V1 tune up technical question...self calibration?

[VRV1]

I see a lot of thread about tuning up a V1 to ensure maximum sensitivity. There seems to be a lot of discussion about how often one should send it in or how to tell if it's out of tune.

Is the unit going out of tune purely hardware related, meaning when you send it out V1 will do some kind of modification physically. I assume it has to do with adjusting screws or antennas in some way? Just wondering how it gets done? I read somewhere that other units have "self-calibration" and that makes me wonder how that gets done, is it on the software on those units.

Also, I wanted to know can the unit (mine is 3.826) tell if it's out of tune?

Does anyone else wish V1s self calibrated? Is that even possible/effective.

[jdong]

The 3.863's (I believe introduced 3.858?) self-calibrate like Escorts and throw an E on the screen if calibration fails.

I don't believe calibration is anything like twisting screws, but I'm not a radar detector repairman. I believe it's some parameter tuned in the firmware while having a reference signal produced in lab.

[jimbonzzz]

Modern radar detectors have few, if any, mechanical adjustments inside. In almost all cases, when people say that a moden radar detector is "out of tune" these units actually have component failures, sometimes due to component "aging". This doesn't necessarily mean that older units will always have a problem... for example there's older V1 1.7's that people have never had serviced that are 100% in spec.

Newer V1's (3.851 and later) are able to compensate for component aging to a degree, and if the unit falls "out of tune" beyond what the V1 can compensate for, it will throw an "E".

Although older V1's would throw an "E" in -some- situations when there was a problem, the newer 3.851 and later units monitor the 1st LO directly, and are MUCH more likely to indicate when there is a problem. So: those of you holding on to old REV V1's, don't complain if the unit has a problem and doesn't notify you :wink:

[hockey005]

3.826 is a very stable rev. my dad has a 3.863 and i have a 3.826 so i was debating an upgrade or a tune a couple months ago. I decided to just tune it up and what a difference it made. I thought the performance on mine before the tune was pretty good and about even with the newer 3.863. After the tune the range was even more improved on all bands and i have not J'd out (pop off) yet with it. I dont know if this plays a factor or not, being more in tune, but just throwing that out there. Idk its up to you to spend 45 and get a tune or 85 i think?? to upgrade the rev. either way you cant go wrong

[VRV1]

Thanks for the replies folks, so it seems to me like the term "tune-up" isn't really accurate. It's more of sending it to Valentine to ensure that all the unit's components are functioning correctly.

[jdong]

Thanks for the replies folks, so it seems to me like the term "tune-up" isn't really accurate. It's more of sending it to Valentine to ensure that all the unit's components are functioning correctly.

Right, it's more of a lab-test to see that your unit is performing to spec, and to replace components that are not performing as such.

[kpatz]

I think they do a "tune up" as well, if the LO is a bit off but not so far out that it requires replacing parts, they just adjust some calibration parameters in the EEPROM and off it goes.

[Arvetus]

yeah. My 3.813 did not inform me of a problem. However, I wonder if it will now. They replaced a board in it, and now the start up procedure is different, so I wonder if it will now. But it may not, and probably by the next time it needs a tune if 3 or 4 more years, I will be ready for an upgrade, or I will be dead.