Radar Detectors

[ACD]

I've got the 8500 X50 and it's alerted me extremely well to every type of signal out there. I'm often driving from Providence to NYC and the CT. cops are really sneaky. Not as bad as the NY state cops I encounter when driving on 90 to Rochester, but I've had more the enough time to slow down.

I didn't get the V1 because if the alarm goes off, I'm slowing down. Less concerned about where the signal is from, though I appreciate the arrows. I also think it's ugly and bulky and overvalued.

A note on laser. Laser devices can only be used when mounted to a stationary vehicle. The cop needs to focus the beam within a relatively small area on your car to get an accurate readout. Even then it's relatively flawed especially in bad weather. A black car with a raked front end and no license plate (like a Boxster) is pretty well cloaked. Add the headlight film and you're invinceable. Moving laser is simply to scare people. I think you could win a court fight pretty easily. That said, I've been hit with laser three times now and never pulled over. My X50 sends me out of the seat with its warning, but from what I've read it should have been all over for me at that point.

I'm interested in a laser jammer and the veil headlight technology.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by ACD

I didn't get the V1 because if the alarm goes off, I'm slowing down. .

???

isn't that the whole point.

I think you mean that you rather take a chance with fewer warnings. My friend got an Escort (the wireless one) I've driven with her many times and she's an excellent driver who is constantly aware of her surroundings.
well last week she told me she got nailed on the Garden State Parkway on her way back to New York. She said the warning never came and that she was doing 15-20 miles over the limit.
There's something to be said to be said for the V1's sensitivity. If you decide to pass up the sensitivity beware, the convenience could cost you dearly when that insurace hike comes in the mail.

[JackG]

I have an 8500, and a friend has a V1. Coming back from lunch one day, each in our own cars and travelling next to each other on a 4 lane raod, I got a weak instant-on Ka warning. We were (predictably) at 10+ over the limit, so I scrubbed off the extra speed. He, with the V1, shot ahead and didn't hit his brakes for another few seconds, then he did the same on another burst of Ka.

Arriving back at work, we talked about why I had slowed up so early compared to him. Short answer... same road, car position, radar signal, my Escort had better sensitivity than his V1, and alerted me earlier. Put them both in a different situation, and it could be the opposite.

Some test have shown the 8500 to be the better detector, and others show the V1 to be better. Drivers have gotten tickets with both. I firmly beleive that, no matter which you choose, you can't drive any faster than you're willing to get a ticket. If you do, you're rolling the dice, and you *can* come up a loser.

Jack

Oh, and the Solo wireless is not as good as the 8500 or the V1, so it doesn't surprise me that Perfect's friend got a ticket with it.

[Perfectlap]

my understanding was that the wireless solo and the 8500 are the same circuitry with regards to the K's and Lazer, the difference being the added POP.

and also I agree both will be different in the accuracy dept of their warnings in different situations but my point was more geared to the greater filtering of warnings by the Escort, accurate or not.
In this department of filtering warnings, the two are very different from each other.

p.s.
an to my understanding the V1 seems to be the best at spotting lazer from a trailing vehicle. I believe in the last big test it was the only unit that did in fact detect laser from a moving vehicle.

[JackG]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

my understanding was that the wireless solo and the 8500 are the same circuitry with regards to the K's and Lazer, the difference being the added POP.

and also I agree both will be different in the accuracy dept of their warnings in different situations but my point was more geared to the greater filtering of warnings by the Escort, accurate or not.
In this department of filtering warnings, the two are very different from each other.

p.s.
an to my understanding the V1 seems to be the best at spotting lazer from a trailing vehicle. I believe in the last big test it was the only unit that did in fact detect laser from a moving vehicle.

Case shape and material, antenna shape, and all kinds of weird things such as mounting bracket location can play a role in performace. If the Solo and 8500 are indeed similar internally, they can still perform differently in the real world due to the above factors, as well as the added POP circuitry.

In any case, the "filtering" of the 8500 seems to not give me a problem. Even with it's filtering out of falses (and maybe some real signals?), it still, in my real world experiance and some tests, beat the V1 by a significant margin in the Ka band.

Since that's the band used in my area, not laser, the 8500 is the unit for me to have. The V1 simply lags by seconds and hundreds of feet. That's not what I want protecting me.

Of course, if there is laser being used from moving cars from the rear in your area, go for the V1. Even when it fails, you can get that tossed, because that use of laser should not stand up in court. Fortunately, it's a non-issue for me.

Jack

[porscheguy05]

The solo and 8500 are definetely not the same, and escort will tell you the same. They do not have near the same reception range. There have also been several independent test conducted that show the same. Checkout this website:
http://www.radarbusters.com/support/product-tests/4.asp

Originally Posted by JackG

Case shape and material, antenna shape, and all kinds of weird things such as mounting bracket location can play a role in performace. If the Solo and 8500 are indeed similar internally, they can still perform differently in the real world due to the above factors, as well as the added POP circuitry.

In any case, the "filtering" of the 8500 seems to not give me a problem. Even with it's filtering out of falses (and maybe some real signals?), it still, in my real world experiance and some tests, beat the V1 by a significant margin in the Ka band.

Since that's the band used in my area, not laser, the 8500 is the unit for me to have. The V1 simply lags by seconds and hundreds of feet. That's not what I want protecting me.

Of course, if there is laser being used from moving cars from the rear in your area, go for the V1. Even when it fails, you can get that tossed, because that use of laser should not stand up in court. Fortunately, it's a non-issue for me.

Jack

[Lux]

I bought the Escort Solo2 about a month ago. It works great, even mounted low on the dash. I do, however, leave it on the "highway" setting all the time (max sensitivity). I know that mounting it high is key but I don't like my view obstructed.

Sensitivity is great on city streets/highway/flat land. It'll go off with plenty of time to slow down (about a 1/2 mile). Where the Solo2 lacks in detection is on twisty mountain roads. When it goes off, you're usually heading into the corner and the cop is on the other side. Sometimes it's a little better but not by much.

I'm debating going to the 8500, although according to the website listed above neither 8500 nor V1 are significantly more sensitive in K and Ka (don't care about X).


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