Radar detectors?

[Kirk]

Quite a debate, again I'm on the V1 side, but only because it works great for ME. I think both units have their merits. What's important to you probably depends a lot on how you use the radar detector.

I live in a more rural area. I don't care about speed cameras as there are none in my state. Even still, if the speed camera has radar on all the time, then the V1 will pick it up 2 miles away! The closest city to me only has three red light cameras and I know where each one is, so again not a concern. I also really don't have any issues with false alarms as they seldom occur.

So for me there is little benefit to the extra technology that the Passport has. I prefer to have the directional arrows so I know where the cop is when I do actually pick one up on the highway. Now if I lived in a big city with lots of red light cameras and lots of places with false alarms, then I might really want the GPS function of the Passport instead.

So... to each their own, both detectors have their merits and their uses. Obviously you have to pick which one suits you and your situation the best.

Kirk

[JackG]

Randall, in response to your three points:

1. Your reaction to the arrows is precisely what earned my friend a couple of tickets with his V1. He thought the arrows were showing him things they weren't, or can't. Results: busted, and he doesn't use it anymore.

2. This is wrong... the Passport can be upgraded, and without sending it back. Uses a USB cable, and both the location database and the detector software (it's a software, DSP-based unit) can be upgraded.

3. The Passport has an "Expert" mode which allows you to track and display multiple bogeys across multiple bands.

Hey, I think the V1 is a good unit, you're just propagating bad info.

[jaykay]

has anyone used the bel sti-r?

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by jaykay

has anyone used the bel sti-r?

Haven't used that one, but I understand that's the way to go if you're state or province outlaws detectors. It's supposedly undetectable by radar detector detectors (and great at detecting radar period).

[RandallNeighbour]

Jeph, you make a great point.

If Escort could wiggle around the arrow display and directional patents that Valentine holds and fiercely defends, AND I did not own a perfectly good detector with arrows, I'd seriously consider an Escort product. That would make for an apples-to-apples comparison.

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by JackG

Randall, in response to your three points:

1. Your reaction to the arrows is precisely what earned my friend a couple of tickets with his V1. He thought the arrows were showing him things they weren't, or can't. Results: busted, and he doesn't use it anymore.

2. This is wrong... the Passport can be upgraded, and without sending it back. Uses a USB cable, and both the location database and the detector software (it's a software, DSP-based unit) can be upgraded.

3. The Passport has an "Expert" mode which allows you to track and display multiple bogeys across multiple bands.

Hey, I think the V1 is a good unit, you're just propagating bad info.

All good stuff there!

And Randall, I love you brother, but this part made me laugh...
"Jeph, you said that when your passport goes off, you slow down regardless of the source. I do not do this. I look at the arrows and then decide if it's a threat."
The beauty of the Passport is... it doesn't go off unless there is a threat! I guess if the detector doesn't block false alarms, it NEEDS the arrows (ha, crutch).

I'll say this though, if a detector could do everything as good as the Passport AND have arrows like a V1, there would be no debate here. (As long as it doesn't look like a V1.)