I had some serious issues with Escort in the past with false advertising....long story about their "VG-2 invisible" claims. PM me if interested.

Otherwise, I'm convinced that the 8500 is an excellent unit, and I would say it's definatlely one of the best choices available.

 

Yeah all the CHP guys in Cali use Ka.

 

It's true that the V1 picks up a lot of X band, but you have the user option to completely filter it out. Here in CA, I have never been zapped by any law enforcement using X-band. It's not to say some older police departments aren't using X-band guns/radar, but you CAN filter it out so that it doesn't go off when you drive past Best Buy, Target, etc.

I do think that the arrows give the V1 a definite advantage over other detectors in that you know exactly where the signals are coming from--to each their own on radar detector choices. I'm definitely happy with my V1.

Eddie.

 

Eddie, I completely agree. BTW guys I have never seen so much V1 slamming in a single thread on any web forum!

 

Wow, I never heard of "VG-2 invisible" issues... That could be a serious thing. I'd like to know more about it. I'll PM you...

 

I don't think it's bashing to discuss the alledged merits or shortcomings of the various radar detectors. Valentine has always had a very well run promotional campaign and some unethical "test" or "evaluations" run in magazines that claimed to be impartial or fair when in reality the writers or testers were in the payroll of Valentine.
Sure, the V1 is a decent unit and at one time it was the best around, but it no longer is te best, only the most expensive. Nothing wrong or unfair about discussing factual opinions.

peace

 

silverEvo8, that is not what I was saying. It's just funny to me to read this thread in its entirety and see minimal V1 support, whereas on say bimmerfest.com the V1 is the only RD spoken of.

 

Sure, I can see where in some circles certain brands are more popular than others. You can see this phenomenon everywhere. The funny thing is to see the rabid bickering that this unswerving loyalty to certain names can engender

 

Took a trip down from CT to Virginia about a year and a half ago and they were still using X band radar in NJ. I was getting a bunch of different X band signals on my way down from the V1 and tended to ignore them, but then I got an insistent X band that increased and just in time slowed down to avoid a cop beaming on the side of the road.

Just FYI. I'm sure that they are disappearing more and more, but I was grateful for the X band support of the V1 at that instant.

This was my cousin's car though that I was driving, I don't use a detector in my own car. I was acquainted with a state trooper who gave me the view that when he catches people with detectors in their car (and it happens quite often) his view is that they are "professional speeders." While he does give breaks to people all the time, he never does it for people with detectors.

I find that having a detector tends to make people less focused on the road as they are partly concentrating on the detector. I've avoided plenty of tickets by observing where cops could be hiding and keeping an eye on my rear view mirror and on the road ahead.

Mainly, realize that excessive speed won't get you to your destination much faster overall. Those five or ten minutes you save can cost a lot of dough and/or eat up time if you go to court.

 

"I was acquainted with a state trooper who gave me the view that when he catches people with detectors in their car (and it happens quite often) his view is that they are "professional speeders." While he does give breaks to people all the time, he never does it for people with detectors."

Radar detector or not, if you are driving an Evo you are a "professional speeder".