Paulsha911

Hi:

Just checking the V1 web site and it says I have the latest and greatest except two band POP. The web site actually recommends that I don't need to ugprade unless two band pop is used in my area?

So, is two band pop used in CA?

The upgrade cost quoted was $75. I have had my V1 for about 4.5 years.

mborkow

i borrowed a friend's older V1 without POP, and i never got any bogies on my to and from work. last week i got a brand new V1 and am picking them up left, right, and center...i don't know if these are legitimate bogies or if they are false alerts, but i think using the V1 w/o POP is like having sex with a condom with a hole in it.

grouchy

I think the false pop signals that are recognized will cause a "J" to be displayed. I had my first couple "J" indications last weekend, updated my V1 late last year.

gonzilla

Since getting my V1 about 2 months ago, I have located every automatic door between my house in Manhattan Beach and my work in Santa Monica. Haven't gotten any J's yet, though. I apparently haven't passed any officers using radar or laser, though. Interesting. I've also noticed that if I'm behind I think it's a "Trailblazer" and it hits its brakes, the V1 seems to recognize the taillights as a laser signal.

mborkow

that is actually mentioned in the manual for the V1 :-)

donsacto

Yup, I get the same laser false alarms driving behind Trailblazers and FX45's. I've had a few j's, I don't recall if it was on the Ka band or not.

Paulsha911

I guess it's better safe than sorry. $75 is a pretty good deal anyway considering that I have had it for years...

mborkow

when i borrowed my friend's older V1 i drove up and down HW 101 and 280 (between SF and Mountain View) for about a month and heard hardly a beep out of it...with the new V1 i get constant alerts. in this case, i would rather get a few false alarms then no alarms at all.

tj90

I know this thread is about the V1, so this is a little OT. Escort 8500 X50 has POP detection and its crap. It falsed all the time and now I manually disabled it. I use the 8500 x50 all the time between SD and OC and the highway patrol uses Ka exclusively. I never had an issue of getting into a speed trap and not being alerted cause I had POP off. As far as I can tell, only select local PDs (carlsbad) use laser. I also reduced the sensitivity of X and leave mine in city mode cause it does not reduce the sensitivity of Ka and dont remember the last time Ive seen a cop using X or K. Ive noticed that the stretch of I-5 across Camp Pendleton has speed sensors that operate in X. If you dont reduce the sensitivity of X or shut it off all together, youll be falsing the whole 20 mile stretch of highway. I doubt anyone on this board has seen a cop using X band in the last 5-10 years.... Honestly I cant remember the time Ive seen K used in CA either.....

c993k

Pop is about as quick as you can say it, you're caught.
The pop feature just verifies the fact that you are getting a ticket.
The most important feature of a detector is its ability to eliminate false signals.
I have both the V1 and the Escort 8500. I find the Escort to be a far more selective unit and
it hardly ever goes off in the busy areas. They are both about the same in sensitivity.
The 8500 doesn't get fooled by tailights and works very well with Laser. Chris

amfp

I think it is great V1 provides upgrade capability without buying a new detector. I paid for upgrade as wanted latest technology available.

mborkow

i don't think that is true. i think that the v1 can detect someone in front of you(or behind you) who is being tagged with a POP enabled radar gun. it will a appear as a short but intense bogey. if you get a series of these then you know you are approaching the radar gun and should slow down.

sptschoice

so c993k do you perfer the escort 8500 over the v1...

JPS

The V1 also has a higher processing mode...L vs whatever normal and little l is...higher logic or whatever. I'm still getting used to it and driving on Queens Blvd is a freaking light show with like 4 bogies at any time.

I used the Bel 980 for years in Cali, and turned off the X...then other than Home Depot, it meant something when it went off. SAFTETY TIP! Turn the X back on when going on a smaller town road trip. I hit a cop at night in Southern Oregon that still had X band!. Couldn't believe I was snagged, made him show me the radar, then realized he had X!! Doh!

My sense...$300 for ticket, $1000 for increased insurance over few years, vs. $75. No brainer for me.

tj90

I find that the X50 has a more modern interface - I like the blue LED and voltage readout when you are trying to diagnose a problem (like bad voltage regulator or alternator). Maybe the V1 guys can chime in but its my understnading that the X50 has more flexibility like reducing or turning off specific bands depending on the conditions that you are driving. I never get falses on X iwhen I put it in city mode (including LA) if Im moving down the highway. If Im in stop and go traffic its a different story.
As far as the directional indicators, I guess there is a benefit but I can tell you if I get a slight trace of Ka - Im slowing down regardless where its coming from. By the type of alert, most times you can deduce where its coming from on Ka. If it constantly goes on and off and the strength gets higher behind a big rig or bridge, hes behiind. That happened to me going to Vegas - the guy must have been behind me clocking oncoming traffic for 30 miles. Usually the Ka has such a short range, if you get any alert you should be adjusting.