V1 first week impressions (falsing, getting saved, install)

[kenton]

I've had my V1 for about a week and here are my impressions.

Installation:

Way too hard. Do I mean it's too hard for me, or my particular car? No. I just mean the process is too hard.

I previously cut the 12V adapter off my Cobra and used it to wire to my map lights (constant 12V source, no biggie.) That took me all of 30 minutes. Removing four screws, removing my map light assembly, and splicing some wiring in. When I went to install the V1 I disassembled the map lights, cut a large portion of the Cobra wire off (used it for extension only, basically) and then tapped power into that wire. What was mainly difficult though was figuring out how that blue thing works. I figured I could put it on an uncut wire and it would "cut into it for me." Nay. I figured out I had to strip part of the wire and use that.

There was no screw in my car I could attach ground to without having wiring showing, so I opted to just electrical tape the ground plug to a ground wire. Worked perfectly.

The V1 came with so much wiring it was difficult to hide ontop of my map light assy so I spent most of my time rearranging wires and trying to get my map lights to screw back in correctly.

Oh yeah, I spent about 20 minutes diagnosing my wiring because it was wired correctly but the V1 and map lights still wern't turning on. I figured I had fscked the factory wiring harness from Honda but it was just a blown fuse. $0.27 and an hour later I was in business.

Maybe some of you had a better time hardwiring your V1, but I didn't have a fun time.

First impressions

- Wow, it's neat to pass by my grocery store and see UP arrow, then SIDE arrow, then REAR arrow. That's really neat infact.

- Damn, this thing is very "chatty" (as noted by Radar Roy). I've been using A for interstate travel and L for heavy city travel. Even in L mode in the city it's slightly annoying. Perhaps I haven't figured out the muting volume level/city operation measures, but my Cobra 9120 was a little better in this area.

- I miss my Cobra 9120 voice. The V1 is hard to read at night sometimes. VR really should have put different color LEDs for band identification. When I get an alert I look up and the first thing I look at is band, it was much easier with my Cobra 9120 to be TOLD the voice and have the band light up. I've memorized the positions of the bands already, but that 1 second I have to think is 1 second less I get to react.

- A girl_friend of mine noted "Damn, I bet that thing could get annoying" (talking about city driving and constant false alerts.) About 3 minutes later we were driving back to her house and I got a K alert ahead (in a place there was no false before.) Signal strength is at 2 and pulsing and bogey counter is pointing at 1. I knew we had a LEO at this point and I smile because it's my first -real- alert. I adjust speed accordingly and we continue driving. The signal gets stronger and my girl_friend said "Well, where is the cop?!?!" (This was 30-40 seconds after the initial alert) and about that time we see him cross us. When V1 is actually reporting to a real alert -- it impresses the passengers.

Problems

- Sometimes the arrows are inaccurate. In the situation described above, I was driving North and the cop driving West, after we crossed the arrow continued to point Up, got confused, "detected a second K" (not true), then finally turned the arrow around to REAR.

- It's kinda annoying in the city, even in big-L mode. I know it's just doing it's job, and the way I explain it to the passengers is "Well, it's the best on the market. It's suppose to be a catch-all and let me decide if it's a threat or not."


--

I like it so far, but I haven't decided if I want to keep it or not. I've still got about two weeks to continue playing before I'd need to send it back to VR for a refund.

I'd kinda like to test the Bel X65 in my area and see if I liked it more. Even without the arrows, I hear it's just as good as a "detector" as the V1.

[kenton]

Oh, and I got a false on what I thought was my first real alert.

I was approaching H-167 Northbound on a regular two lane road. I get a Ka ahead in front of me, I'm like a real alert! The arrow quickly shifts to behind me with the strength increasing like mad :?: :?:

Approaching my rear is a new Ford/Chevy SUV. I remember reading -something- in the manual about those SUVs giving falses, but I thought it was on Laser.

Anyways, I get on the Interstate and so do they. I play cat and mouse with them to discover it was their vehicle. I did not see a radar detector.

What's with that?

[sethy]

Oh, and I got a false on what I thought was my first real alert.

I was approaching H-167 Northbound on a regular two lane road. I get a Ka ahead in front of me, I'm like a real alert! The arrow quickly shifts to behind me with the strength increasing like mad :?: :?:

Approaching my rear is a new Ford/Chevy SUV. I remember reading -something- in the manual about those SUVs giving falses, but I thought it was on Laser.

Anyways, I get on the Interstate and so do they. I play cat and mouse with them to discover it was their vehicle. I did not see a radar detector.

What's with that?

Probibally a concealed detector. I am suprised that v1's J feature did not catch this one.

[f_399]

install: it was actually easy for me, hardest part was hiding the wires

arrows: yeah they are inaccurate sometimes, you already pass the cop but there is a delay

i have been using little L because i like how it mutes X first

sent the radar back so i can do that with K too

[Longsnowsm]

Yep, if you give the V1 a little time and learn the areas you live in I don't hardly notice the RD anymore. Funny it beeps, I look, and life is good... It beeps and I look, and it isn't normal then I smile... Life is good. I don't even notice that I am even doing it until a passenger is in the car and they say something... Usually the comment is similar to your experience... "God doesn't that get annoying?", Nope, I don't even notice it... "Sure you do, I just saw you check it when it beeped!". I did? "Yep", well I didn't notice that I checked it... Then when the bogie is real, the the conversation goes to, "Where can I get one of those?" The V1 really is fun.

I still feel I would rather know everything and decide for myself. Some find the alarms for day to day things annoying, but once I started to know what it was telling me and I had most of my local roads figured out it is reassuring to me. Maybe that sounds counter intuitive, but it is true.

Your right about the delay, I notice a 1 or 2 second delay as a radar passes, and usually the V1 has told me so far in advance that I usually get to witness the LEO pass. The really nice part is after dark when you cannot see, then the locator is absolutely priceless.

Good luck with your V1 trial. I hope it works out for you.

Longsnowsm

[nomotickets]

- I miss my Cobra 9120 voice. The V1 is hard to read at night sometimes. VR really should have put different color LEDs for band identification. When I get an alert I look up and the first thing I look at is band, it was much easier with my Cobra 9120 to be TOLD the voice and have the band light up.

Kenton,

Why'd you give up the Cobra? Maybe you should get another one. As for the LEDs, check out this link:

http://bmwe34m5.com/faqs/?theme=1&le...nt_id_select=3

Others have modified their LEDs. Just something to think about. Good luck.

[isthar]

the signal you were reading from that suv was most likely a radar (or laser if thats was was beeping)-based cruise control. I was in front of a lexus or infiniti suv and i was getting laser signals every second or so.

Enjoy your v1! here's a tip if you feel the radar 'can get annoying'
a) use automute
b) and most importantly, buy the remote concealed display! I mounted my v1 on my visor, its right above my head -- when its beeping and i know its falsing or i just want it to shut up, i reach up, click, muted. takes all of 0.2 seconds. with my old bel on the windshield, i'd have to reach over and click a button, 1.5 seconds + distraction.

[V1 Dave]

Enjoy your v1! here's a tip if you feel the radar 'can get annoying'
a) use automute
b) and most importantly, buy the remote concealed display! I mounted my v1 on my visor, its right above my head -- when its beeping and i know its falsing or i just want it to shut up, i reach up, click, muted. takes all of 0.2 seconds. with my old bel on the windshield, i'd have to reach over and click a button, 1.5 seconds + distraction.

This is one of the things that I have always raved about with a V1.
And to think some people say the V1 is outdated because there are no rice grain buttons on the top of it.
I have done this very same thing since my 85 Passport in my main vehicle.
Only V1 is visor ready

[KnightHawk]

Same here. I got all top 3 RD's today for a 2 week study and evaluation. Like the first poster said, i got a lot of falsing with X band with a signal strength of 1 and the RX65 and X50 were as quiet as they can be. The "J" thing did not even appear even with falsing Xband for about 2-3 miles. The only time the "j" thing appeared is when i met an SUV going the opposite direction with a signal strength of 4. Mode for V1 was in "A" mode and the RX65 in autoscan and autosensitive for X50. Nightime driving also is hard to detect the band that is active and this should have been corrected for a long time now and i don't know why Mr. V has not done anything to it until now. All bands were turned on. Of course the arrows was a big plus but the falsing was also annoying. In my first day's use which is today with all 3 together, seems like the RX65 and X50 has better filtering of incoming signals if it is true radar or not. Since this is my first day, i'll let it pass. No LEO's encountered today.

[KnightHawk]

I'd kinda like to test the Bel X65 in my area and see if I liked it more. Even without the arrows, I hear it's just as good as a "detector" as the V1

I got all 3 at once and will be testing them all for 2 weeks.