Valentine 1 v. Escort Revisted

Wilkie · 29th April 2002, 19:18

I know that there are a lot of Valentine 1 fans out there. However, the ads for the new Escort looks impressive-- it has front and rear sensors, and best of all, the separate face is unit is tiny and mounts neatly on the dash, on the little shelf area in front of the instrment panel. It apparently has to be professionally installed. Has anyone out there had one of these babies installed who could comment on it?

greg · 29th April 2002, 20:18

The ads for the V1 are impressive too. And they dispute all the escort claims. Butads are...., well, ads. Look to a TRULY independent test - like the one C&D published in their March (?) issue - the V1 trounced all the others. I still firmly believe it is the best.

Rezf · 29th April 2002, 21:20

Quote:

Originally posted by greg
The ads for the V1 are impressive too. And they dispute all the escort claims. Butads are...., well, ads. Look to a TRULY independent test - like the one C&D published in their March (?) issue - the V1 trounced all the others. I still firmly believe it is the best.

Greg,
You're absolutely right! Indepenent tests are the most important factor. I do agree that V1 is an EXCELLENT detector. However, I vaguely remember another car mag, possibly Motor Trend, which conducted their own test in NOV/DEC issue, and claimed the Escort had the best k, Ka detection. V1 was better at detecting x band, but that was it.

X5Boston · 29th April 2002, 21:27

I go for performance over flashy ads. The V1 is excellent in smokey bear attacks from behind. In one drive down to Florida, I was getting intermittant KA bursts facing rearward. It would go full strength for about 3 seconds and then slowly trail down. I was suspicious so I slowed down and pulled into the grannie lane. Sure enough a couple of minutes later, a Florida statie drove by with a dash mounted mobile radar. That was the first time I encountered that type of attack.

The V1 also has excellent laser detection. I can confirm it works and works well. On a drive near the New York state border, the V1 detected two bursts of laser and I pulled to the right again. I was beginning to doubt the alert until I saw two cops crouched in a ditch with gun barely visible. A half mile down the road were two other troopers waving people over.

My only true detector "shootout" happened a couple of years back. I was with a friend driving into Boston. My V1 went off full K-band so I slowed down. For no reason my friend continues on, I flashed my light to get her to slow down but she just blasted ahead. By the time she was about 1/3 to 1/2 a mile ahead of me I saw her brakelights go on. Too late. Later I asked why she flew by me. Her response was that her Cobra didn't show a real alert until she was practically on top of the cop. It was an expensive $250 lesson.

IMHO, the V1 is the superior radar detector. I probably will not move to another brand until I get conclusive proof from multiple printed sources that are reputable and testimonials from other car enthusiests that something else is better. Sure $400 is a lot of money but consider a $250 ticket and the hike in premiums. Thanks to Mike Valentine for keeping my record clean and my insurance low (well, low by the standards of the People's Republic of Taxachusetts).

zoom · 29th April 2002, 23:10

I never bought the V1 hype; always relied upon built in Bells. Then a few weeks ago I bought a V1---figured I'd try their money back guarantee for a month. A few days later had to go 600 miles in 1 day to upstate NY and back. I AM NOW A V1 BELIEVER. Especially with NY State Troopers shooting K and Ka, I was saved multiple times by knbowing how many bogeys in the area and in what direction. In my pre-V1 days, I wouold have sped up again ands would jave been nailed 5 or 6 times in 1 day.

Jessem · 30th April 2002, 18:44

Some people try to tell you that the directional arrows on the V1s aren't useful, but I think that they and the sensitivity are the most important features. Since I have a detector 'cause I want to drive over the limit and not get caught, I like to know where the source is so I can better decide when to pick up the pace again. So many times in PA here I've passed flashing signs on the TPK that have radar in them, it's helped to deiscern them from the real thing. Also, it helps pick up the cruiser appoaching from the other direction, allowing you to pick up the pace quicker.

Yes, I would like a truly hidden unit, but with the remote display, you can come pretty close. I also believe Mike V when he expresses the opinion that the higher the unit is the better range you'll get.

Digi · 30th April 2002, 19:56

ALL new radar detectors will give sufficient warning to slow down from a brisk pace to a legal speed. The difference is the indicators, the features, and the usability. If all you want is a beep when you are near a radar, the escort is your best bet, and you can save a bunch of money. If you want to know where the radar is, how many sources, be able to filter "false alarms" without compromising sensitivity, there is only one detector, the V1. All of the others can limit false alarms by decreasing their ranges. On the most advanced logic setting, the V1 is still as sensitive as it is in the non-filtering modes. It just determines if the source(s) is a threat because it knows where it is.

It all depends on the type of infomation you require about radar sources while you are driving. Escort warns you that a radar or two are somewhere in the area, and does this very well for half the money. I'd rather have the increased protection and piece of mind for twice the cost.

RRoberts · 30th April 2002, 20:05

I have used a V1 since it first came on the market, and have upgraded to the current model. IMHO, once you get used to the increased amount of information provided by the V1 - the directional arrows, the number of sources and the location of the strongest source - you will never be satisfied with another detector. My V1 has paid for itself many times over.

Regards, Dick Roberts

Teutonaddict · 30th April 2002, 22:38

As a long-term (~6-7 years) V1 owner, I decided to upgrade. I looked into their company upgrade process where I'd send them my old unit and they'd gimme a new one for $289, but I figured that's taking a nearly-perfect unit out of operation. Soooooo, I made the very same offer to my brother (currently using my VERY old original CM Passport): gimme $110, and I'll just buy a new one outright!

Now I have laser protection (??-detection, really) and updated software. Since my last citation was laser-based by Fulton County local cops, I figure the %-age of laser-based threats now warrants electronic countermeasures.

This device has paid for itself many times over, and I feel nekked without all the information it provides (count, direction, strongest threat).

Good luck!
-Dave

Wilkie · 1st May 2002, 02:22

Okay, so the consensus seems to be that the V1 is still the king. However, I've never bought one simply because I didn't want to have the unit stuck conspicuously on my windshield or whatever (although I have seen photos of some pretty neat installations), and with the new Escort's inconspicuous and tidy installation, for me it might be worth it to sacrifice some performance for appearances and convenience.