Radar\Laser Jammer
I have my BEL RX65 and it is the best radar on the market IMO! I havent gotten a ticket in over 3 years. The radar is absolutely crazy. I bought it brand new fro $220. Would not trade it for any other radar! everytime it starts to go off i wish i had a camera to film how crazy this thing really is. no problems with the unit ever.
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Here
the 8550 x50 might be okay if you have never had better, but not if you are used to a V1. I sent my V1 in last month for software upgrade so I went to best buy to get the 8500 to use while my v1 was out since theres no way in hell I am even leaving the house without a radar det. Sorry, but they couldnt get the V1 back in time if they would have overnighted it. I was scared to death the whole time - this passport thing looks, acts and sounds like the one I had 20 years ago, granted I am sure (hopefully) that it performs better than a 20 yr old model but its not even in the same league as the V1.
also, bastard best buy wont let me return the 8500x50 now that my v1 is back because it has been 33 days (one month was the return policy) so if anyone wants it it is new in the box and I will take a good hit on it to get rid of it.
It's all subjective. I personally prefer my ValentineOne. I love the arrows, I find them necessary while others do not.
Also, a word of warning for people testing radar detectors... don't run two at once, they will interfere with each other and their performance will suffer as a result.
Also, a word of warning for people testing radar detectors... don't run two at once, they will interfere with each other and their performance will suffer as a result.
I just switched from x50 that i had for more than 3 years to V1 and here's my thoughts:
Screen and sounds are much better on x50 (with expert setting of course). On V1 there's no way in hell you can tell which band it's detecting if it's dark because it uses tiny red dots for indication and letters next to dots are super tiny.
Sounds between bands are alike on V1, especially if you are getting close to the source (faster sound), there's no way to decipher them (for now at least, i will have to be able to do that otherwise it's gonna suck..)
Arrows are fun to watch, but whatever, they aren't necessary.
On x50 you can see each band light up in its section of the screen and it's easy to see. Sounds are distinctively different which is good as well.
Another big thing - there's a mute button on x50's power plug. I don't understand how hard it is for Valentine to do the same...Must be pride or something to follow the competitor's good idea.. Whatever..And because of that V1 is more loud (annoying). Granted i run V1 with X band on an always auto mute and my K band has a 20 second mute delay.
But hopefully it has a better range than x50 which is what i bought it for. That's not to say x50 has a small range, i just wanted the very best. Another HUGE reason i got the V1 is because my x50 was mounted low and each time i would punch it it would go off with a laser warning, because of the heat from our hood opening, so i had to turn the laser detection off most of the time. Which is no good. Especially in summer. It may be because i didn't have a mani heat shield, i dunno. In any case i run V1 on the top of the windshield, so i haven't checked if it would do the same thing..
In the past 3 years i have never gotten a ticket when x50 was in my car and on.
Screen and sounds are much better on x50 (with expert setting of course). On V1 there's no way in hell you can tell which band it's detecting if it's dark because it uses tiny red dots for indication and letters next to dots are super tiny.
Sounds between bands are alike on V1, especially if you are getting close to the source (faster sound), there's no way to decipher them (for now at least, i will have to be able to do that otherwise it's gonna suck..)
Arrows are fun to watch, but whatever, they aren't necessary.
On x50 you can see each band light up in its section of the screen and it's easy to see. Sounds are distinctively different which is good as well.
Another big thing - there's a mute button on x50's power plug. I don't understand how hard it is for Valentine to do the same...Must be pride or something to follow the competitor's good idea.. Whatever..And because of that V1 is more loud (annoying). Granted i run V1 with X band on an always auto mute and my K band has a 20 second mute delay.
But hopefully it has a better range than x50 which is what i bought it for. That's not to say x50 has a small range, i just wanted the very best. Another HUGE reason i got the V1 is because my x50 was mounted low and each time i would punch it it would go off with a laser warning, because of the heat from our hood opening, so i had to turn the laser detection off most of the time. Which is no good. Especially in summer. It may be because i didn't have a mani heat shield, i dunno. In any case i run V1 on the top of the windshield, so i haven't checked if it would do the same thing..
In the past 3 years i have never gotten a ticket when x50 was in my car and on.
Last edited by mplspilot; May 22, 2008 at 03:20 PM.
Local cops in my town use Ka and my cobra detector will not pick up the radar until I'm about 200' away. That's too late. I wonder if they are turning off the radar and then turn it on as cars approach or is my detector not sensitive for that band? It seems from what I have read here and from friends that the V1 is the most sensitive. I can deal with false alarms and the arrows I just want the most sensitive product out there so that when I'm in a rural area and the detector goes off I will immediately jam on the brakes and not be painted.
Most radar detectors on the market today detect laser. Including V1 of course.
Jamming radar is illigal. Jamming laser is legal in most states. You need a separate unit to do that. None of the regular detectors have this feature.
Jamming radar is illigal. Jamming laser is legal in most states. You need a separate unit to do that. None of the regular detectors have this feature.
Evolving Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: NY
i dont have the money to buy a V1, but i did get the 8500 X50, and right out of the box, as i was leaving best buy getting on the highway, it payed for itself.
my biggest thing, was and is sensitivity, and i hear the V1 is more sensitive then the X50, but depending on the situation, i dont think itll make as much of a difference.
i drive around 500 highway miles each week, not including regular day driving. and ive learned, that the X50 picks up most things with just enough time. the radar has went off, and I slowed down immediately only to pass a police car 10 secs later, doing the speed limit before he even saw me (its happened on multiple occasions), but every once in a while, the unmarked car will ride up behind you, w/o the radar gun on, pace you, and then get a reading (ive seen it happen ... except the spotlight on the pillar gave him away a little)
and then, i have been hit with a laser once too... the X50 went off the moment it happened, but there was 2 of us on the road, and the car they wanted passed me and i was already going fast, oh, and the "Speed Enforced by Aircraft"... it was a speed trap that included a helicopter ... at that point i was sh*ting bricks, but now i believe the aircraft signs
---moral of my long boring story... the arrows seem like a neat addition, but if you want something good, that will do the job correctly, there is more then just the V1, there are other good radar detectors, that will give you enough warning, and save you $100, as long as a helicopter doesn't come up behind you
my biggest thing, was and is sensitivity, and i hear the V1 is more sensitive then the X50, but depending on the situation, i dont think itll make as much of a difference.
i drive around 500 highway miles each week, not including regular day driving. and ive learned, that the X50 picks up most things with just enough time. the radar has went off, and I slowed down immediately only to pass a police car 10 secs later, doing the speed limit before he even saw me (its happened on multiple occasions), but every once in a while, the unmarked car will ride up behind you, w/o the radar gun on, pace you, and then get a reading (ive seen it happen ... except the spotlight on the pillar gave him away a little)
and then, i have been hit with a laser once too... the X50 went off the moment it happened, but there was 2 of us on the road, and the car they wanted passed me and i was already going fast, oh, and the "Speed Enforced by Aircraft"... it was a speed trap that included a helicopter ... at that point i was sh*ting bricks, but now i believe the aircraft signs
---moral of my long boring story... the arrows seem like a neat addition, but if you want something good, that will do the job correctly, there is more then just the V1, there are other good radar detectors, that will give you enough warning, and save you $100, as long as a helicopter doesn't come up behind you
Go with a V1, they are pretty easily programmable, just look on you tube or whatever. I called the police station around my area and found out which bands they run and just turn off x band so the V1 is quiet for the most part. I still get a couple of K-band falses but that will be unavoidable with any detector
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
