My complete V1 (3.864) review.

[Z1NONLY]

Well, I got my V1 (3.864) a few weeks ago and just recently got back from a 1k-plus road trip to northern Florida in which I put the V1 head to head with my wife’s SRX.

Just so everyone knows where I’m coming from, I have used many radar detectors. (A few Bel express units -906-925-935-, Vector 985, RX-65, X50 rev 5, SRX, and two stand-alone ZR3’s on two different cars.)

So here’s my personal review of the V1…

My configuration: X-band off, K-band muting enabled for 30 seconds. 1 down, 7 down, b down, C + d up. All else is factory default. (run in little "L" mode)

K-band: The V1 owns K-band compared to all radar detectors I have ever owned.

One encounter, on the way home last night, involved over-the-hill detection that was amazing. We were on hwy 20 coming into Tallahassee when, about ¼ mile before the base of a good sized hill I get a K band alert at my preset, muted level. Signal=1, points forward. (SRX silent) V1 locks on, and increases to 2 just before the top of the hill. Just at the top of the hill, the SRX alerts to K band and the V1 breaks “mute” and gets loud. Still pointing forward. Here’s the best part. I didn’t see the cop for about a mile past the top of the hill. And then, in the parking lot of a closed doughnut shop of all places, there is a LEO firing down the road I just approached on. SRX stops alerting as I pass and the V1 points to the side and then the rear and stays locked on the signal until I go around a long curve and enter I-10.

While I think the SRX gave plenty of warning, the V1 dominated. This encounter was typical of all K-band encounters. As I said above, V1 simply owns K-band.

Ka-band: While not as decisive as the K-band match-up, V1 is still solidly ahead of the SRX (and all other detectors I have owned) on Ka band.

On the way up, in Ocala on I-75, V1 picked up an approaching FHP running Ka-band (34.7Ghz) 3-5 seconds ahead of the SRX. Unlike the K-band hill encounter this was pretty easy for both detectors. Also, as with other encounters, the V1’s arrows followed the radar. Both detectors gave more than enough warning to slow down, but the V1 did so much sooner. (3-5 seconds at a combined closing speed of well over155 MPH is a lot of distance.) The differences between the two detectors in around-the-curve/over-the-hill encounters were more condensed than similar K-band encounters. But in all such encounters, I was already applying brakes –thanks to the V1’s earlier warning- by the time the SRX alerted.

Laser: The V1 is amazing at LIDAR detection. While the SRX can, and has, jammed LIDAR, it has only done so when I, or my wife was being targeted.

My one and only LIDAR encounter came at the start of my road trip, near Tampa on I-75 N. I was rolling strong with not one, but two rabbits. The lead car was some version of an Aztec and the middle car was a mid to late 90’s silver grand am. We were running 10-20 over depending on traffic. The lead car had just made his way to the far right lane about1-2k feet ahead. The other car was only about 400-800ft ahead of me. We were making our way to the same general location but had to first use the far left lane to pass slower traffic. I was looking for opening holes in traffic when my V1 alerted; LASER! (Arrow ahead) Just as I was moving my foot to the brake and mentally processing this strange alert from my V1 that I had never before heard in person, the line of trees in the median stopped and there in the open was a CHP at a right angle to traffic. He turned on his lights and started rolling just as I passed his position. My stomach sank and I started to make my way to the side of the road, wondering why my SRX gave no alert. “LA stealth mode?” I was thinking. Before I could get to the side of the road, his cruiser blows right by me and pulls over the oblivious grand am driver. I don’t think he ever saw the cop in the median. This is the first time I have ever picked up laser “scatter” from any detector. I can’t call this a save because he already had his customer when the V1 alerted, and I hope the SRX would have taken care of business, as it has in the past, if I would have been targeted. The V1 has laser detection abilities I have never before witnessed in any detector. Just awesome!

A note on the arrows: They work!

A lot of people that don’t own V1’s have said that the arrows are an unnecessary “gimmick.” The accuracy of such a statement depends largely on what constitutes “necessary.”

Yes, a good radar detector without arrows will let you know that you need to slow down so you don’t get a ticket. If the only goal is not to get a ticket, you don’t need arrows. Of course, you don’t "need" a radar detector either. If the only goal were ticket avoidance, we could all just drive at or below the PSL and save a lot of money. The trouble with the “gimmick” assertion starts when one realizes that those who buy radar detectors aren’t just trying to save money on tickets. They often are trying to save time too.

V1’s arrows and bogey counter go a long way in helping the driver know when they are “done” with a given encounter. This information helps me save more time than detectors without the arrows.

BTW: I made it from Panama City to Fort Myers in 6 hours and 33 minutes. :wink:

[AirMoore]

Good review, glad you like your purchase.

[FlyinZX-10R]

good review. Now you know what V1 owners are always zombified about :)

[SAfricanCracker]

Thanks for the review. Enjoyed reading it.

[amoney]

Ditto on the review.

When I first got my Bel, it saved me lots of time and money, I could cruise at a more constant speed and save gas not applying the brake for an "unknown".

Now with the arrows, it helps you quickly determine locations of threats and when they are passed, not having to guess if anyhting else may be still ahead, etc. The arrows can certainly save more time.

Are the arrows necessary, no, a traditional RD will stop alerting when past a source just as well. The V1 just takes the guess work out of it.

Trips are much more pleasent with a good RD.

And absolutely, the V1 owns, the distance and my recent encounter over the hill/around a corner, have been encredible.

[djrams80]

excellent review!

[Jammer84_03]

great review...these are music to my ears and soothing the hole i still have lingering in my pocket.

[<<JAZZY>>]

Excellent review...keep up the great work!!

[hockey005]

x2

[Kayrac]

nice review, glad to see v1's still rocking

i still say the arrows are pointless ;)

ah how i dream about a v1 with the 9500i's filtering/truelock, i would love it so :(

[jdong]

ah how i dream about a v1 with the 9500i's filtering/truelock, i would love it so :(

What the 9500i does is not really filtering... It's just reduced off-axis detection and truelock. Unless you call putting a thin strip of foam in front of your V1 filtering.

That's not saying this is a BAD thing, but in my opinion filtering is more about sensing the difference between police radar and non-police radar sources, and currently AFAIK no detector does this, and that's probably where the detector market is headed next.


EDIT 2: The disclaimer above might not be explicit enough, but I am IN NO WAY bashing the 9500i or implying that it's somehow inferior to the V1 or any other detector. I'm just saying that I felt the use of the word filtering in this context is a stretch.

[Z1NONLY]

ah how i dream about a v1 with the 9500i's filtering/truelock, i would love it so :(

That, and a more up-to-date display.

I love my V1, as my review shows and I prefer it over all other RD's I have ever owned....

But, compared to almost every detector I have owned in the past decade, the V1's display looks like it was invented the day after the wheel.

[guit123]

v1 does rock on higways and with arrows it is just a pleasure to drive on higways.

[MEM-TEK]

I don't own a V1, yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading Z1NONLY's review which was very well written. :)

[jdong]

I don't own a V1, yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading Z1NONLY's review which was very well written. :)

Come on Michael, join the dark boxy side ;-)

[polakatl]

the V1 became a flawless detector for me once I mounted a mute button behind my blinker switch. Armed with a mute button thats easily reached its a hassle free detector. My passengers don't even notice me muting falses and threats.

V1 should make mute buttons accessories or even standard equipment.

[Cips]

I don't mind the V1 display. I don't really see anything wrong with it.

[jdong]

I don't mind the V1 display. I don't really see anything wrong with it.

+1 It conveys the information it displays effectively to the user.

[djrams80]

ah how i dream about a v1 with the 9500i's filtering/truelock, i would love it so :(

What the 9500i does is not really filtering... It's just reduced off-axis detection and truelock. Unless you call putting a thin strip of foam in front of your V1 filtering.

That's not saying this is a BAD thing, but in my opinion filtering is more about sensing the difference between police radar and non-police radar sources, and currently AFAIK no detector does this, and that's probably where the detector market is headed next.


EDIT 2: The disclaimer above might not be explicit enough, but I am IN NO WAY bashing the 9500i or implying that it's somehow inferior to the V1 or any other detector. I'm just saying that I felt the use of the word filtering in this context is a stretch.I disagree somewhat to this. In auto mode, the 9500i has the ability to filter out pairs of X and/or K band door openers and also is completely quiet below 15mph to K and X band. It will however alert to increasing X and K band signals and also Ka and laser while stopped. I'd definitely call this filtering. Without filtering, the 9500i would be going nuts driving slowly through a shopping center, but instead it's silent using auto mode.

[MEM-TEK]

I don't own a V1, yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading Z1NONLY's review which was very well written. :)

Come on Michael, join the dark boxy side ;-)

I will likely try the V1 sometime later this spring or early summer. I am one to totally disagree with some published reviews which say that the V1's styling is outdated. Overall I consider its display layout and ergonomics to be quite good and ideally suited for placement above my RVM where I like to mount my RDs. :)

[happya$$]

I don't own a V1, yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading Z1NONLY's review which was very well written. :)

Come on Michael, join the dark boxy side ;-)

I will likely try the V1 sometime later this spring or early summer. I am one to totally disagree with some published reviews which say that the V1's styling is outdated. Overall I consider its display layout and ergonomics to be quite good and ideally suited for placement above my RVM where I like to mount my RDs. :)

It will be a match made in heaven

[jdong]

I disagree somewhat to this. In auto mode, the 9500i has the ability to filter out pairs of X and/or K band door openers

That's an interesting claim I've heard again and again, though I haven't seen anyone validate this or test in the real world whether or not this heuristic is sound for determining what's a door opener and what's just nearby police radar to a shopping mall.


and also is completely quiet below 15mph to K and X band. It will however alert to increasing X and K band signals and also Ka and laser while stopped. I'd definitely call this filtering. Without filtering, the 9500i would be going nuts driving slowly through a shopping center, but instead it's silent using auto mode.
That definitely is a form of filtering, though IMO a pretty limited one. Personally if I'm rolling at 15mph through a shopping center I could care less whether or not my detector's beeping. Of course I understand there are people out there who would be extremely annoyed at that.

[djrams80]

I disagree somewhat to this. In auto mode, the 9500i has the ability to filter out pairs of X and/or K band door openers

That's an interesting claim I've heard again and again, though I haven't seen anyone validate this or test in the real world whether or not this heuristic is sound for determining what's a door opener and what's just nearby police radar to a shopping mall.


and also is completely quiet below 15mph to K and X band. It will however alert to increasing X and K band signals and also Ka and laser while stopped. I'd definitely call this filtering. Without filtering, the 9500i would be going nuts driving slowly through a shopping center, but instead it's silent using auto mode.
That definitely is a form of filtering, though IMO a pretty limited one. Personally if I'm rolling at 15mph through a shopping center I could care less whether or not my detector's beeping. Of course I understand there are people out there who would be extremely annoyed at that.MEM-TEK tested this and I trust his results to be accurate since they seem to match what I see using my Escort RDs. His comments are at the bottom of this thread:
http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=32413
Also, I hate it when my SRX is going nuts while driving through a mall or shopping center, especially after getting used to never having to worry about this using my 9500i. Another reason why I wish my 9500CI would get here. I hate false alerts. I don't want my RD to make a sound unless it's a LEO. Again, I think this is much more of a personality thing than a functionality thing. Some hate false alerts, while some couldn't care less and some people even like them.

[Z1NONLY]

The biggest weakness I see is band ID at night.

Even my old Bel express 906 ($90 detector) had different color led's for band ID.

I have reached the point that, if I miss the audio, I can ID the difference between K and Ka by position relative the left tip of the front arrow. But if it’s from the rear I have to turn down the music or turn up the RD for an audible ID.

I have never owned a RD that required such "tricks." And for a RD that otherwise gives me the most comprehensive info I have ever received, the band ID seems like a gaping hole in the ergonomics.

If I were Mike Valentine, I would jump ahead of Belscort by combining frequency and bogey count with a dot matrix display.

[CJR238]

Well lets look at the definition of filtering:
Electronic filters are electronic circuits which perform signal processing functions, specifically intended to remove unwanted signal components and/or enhance wanted ones. Electronic filters can be:

* passive or active
* analog or digital
* discrete-time (sampled) or continuous-time
* linear or non-linear
* infinite impulse response (IIR type) or finite impulse response (FIR type)

So in fact the 9500I and most other RD's filter, its as simple as the statement above.
So any RD that removes/suppress unwanted signals is filtering, and we all know the 9500I does exactly that. and very well if i might add. 8)
It even does well with the difference between police radar and non-police radar sources in most cases (But this would be a stretch of the definition of filtering though).

Filtering by the 9500I:
TrueLock.
Auto speed sensitivity.
turning off bands.
City mode.
M4 horn design.

[jdong]

Ok, CJR and friends, I'll let that one slide :). We will talk about selectivity of filtering the next time I'm in a grumpy mood but for now, you're off the hook :lol:

[djrams80]

Ok, CJR and friends, I'll let that one slide :). We will talk about selectivity of filtering the next time I'm in a grumpy mood but for now, you're off the hook :lol:
Whew! :P

[focuzd1]

Well written review.

I will chime in here and say that I recently acquired a V-1 : 1.7 and ended up buying a color concealed display to deal with the band id issue.

I mounted the V-1 on passenger side of rvm, and ran the concealed display to dash w/velcro. An M4 995 is on the driver's side of rvm in tech mode.

All I can say after driving with this combo is that yes, the arrows do most definitely work and when combined with the 995- I have finally found a highly capable and informative setup with which I'm extremely happy with at this point (after going through quite a few detectors). I'm about to hardwire everything in and probably relocate the concealed.

For me, the only thing that could possibly be better is an STi or 9500Ci in place of the 995. Not sure yet about upgrading V-1 just yet, b/c the 1.7 is performing very well.

Getting back to the arrows: today on the way to work is a perfect example.

Detected, located and passed a state trooper on the opposite side of the freeway getting set up with constant on. As I passed him, he was making a u-turn from the 2-way access road to face the oncoming southbound traffic.

Now, after I passed him the arrow pointed behind. About 3 seconds later I got a second blip and forward arrow, both on Ka. Warning stayed strong and sure enough about a mile and a half later a local city patrol car was waiting facing oncoming northbound traffic on the access road half-hidden behind the overpass columns.

Not sure whether they were working in conjunction, but I'm pretty sure at least one of them knew the other was there. A pretty stealthy little trap and there's a good chance it was meant to be that way. There's also a very good chance that a non-V-1 user would have been toast thinking the alerts were still from the state trooper car and choosing speeds too far in excess of the PSL.

[Cips]

That's too close together for your two RD's to be mounted.

[focuzd1]

That's too close together for your two RD's to be mounted.

They seem to work fine this way, I've had many encounters and my range on both are really good.

At this time, they are a little more than a foot apart. Since you mentioned it, what do you think the distance should be?

[Kayrac]

in reply to filtering, my 9500i has picked up police K band initially while i was moving very slowly, and at quiet a good distance, the auto mode does something else inside there, if it was just filtering off strength, no way it would have given me as far as an alert, farthest alert i've had with it to date, was that one

[Cips]

That's too close together for your two RD's to be mounted.

They seem to work fine this way, I've had many encounters and my range on both are really good.

At this time, they are a little more than a foot apart. Since you mentioned it, what do you think the distance should be?

To be honest I don't really know. I've just read on countless occasions that they shouldn't be close together, but a dash mount and a remote mount are okay because the antenna's are far apart.

[Cips]

in reply to filtering, my 9500i has picked up police K band initially while i was moving very slowly, and at quiet a good distance, the auto mode does something else inside there, if it was just filtering off strength, no way it would have given me as far as an alert, farthest alert i've had with it to date, was that one

I believe that's because it was only detecting one K signal, whereas filtering occurs when there are multiple signals.

[Doc What, son?]

Ditto on the review.

When I first got my Bel, it saved me lots of time and money, I could cruise at a more constant speed and save gas not applying the brake for an "unknown".

Now with the arrows, it helps you quickly determine locations of threats and when they are passed, not having to guess if anyhting else may be still ahead, etc. The arrows can certainly save more time.

Are the arrows necessary, no, a traditional RD will stop alerting when past a source just as well. The V1 just takes the guess work out of it.

Trips are much more pleasent with a good RD.

And absolutely, the V1 owns, the distance and my recent encounter over the hill/around a corner, have been encredible.


This is exactly the thing!

My Bel has saved me many times too. I can drive with my eyes on the road, instead of one foot on the gas, one hovering over the brake, and spending excessive time scanning the periphery for radar traps -- most expecially photo radar toting minivans that hide in the curb lane in front of other parked cars.

Thing is, while I enjoy a smoother, more stress-free driving experience while the RD is off, when it comes on, I'm looking around like a maniac to try and see where the signal is coming from.

How I'd love to have those arrows!

My next RD will be a V1.

[An0nym0us]

Ditto on the review.

When I first got my Bel, it saved me lots of time and money, I could cruise at a more constant speed and save gas not applying the brake for an "unknown".

Now with the arrows, it helps you quickly determine locations of threats and when they are passed, not having to guess if anyhting else may be still ahead, etc. The arrows can certainly save more time.

Are the arrows necessary, no, a traditional RD will stop alerting when past a source just as well. The V1 just takes the guess work out of it.

Trips are much more pleasent with a good RD.

And absolutely, the V1 owns, the distance and my recent encounter over the hill/around a corner, have been encredible.


This is exactly the thing!

My Bel has saved me many times too. I can drive with my eyes on the road, instead of one foot on the gas, one hovering over the brake, and spending excessive time scanning the periphery for radar traps -- most expecially photo radar toting minivans that hide in the curb lane in front of other parked cars.

Thing is, while I enjoy a smoother, more stress-free driving experience while the RD is off, when it comes on, I'm looking around like a maniac to try and see where the signal is coming from.

How I'd love to have those arrows!

My next RD will be a V1.

I had my Escort 8500 X50 for only 4 months and gave to my big brother so I could get a V1 and am loving it all the way and plus the Range is much longer which I was looking forward to more than the Arrows. Arrows and the Range are the best the V1 has so far comparing to 9500i and STi for all of Radar Bands and Laser. I simply can't go back to any other RD. You will love it too!

[Doc What, son?]

Yeah, range. That's the other thing. Threat #1 here is photo radar, deployed curb side by these donut scarfing fargin' bastichies, in forward-facing configuration using strictly Ka.

I've always got enough warning with my Bel to get my speed down, though one time it was close. Like, I think, within 25 feet of his rear bumper when I got the warning.

I sure wouldn't mind some extra warning distance, and the graphical test results by our friendly neighborhood Guys of Lidar show an impressive advantage of the V1 over my Bel 65.

Gosh, my brother has a birthday coming soon, in January, now that I think of it...