About Radar Detectors, help. . .

[HBKHBK]

Hello everyone,
I am new here and have some main questions,you all might know well and have answered or argued about it...but I hope you guys can clear me up.

I am about to buy a Radar Detector,

Here are my questions:

what is the main Difference between V1 and Passport 8500 ?

as far range goes, I am I asking too much if I want my radar detector that lets me know,when I doing 100mph on the highway,to alarm me,there is a Radar or Laser pointing towards me 2 - 4 miles before the the cop aka radar laser see's me???
I read here,how some of you experience how the alarm sounds of your detector to warn you,but you also see the cop at the same time,so its not like saving your butt at all??? is that true? if yes,what is the point?

I want a radar detector that lets me know,way way ahead of time there is a thread,so I do not have to rush and slow down instantly U know...
I am confuse with that...

All I want is,to be alarted miles away there is a radar, laser pointing at me...I know there is also many types of radars and what not.How do you gusy determine,the radar that was used,was that kind and your detector couldn't read it fast enough???

I thought regardless of what type of radar or laser used...shouldn't it ALWAYS warn you miles and miles away before you even get to see the cop with your own eyes????

Final question... what should I get?????

I am more worried about express ways and highways,since thats where I mostly drive fast.

And the switch turning it into city or highway mode, what is the difference? what would happen if i had my mode on city,and i am driving on the highway or the opposite? whats the best to do? i dislike the idea to keep switching modes instead of leaving one mode on and be protected and warned all the time.

Thank you and hope some of you can asnwer me or give some advice or examples or so....
thanks

[Arashi666]

Either one will work fine and save you.............NEITHER one will give you miles and miles of warning under normal circumstances (On RADAR), most Ive gotten on X50 on Ka is about 1.5 miles............ NEITHER will alert to laser unles he shooting YOU and generally without a Jammer its too late.............at 100+ MPH, it doesnt help too much, since thats a bit fast for a RD to effectively and reliably save you

[AirMoore]

what is the main Difference between V1 and Passport 8500 ?

Well assuming you mean the 8500 X50 (the 8500 original isnt made anymore)... the differences are pretty much wild, they do have one thing they both share... being part of the best 3/4 radar detectors in the world. If you want you can search for the differences, all asking about them on here will do is cause a fight among members, which is worthless because all your questions can be awnsered much more quickly via a search. (Normally I am not a person who directs an early poster to a search... but in this case there are just two many differences/quirks to list...other then both being top-end detectors, they are extremely different).

as far range goes, I am I asking too much if I want my radar detector that lets me know,when I doing 100mph on the highway

Yes, your asking to much... you're asking for a ticket if you routinely do those speeds day-in and day-out.

to alarm me if there is a Radar or Laser pointing towards me 2 - 4 miles before the the cop aka radar laser see's me???

Laser you will not get a 4 mile warning on, and probably never ever get a 2 mile either, radar its possible if the LEO is using constant on down a very deserted and straight stretch of road.(Thats the exception rather then the rule).

I read here,how some of you experience how the alarm sounds of your detector to warn you,but you also see the cop at the same time,so its not like saving your butt at all??? is that true? if yes,what is the point?

You are talking about instant on- the LEO turns his radar on only when he sees you to target you... meaning you have no pre-warning. Using a rabbit is often advised (a car infront of you to get hit before you do). Laser is the same thing, the officer normally just hits you when he sees you, and you are then toast.

I want a radar detector that lets me know,way way ahead of time there is a thread,so I do not have to rush and slow down instantly U know...
I am confuse with that...

You want a cop detector... not a radar detector, LEO's are getting better and better with their targeting tactics... as our radar detectors themselves get better and better at picking up LEO's tricky ways, a radar detector is not a get out of speeding free device, it is a device which detects that there is a radar signal in the X,K,KA frequencies (or) ~904NM laser wavelength... which is often LEO speed monitering equipment.

All I want is,to be alarted miles away there is a radar, laser pointing at me...I know there is also many types of radars and what not.How do you gusy determine,the radar that was used,was that kind and your detector couldn't read it fast enough???

Don't we all want that, because again you want a cop detector, radardetectors are getting better and better and more sensative to the radar bands, however, asking for alerts to be miles and miles away everytime is just not plausible at this point... darn right impossible for laser (at this point)... if a radar detector slows you down in enough time to not get a ticket... it simply has done its job, wether it gave you 2miles before you saw the LEO or .2miles.

I thought regardless of what type of radar or laser used...shouldn't it ALWAYS warn you miles and miles away before you even get to see the cop with your own eyes????

No, especially no.

Final question... what should I get?????

Read: http://www.radardetector.net/LOOKING...%21-15551t.php

I am more worried about express ways and highways,since thats where I mostly drive fast.

And the switch turning it into city or highway mode, what is the difference? what would happen if i had my mode on city,and i am driving on the highway or the opposite? whats the best to do? i dislike the idea to keep switching modes instead of leaving one mode on and be protected and warned all the time.

Thank you and hope some of you can asnwer me or give some advice or examples or so....
thanks

City mode(s) simplycut out a lot of X-band falses which are normally (if you live outside NJ), are just that false alerts (non-LEO threats running on the same frequency... the Belscorts have this, the V1 has logic modes.

Your welcome.

[jdreynss]

I am I asking too much if I want my radar detector that lets me know,when I doing 100mph on the highway,to alarm me,there is a Radar or Laser pointing towards me 2 - 4 miles before the the cop aka radar laser see's me???

Yes, that is asking way too much

[Joe Diver]

when I doing 100mph on the highway

:x Not cool....on a public highway.....and at those speeds being caught by a LEO is the least of your concerns at the time.

[WRC]

you're asking for an military radar similar to what he F-15 jetfighter uses, can pickup enemy planes from 100miles :!:

[xrs9430]

radar detectors are not used for wreckless driving, most of us, chances are, wont exceed the psl by more than 10-20. in one of the topics it had a poll of why you have a detector and most said because of the tech side/cool. using a detector to go 100+ is dangrous and stupid! this is what gives detectors a bad name!

[EasY E]

If your a highway driver for the most part....most troopers have laser which a radar detector does no good except tell you...you have been hit with laser pull over..

[Orbital75]

Here is an easy way to look at things. If you drive mostly interstate then go V1. The V1 is also the Best Laser detection device. So if you drive interstate and laser is used in your area go V1. On the other hand, if you drive in the city mostly I would get the 8500 X50. The X50 has superior Filtering compared to the V1. It will false a lot less. I have an X50 and I wouldn't have it any other way, I'm very happy with it.

V1 = Better Laser and Interstate Driving.

X50 = Superior Filtering and Excellent Radar detection.

Use this to help you choose:
http://www.radarbusters.com/support/...06/default.asp

[Switchback]

I think we all missed the single biggest difference between the V-1 and any other detector!

The arrows!!!


everyting else is just so close in performance between the top models it is usually too close to call.

But, Knowing where the radar signal is coming from is very helpful in determining if the signal is a real threat, or a door opener/alarm system.

Although the Belscorts have a frequency counter which can be used to help determine actual threats or non threatening signals too

Driving down any highway, it sure is nice to know (at a glance) which direction the threat is. And with the tremendous range & sensitivity of these detectors available in the last 10 years, which can alert to a signal that is over 4 miles away. it is nice to know where it is eminating from without waiting to see the signal ramp up, or decrease.

No matter which detector you choose, you will not be ticket proof, Instant-on will get you every time!

and then look at the undetectable speed determining systems such as Vascar, Pacing, ESP (excessive seed preventer) Trip-loops in the highway, and of course the "Visual Estimate"!

There is nothing out there to detect police presence other than awareness of your surroundings. and all a detector does is heighten your awareness.

Do the research, find the best detector you can afford, and make sure it meets your expected needs. But do not expect miracles.

My choice was the Valentine-1, but it may have been a different unit if I lived in a metro area.