Radar Detectors

[Perfectlap]

Valentine 1. It's really amazing how it let's you know the instant you've passed Smokey and he's behind you.
Must buy a lot 959's.

My V1 is a must have for small town roads that always seem to send an "escort" to follow me in case I'm longing for some revenue donations.
On the highway I keep at the speed limit and avoid the tail gate.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by NewArt

+1 for Waze. It's free, it's legal, and it's quite effective. Long live crowd sourcing!

I've never understood it, how does it work?

Does it give audio cues or are you just supposed to check your phone before taking a drive and hope that the cops don't move around too much?

[peterbrown77]

I've had my Valentine One for 21 years! Never had a ticket. I have to say, though, that Waze is making it obsolete. Just as long as there is enough traffic to generate reliable reports, you're golden. If it's early in the a.m. or late at night though, neither one is reliable. Laser will kill you if you're the only car in sight..... and lack of data on Waze is the same result.

[particlewave]

Another vote for Waze!
I use it all the time. Not only does it let you know about police, but also red light cameras, construction, slow moving traffic (traffic jams), stopped cars, etc.

Jake: you use it like any GPS (it is a GPS). A quick glance will let you know what's happening in the general vicinity via small icons. Click on the icons for more details, though that's not usually necessary.

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Another vote for Waze!
I use it all the time. Not only does it let you know about police, but also red light cameras, construction, slow moving traffic (traffic jams), stopped cars, etc.

Jake: you use it like any GPS (it is a GPS). A quick glance will let you know what's happening in the general vicinity via small icons. Click on the icons for more details, though that's not usually necessary.

So basically I can just use it instead of Google maps. And once the route is set up it can be fully hands free. Can you set up audio cues? I have a lightening cord ran right into the rear input of my Becker that plays the phones audio, however due to the positioning and having no mount I can not easily see the screen of the phone while driving.

Regardless I think I will check out the app soon.

[pony13ca]

[QUOTE=particlewave;461619]Another vote for Waze!
I use it all the time. Not only does it let you know about police, but also red light cameras, construction, slow moving traffic (traffic jams), stopped cars, etc.

Yet another vote for Waze! I have a Nexus 7 installed in the dash. Always have Waze running. It's a life saver driving around Toronto!!

[cas951]

I also use Waze more than I use my radar detector. What makes Waze effective are the individual users who reports road conditions, traffic, police locations etc. it warns you if police or other road information are in a certain location and when it was last reported. If you're in that reported area you're able to confirm or update the information so other Waze users have the latest information. When you first turn on Waze it informs you hw many users are in the area. When I'm on long trips I'll use my radar detector and only use Waze when I feel like doing some spirited driving.

Downfall of Waze is it uses your data plan on your phone.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by cas951

Downfall of Waze is it uses your data plan on your phone.

That, and the fact you can never depend it is 100% accurate all the time. When a good radar detector goes off, it is for a valid and current reason, even if it is just a door opener.

[particlewave]

And neither are radar detectors. Waze has been more accurate than any radar detector I've ever used and it will tell you about problems hundreds of miles away if you want, rather than only a few hundred feet. Radar detectors also won't give you traffic reports.

Then again, I'm not one of those types that always drives 5 or 10 over.
I'm more interested in traffic conditions than police, since I'm not constantly breaking the law.

[peterbrown77]

I don't know about the rest of you, but my Valentine One has been going nuts the past couple of years. I couldn't figure it out - steady alerts for miles and miles, usually pointing behind me until it would just stop. I finally deduced the culprit - Audis. A6s, 7s, and Q7s seem to be the worst offenders. Their blind-spot detection system sets off the V1, but only when they're in front of you. As soon as you get even with them, it goes silent again.

I've read the BMWs and Mercs do the same, but haven't personally experienced it.

Another V1 anomaly is that Chevy Trailblazers' and GMC Envoy's high-mounted stop lights set off the Valentine's laser alarm if you're close enough.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by peterbrown77

I don't know about the rest of you, but my Valentine One has been going nuts the past couple of years. I couldn't figure it out - steady alerts for miles and miles, usually pointing behind me until it would just stop. I finally deduced the culprit - Audis. A6s, 7s, and Q7s seem to be the worst offenders. Their blind-spot detection system sets off the V1, but only when they're in front of you. As soon as you get even with them, it goes silent again.

I've read the BMWs and Mercs do the same, but haven't personally experienced it.

Another V1 anomaly is that Chevy Trailblazers' and GMC Envoy's high-mounted stop lights set off the Valentine's laser alarm if you're close enough.

You are seeing the impact mentioned earlier, namely the combination of false signals from cruise control systems and lane departure warning systems which drive nearly all radar detectors nuts. Fortunately, Valentine Research came out with a firmware update that all but eliminates these false alerts once it is installed.

GM's high mounted brake lights, particularly the ones with LED's, emit light wave lengths that are very similar to the police lasers, which can trigger the laser warning system.

[Van914]

On your Valentine 1, To stop the false reports you can send it in for the updates. I just sent mine in.

[Fintro11]

the nice thing about escort is they send you firmware updates so you don't have to send anything in. I downloaded waze but around here I doubt a lot of people use it, over in Vancouver it is more popular. With my 9500i I have no problems with blind spot sensors or cruise control, I have picked up laser traps before they could get me ( bounced off other cars first ) My friend is head of the highway traffic enforcement and he always gives me a hard time about radar detectors. I tell him there is only one problem with my radar detector every time I pass a starbucks or tim hortons it goes off like crazy haha

[Perfectlap]

Valentine 1 needs to add wifi direct so you can do the updates in the car connected to the phone or at home.
And some manner or collaboration or accommodation for these apps that display real time information would greatly improve the chances of the V1 staying in cars. The apps will never feature lazer detection without adding hardware to the phone. And the arrows... those who know can't live without it.

One downside to Waze...if you cause an accident and were traveling well above the speed limit, Waze have evidence of your whole guilty file on their servers...which can be "served" a subpoena for the prosecutor or an insurance company's lawyer to get out of paying a claim or proving a claim against you.