jeeper31

I am thinking of purchasing a Valentine One Radar Detector and was wondering if all still like them. i did search and it does seem like the detector to get.

I am also wondering if anyone has hardwired it to their 944. Where? how easy to do? Pics would be great.

Vjgtrybno1

+1 for V1 - not from any personal experience, of course, but I know some people who love'em... .

catamount

I've got a Passport 8500 and love it. About the only thing the V-1 has on the 8500 is the directional arrows. My 8500 has saved me more times than I can count!

As for hardwiring, I'd love to do that but haven't because I move it between cars and also use it with rentals.

Vjgtrybno1

I know someone who was nailed by a laser twice with an Escort Solo (with laser protection) with ZERO warning. Never again...

aeronautica86

no radar detectors are going to save you from laser, even the ones with laser protection, by the time the detector tells you that you've been hit with the laser, its already too late

Weston

I love my V1. It is the only one with directional arrows (once you have them, you realize how useful they really are), and it has by far the best laser detection on the market. It is very sensitive, so it picks up it's share of false alarms, but it becomes easy to tell a false from the real thing once you get used to it. The new Passport 9500i has some pretty nice convenience features, but it's otherwise the same as an 8500 (ie great radar detection, but laser leaves something to be desired), just with a higher price.

The V1 direct wire setup is pretty simple, and it comes with everything you need to hook it up... all that you have to do is find a positive wire that is hot when your ignition is on, connect the red wire to that, and then connect the black wire to chassis ground.

Weston

Laser is much like instant-on radar... the key to saving yourself is to detect it when another car is targetted before you. If you're the first car, there's no hope for you. With instant-on radar, it will still bounce off of things like normal radar, so you can pick it up from a good distance away before it goes back into hiding. Laser does not go bouncing off of things for miles, so in order for your detector to see it, it needs to have line-of-sight to the beam that's going from the lidar gun to it's target. If the car in front of you gets hit first, a good detector can save you, but most detectors aren't sensitive enough (and the cheap ones sometimes wont even alert if you're being directly targetted). The V1 has saved me from laser many times, but it is close and the cop can usually already see you. The only time that my V1 hasn't saved me in the past 5 years of owning it was when I was in the front of a pack of traffic, and the cop was running laser. I was the first car, so there was no chance for any warning before it was too late.

yoyoguy2

V1 has saved me from laser.

I have mine hardwired, i used the valentine kit (i think it comes with one, but i ordered an extra as i have it hardwired in both cars). anyway i tapped into the power for the clock, then ran up the passenger side a-pillar and over the front headliner piece. i have it on the passenger sun visor clip now, which is kind of a pain for anyone sitting there, could just suction cup it to the top of the window but that still interferes with sun visor operations. unfortunately the 944 windshield is actually quite small... anyway the install wasn't too bad, the a-pillar is a little challenging to remove, but the headliner came down easy. only problem with this setup is the clock power is always on, so if i forget to turn the v1 off it stays on even if the key is in the off position... i doubt it'll drain the battery much unless you left it forever though.

also the sun visor clips break insanely easily, don't over tighten the screws when re-installing.

krazE

I can't tell you how many times I've seen CHP down here in CA because of the V1. I stopped counting at 25, but I know it's over 50 by now. Hardwiring is cake.

Catfood

Valentine 1 are awesome radar detector. My grandpa bought me a passport 8500 for my birthday, I did the 40 day trial thing and returned it, bought my V1 and Im not looking back. My dad has a V1 hardwired into his 928 with no issues, it was pretty simple. I have tried both V1 and the 8500 and I think V1 has a greater sensitivity difference, plus the directional arrows. They are amazing, you dont realize how much you miss having them until there gone. I hate having my detector go off and not knowing where the bogey is. If you buy the little installation kit from valentine its easy to hardwire to the car. If your trying to fight laser V1 will pick it up, the trick is not to make something that can detect it earlier its finding something to buy you time. invest in laser plates. They diffract laser and scramble it. When cops shoot at your car they aim for the license plate which is the shiniest easiest refractor on your car, if you put a laser plate over it they dont get an initial reading, which then gives you time to brake because your V1 can pick it up. Also students at North Carolina have created a laser disrupting bra for cars, which will most likely be out on the market in the coming years. It covers the front of the car just like a normal bra and when they get shot it absorbs and spreads it into the cloth. So keep your eyes open. Also understanding basic things like laser cant get a reading from the side of your car it has to hit the front or rear. The best thing to do is make sure you keep your eyes up and your head on a swivel and speeding will come easy!

Vjgtrybno1

The others above beat me to it - thanks for chiming in guys. With the Solo, there was maybe half a second between the warning and sight - the second time, the warning came after sight. With the V1, it was more like two seconds and the sound was distinctive. I agree that you are sunk if you're first in line, but V1 is the best, hands-down.

panchosouth

I'm on my third V1- I usually sell the one I currently have w/the car thats being sold. 430.00 w/ hide-away unit. By far the best out there, and arrows are by far the best thing since cops with slow cars.

SD Porsche Fan

I have mine hardwired to the map light. Works great!

codepoet

I've been using mine for many a month now, and thus far I only have positive things to say about it.

reno808

The only thing that can fight off a laser is a LASER JAMMER.