Radar Detector

[justmike]

Anyone here have a radar detector? Which ones are the better ones? I've been hearing a lot about the Valentine One anyone have one?

[oberman562]

idk but i have recently gotten 2 speeding tickets so i will checking back on this thread to see

[Drews]

Do you have 500 bucks to spend? Yes? Valentine 1 or Escort 9500i. Do you not have 500 bucks? Excort 8500 x50. The end.

[katzuu]

I vouch for the Valentine 1. It is the only one with full 360 degree protection. Traditional radar detectors only detect what is oncoming. However, the v1 can give you signals for oncoming radar, to the side, and from the back. Don't mind the $500 cost.. think about it.. if it even saves you ONE ticket, it will already be worth it. Anything from there is pure gain. If you're going to get a radar detector, don't settle my friend!

Here's a picture of how I mounted mine: (I have a 2011 wrx with auto-dimming mirror/compass). Used a blendmount and invisicord. The inviscord taps into the power of your mirror (1 minute install).

[teflon_jones]

I didn't have a radar detector until I moved to CO, and I went 5 years without a ticket in MA without one. And I wasn't driving slow. I got 9 tickets with it. Now I leave it at home and I haven't had a ticket in almost two years (knock on wood). These days they use instant on so much that no detector is going to help you. Personally, I think they just give you a false sense of confidence.

But as a previous poster said, if you want a good detector, then go with a V1 or the 9500. Anything less just isn't worth it. If you want a perfect condition V1 with all the accessories let me know and you can buy mine for a great price.

[justmike]

I vouch for the Valentine 1. It is the only one with full 360 degree protection. Traditional radar detectors only detect what is oncoming. However, the v1 can give you signals for oncoming radar, to the side, and from the back. Don't mind the $500 cost.. think about it.. if it even saves you ONE ticket, it will already be worth it. Anything from there is pure gain. If you're going to get a radar detector, don't settle my friend!

Here's a picture of how I mounted mine: (I have a 2011 wrx with auto-dimming mirror/compass). Used a blendmount and invisicord. The inviscord taps into the power of your mirror (1 minute install).

i love the way you've mounted it...is there any way to do that with just the regular mirror?

[justmike]

I didn't have a radar detector until I moved to CO, and I went 5 years without a ticket in MA without one. And I wasn't driving slow. I got 9 tickets with it. Now I leave it at home and I haven't had a ticket in almost two years (knock on wood). These days they use instant on so much that no detector is going to help you. Personally, I think they just give you a false sense of confidence.

But as a previous poster said, if you want a good detector, then go with a V1 or the 9500. Anything less just isn't worth it. If you want a perfect condition V1 with all the accessories let me know and you can buy mine for a great price.

radar detectors are detecting when police are scanning people ahead of you for their speed...unless someone's going like 130 mph down the freeway how would it possibly give a false sense of security?

[EJ257]

You need to know how to use a detector properly for it to be useful; it's another tool in your arsenal to avoiding tickets. You still need to know what traffic control methods LEOs in your area use and drive with an eagle eye (spotting potential "hot spots", watching traffic in front of you, etc.), rabbit technique, ratio rule (for every X cars you pass, one passes you), etc. The people who have trouble are the ones who install a detector and go around speeding everywhere because they have a false sense of security.

In my area, there isn't the Instant-On threat that Scott talks about; if cops are using radar, they leave it on, so I pick them up from quite a distance with my V1. I paid $400 new for it about a year and a half ago. I hardly ever adjust my speed my Ka band comes up, but it's nice to have a buffer for those rare instances in which I may have been booking or lost track of speed.

radar detectors are detecting when police are scanning people ahead of you for their speed...unless someone's going like 130 mph down the freeway how would it possibly give a false sense of security?

Because LEOs sometimes use speed estimation paired with Instant-On/laser, which could mean that the only time your detector is picking up any signal, you're the one being targeted; the detector going off simply tells you to expect flashing lights in your rearview.

[katzuu]

i love the way you've mounted it...is there any way to do that with just the regular mirror?

You can still mount it with the blendmount as shown in my picture or you can use the good 'ol fashioned suction cups it comes with the V1. However, if you want to power it cleanly (without the dangling power cord), you can look up methods on how to tap into the map lights' power. I haven't done it before but I've seen threads on NASIOC or here on clubwrx for guides.

The other alternative to powering your v1 is to tuck away the power cord along the top (hidden behind the sun visor) and down the pillar sides to a 12v outlet. It may look a little ghetto but at least it wont be dangling straight down.

[Drews]

I didn't have a radar detector until I moved to CO, and I went 5 years without a ticket in MA without one. And I wasn't driving slow. I got 9 tickets with it. Now I leave it at home and I haven't had a ticket in almost two years (knock on wood). These days they use instant on so much that no detector is going to help you. Personally, I think they just give you a false sense of confidence.

But as a previous poster said, if you want a good detector, then go with a V1 or the 9500. Anything less just isn't worth it. If you want a perfect condition V1 with all the accessories let me know and you can buy mine for a great price.

Just out of curiosity, how much do you want for it?

[teflon_jones]

radar detectors are detecting when police are scanning people ahead of you for their speed...unless someone's going like 130 mph down the freeway how would it possibly give a false sense of security?

See below please.

You need to know how to use a detector properly for it to be useful; it's another tool in your arsenal to avoiding tickets. You still need to know what traffic control methods LEOs in your area use and drive with an eagle eye (spotting potential "hot spots", watching traffic in front of you, etc.), rabbit technique, ratio rule (for every X cars you pass, one passes you), etc. The people who have trouble are the ones who install a detector and go around speeding everywhere because they have a false sense of security.

In my area, there isn't the Instant-On threat that Scott talks about; if cops are using radar, they leave it on, so I pick them up from quite a distance with my V1. I paid $400 new for it about a year and a half ago. I hardly ever adjust my speed my Ka band comes up, but it's nice to have a buffer for those rare instances in which I may have been booking or lost track of speed.

Because LEOs sometimes use speed estimation paired with Instant-On/laser, which could mean that the only time your detector is picking up any signal, you're the one being targeted; the detector going off simply tells you to expect flashing lights in your rearview.

Exactly as you said. I don't know what to add. But I'll reiterate your points. If they're using instant-on, they're visually watching for speed so your detector does nothing because by the time you pick them up, they already have you. I've just noticed a lot more are using instant-on rather than just sitting with their guns on. A detector only helps you if they're sitting with their guns on. Otherwise it's useless.

Just out of curiosity, how much do you want for it?

I don't know, hadn't really thought about it. Since it's been sitting out of my cars for almost two years now and doing nothing for me, just make me an offer. Go look at the completed auctions on ebay and take something off the lowest average prices. I'd rather get the bucks and take a low offer than keep it sitting here doing nothing for another 2 years. I have no plans to use it.

I don't drive slow. I hit almost 140 in my STI the other day for the first time, and my Porsche sees 150+ many times. Stupid speeds but I'm not a kid with little experience like most of you. I've done 150+ more times already than most of you will ever see in your lives, never mind the faster speeds. But I also have hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheels of cars that are faster than anything on this forum. My other regular hangout is 6speedonline.com. If you've never been there, get ready for cars that will make everything here look like a model T, including my Porsche, which is a sub 4 second 0-60 car and will do almost 200. Once the warranty is up on my Porsche I'll be joining the so-fast-you-can't-imagine club. Hopefully a 0-60 under 3 seconds and 600+ WHP/WTQ will be a low estimate. Possibly very low. Whole different world.....

[Habbyy]

Straight up i had a cobra radar detector.. i think it was 150 bucks and she worked like a beut. sure it couldnt pick up cops from miles away but pobably half a kilometer

[EJ257]

The other alternative to powering your v1 is to tuck away the power cord along the top (hidden behind the sun visor) and down the pillar sides to a 12v outlet. It may look a little ghetto but at least it wont be dangling straight down.

I have mine wired this way. The power is tapped from the DC adapter, run under the dash, up the A-Pillar, along the headliner, and down to the V1 mounted right above the mirror on the driver side. You see 3-4" of cable total (just from the headliner to the unit).

[teflon_jones]

I have mine wired this way. The power is tapped from the DC adapter, run under the dash, up the A-Pillar, along the headliner, and down to the V1 mounted right above the mirror on the driver side. You see 3-4" of cable total (just from the headliner to the unit).

Yeah that's how I did mine in my Porsche. The cable is actually still there even though I haven't used the detector in forever. Black cable + black leather interior = you can't really see it.

[Mikie13]

I didn't have a radar detector until I moved to CO, and I went 5 years without a ticket in MA without one. And I wasn't driving slow. I got 9 tickets with it. Now I leave it at home and I haven't had a ticket in almost two years (knock on wood). These days they use instant on so much that no detector is going to help you. Personally, I think they just give you a false sense of confidence.

But as a previous poster said, if you want a good detector, then go with a V1 or the 9500. Anything less just isn't worth it. If you want a perfect condition V1 with all the accessories let me know and you can buy mine for a great price.

+1...Sounds like me to a T.