myrmidon

Disclaimer: This is not a Valentine 1 vs Passport vs any other radar detector post. That has been beaten to death in many many other threads.


My question is: What value is there in the 'arrows' feature of the Valentine 1 telling you which direction you are being hit from? After all, if you get hit by radar/laser, and you are driving too fast, the unit beeps and you slow down.

What value is direction? Are you going to look in that direction first, and then decide whether or not to slow down?

The only value I see is that it helps to play 'spot the cop', but won't make any difference in whether or not you get a speeding fine.

Am I missing something?

washington dc porsche

That's been my argument since 2000. I have a Passport but a I have a K40 in my 996 which tells me wether the signal is coming from the front or rear. Thing is, I slow down first regardless. When I drive my ML with the Passport I slow down then look in the rear view mirror but in the 996 I slow down then look at the front/rear indiator lights. (I can barely see out that damn cheap plastic window in the rear anyway so may there is a good purpose..

10 GT3

This is a typical question by people who don't know how to use a V1. Radar never reads from the side because you are on a parallel path to the radar source, Benefit #1. If you have a closing signal, getting more intense, you either have a unit you are closing on or one closing on you, Benefit #2. If you have a signal that is lessoning and it is behind you, just accelerate freely, Benefit #3. If I get a medium signal behind me, I don't slow down. I don't have to hit the brakes everytime it goes off. Once you get used to it, this is second nature. Since patrol cars regularly leave thier radars on all the time in several of the local cities, this feature is extreme valuable discernign targets.

Keep in mind also that other manufacturers don't use this feature, not because they choose not to; but because it would be illegal to have it. Valentine Research holds several patents including the directional arrows and intergrated front and rear sensors in the same unit.

With the V1 and the remote display I have a tremendous amount of information within a fraction of a second. The arrows are large and easy to see the direct at a glance. The beeps form each band are well defined, the number of signals is easy and quick to read and the signal strength is easy to rocognize visually and audibly. It is kind of funny, RADARTESTS.COM didn't make the V1 its top pick because the V1 lacks features like operator screen customizing and audible warrings like those lesser brand units (although it was the most sensitive in Ka and POP), but no V1 owner ever has an issue with the display or audible warnings.

GreggT

I think it's one of the strongest features on the unit....(along with # of bogies and strength)
I'm biased........have Val 1s with custom remotes in 3 Pcars as well as the AMG.

Why , would you want to look around 360's..... when Val can tell he on the right.
You are motoring past a parking area on your right......nothing but field on your left......you get a side arrow.....you instantly know he's on your right.
To me, this means an instant downshift cause (much like if he were behind me) I don't really want him to see my brake lights........now, since he was off to the right (right angles to your travel) he definately did not get a usable radar reading (vascar maybe) but more that likely he just has a visual and plans to pull out and scope you from rear.....again, you know where he is coming from. When he toggles on/off back there you know it's him......not other in front over the horizon.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.......honestly, I find it invaliable.

cdodkin

Time to warm up my Popcorn'O'Rama I think

This is usually as good as the the 'which oil is best' re-match

Anyone got carmel?

eurotrashed

Mostly I check the arrows to see if I have passed the source, if I didn't see it visually.

washington dc porsche

Makes sense.

Edgy01

02 is on the right track. Keep in mind that traffic radar is all doppler based. It is reading the shift in frequency from the prime frequency that the police unit is emitting. The higher the return frequency the higher the velocity compared to the police unit. The lower the return frequency, the higher the velocity as well,--only you are going away from the police unit. Relative frequency is everything. The V1 with two antennas keeps track of the signals that it is getting from the front antenna and also does the same for the aft antenna,--and goes to the trouble to compare them. If the same signal is being received by both the forward and aft antennas then the internal processor comes to the conclusion if they are of the same power level that you are in the middle somewhere and the police unit must be at your side. The V1 also gives you the ability to differentiate between multiple 'bogeys' and it reports them to you with the increase in the counts on the display. It discriminates between all those signals and maintains a label on each one,--also helping you to figure out if you are merely in a high 'radar clutter' area or if there are multiple police units near you.

If you get a hit that the police is lateral to you then at that moment in time your actual velocity is not a factor with the police. You have no relative closing or opening velocity RELATIVE to them and you are therefore essentially invisible to them,--at that moment. (Of course, they can probably visually acquire you in this region and estimate your speed with their eye).

Other radar detectors give you little hints in their instruction manuals about how to determine if your bogey is in front or behind you. One good trick is if you pass under an overpass with a large metallic sign on it,--and you get a hit. Once you pass beneath it the signal may go away entirely. That would tell you that they are behind you, as their signal, coming up from behind, reflected off the sign and into the front of your detector. The V1 doesn't have to rely upon a reflected signal to give you that information. In short, the V1 is a lot more sensitive as it isn't relying upon reflected signals to reach your detector. As we all know, reflected radar signals are ultimately going to be weaker than nonreflected signals as no attentuation of the signal occurs in direct reception.

When driving down the freeway it's nice to see a hit from the front and then as that signal grows, it transitions to the rear antenna and shows up as an aft bogey. Keep in mind that some areas use unmarked police cars. It will help you to recognize an unmarked car a lot better. It will also help you to locate and isolate a badly emitting radar DETECTOR in a neighboring car (or truck,--mostly). Today's detectors are largely of a superheterodyn design which means that they use the prime frequency to improve the signal to noise ratio of the detector,--but they are supposed to filter that prime frequency so that it doesn't leak out and 'pollute' other cars' abilities to locate a police unit. The cheaper units seem to be very noisy and foul up your reception. All the high dollar units that any of us would buy are generally non-leakers. Truckers seem to buy the worst. The V1 will help to identify them as you drive by their rig.

I've spent over 30 years in the radar field. And, yes, I run with a Valentine 1.

s14roller

Yup...that'a what I do as well...

I see as this: Are the arrows necessary? Probably not...
Helpful in providing more information? Definitely so.

cdodkin

Do I understand correctly that the V1 will even point to your cell phone when it causes the V1 to false-positive?

GreggT

I've spent 30 years making sport of avoiding bears.......Val helps me have more fun

.......now add 'Blinder'

Edgy01

oh, yea, me, too. Only longer! ;-)

DCP

I have a passport. I borrowed a V1 from a friend to use on a long trip to play with it and see whether I wanted one. The arrows really are useful. Nonetheless, I did not buy a V1 because I thought it falsed a lot more than my trusty old passport. But it may be that my trusty old passport is just not picking up as much as it should. I don't know.

10 GT3

I've had a V1 for over 4 years and never had this happen. Exactly what band is your cell phone operating on? I've had cell phones that would give feedback static through the cars speakers when they range, but never interferance with the V1. Cellular phone bands are a very different range than X, K, and Ka radio wavelengths.

DCP,

The V1 has several operating modes. By standard it is in "A" (all bogeys) mode. All bogeys mode will go off for everything and is the default operating mode from the factory. I had the same experieince when I initially got my first V1 (my new Version 1.8-POP2 came today ). Everyone I know runs little "L" (logic) or big "L" (full logic) mode. Both of these greatly reduce the false signals. I have been running mine for years in big "L" full logic mode all the time, which works best for me in a large metropolitan city environment. Very few false signals, usually electric eyes for doors in X and K.

Botsy67

I mainly use my V1 on long drives, let's say LA to SF in my 5-serie and the arrows are really helpful IMHO. Few occasions, my rear arrows are ON and signals strengths are building-up then I am pretty sure a State Trooper is behind me. As I slowed way down, he would pass me, then few miles down I5, he would stop someone 100% of the time. One time, after beeing passed at high speed by an American muscle car (Camaro SS or the new Pontiac GTO), I saw my front arrow ON with signals building-up strong, and as the trooper passed me from the other side of I5, I saw him slowed down and U-turned around to go my direction on I5. He then sped up real fast and caught up with the American muscle car a mile down the road, pulled him over. I think that is V1 strength with the arrows... In the city I don't even bother to use the V1, and I just don't speed
Cheers,