V1 3.854 - Performance consensus

[ryansandlin]

alrighty, I can finally give a report about the Ka band of my v1 3.854.

driving on I10 today, my v1 alerted to a Ka signal in a spot where it hasn't falsed before so I look ahead, sure enough, about 100-200 yards ahead (it was hard to judge), there was a State Trooper on the side of the road. I was able to brake unnoticeably to slow down to 5 over PSL and pass him. My first thought was "jeez, that barely provided any warning at all!" but as soon as I passed him, the signal went up to full and ALERTED FROM THE REAR FOR TWO MILES! Two miles, I kid you not. I realized he must have been using his front radar, and based on the performance of the rear antenna, it leads me to believe had he been using rear radar, I would've had a similar range on the front antenna, alerting much more prior to seeing him. The fact that it didn't alert until 100-200 yards before wasn't an issue since he was only clocking cars as they passed him.

I had another encounter about 20 seconds after it stopped alerting to that LEO from the rear. I received a brief weak Ka signal as I approach the top of a hill, and then increased as I topped it off and came down and right ahead two state troopers that had a car pulled over, neither LEOs were monitoring traffic, one had apparently left his radar on. The signal alerted to full as I passed, and quickly ceased. I was a tad disappointed with the v1's performance on this encounter, but I can't really gather any conclusive evidence as to the overall Ka performance of v1.

HOWEVER- one thing just struck me as I wrote this that IS a possibility- the place where the two LEOs where (the 2nd encounter that I just described) was in a spot where I've gotten Ka falses... could it be possible that both had their radars OFF and I was picking up the normal false?

Hmm...

[ryansandlin]

Another Ka experience:

I10 tonight... approaching the top of a hill, Ka lights up, small strength, disappears going down. Up next hill, Ka lights up again, small strength, disappears. Next hill, Ka lights up, small strength, stays lit, increases in signal, I spot the LEO, as I pass him, the Ka signal is definitely increasing, but not full. Mileage between first Ka alert @ top of first hill to LEO- .8 miles. Not bad. But I am frustrated. It didn't alert to full until I had passed the LEO, and was still showing the threat to be ahead for a few secs after I passed it, then alerted to a full signal from the rear (it was the same threat, the bogey counter only showed 1). It continued to alert from the rear at a VERY STRONG SIGNAL for two miles. I'm frustrated beceause in my two experiences, it doesn't have ANY problem picking up from the rear, just advance warning (.8 isn't bad, but it would've been nice if it had alerted to a great strength so I would've known it was closer, if visual wasn't possible).

My explanation?

The LEO was parked in the median perpindicular to the interstate (think the letter "H" - the east/westbound lanes are the two vertical lines, the LEO is the small horizontal one)- his front end was facing the eastbound lane (i was going westbound). His radar unit was facing the eastbound traffic AS THEY WERE APPROACHING HIM- which could explain why it didn't alert to full until after I had passed him (since his radar unit was facing away) and why it stayed alerted so strong.

Still, I am skeptical about the Ka performance of the v1... I should have turned around and seen how it would've detected going towards the LEO.

Oh well... at this point, I am definitely leaning on sending the v1 back and getting a new x50, but I will continue to see how it performs.

[Jamescase10]

After reading your post, I dont understand why your saying the v1 is not working.... after all, there is a very good reason KA is being used now by police more and more...its hard to detect. And its very narrow and directional in nature compared to X or K. I have had several units, not a V1 but I did just order one. My Bel 985 which is VERY VERY good in KA, does exactly what you described. If the gun is pointed away from you, it will barely pick up anything. Thats why the V1 is so great...it has 2 horns. The bel if passing a unit thats pointing toward my car, it goes blank right after passing the leo. Another thing, leos rarely target you from the rear because its not as easy to get your speed. But anyway...KA is narrow...thats just the way it is. After reading the reviews on every top line detectors out there, I am convinced that arrows are def better. I am waiting for my V1. Seems except for a couple of tests in KA range that went to the Bel STI (and barely btw) , the V1 beats everything hands down. Exp with laser, and the rear horn is great for KA from the back. Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth, hope it helps you make a proper decision

[CactusMan]

After reading your post, I dont understand why your saying the v1 is not working.... after all, there is a very good reason KA is being used now by police more and more...its hard to detect. And its very narrow and directional in nature compared to X or K. I have had several units, not a V1 but I did just order one. My Bel 985 which is VERY VERY good in KA, does exactly what you described. If the gun is pointed away from you, it will barely pick up anything. Thats why the V1 is so great...it has 2 horns. The bel if passing a unit thats pointing toward my car, it goes blank right after passing the leo. Another thing, leos rarely target you from the rear because its not as easy to get your speed. But anyway...KA is narrow...thats just the way it is. After reading the reviews on every top line detectors out there, I am convinced that arrows are def better. I am waiting for my V1. Seems except for a couple of tests in KA range that went to the Bel STI (and barely btw) , the V1 beats everything hands down. Exp with laser, and the rear horn is great for KA from the back. Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth, hope it helps you make a proper decision

Enjoy your new V1.

[ryansandlin]

i never said the v1 wasn't working, just that i would expect it to pick up Ka better w/ the front. its a matter of which does better, v1 or x50, and i never remember Ka being an issue with x50. i still have a few weeks to try though, and yes, the arrows are helpful- but for a reason that very well can cancel itself out.

in this instance, the arrows told me to disregard the threat because i had already passed it-

however, on an x50- there is no rear antenna, thus no lasting alert after the threat passes, therefore no real need for arrows.

[alpinestars_2002795]

Me and NMA Member just finished another test the other day the v1 3.854 picking up k band mph k-15 at 1 mile over a hill... Laser alerted to scatter over a hill at atleast 400ft nice job v1!!! On my way back from grand rapids where NMA lives i received a 2.1 mile k band alert from a MDOT sign by the mackinaw bridge off to the right hand side before you cross going north bound this is a realitivly flat straight there is a curve before hand and a little nole in the middle but i thought of this range to be utmost impressive for michigan standards!!! Had ka band run ins on the home v1 gave more than enough time to slow up and saved me 3 times to my front and 3 times to my rear... although rear detection sometimes holds on longer than frontal detection which is the same thing i noticed with v1 3.851 but it is not as bad about it as 3.851 was and it seems be quieter not falsing as much on the k band!! Although i received a laser alert from a suv the other day it was not a trailblazer or a envoy though i think if i rember corectily it was a chrysler product of some sort...

AlPiNe~

[alpinestars_2002795]

Oh and the laser gun used for that test was a Pro Laser 2 provided by ProudNMAMemeber And so was the k-15 mph k band gun with instant-on capabilities thanks mike for letting us use your equipment to test out!!! My only thing i could say to mike valentine to make the v1 better is to make the ka range as good as the k band range that would be killer !!! lol and you might want to look into fixing ghosting as this was also tested and proven as well as not identifing the band correctly up close with my k band gun it alerted to ka instead of k this does happen also i would look into the E that ace racer said he has gotten and aswell look into the fact that the thing detects to the rear better than the front??? And once he got that all fixed mike valentine would have one kick a$$ detector oh and one more thing....make it undetectable and beat up on Sti some more.......one more thing i could trigger instant on k-15 k band fast enough v-995 wouldn't alert Sti wouldn't alert or even x-50 but v1 alerted every time rock on V1 immedisay of response was amazing on the v1 compared to any other detector on the market!! Its definetly the fastest to see the radar..

AlPiNe~

[ryansandlin]

new Ka experiences:

option 6 switched off this morning before leaving.

Ka detected state trooper about .5 miles away using instant on.

coming home tonight, going through a few hills, v1 alerted to Ka off and on. visual confirmation was made, it was a LEO on the feeder road with someone pulled over in a parking lot. Signal was slow to increase even as I passed, and didn't start alerting to the rear until a few seconds after I passed.

The range on the v1 definitely seems to be ok, but the arrows are actually proving to be quite annoying.

Plus, it falses like a motherf***er.

[zfactor]

agreed the falses were almost to much for me to handle im awaiting 854 to come back to me and we will see then...if its the same it going bye bye for one of the "other" two

[Menace]

oddly enough when I get the rev off my V1 its .352 but when i put my serial number into the V1 site it says "you already have the latest and greatest"

do they distinguish between software and hardware upgrades to make this the case?