Oh, but plenty, plenty, plenty are out there using the good ol' K and Ka band radar, believe me!

 

I don't agree at all. If you happen to be the first car they shoot then yes you are right, just like with instant on radar. However, just like with instant on radar, if they are shooting someone else ahead of you, you can pick up laser just like radar. I've picked this up many times.

 

thanks all of you for the real world experiences and it is still the top 3 valentine,bel,escort. i guess how much do i want to pay.
greg

 

Someone else has already commented on this, but so will I

My Passport 8500 can see a trooper running active Ka band up to 7 miles away, in Kansas hilly terrain. Travelling at 70mph, it can take me up to 5 minutes to finally spot a car in the distance that could possibly be the trooper(our troopers don't run with the disco lights on the roofline).

I also catch reflections from on-coming traffic of a trooper who can be a couple of miles ahead of me, travelling the same direction.

The only time that saying is ever true and useful is when it comes to LIDAR(lasar), as you hardly ever get a reflection, so when the radar goes off, you've been busted usually. Even 'Instant-on' can be detected if there's enough traffic in front of you to catch the reflections.

 

You also failed to mention..... For a cop to use laser, he must be parked. Laser doesn't work in a moving cruiser. So 90% of the cops you see on the streets are running K or Ka bands, it's the 10% sitting on the side of the road, or running speed traps that might be using laser.

 

and the cops using laser usually can be seen......pay attention thats the best addition to any detector!!!
buckshot wi

 

I have a portable www.K40.com and love it! I cant see driving without one... But I am planning on getting a V1 and selling the K40 (its the portable unit) K40 also makes the built in systems which are big$$ The 8500 is also up there with the V1 though and cheaper...

Zack

 

The guys running laser also never have it going through glass.

The $100 difference would be less than one good ticket.

 

bel and escort merged into one company. they are the same detectors now and in my opinion better and cheaper than the v1. I have 2 bel 985 and wil probably buy the newest escort.

 

I dunno about the merger. But.....

The 8500 has been re-vamped for this year. It's now the 8500 X50. They are claiming increased sensitivity and distance(up to 50%) on K and Ka bands.

It's also available with a Blue display now. The pricing is about the same, $300 for the standard display, and an extra $30 for the blue.

http://www.escortstore.com/8500.htm

I'd say that if the V1 was just edging out the 8500 in tests, the X50 might even up the score.


http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...ar/index7.html

Motortrend even rated the 8500 with more points than the V1.

 

I believe that the big test to watch is the Car and Driver one... as they do not solicit the detector from the individual company for testing but rather buy it at a street price.

There have been shady accusations that Escort submitted "juiced" detectors for solicited tests...

Micah

 

put the money into modifications on your 951. the cop cars will NEVER be able to keep up with you

 

Also, I have an 8500....it does self diagnostics every couple months....it had a problem once so I sent it back for repair, a flat $40. Very impressed with the service...they fixed the problem, gave me a new "smart cord", replaced the bottom and top shell, and the front and rear lens. But, recently I've been thinking about the V1...a lot of accessories are available and I like the direction arrows of the incoming signal.

 

What is a lot more popular now is the GPS radar detectors that also come with a laser detector e.g. Road angel. No false alarms.

And if you want to beat the police at there own game fit a laser jammer e.g Target LRC 100

 

I just bought a V1 the other day. I did alot of research on different brands and have asked many people their opinions and the consencus seems to be the V1 is the best. I was skeptical of spending soo much money on it but it really is worth every penny. I took a trip with my dad to Montreal to see teh Canadiens/Bruins Playoff Game and it let me know miles ahead where the cop was and I had plenty of time to slow down. Before I bought it, I posted and got some great help and replies:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...=valentine+one

Check out the thread for some great info on teh V1 and general radar questions!

Hope this helps!
-Ryan