Valentine one coming in

My Valentine one should be coming in today and just had a few quick questions. I live in Ny and was wondering if I should turn off the x-band cause supposeably it goes off alot and cops over hear mainly uses K, Ka and sometimes laser. Also I wanted to know the level of difficulty with hardwiring this bad boy in? i am not to fond of electricity ! Thanks guys

Good choice. No input on disabling any bands, as I prefer to know about everything. Since I purchased my V1 back in the late 90s, zero tickets. I recently updated it, and find it almost impossible to drive without it.

 

Hardwiring is easy. There's a walkthru or 2 on this site - just search for them.

Alright so once it arrived, went out hooked it up and took the leggy for a spin. I originally wanted to mount it by the upper left part of the windshield but it was just easier to keep it under the rearview which turned out i like better. I tried it on all 3 modes at one point picked up 5 bogeys and a laser. Most of the stuff was on K and X, most of it wasn't a threat and once I changed to the big L mode it quieted down. I think this was a really good investment and I really like the V1, would recommend it to anyone.

My Escort 9500ix is mounted top right of the rear view mirror (just under the windowshield stock tint) and it's saved me countless times. I had a 8500 X50 before this one and I had full trust with it. Never a speeding ticket. almost.

 

I was on Route 6 in between Golden,CO and the I-70 merge (with the biker bar) driving through a narrow steep canyon. I was going around a very sharp and very blind corner at 60mph (Speed limit is 45) and my 8500 just went full blast and I even made eye contact with the cop as I came around. Nailed me dead on, no warning. I guess they can't detect around sharp corners...

You need a V1, dweins87. I know that road & corner, but haven't had any radar/laser incidents there.

My Escort 9500ix is mounted top right of the rear view mirror (just under the windowshield stock tint) and it's saved me countless times. I had a 8500 X50 before this one and I had full trust with it. Never a speeding ticket. almost.

 

I was on Route 6 in between Golden,CO and the I-70 merge (with the biker bar) driving through a narrow steep canyon. I was going around a very sharp and very blind corner at 60mph (Speed limit is 45) and my 8500 just went full blast and I even made eye contact with the cop as I came around. Nailed me dead on, no warning. I guess they can't detect around sharp corners...

 

From what I know, the radar detector typically relies on either a direct signal, or signals that have bounced off other cars around you. If you are entering a sharp corner and you have cars in front of you, you may possibly detect the signal before you get busted. If you're lucky.

 

I read an article yesterday that said cops across the nation are setting up a lot of traffic cams everywhere, so watch out for those. They nab your license plate and you won't have much time to slow down... #@$%#%^&$%^ hate cops.

 

Alright so once it arrived, went out hooked it up and took the leggy for a spin. I originally wanted to mount it by the upper left part of the windshield but it was just easier to keep it under the rearview which turned out i like better. I tried it on all 3 modes at one point picked up 5 bogeys and a laser. Most of the stuff was on K and X, most of it wasn't a threat and once I changed to the big L mode it quieted down. I think this was a really good investment and I really like the V1, would recommend it to anyone.

 

LOL you do realize that you "really like it" and "would recommend it to anyone" after having the V1 for just one day, catching a bunch of false signals and no cops, and making it go quiet.

 

Give it some time. I've had my radar detector for 4 months and I'm still not sure whether I like it or would recommend it. Only after a few trials by fire will you really know if the radar detector is gonna watch your back or not.

 

As for hardwiring it, it's not hard at all. Make sure you have a multimeter and tap the right wire. Personally I tapped into the maplight assembly above the rearview.

Yea your right, i've been trying to get it up on the highway to see what happens. But I would still recommend it because it can sense out cops alot farther then I can although there are some false alarms. But yes I see what your getting at and point well taken. I'll keep that maplight in mind for when I hardwire.

My Escort 9500ix is mounted top right of the rear view mirror (just under the windowshield stock tint) and it's saved me countless times. I had a 8500 X50 before this one and I had full trust with it. Never a speeding ticket. almost.

 

I was on Route 6 in between Golden,CO and the I-70 merge (with the biker bar) driving through a narrow steep canyon. I was going around a very sharp and very blind corner at 60mph (Speed limit is 45) and my 8500 just went full blast and I even made eye contact with the cop as I came around. Nailed me dead on, no warning. I guess they can't detect around sharp corners...

 

I love my 9500ix especially with the new speed trap downloads.

My Escort 9500ix is mounted top right of the rear view mirror (just under the windowshield stock tint) and it's saved me countless times. I had a 8500 X50 before this one and I had full trust with it. Never a speeding ticket. almost.

 

I was on Route 6 in between Golden,CO and the I-70 merge (with the biker bar) driving through a narrow steep canyon. I was going around a very sharp and very blind corner at 60mph (Speed limit is 45) and my 8500 just went full blast and I even made eye contact with the cop as I came around. Nailed me dead on, no warning. I guess they can't detect around sharp corners...

 

RADAR is a line-of-sight device. Like DarkOblivion000 said above, without direct line-of-sight, you're dependent on ambient reflections. Without such, you're simply without luck.

 

Also, some bands are physically "narrower" than others, and can thus cause this kind of scenario.

 

Finally, the blast you encountered could also have been "instant-on."

 

Remember, these devices are simple tools with their own technical limitations - YOU, as the user, need to know what the tools' limitations are and what the potential threat-scenario that you face may suggest, in terms of the effectiveness of your countermeasures.

 

You can't just plug these things in and expect to be invisible or invincible.

 

They're just tools.

 

YOU still have to use them properly.

 

 

 

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vduber - With the V1, it's "reason for being" is that it's a "weapon of war." It's designed to pick up EVERY signal out there, and in doing so, let you, the end-user, be the final filter.

 

Be careful of getting overly aggressive with the filtering - cycling through its typical modes should do well for you as a beginning user.

 

Get use to the detector, first. Let it scope out *ALL* of the signals along your typical driving routes, memorize how many, what bands, and where.

 

This "getting to know you" period can take weeks, even months.

 

Don't go after the more advanced, more aggressive false-suppression programming until you *absolutely* know what it is that you're doing.

 

Also, you can tie-in the V1 with devices such as the SpeedCheetah GPS-Mirror or C100 stand-alone, which, when combined with the auxiliary Detector Interface, will not only allow this combo to warn you of fixed enforcement-cameras, using the Trinity database (Escort/Bel's "Defender Database," is licensed through Trinity - but with the purchase of any Cheetah product, LIFETIME subscription to Trinity database updates is included, free), but will also enable you to suppress audible alerts from the V1 when under a set GPS-based speed, while still allowing full visual threat representation.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPGRh8j3yaA]YouTube - Radar Detector Interface for GPSmirror[/ame]

 

No, I don't work for Cheetah. No, I don't sell detectors or the like.

 

I'm just a hobbyist of this area, and I *really* like Cheetah's products and their amazing customer-service!

Wow I had no idea these things existed...

As expected, Tsi+ WRX just has to poke his head in and provide the most informative post. I think you have a problem... you're a habitual forum post topper.

 

For the sake of money, I recently upgraded my radar to a Whistler XTR-695. Also it so happens that i hardwired my Whistler power cord into my car, and don't feel like replacing it with a different hardwire.

 

Whistler isn't as a top notch brand as Escort or Beltronics, but it's only one step below... and much much cheaper (I think $200 compared to $400). Many reviews have been actually pretty favorable.

 

Maybe when I get more baller I will get a Valentine 1. But I find that as I get older, I am more able to control my need for speed.

 

I think I am maturing :spin:

Thanks TSI + WRX appreciate the feedback and yeah I figured it wasn't the smartest thing to just leave it on the advanced logic mode so now I just keep it on all and just use my head. It picked up a laser on the lie yesterday but finally this one was real so I was happy.

thanks again

- Naw, guys, I'm just a hobbyist in the field, that's all....so I try to bring what little I know, from there, to here, to help my fellow LGT brothers and sisters.

 

DarkOblivion, don't be ashamed of your Whistler. They're a very respected brand in the industry and hobby, and you *will* get plenty of good real-world protection from it.

Is anyone using an in-car jammer? I've no experience with one, but an old supra pal swore by his.

 

Love the cheetah stuff, tsi+wrx - very cool stuff.

Aren't jammers illegal?

 

Detectors are only legal because they don't interfere with the operation of the radars.

Sorry to be late to this post, johnAWD and DarkOblivion.

 

Indeed, RADAR jammers are big-time illegal here in the States. Violation of FCC laws. Federal Pound Me In the Ass Jail.

 

There are/were "commercial" ones that worked, but its use would've been obvious to the enforcer, if the enforcer was using more modern equipment. It's a big risk, and I would not advise anyone to do it. I tread on some pretty gray areas, myself, but this is something that I have avoided, due to the potential legal fallout.

 

In terms of active LIDAR jammers, yes, there are ones that work, and work *VERY* well. In terms of legality, they are regulated, federally, by the FDA, and thus do not carry any federal penalties - however, in some states, they are expressly banned...and even where they are not, it could definitely still be considered as something that's hindering the enforcer from doing his duty, and thus illegal.

 

However, given that curren police LIDAR devices do *NOT* have a reliable way of determining if there is a jammer in use (both false-positives and false-negatives are many to be had, and the potential legal liability that actual enforcement, based on such, might bring to the enforcer as well as department thus makes the use of these "jam detection" algorithms all but totally impossible, and way too impractical, in the real-world; also, only a few select devices even have this capability), and that modern jammers are very, very good at avoiding triggering any such "jam codes," if you used such jammers properly ("tactical disengagement" - getting to-PSL/reasonable, then disengaging the jammer), you should never have any troubles, based solely on this concern.

 

What works?

 

Here's a current thread on NASIOC on this very topic - start on page 4, post #79, my first post in that thread. Basically, everything you'll find in those 9 consecutive posts are, as of today, up-to-date and current.

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1405323

 

 

Active radar jammers are illegal, but not passive ones. Unfortunately, I can't get my co-worker to talk about it. He's an electrical engineer, but specializes in Electronic Counter Measures and also Electronic Counter-counter Measures.

 

I asked him once about an article I read about the military satellites developing a way to destroy land based laser tracking using mirrors and how that might be used to destroy a Lidar gun. All I got was a "NO COMMENT!"

 

After about a year of owning the V1, I have X and K band turned off. Local LE here only use Ka and now Lidar. K band is used for the automatic doors at the local stores so I don't really care to know all the locations of the doors. V1's also have likes to pick up the laser on Infinity cars.

Active radar jammers are illegal, but not passive ones. Unfortunately, I can't get my co-worker to talk about it. He's an electrical engineer, but specializes in Electronic Counter Measures and also Electronic Counter-counter Measures.

 

I asked him once about an article I read about the military satellites developing a way to destroy land based laser tracking using mirrors and how that might be used to destroy a Lidar gun. All I got was a "NO COMMENT!"

 

^ Too cool!

 

There's definitely private/custom stuff out there, but it's definitely not something that *anyone* would want to publicize. Your friend is smart and sane.

 

Unfortunately, the current crop of mass-marketed, commercially available, passive RADAR countermeasures are, sadly, a total load of crap. Thankfully, this doesn't extend to the passive LIDAR countermeasures available in the same mass-market/consumer-retail manner, which have proven fruitful.

 

V1's also have likes to pick up the laser on Infinity cars.

Unfortunately, this is part-and-parcel of being more sensitive. There is a trade-off, and this is one of them.

 

While the Escort in-vehicle detectors *typically* will not false from various vehicle's lighting, of the last few iterations of the physical hardware, they've been getting more sensitive, and this is known to happen (as for their exterior-mounted ZR3/4, yes, this has been known to happen - and is very similar to the V1's concern).