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valentine vs bel sti
hi, i'm new to this forum and would appreciate your guidance.
i'm debating between these 2 radar detectors. which one has superior performance. i have no need for stealth.
the other question i have is in regards to articles written about the valentine. a lot of reviews rank it 3rd behind the bel pro rx 65 and escort 8500 x50, but curiously, i've found that valentine owners are quite satisfied with their detectors and i wonder why there is then such a discrepancy.
thanks in advance
dave
V1 has arrows, and true rear detection. Other detectors dont.
Other detectors have almost on par preformance with the v1, but some people cant justify the extra 100 bucks for the rear antenna and the arrows.
Re: valentine vs bel sti
obviously you came to the v1 forums and running into me im gonna tell u the v1. however, on the 28th there will be an updated radar detector test by GoL. you might want to check their results. click their link in my signature and check out the results of their last testing as far as radar detectors.
in my opinion the 3 detectors are pretty similar overall, each offering something where the other lacks. i do think the v1 is a more sophisticated unit which when learned to use can provide you with more information than a bel or a rx65 such as the direction of the leo as well as multiple threats (which is really helpful when leo's team up and try to nail you). so it all depends. in my opinion if your a radar guru and your in a area that heavily enforces speed or travel through those areas, then i recommend a v1. if you want something top notch for a good price thats a little easier to use then x50, rx65 are cool. its up to you!
didn't see your post Sethy, but he's one of the GoL as u can see slick, take a deeper look and see what happens.... :shock:Originally Posted by Sethy
As far as the reviews go, a lot of them (SML & radartest.com in particular) have been shown to have significant bias against Valentine (the man, the company, & the product). Thus the reason GoL is so widely regarded, since they live up their proclaimed agenda of "no hidden agendas".
V1 is also slammed for: its early-90s industrial design; because it's supposedly larger than others (which is apparently more because it's wider than the other two major ones); because it's more difficult to program, lack of an automute that works the way the others do, and because it doesn't have nifty (read: maybe useful but not terribly important) features like a compass. Most V1 owners seem to feel that the benefits (arrows & rear antenna) outweigh the disadvantages....
thanks for the advice
i will wait for saturday's outcome.
dave
Dave, even if the STI gives equal performance to the V1, you will LOVE the arrows. Once you have tried them, you can't live without them!!!!!
>>Other detectors have almost on par preformance with the v1, but some people cant justify the extra 100 bucks for the rear antenna and the arrows.<<
Well, an extra 100 bucks for : rear antenna, the invaluable locating arrows, the bogey counter, the best laser detection, upgrades which are either free or very low priced, repairs if needed on any unit no matter when made for a very low price... (I coulda had my 1992 V1 repaired for $40 to new specs - not all that shabby - but instead I took the $125 trade-in on it towards a brand new V1. Try that with ANY of the lesser 'detectors'. ) And it's made in the USA. That's worth something too.
The best unit, the best protection, the best value, and it's made in the US. Find the extra $100 and buy the V1; you'll get that money back over and over again.
The arrows are well worth every penny that you have to pay for them. When you get a weak ka band signal behind you instead of slowing down because you dont' know where they are if you have the arrows you can establish that the leo is behind you can you can speed up to make sure he doesn't catch up. Other detectors may have a little advantage but i would not trade my V1 for the world.
I just like the ability to upgrade it. I went from a unit without pop to a unit with pop for $75 which another manufacturer just won't do for you. And if software upgrades come out you can get them for free.
The only thing the V1 lacks at the moment is a self-calibration or self-test which informs you of trouble with the LO. For the moment that just means that you need to watch for signs of failure. However Holla has reported that they are working on an upgrade to take care of it, which I look forward to.
V1 is backed by a great company with great customer service. To me, that makes it worth the extra $100.
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