DJ23

I have the 9500 CI installed and it has saved me many times. Fantastic detector.

Jay

Carrera GT

Radar is almost always "instant on" now ... that gives you approximately reflex time on the first blip to start slowing dramatically but without being "obviously" the car slowing down.

Here's the info on short burst radar. "POP"

http://www.valentine1.com/v1info/popradar.asp

Carrera GT

But you've got yellow gauge faces, so you've got worse things to worry about.

(kidding!)

Sort of ... : ) ... then again, my 993 has silver gauge faces ... it was en vogue back in the day.

Anywho. The "powered" 9500 seems to have the best feature set. I'm still skeptical about how a battery-powered unit performs unless you're careful about the battery state of charge.

My gripe with the V1 was its incessant and idiotic chirping at traffic flow radar. Valentine finally put out an update so the V1 no longer "falses" on traffic flow radar. It's seemingly a minor thing, but it's a real luxury to have the thing pretty much 100% true positive.

So the other strength of the V1 is the upgrade service -- not cheap, but far better than buying the new unit and the hassle of selling an old unit. You basically get a new unit, all the updates, calibrated, new in the box with all the accessories.

Still all radar detectors will false on some radar cruise (and night vision) and on some roadside animated LED billboards, LED tail lights and on some laser/infrared automatic cruise, lane-departure and pre-brake collision detection systems. Not much you can do those sources. I like the way the 9500 will associate falses with GPS coords, but I wonder how reliably it discriminates. I'm happy with a few falses and as others have noted, I'm not speeding most of the time, so being reminded to ease back to say 7 mph over the limit isn't all that insufferable.

The thing I like is when I'm on the freeway trying to make safe, but good time for a two or three hour journey (where maintaining your pace can really save you half an hour) and then I get one faint squawk, so I ease back, then a bingo, a trap, but if the cop hadn't blipped the car a half mile in front, I'd have been snagged with a nuisance fine and wasted time on the side of the road.

What other appliance literally pays for itself at least every year? : )

stronbl

I found the dedicated RD forums a big help. Here is one of the better ones IMHO -
http://www.radardetectorforum.org/forum.php

The debates between Escort/Beltronics and Valentine are passionate, but a lot of good info and insight.
In my view V1 or Redline are best if you are mainly highway; Bel STIR + or 9500ix if in the city a lot and want a GPS database to filter false hits like auto doors etc. I run with a V1 and Savvy and have been very happy. Just remeber, there is no subsititue for your own situtational awareness and observations while driving.

mikew968

I have had a V1 and the falses drove me nuts...most of the time I had to turn it off or way down. Just installed a 9500ix and so far it has completely elininated the non-police radar like door motion sensors etc.

Carrera GT

I updated a V1 circa 2010 and the falses went from barely tolerable to painless around town. They updated the software and programmable options. I have a new one from last year and just started fiddling with the Android app. I'm quite tempted to add an Escort for my daily driver. My wife has one in the family land yacht because she would turn off the V1 ever since traffic flow radar on the freeway went from "critical bottlenecks" to "every 3 miles." I still don't want to be "blind" without arrows on the freeway. Just driving "post haste" to the ski resorts last week, I could see people pass me, then slow and be at 65 or 70, I'd roll on by, as the V1 "told" me the cop was approaching from the front on the other side, then passing and gone. The other scenario is knowing whether a persistent, low strength signal is in front or behind (speed up and make space, or slow down and be wary of a trap ahead ...)

PCC

Using a plane? I simply cannot see how that can be cost effective.

I have the passport. I like all the features but I don't think the range is impressive .. its sufficient but not impressive ... I possibly have it mounted too low

I've used a V1 and find all the false alarms highly annoying ... both are good but the Escort is the lesser of two evils