Good Morning from the Sunshine State

**HuckingFarley** · 03-21-2011, 09:29 AM

I have never used a radar detector and know little about them. I am interested in getting one for my wife and myself. I have been told by several people that the Valentine1 and Passport are very good. May I get a consensus of opinion as to which is best or is there another that is better?
Thank you all for your help.

**speeddemon** · 03-21-2011, 09:47 AM

Welcome fellow Floridian,
V1 has Great range, Great QT response, Arrows & Bogey counter
Redline has great range & TSR

**switch626** · 03-21-2011, 10:02 AM

Welcome to the forum, from SE Florida. Which detector is the best one for you largely depends on how and where you drive. For highway driving I would highly recommend the Valentine1 or the Escort Redline. The V1 is a little less expensive, and has excellent range and ractivity. It also has arrows and a bogey counter that will help you to identify the source of the alert. The Redline on the other hand, has a tiny bit better range, is better at off axis detection with some radar guns, and cannot be detected by radar detector detectors.

Both of these units are highly sensitive, and will false a lot in an environment that has many radar souces like automatic door openers and such. Out on the open road, these units are both great protection when used properly. Still, most of Florida is pretty flat and RDs are perfectly legal, so I would recommend that you save a few bucks and go with the V1.

If falsing is likely to be a big annoyance to you and you do mostly city driving, some of the other Escort models will probably make you happier. I can't comment on those though, I am not well versed in them.

If you do a lot of speeding, you should also consider a laser jammer. Most of the local police departments are now also using lidar (laser) to clock motorists. FHP has also been using laser frequently in some areas. Even the best RD will not give you advance warning with laser, so if you have a lead foot, jammers should be considered mandatory equipment. They are however expensive compared to most radar detectors.

Finally, as someone new to radar detetctors, you should make it a point to read up on how to use them to your best advantage. There is a wealth of information in this forum on law enforcement tactics and strategies that you can use to limit your risk of a ticket. There is also a section where members post accounts or often video of real life encounters.

I wish this forum had existed 25 years ago, it would have saved me a fortune in speeding tickets.

Welcome

**Weeth** · 03-21-2011, 10:15 AM

Welcome to the forum from Texas!

The Passport and V1 are both capable detectors, It just depends where you drive. The passport 9500ix is better for the city and the v1 excels on the highway.

Both RD's have a 30 day return policy, so if you're still not sure, you can test drive both to compare. Just make sure they're not on at the same time.

That's what I did and I wound up liking both.

**gwinneco** · 03-21-2011, 12:41 PM

Welcome HuckingFarley! Like the name. It depends, since you live in Florida. Valentine One will suit you well if you are road warrior (HWY). Your wife my not get used to it in the city because its a little chatty (sometimes too much chatty). As a matter of fact I already know your wife wont like it. The 9500ix is great for filtering in the city because it has GPS. Now both detectors are windshield mounts and the recommendations were made based on Radar detection. 1. Valentine one (chatty but good) 2. Redline (chatty but good) 3. 9500ix (quiet for wifey )

The proverbial RADAR detector can detect Laser but its no good because it gets your speed instant.
Laser is another beast. Your going to need some jammers. Blinder and/or Laser Interceptor are the only viable choice. It might seem too much to take in all at once but you'll learn a lot from here.