Real World V1 78SE STi 690 X50 9500i Test

[bigalinwv]

Yes, the most detection obtained was 6/10 of a mile, sorry for the confusion. Give me a break, I'm from WV, you're lucky I can spell!

Anyway, couldn't resist, I went to a known K band false, the front door of my kids' school. It's a K band transmitter. As you approach it from the highway from far away the school is in a straight line from you, as you get closer, the road goes to the left.

I took the same detectors as last night, with the exception that I substituted an XTR-255 for the XTR-260 that wasn't working properly. (By the way, Michael B PMed me and wants to take care of the 260, how many manufacturers will do that??)


V1/8500 X50/STi Driver..............First..........1700 feet detection
Passport 9500i..........................Second......1500 feet detection
Pro78SE....................................Third.. ........1400 feet detection
XTR-695....................................Fourth..... ...1240 feet detection
XTR-690....................................Fifth...... .....1180 feet detection
XTR-255....................................Sixth...... ....1170 feet detection

By the way, the V1 can detect the K band while in the other lane driving away from it in the rear antenna, freaking awesome!


The box of doom:

[Jag42]

Nice..I appreciate all your time. Does the 78 SE have a all blue lense cover?

[BlinderGuy]

Nice..I appreciate all your time. Does the 78 SE have a all blue lense cover?

Yes it's Blue..That is my favorite part..It is so easy to read in all light conditions and if you look at his results the 78se didn't to bad compared to others. I kept saying the 78se was compared to my 9500i and his test shows its not far off.....100ft...That's nothing in my opinion...I can live with that.

[bigalinwv]

Yes, the 78SE lens is blue. I find it very readable, unlike the RX65 Blue, which was totally unreadable in daylight conditions for me. I have only owned the XTR-695 for a day now, and I already don't like the display, I swear the 690 is MORE readable than the 695.

So far, I'm not sure about the chatter of the 34.7 detection, mine seems fine. I mostly did the first test because I was trying to figure out the 34.7 question for myself. I don't see a problem.

I was pretty surprised at the 78SE K band detection. After 27 years of driving with detectors, I pegged it's K band sensitivity at between 105-107 dbms. Just my educated guess. Maybe I'm wrong.

Shock of all shocks was the lowly XTR-255 coming in only 10 feet less than the 690, I would not have seen that coming.

(I am sad to say, though, I think I'm going to finally get rid of my S7 X50, it's been a dandy, but I'm just tiring of it and rarely use it. It seems like part of the family. For me, it's mostly the alert tones, they have soooo much treble to them and no bass, that it's irritating to me. The Whistlers, 9500 series, and V1 all have more bassy, pleasant tones to me.)

[proudNMAmember]

Clarksburg huh. I wasn't too far from there when I got onto route 50 heading Eastbound. I did stop at a gas station just east of I-79 on route 50 to get fuel though. Too think I was this close to you, upsets me but maybe someday we'll hook up.

[KnightHawk]

Well, I found a 34.7 speed sign today, so I went back tonight with the following:

V1 - 3.817 Pop1
Pro78SE - Just received it back from Michael B. for a "checkup"
STi Driver - Date code 3408-never sent in for ramp up fix yet
XTR690 - Just upgraded by Michael B. to a Rev C from A
8500 X50 - Rev 5 S7
9500i - Date code 2907
XTR260 - Just for fun (not really, read on)

The setting was on Interstate 79 outside Fairmont, WV. The 34.7 speed sign is set up facing the Southbound lanes. It is at the top of a hill, as you approach it you make a gradual right hand turn descending, then ascend toward the speed sign. I was surprised at the results.

This was a real-world test as I don't own any radar guns. Yes there was traffic, yes there were more cars on some runs than others, although when I encountered a big truck I would wait for it to pass before proceeding.

The first number is APPROACHING the sign, the second number is going Northbound (AWAY) with a concrete divider between the lanes. I could not see the sign going Northbound, so the number is the total number (in tenths) of alert, I don't know how much before the sign or how much after (it was around midnight). All measurements are in tenths of a mile.

........................TOWARD..................... AWAY
Valentine 1........... .6 ............................ .7
Pro78SE................ .6 ............................ .4
STi Driver............... .6 ........................... .8
XTR-690................. .6 ........................... .6
8500 X50.............. .55 .......................... .5
9500i.................... .55 ........................... .7
XTR-260................. .5 ........................... .4 (<---All alerts were LASER, not Ka)
XTR-695................ .55 ......................... .5

EDIT- Finally got my new XTR-695, made a run there and put the results in the graph.

Just a reminder........

Please note that the STi and 9500i have a delay alert as shown in the test result. That will invalidate your away distance and also depends on your speed of travel. If the speed differs from one of the other tests, that will also invalidate your away test results.

[KnightHawk]

The box of doom:

Sweet collection of RD's.

[djrams80]

Just a reminder........

Please note that the STi and 9500i have a delay alert as shown in the test result. That will invalidate your away distance and also depends on your speed of travel. If the speed differs from one of the other tests, that will also invalidate your away test results.

I disagree. I don't think the factors that might come onto play for any certain RD, invalidate anything about these test results. bigalinwv just recorded what he got. I personally don't think its up to bigalinwv to interpret the data for those reading it, but rather I feel it's up to those reading this data, to extrapolate whatever they might find useful from his test results. Just my opinion.

[bigalinwv]

Clarksburg huh. I wasn't too far from there when I got onto route 50 heading Eastbound. I did stop at a gas station just east of I-79 on route 50 to get fuel though. Too think I was this close to you, upsets me but maybe someday we'll hook up.

PM me when you're in the area.

Please note that the STi and 9500i have a delay alert as shown in the test result. That will invalidate your away distance and also depends on your speed of travel. If the speed differs from one of the other tests, that will also invalidate your away test results.

Invalidate them? This is a real-world test, the detectors were all used as you would use them in your car.

As far as your statement above, the STi has a delay, but the DISPLAY changes BEFORE the audio kicks in. I measured from the change in DISPLAY. I, frankly, find it ridiculous that a $500 RD has so many quirks, it's really not my cup of tea. Furthermore, your statement would imply that the STi somehow wasn't given enough distance, yet it was tied at #1 coming toward the 34.7, and way in front #1 going away, so I don't understand your comment.

[KnightHawk]

I understand dj. That is why I had to put a reminder. There is close to 10 sec delay alert with the STi and 9500i that would translate to increase distance after the last signal is detected when going away from the source. I may have type it wrong and my grammar is not that good.