Basic Question

[Eleggua]

Only hardcore people use the V1. I guess i'm hardcore so thats why I use it.

X2.

Danny_isr, here are my thoughts about some of what you wrote:

1. The arrows are not just a big deal, they are a HUGE deal. I no longer waste my time trying to figure out if he's ahead of me, behind or if it's a concern.

2. Far as I know, there's only one kind of info that you get with a Belscort that you don't with V1 - the freq of the contact if you have it set up that way. I don't find that all that critical as it's public knowledge what is being used in your area/State.

3. The magnesium case is superior, lasts longer - which might be why the resale value remains so high.

4. VR customer service is superior all day long. (And I say that and I've even had one problem with VR service. But all the rest have been stellar.)

5. Two antenna's is SERIOUSLY better - and is the basis of the arrows.

6. Yes, they are both good. I drive with the 8500 X50 on my motorcycle (for now). I also have the Blinder M25 Extreme on it. LOL

7. You're right, Belscort does use a different approach - but like you, I like the V1 and I think very serious drivers who want and need "situational awareness" will as well.

8. And you're right about what you put in your signature too. "Resistance is Futile. :-)

And the one thing people have to realize when considering detectors - is that its a mistake to think that the detector going off and no LEO is present is a false.

I thought the same thing until set straight by someone on this forum.

When it goes off for a door opener, for example, it is still picking up a radar source. So, making the detector more quite (filtered) is to also filter legitimate sources of radar thus decreasing your time to respond.

I'd rather know what is there, watch my bogey counter and NOT get a ticket than not know what is going on, have my detector be silent in the face of legitimate radar or give me to little warning. Does that make me "hard core"? I guess maybe it does.

One read of the V1 manual made me a believer. Mike Valentine describing "situational awareness" made all the difference in the world in my understanding of the true nature of the beast.

The rest was easy. I bought a V1 - when my wife saw it, she immediately wondered why no one had come up with the arrows before and wanted one too so got a 2nd one.

Someone uses a line in their signature that says: V1 is a Religion and I'm a believer. Well... me too.

I could go on, but won't. LOL

[danny_isr]

1. The arrows are not just a big deal, they are a HUGE deal. I no longer waste my time trying to figure out if he's ahead of me, behind or if it's a concern.

well i still think, if it's alerting for real, i slow down no matter where it's coming from. not to mention that many times those arrows getting a bit "wild"... sure it's nice i didnt say it's not. but not something i cannot live without.

2. Far as I know, there's only one kind of info that you get with a Belscort that you don't with V1 - the freq of the contact if you have it set up that way. I don't find that all that critical as it's public knowledge what is being used in your area/State.

in Expert mode, it wlil let you know that you have 2 KA and one K.
with V1 you will know you got 3 alert. maybe 2K and one KA or other way around. not that i need that info....but just for the argument

3. The magnesium case is superior, lasts longer - which might be why the resale value remains so high.

x2

4. VR customer service is superior all day long. (And I say that and I've even had one problem with VR service. But all the rest have been stellar.)

x2

5. Two antenna's is SERIOUSLY better - and is the basis of the arrows.

yes i'm aware that those arrow needs the rear antenna to get the info.
but we going back to 1)

yeah there no way this or any detector will save me if i will go fast all day.
i noticed here in Denver/Boulder I/O is popular ops: and that makes me think .....maybe a detector was a waste to start with...

[Eleggua]

Excellent points.

I always appreciate a good discussion.

And I love my 8500 X50. When it goes off I slow down. But I do find myself missing the arrows to tell me where it is.

In the city, the arrows help me identify if it is a door opener (side arrows) or a real LEO. The arrows do tend to get more "confused" in the city vs. the highway.

The other day I got hit twice with instant on. It is a problem that's for sure. Still, most of the LEO's are lazy and easy to defeat.

Like you, I don't assume that I can drive fast just because I have one. It is simply a tool that helps me stay alert to the conditions, my speed and the possibilities.

And, I LOVED the 9500i when I had it. Only thing is the GPS had problems. I set it to alert me to the red light camera by my house and it did the first 3 or 4 times - then, it just stopped alerting that I was coming up to it any longer. But, that detector would make me happy as well once they get the bugs worked out of it. And it's based on the 8500 X50. :-)

[danny_isr]

yes the th the GPS idea is a killer in my opinion.
if it works or when it will work. i think thats the way to go.
you can "clean" all the false s in your are once and that is it !
i will stay tune to see how that detector is coming along.
maybe it just too new ...

[Eleggua]

That's why I returned mine, but it made me sad to do so.

And the 9500i feels really good too. Don't know what it's made of but it has a great feel to it.

Still, it doesn't have the arrows. :-( And with my modified concealed display with the different colored led's to identify the different bands, I don't know if I will be able to part with it.

But, once the gps works, and they make the program available for it that will allow us to put in all the red light cameras etc. I'll probably have to buy it again.

[danny_isr]

you can put red lights position camera in any regular GPS .
i can do it with my Nuvi-Gramin. if just had the data base ...

just bought a concealed display of Ebay ....have no idea why i'm doing this

[Eleggua]

You have been assimilated.

Resistance is Futile!

(You'll love the display, especially if you have colored lights. Now I can tell without hardly looking what I'm getting hit with.)

[danny_isr]

"You have been assimilated. " yep

yeah the color do make sense, but the way the detector is mounted now ,just below the visor i can see the display very well. its matter of or looking up or looking down to the concealed display.
i may do the color LED myself. i just need to find them and i will solder them myself.

maybe on the motorcycle it will make more sense. because on the bike i cannot see the display. i'm "above" the detector i can only hear it

[Eleggua]

The weirdness for me that I'm still getting used to is that the sound still comes from the V1 but the display comes from the steering column where the concealed display is attached via velcro. So I hear it from up above, but see it below. I'll get used to it.

I have the same issue with the motorcycle. I'm using an 8500 X50 and may not go to the V1 there due to having to mount an auxiliary audio part to pipe the sounds into my helmet (Autocom sound system - rocks by the way). I'm a bit over the detector so it's hard to see it. But I can tell by the sound so it isn't much of an issue, but I know what you mean.

What kind of motorcycle do you have? I have a Suzuki 2007 Bandit 1250S. I have the autocom and a Zumo 550 with XM receiver, 8500 X50 and the Blinder M25 Extreme on it.

"You have been assimilated. " yep

yeah the color do make sense, but the way the detector is mounted now ,just below the visor i can see the display very well. its matter of or looking up or looking down to the concealed display.
i may do the color LED myself. i just need to find them and i will solder them myself.

maybe on the motorcycle it will make more sense. because on the bike i cannot see the display. i'm "above" the detector i can only hear it

[danny_isr]

it's a Honda CBR 900RR, i got the remote audio hooked to a headset under my helmet. not the best but works. takes long time to set up all the stuff before im riding.

i took a ride in the past on Bandit 400 if you familiar with it. was lots of fun