the problem with a new upgrade and we will pay for their mistake. I am reading too many reviews like this one to think it is just me.

Similar Products Used:

Just ordered a Passport 8500.Early version V1's, Escorts (earlier generation), Escort when Valentine was there.

good range

false alerts, false alerts price

I had to have a V1 after all the hype and reading Car and Driver's reports over the years. Why else could Mike Valentine charge $399 for his detector? I have owned and borrowed to try nearly every brand of detector made from the original Escort to the Bel and now the Valentine. Throw in a couple really bad Unidens and Cobras and I have spent my fair share of money on trying to find the "best" radar detector out there. I received my V1 and plugged it up and started driving the minute I got it. It is so sensitive it picks up not only police radar, but it picks up police cars, police dogs, cars with rubber tires, gold watches, and pine trees. This is the most annoying detector I have ever had. It was picking up police early, but I could not sit in the car with it on because of all the false alerts. I gave it 28 days and fed-exed it back and got my refund. I borrowed a friends Passport 8500 and have never been as impressed with a radar detector in my life. I thought it was falsing on KA band when about 4 miles later I came across an officer checking speed. Minimal false alarms and maximum range. That's all I want. I am ordering my 8500 and Escort is giving me $30 for a trade on my old detector. I asked him which one he wanted. I have never been happier than when I got my $400 back and paid $269 for a better product.

Similar Products Used:

escort dsp, escort, escort passport, escort 4600, uniden, cobra.

None

The Valentine one is no longer the standard in a radar detector. The Passport 8500 is a much better detector.

I have used both the Passport 8500 and the Valentine one and I can tell you that the 8500 dose blow away ANY VALENTINE ONE off the face of this earth. A friend of mying thought he was real smart when he told me that my 8500 was junk and that his Valentine was flat out better. Well I should him who had the better detector. We went for a little ride and we had been driving for what seemed forever and we where drving in are own cars and we both had Cell phones. Well My 8500 started to sound a K band alert and so I gave Tom a call on his Cell and asked him if his V1 was sounding a K band alert and he said no nothing at all. My friend Tom was about 4 miles ahead of me. So not thinking anything about it I just asumed that my 8500 was picking up some door alarm but that was not the case at all as my 8500 was still picking up that K band alert but this time it was getting closer to it as the 8500 went off like mad. So once again I called him back and asked him if his V1 was going off and he once again said no. Well it turns out that he saw a cop sitting on the other side of the highway and about a little less the a min latter his V1 started to sound a K band alert. So Tom called me back and tolded me about what he saw and I told him to pull over to the side of the road so we could make sure that the radar was coming from that cop and sure anuff it was cop coming from that same cop car. Well latter on that same day we ran into a KA band alert and once again my friend had to be at least 4 to 5 miles ahead of me and my 8500 souned off first once again. But this time his V1 did go off about a half of mile before he saw the cop. But my 8500 still was able to pick up kA way before his Valentine even started to go off. Well by the end of that day I sold my friend Tom on the 8500 and he said that he could not beleave how much better my 8500 was than his Valentine one. So He asked me if we could swap detectors for a week and I told him yes that would be fine. So I used his Valentine one and he used my 8500 and we both agree that the 8500 is flat out better in almost everyway. Toms V1 is the second I have used and it dose not do as good a job at finding radar and laser as the Passport 8500. I just wanted to let everyone on here know that the V1 is not compation for the Escort passport 8500 and seeing is beleaving

Similar Products Used:

Escort Passport 8500

Sometimes it works good.

FALSES ALL THE TIME!!! Way overpriced for what they give you. Detecting radar over a hill is useless with the Valentine. Bright sunlight interferes with it's performance.

First off I must say the I'm on my third Valentine and I thought I loved the product. I upgraded last year to the newer Valentine. Works okay but falses way too much. Very dissapointing to have this thing going off all the time. Just before christmas I blew by a cop doing radar. The Valentine didn't go off until I was practically passing him. What a joke! I got my ticket and was mad. I bought myself a Passport 8500. I've had it for about a month and what a difference. I didn't know what I'd been missing. The Passport 8500 is so much better. The Passport 8500 doesn't false and gives you so much more warning of radar down the road. There's no way you can get stopped. When there is radar over a hill the Valentine is practically useless. The Passport gives so much warning for 'over the hill' it's incredible! If Valentine sold me a new unit for $100 I'd still buy the Passport 8500. I feel so good driving with it!!!

Similar Products Used:

Passport 8500

Sensitivity, arrows, bogey counter.

The lights indicating the radar band are so small I can't tell which is which. This is not an issue with me because I can use the different sounds better than I can use the lights.

After purchasing and returning a Bel 985 I decided to give the V1 a try. So far I am very pleased with this radar detector. I have used a Escort Solo for the past several years, but I decided to see what kind of technology had come along. I can't believe the range on this detector. It's truly incredible. It does false more than either the solo or Bel 985, but it is only because of the sensitivity of the V1. I use it in the Advance Logic mode and I am more than pleased. This is no doubt the best radar detector I have ever used or been around. Also the fact that the windshield and visor mounts work perfect. There isn't any of that bouncing around that I can't stand. The size is perfect as far as I'm concerned. My thoughts are buy one and you won't be disapointed.

Similar Products Used:

Bel 985, Escort Solo

Sensitivity, arrows, bogey counter

price, too sensitive for congestive city use but who uses radar in the city?

I have to say that this beauty has saved my butt hundreds of times! I have NEVER had a ticket with this unit, and I drive fast! I routinely drive from DC to Pittsburgh and despite what people here are saying about K-band being dead, I have found it to be quite common, although not as common as K or Ka. One time in particular I was going 90 and started to go around a bend when my V1 went nuts with a K warning, about half a mile later on a big straightaway I saw a tractor on the side of the road, it turned out to have a cop inside tagging everyone, at the end of the straightaway past the tractor was a curve followed by another straightaway, well the arrows on the V1 were telling me there was Ka ahead and behind and at the next straightaway there were 5 cop cars and 2 were using radar, the others were pulling over cars. V1 saved my tail! Fantastic detector!

Similar Products Used:

Radio Shak, Passport 8500

(1997) model: Highway/rural road false alarms at a minimum (1997 and new model: X and K band range (Ka-band is average but not great).

Unit is somewhat expensive at lower 400s with delivery new model has false alarm from other detectors problem.

Well, I bought the new unit and compared it to 1997 Valentine. To my surprise, the old unit is better. The range is nearly equal on all three bands. However, the new unit has a problem with scattered K-band false alerts (sometimes very high strength) in the presence of other detectors--sometimes in vehicles half a mile away....Sometimes happens on Ka-band too. Confusing to tell from the real thing. The old 1997 unit seldom does that. Never tried the Escort 8500. Would like to see how it does. 1997 4 stars, new 3 stars.

Similar Products Used:

BEL 966 Sti, Escort 7500, Escort SOLO, Cobra Trapshooter and RDL-512SW, Escort 5000, BEL 845 STi, and probably many others I don't even remember

None

everything eles. I just got a ticket with the V1 just last week.

Iam that person that got the speeding ticket last week and I think that it is the Valentine one fans that need to be more careful about what they say as yes I did sell off my old V1 on ebay last week and the same day as I got my two tickets I went out to Best Buy and bought a brand new Passport 8500. How dare you say its a lie. Try telling my insurance company that it is a lie and see how far you get with them. What do you V1 happy people want me to show you my speeding ticket? because unlike you I have nothing to hide. If I would have had my coworkers Passport 8500 I would not have gotten that speeding ticket and I also would not have gotten the other ticket just for having a radar detector in my car. I could not beleave the cop did not take my V1 away from me. Anyways I have been useing my 8500 now and I have never been more happy with any other detector as it has already saved me from at least 2 tickets in less then a week.

Similar Products Used:

Bel 645i,k40,Passport 8500

An Arrows, the bug counter

price

Just perfect. I think, Passport fans shoud be more carefull with reviews. Otherwise, they can be caught with a lie. Look at this: PASSPORT8500RULES (what a name!) wrote: "my friend told me about what happed to him just last week." And later: "so what my friend did was sell his V1 off on ebay and went out and got a Passport 8500 and he has never been more happy with any other detector..." To sell, buy another [detector] and be happy (it means al least try long enough) in a one week? It looks like lie to me. I think we should be more carefull with our stories.