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Thread: Should I do it?

  1. #1
    Lead Foot
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    Default Should I do it?

    Hello everyone - wanted to get some opinons here. I am sure this has been discussed and I tried to search for it but couldn't find exactly what I needed, so my apologies if it has been discussed.

    I have a V6.1 Escort 8500 X50 that I bought new from BB about a year ago. First let me say that it has served me well. I really dont have any complaints, other than a few close calls which I am sure you get with any detector. Regular city driving I usually avg about 15 or so mph over, highway almost always 20 over. I have never really encountered laser in my area. Usually in town it serves me well.

    On long highway trips I can get up to some pretty good speeds, 80-90, my typical speed between towns, etc. Usually no more than that. On some hilly and curvy terrain on a trip I took this summer I got some real close calls. Don't know if it was I/O or the hills / curves (mostly K and Ka I'm talking here), but man they were way too close. I always mount high, so I guess I thought even at those speeds it would do better. Most of the close calls were moving from the other direction.

    So the point of my rant is that I am considering a V1. My question is, by looking at the tests, particularly GOL, it appears that the V1 range especially on K and Ka, is huge, sometimes it looks double the X50. Now I know that this test includes the radar guns covered by reducing foam, but is the V1 really that much more range?

    I dont want to start a V1 / Escort battle here. I know they are both fine detectors. But in buying the V1 am I really going to get that much more range? Is it worth it or are we really only talking a few seconds?

    Thanks for any input.

  2. #2
    Radar Fanatic
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    Well at those speeds you are talking about it would only be a few seconds more, but precious seconds don't you think? Just yesterday I started picking up moving C/O K Band coming in the opposite direction about .2 miles before I got to the top of a rather large hill and met the LEO passing at the top of the hill. Great detection and warning. Mounting it high also helps.

    Here is a picture, I'm the color on the right and on the left was the LEO. I was going about 65 since there was traffic in front of me.

    http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=savejw5.png
    Last edited by Zapple; 10-27-2008 at 08:52 PM.

  3. #3
    Good Citizen
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    Quote Originally Posted by Super Dave View Post
    So the point of my rant is that I am considering a V1. My question is, by looking at the tests, particularly GOL, it appears that the V1 range especially on K and Ka, is huge, sometimes it looks double the X50. Now I know that this test includes the radar guns covered by reducing foam, but is the V1 really that much more range?

    I dont want to start a V1 / Escort battle here. I know they are both fine detectors. But in buying the V1 am I really going to get that much more range? Is it worth it or are we really only talking a few seconds?

    Thanks for any input.
    Yeah we are only talking about a few seconds, but a few seconds is a lot. At 80mph you cover 117 feet a second and at 90mph you are covering 132 feet a second. So, if the V1 gives you three more seconds of warning, especially instant on, you have a 351 foot advantage over your X50 if it alerts "only" a few seconds. I have a V1 and a 8500 X50 and I feel a heck of a lot more confident with the V1. You also get arrows which don't keep you guessing. In little L mode with a K-band auto mute threshold, the V1 is the perfect radar detector.

  4. #4
    Rocket Driver
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    At those speeds I think I would be looking at the 9500ci or the STI-r also. The range on the remote mounted units seems incredible from the videos I have seen.

    I know the price is a lot more but getting a ticket for 90 could end up costing a lot more in the long run.
    Valentine One (3.858 Ice Cream Truck, 3.812 in Vette)
    4 Head LI (On Vette) (7.11 CPU Regular heads front, HP Heads on the rear)
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    ProLaser II, ProLaser III, Stalker LZ-1, LTI Marksman & Laser Atlanta "R" (looking for an Ultralyte LRB)

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  5. #5
    Yoda of Radar
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    The V1 spanks the X50 in sensitivity, but the limiting factor for detection range is usually terrain. The V1 will have much longer detections on straight I/O encounters, but that's not where the close calls occur. They are around curves and over hills and such.

    This being said, I much prefer the V1 over the X50.

  6. #6
    Stealthed Like a B-2
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    The V1 is a great detector and you would be quite pleased with it. Especially over the x50. Beltronics is great too but at those speeds and if its instant on, on a curvy/hilly road then you more than likely need the sensitivity of a STI-R or 9500ci. Really your choice would depend on where you live. Do you have falses around your area? Do you have red light cameras? Is it rural terrain or sub-urban or urban or etc.

  7. #7
    Old Timer
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    id try out a v1 for 30 days...once u go with the arrows u cant rele go back..the v1 is also a little more sensitive then the 8500 x50...again u cant rele defend against i/o unless u use a rabbit but other than thet i would try out a v1 like i said before..good luck

  8. #8
    Advanced Member
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    The V1 will be an improvement over the X50. But so will the 9500 and STI.

    Having said this, I also want to point out that these things are not cop locators. You should be paying especially close attention to what may be over a hill or around that next curve. No detector can save you if they clock say with instant-on at the end of a curve with no rabbit. My suggestion is slow down a bit in those situations. It's also safer.

    Good luck.

  9. #9
    Lead Foot
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    Default Re: Should I do it?

    Thank you all for your replies -very helpful. To answer a few of the questions - terrain is sub-urban mostly, some urban but I can live with the falses in the urban parts - not too bad. I know the V1 can be chatty but I'd rather have more sensitivity. The urban parts I can't really speed anyway. No red-light cameras here.

    Yes there are a lot of hills, curves here they scare me the most. I know these are pretty tough for any detector so I usually try to have a rabbit, and always slow a little before a hill/curve just in case of I/O. I have been using detectors for many years so I like to think I'm pretty good with them. However I try to rely on my eyes, watching traffic ahead, try to blend, hunches (where would I hide?), etc. more so than the detector. Just want the best sensitivity. Again the worst scares I get are on trips somewhere where I am really moving...

    Thanks again everyone I'll ponder it for a few days.

 

 

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