Ahhh, the old "if I have a detector I'll get a ticket" wive's tale. Every time I've been pulled over with a detector or not, I got a ticket. It ain't about safety, it's about generating revenue. And that's what traffic cops are for...quote]
I had a CHP officer tell me that they (his CHP buddies) get teed off when they see a detector. He said that as a rule they write the speeding ticket when they see the detector assuming that the driver is a "regular speeder". Maybe that was just he and his buddies, but it is not a "wives tale".
I have been pulled over several times in my life and been let off. They don't always write the ticket.
Ken
Can you upgrade your X50 without spending another $300 or $450?
Yes. The 8500, x50 & 9500i are fully software upgradeable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockstate45
You may think I'm swinging from V1's sack, but I had that X50 for half a year and it was NOT far superior to my V1. My V1 has picked up a cop from a long way (I'll get miles) away with hills. (I'm going to go drive and take a picture of those hills in a few)
As has all of my Passport radar detectors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockstate45
Really, I don't care about GPS. My buddy borrowed his Gpas 9500i and I didn't find it to be so spectacular. Sure you can silence alerts and stuff, but all I have to do is press a button on the knob and it's gone. Or, if it's on L mode it doesn't show up if it's a false most of the time. It has picked up every single cop with his radar on though .
Read the manual. If you owned it and actually took advantage of the features GPS adds you would be impressed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockstate45
GPS is just another way of saying Big Brother is watching.
Please tell me you're joking. Now my radar detector is watching me and tracking my movements. Ha!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockstate45
Oh, and my Valentine DOES pick up different signals and it shows them. Granted, it does not show the signal strength of the individual signals but when has there EVER been an X-band thread in the past few years? Never except for red light cameras which mine will pick up from a "mile away." The best part about it is, it'll pick up "bogeys" (amount of cops) whereas the PP doesn't.
What do you mean the PP doesn't? In Pro mode it will display SEVERAL 'bogeys' simultaneously as well as each individual ones signal strength. That's superior than an arrow and number. The information you can receive from the PP is superior all around for the things it can tell you that the V1 couldn't dream of. The V1 can point in a general direction but what good is that if you don't know how near/far it is, whether it's coming/going or what band each one is?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockstate45
Each radar has their strengths and weaknesses. The PP has the Voltmeter and stuff. The V1 has superior X-band protection (pretty much obsolete now), bogey counter, and a freakin' awesome display, AND it can be upgraded when a new version comes out. So for $400 you get a radar detector that will almost as long as you want it to.
I love how you say that the PP has 'voltmeter and stuff' as to assume that it's all worthless. It's this 'stuff' that makes the Passport such a superior radar detector to the Valentine 1. That's like saying 'The BMW has a lot of stuff but I prefer my Ford.' or 'The new Tundra has a lot more 'stuff' but the old Tundra is a much better performing truck.' The 'stuff' is what makes the difference and if you want to discount this as 'stuff' that's fine but there really is a difference.
Superior X band protection? Says who? Valentine 1 several years ago? Because that's not the case and besides, if X-band falses is your concern why not get a 9500i that will not warn on X-band below certain speeds around town to eliminate falses? Since when is four LED arrows a 'freakin awesome display' when compared to a full text display?
Your post is a prime example of people who swing from V1's sack when they really don't have much to go on. You don't know your facts and it sounds like your x50 was defective if you even owned one that is. The 8500 is $100 less than the Valentine 1 and is a better radar detector and if you read the majority of independent tests they agree with me on this. The 9500i is a HUGE step forward in radar detectors and is on a completely different playing field than the 8500 in features and performance.
__________________
A right, not a privilege - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
=-----> DO NOT SHIP W/DAS (DEPENDABLE AUTO SHIPPERS)!! <----=
Most independent tests will put the Passport (8500 or x50) ahead of the Valentine 1 by a fair amount AND it costs hundreds less. I have get to figure out why people love the V1 detectors so much. Is it because of the full page ad in every car magazine claiming to be the best? Like they're going to claim to be 2nd best in their own ad which they paid for. The truth of the matter is I rocked V1's when they first came out a dozen years ago. Something better came along (about 6 years ago and has gotten better since where the V1 has remained the exact same) and I tried it and it's substantially better. If any of these people swinging from V1's sack would give the Passport a fair trial they too would see that it's a far superior product. The ability to simultaneously track/display SEVERAL different radar sources as well as their strength is substantially more important than an arrow telling me relative direction.
And now they've added GPS so that it will not go off at all below 25mph. You can also tag known speed traps so it goes off in advance. You can also tag false alarms so it will not warn every again. It does this by recording the signal strength and angle so that it will not alert against the false but if there's something new it will alert for that as usual. It also has a mic that senses cabin noise volume and adjusts it's own volume accordingly. You can even display your MPH using the GPS within the unit. There's even more options but this is a brief list of some of the new updates that the 9500i has over the previous models that were better than the V1. All this and it's STILL less expensive than the Valentine 1. Not sure how V1 will continue to sell units other than people who can't do their own research and buy whatever an advertisement tells them to buy.
Remember, more expensive and older doesn't mean better.
Here's a test I just found on youtube showing how the false blocking can hose you. Maybe some of the extra bells & whistles aren't worth it...
That's a great video. I was worried about the marking of falses and was wondering how well it would actually work when another source was present. It says it logs the signal strength as well as the location and angle so I wonder why in this case it didn't sound because it was in the same area and obviously was in a completely different location and different signal and angle. I was worried more about what if there was a radar in the partking lot or closer to the false but this video makes it look like it doesn't even have to be that close for it to overlook them. Police officers are well aware of the false alarm locations as well and will often use them to catch those with radar detectors who frequent that area off guard since most think it's the same false they see every day. Personally, I was afraid to use that option myself until there were more tests on it and now that I see this video it adds just that much more doubt. That's why I like the pro mode which will show each source and it's strength. If you pass through a false often and your radar shows the band/strength and then one day you approach and there's a 2nd source on your display you know there's a new radar source there.
I still think the other features are great. The <25mph one for instance will help greatly with falses. After all, it's not like you're going to be speeding if you're doing 25mph or less unless it's a school zone (15mph) and I think most people can keep out of the gas for the kid's sake for 10 seconds or so. I mean how many times have you had it go off multiple times while coasting through shopping centers and parking lots of blow up after you get back to your car and start it up? I like a few of the others like speed display and automatic audio adjustment amongst other things but this video further supports my doubts of that particular feature. I would love to see some more real world tests because that seems to be a pretty gross mistake and I'm not saying the people who made the video are biased and marked the 2nd spot as a false too for purpose to lend doubt to the 9500i but I would like to see more tests from independent sources.
Good find!
__________________
A right, not a privilege - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
=-----> DO NOT SHIP W/DAS (DEPENDABLE AUTO SHIPPERS)!! <----=
I also have the Passport 9500i .... i bought it for my k1200s bmer...and now I'm using it my tundra...Im telling you guys ...this thing really works , has saved my @$$ several times..worth every penny....cant believe how far this thing works... dont lock out if your that worried...i have locked out several false signals that are on my way to work...
Very nice photos. valentine is the only way to go. Don't get a $105 Cobra like I did and get busted 2 months later. It didn't have pop radar but that is what did it for me.
I am using 8500 x50 for almost 2 years and I am happy with it. It works great. It also picks the police when you are behind them, since they usually switch both guns on, upfront and behind the rear glass.
Sometimes 8500 is annoying, when you pass a bank or gas station with automatic doors, but they all do that. Except for the new 9500. I was waiting for some to review it before I pull the trigger.
I think that the video on ytube is truthful, but they cross-fired the gun on the opposite side of automatic doors at gas station, that is why that happened. I do not know if police will be searching for those spots, since there are plenty of people driving without radar on the road, who like to get tickets.
So to me that video is staged somewhat to bash the Escort and make V1 look good again. I actually like both V1 and Escort 8500, it was difficult to choose among them, they both do the job well, so anyone of them is good,
But if money is not an object go for Escort 9500I or my dream system PASSPORT 9500ci with laser shifting (custom install)
Anyway here is a pic of my 8500 mounted under the mirror (the map lights are funny because I swapped one of them with LED)
__________________
2007 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited 5.7L 2WD, Timberland
Whatever ya'll do, never poo-poo the X & K bands as being obsolete. After several trips through TN, KY, WV & rural LA in the past 2 years, I have run into several of each band being used by the local, county (parish) & state polizi.
My last trip through Louseyanna was back in October, and Sun was using one of each on either end of town. Sun is a well known speed trap & most of their money must come from speeding tickets the way they work it like a 2 dollar hooker.
Just upgraded from the 8500 to the 9500ix..what an unbelievable detector! You can customize it like no other detector. Sure its expensive but when you read the reviews online you will spend the xtra $.
Best way to hard wire is to use an invisicord...google it and you'll find it.
automute works great, or a quick tap on the mute button. if its hard wired you gotta reach somewhere, invisicord is a 2 minute install
If you don't need the mute button/smart cord you can do the exact same thing for free in 2min. All you need is a phone card, wire cutters and two scotch locks, vamps or whatever you prefer to tap into wires. I see no prices for this invisicord either. I assume it's not free.
__________________
A right, not a privilege - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
=-----> DO NOT SHIP W/DAS (DEPENDABLE AUTO SHIPPERS)!! <----=
Re: Radar Detector
.
2000 Toyota Tundra SR5 Access Cab 4x4 Black
Except for the new 9500. I was waiting for some to review it before I pull the trigger.
Linear Mode
