Valentine One

[Thai]

Hey all,

I am seriously considering buying Valentine 1 radar detector. I had one some 10 yrs ago and i loved it. But then i got family, minivans, etc, and i gave it away to brother. 2 yrs ago, i got Passport 8500x on sale. It’s OK, but damn i miss the rear radar and those darn arrows!!

And yes, i do see usefulness in radar detector...pretty much every police (from Colorado to Kansas to Oklahoma to Texas) still use Ka bands. Rarely, (maybe 2-3x over past 2 years) have i seen LASER.

Before anyone recommends something else, i just want to say that i have zero interest in other brands. I need arrows!!! Yes, Escort came out with one with arrows but (according to Youtube video), the arrows are slow to react...and Escort is more expensive than V1. V1 is already kinda too expensive for what you get.

I am not really into radar detector...so, are there any rumors that V1 will make major changes in the near future or come out with new things?

I am still debating on whether to get SAVVY with V1 or not...any comment on it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[RedSled]

I have been using the same V-1 for years, in all kinds of different vehicles, i sent mine in last year for an upgrade, any time they have something new come out you can just send it in,and for a fee they will add it to your unit. I also like the arrows, and knowing from what direction it is coming from.

 

[lucky7]

Lol, I haven't heard that name in years. I don't know anyone that uses a radar-detector these days. I used to have a Passport, but I found it mostly useless. No, let me rephrase that - completely useless. Just keep your eyes open.

 

[Thai]

Lol, I haven't heard that name in years. I don't know anyone that uses a radar-detector these days. I used to have a Passport, but I found it mostly useless. No, let me rephrase that - completely useless. Just keep your eyes open.

While true for most part, my Passport has saved me a few times in the past year.

 

[sravan]

I have been using the same V-1 for years, in all kinds of different vehicles, i sent mine in last year for an upgrade, any time they have something new come out you can just send it in,and for a fee they will add it to your unit. I also like the arrows, and knowing from what direction it is coming from.

Do you know how much they charged you for upgrade?i bought mine in 2015 Aug when i have BMW 335,but not using much after i bought 4runner in 2016.

Thanks
Sravan.

 

[sravan]

Hey all,

I am seriously considering buying Valentine 1 radar detector. I had one some 10 yrs ago and i loved it. But then i got family, minivans, etc, and i gave it away to brother. 2 yrs ago, i got Passport 8500x on sale. It’s OK, but damn i miss the rear radar and those darn arrows!!

And yes, i do see usefulness in radar detector...pretty much every police (from Colorado to Kansas to Oklahoma to Texas) still use Ka bands. Rarely, (maybe 2-3x over past 2 years) have i seen LASER.

Before anyone recommends something else, i just want to say that i have zero interest in other brands. I need arrows!!! Yes, Escort came out with one with arrows but (according to Youtube video), the arrows are slow to react...and Escort is more expensive than V1. V1 is already kinda too expensive for what you get.

I am not really into radar detector...so, are there any rumors that V1 will make major changes in the near future or come out with new things?

I am still debating on whether to get SAVVY with V1 or not...any comment on it?

Thanks in advance.

I am selling my Valentine one bought in mid 2015,also bought 1LE connection for IOS devices.Not using much with 4runner.

Thanks
Sravan.

 

[Thai]

I am selling my Valentine one bought in mid 2015,also bought 1LE connection for IOS devices.Not using much with 4runner.

Thanks
Sravan.

I will PM you. Thanks.

 

[ToyoT4R]

The arrows are nice to have but if you use the radar detector enough you know from which direction the radar is hitting you. I use an Escort Redline which has one of the best ranges of any unit on the market. It has saved me countless times but I still have gotten pulled over, caught by laser. If they are using laser you're pretty much screwed unless you get a laser shifter.

 

[RedSled]

The arrows are nice to have but if you use the radar detector enough you know from which direction the radar is hitting you. I use an Escort Redline which has one of the best ranges of any unit on the market. It has saved me countless times but I still have gotten pulled over, caught by laser. If they are using laser you're pretty much screwed unless you get a laser shifter.

As with mine, the point is it has saved you countless times, i am no speed demon by any means, but i do cruise at 75-80 sometimes

 

[Thai]

And one of the reason why i want V1 is that i believe V1 has the best laser detection of any radar. The only problem with V1 is false alarm, but i think that the latest software makes it more tolerable.

 

[RedSled]

All the other detectors are designed after the V1

 

[Thai]

All the other detectors are designed after the V1

Do you have the latest software/hardware version? How’s the false alarms?

 

[RedSled]

Do you have the latest software/hardware version? How’s the false alarms?

Yes, it is much better, but still get some.

 

[Bumbo]

I love my V1... I have owned one for over 10 years and its never really given me any issues.

You can go into the system setup and fine tune things... I turned off X band and kept K and KA.

No need to keep tabs on sliding glass doors... very little to no false alarms. If its making noise, its generally time to slow down.

Bottom line, its paid for itself and was a good purchase.

 

[hikenbike]

Curious.....why are the arrows important? Was thinking of getting one of these but don't get the arrow thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Thai]

Curious.....why are the arrows important? Was thinking of getting one of these but don't get the arrow thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Two reasons.

1. V1 has a REAR radar sensor, which others lack. Only the flagship Escort now has the rear radar I think. Everyone else just has front radar & laser and rear laser (which is utterly useless). The rear radar is what i find useful at times.

2. The arrows tell you where the cop is. At times on the highway, my Passport 8500 would beep...and I have no idea where the cop is. Sometimes it beeps for a long time...is the cop in front of traffic (but can’t see him) going same direction as me and thus i am getting a reflection of its radar signal...OR is the cop behind me coming up from behind. So, often times, i have to constantly focus in front AND rear mirror to find that cop...which is in itself a distraction from driving.

The 3rd reason I find V1 is good is the bogey counter. Is what my radar is picking up...is that one signal or more? I go past a cop...but was that what i am picking up or is there another one down the road (aka speed trap)?

Obviously, if my Ka signal lights up, i slow down...however, having more (accurate) information is always a good thing because it tells you if the threat is near, front or rear, how many, and have you passed it. My Passport can give me some info but i have to guess a lot of time if i have passed it based on signal strength.

V1 just gives more info for you to make an “educated” decision on threats.

 

[Bumbo]

The arrow and bogie counter are literally two of the greatest improvements I have ever seen on a radar detector... along with the rear sensor which basically allows all that to work in the first place.
[MENTION=2]Thai[/MENTION] good response... you are right in saying that the additional information helps a lot.

 

[ajwhitt44]

I use a Max360 in my 4Runner, and my Valentine One in my M3.

Honestly I prefer the Max as it gives me more info, and it's quick to react. It still has trouble filtering out some Acura's with blindspot detection, but Escort continues to work on it. V1 is a solid workhorse but it's not without its faults. I keep mine updated always and it still falses a ton here and there. Nature of the beast.

Honestly, between a radar and Waze you should be pretty set. Doubt you need jammers in the situation you're talking about.

But if you do a lot of highway driving I would ditch the arrows (gasp I have 2 detectors with arrows) and get the Redline as the range is significantly longer from all the tests I've seen.

 

[Thai]

I use a Max360 in my 4Runner, and my Valentine One in my M3.

Honestly I prefer the Max as it gives me more info, and it's quick to react. It still has trouble filtering out some Acura's with blindspot detection, but Escort continues to work on it. V1 is a solid workhorse but it's not without its faults. I keep mine updated always and it still falses a ton here and there. Nature of the beast.

Honestly, between a radar and Waze you should be pretty set. Doubt you need jammers in the situation you're talking about.

But if you do a lot of highway driving I would ditch the arrows (gasp I have 2 detectors with arrows) and get the Redline as the range is significantly longer from all the tests I've seen.

For me, some/many of the “tests” are bogus because they are usually from sites that sell non-V1 products and thus slam V1 for obvious (financial) reasons.

I trust Car & Driver tests...but they don’t do those radar tests anymore.

From what i gather (again, no expert), V1 has some of the best ranges (esp. laser) because it does little processing...as soon as radar picks it up, it goes straight to the arrows. The other brands get fancy and do processing to weed out the false alarms but sacrifice in quickness to alert (thus, effective range).

So, the other radars are better at filtering out false esp if you add in GPS. For me, i prefer the quickness of alert over everything else.

At least from a Youtube video i saw, Max360 arrows are slow to change.

And lets face it...you have your V1 where it is needed the most!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9l5Z8VmZMDM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ajwhitt44]

For me, some/many of the “tests” are bogus because they are usually from sites that sell non-V1 products and thus slam V1 for obvious (financial) reasons.

I trust Car & Driver tests...but they don’t do those radar tests anymore.

From what i gather (again, no expert), V1 has some of the best ranges (esp. laser) because it does little processing...as soon as radar picks it up, it goes straight to the arrows. The other brands get fancy and do processing to weed out the false alarms but sacrifice in quickness to alert (thus, effective range).

So, the other radars are better at filtering out false esp if you add in GPS. For me, i prefer the quickness of alert over everything else.

At least from a Youtube video i saw, Max360 arrows are slow to change.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9l5Z8VmZMDM

Like I said, coming from someone who uses both in real-world conditions every single day, I find no noticeable difference in the signal reaction time for either detector.

I have been using V1 for 15 years+, so maybe I was excited that something offered similar arrow features in a "shiny" new package. But I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite between them.

Bottom line if you want the V1, you should get it!!

Also regarding the videos, make sure you are using the most up-to-date ones if you're basing decisions off of them. Because Escort releases update after update to improve the experience, it's very likely their version in 2015 (when the video was taken) would be far surpassed by their latest update. And same goes for V1, these companies are constantly trying to keep up with the introduction of cars using advanced safety tech.