Modding the latest release of V1 questions.

[CodyOebel]

Ok.. I am electronic suave if you would, and this very coming friday I am going to order the latest release of V1 from the V1 website direct. This will be my third V1 to own. Here is my questions.

I am looking to solder the different colored LED's into the unti for both strength meter, and also for band detected.

Is there a resource for this? I have read the stickies and found nothing. I did a search on this forum and found individuals who modded their own, but nothing precise to assist me.

I learned that particular releases have voltage variation issues, or higher voltage LED's cannot be used etc..

In simple. Here is a few questions I have. First off difficulty level ? As with cleaning integrated circuits I will be getting necessary chemicals etc, but will be using an older school iron solder. I can purchase better soldering guns if necessary, but if it is not necessary then it's not necessary.

My question here is. Where and what size LED's to buy that are exact equivalents to the RED led's. I'm really looking to use simply BLUE, and maybe GREEN.

My plan of modding is to change the first few signal strength red LED's to blue. Keeping the high strength color default as RED will = Dangerous level of signal, and blue = less to worry about. If there are applicable green LED's I would like to use green for 1,2 on strength meter. Blue for 3,4, and leave the rest red\default.

Then a Green for K band, and a blue for KA band would be nice too! Leaving the rest as default.

Is there considerations experienced modders here can provide me prior to me taking on this task. I would like to think this should be as simple as finding relevant equal LED's of different color, and simply soldering them lmao.

Couldnt be any harder than when I code in c++. It's just steps!

I appreciate any help provided. Thank you ahead of time for any contributors.
Keep in mind. I will order the V1 this friday. So I will have the latest release available!

[nr2d]

I have not had my V1 open but you might take a great bit of care. These LEDs may be surface mount type devices and that takes more than an "old School" soldering iron/station. I will try to look at my remote display that I don't use and tell you if the LEDs are surface mount type devices. I have been working in electronics/RF for over 45 years and very little scares me. But I won't work on surface mount devices.

Edit 1: Just found this in one of the archived stickies:
http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...ntine-one.html

Looks like surface mount LEDs to me!!

[CodyOebel]

I have not had my V1 open but you might take a great bit of care. These LEDs may be surface mount type devices and that takes more than an "old School" soldering iron/station. I will try to look at my remote display that I don't use and tell you if the LEDs are surface mount type devices. I have been working in electronics/RF for over 45 years and very little scares me. But I won't work on surface mount devices.

I agree. I havent even peeked inside any V1, but yeah if they are small little surface mount LED's I could definitely see your stand point.
I guess a picture of the board would be nicer to give an idea. I'm not dead set on doing this. If the procedure looks risky without having to spend a great deal of money on the required tools to perform the job then so be it default has how I always used the V1. Also doing such an upgrade on a brand new unti still under warranty probably isnt smart either just in case within the warranty period something happens I'm out the money over a personal customization.

Anyhow thanks for the reply nr2d I really appreciate your take on things sir.
I didnt know there was a dedicated forum to radar detectors. This is a subject topic I love to talk about, but not everyone I know in person can just chatter away about RF, and defeating tickets . I think this is a perfect forum for me to hang around with like minded people!

-Cody

[CodyOebel]

Well forget it. I just made a post . I spent 558$ on an escort 9500ix. Some lady totally blew the sale for VR. Her name was Allice Adams. I made a post here on this complaint.
I'm totally bummed by this experience. However I have never tried an escort 9500ix or anything but V1's. I got my entire family and friends using V1's. I wanted a saturday delivery etc.. blahh you will get to read about this HORRIBLE HORRIBLE experience if the mods allow my post.

I'm very dissapointed. I made VR thousands with over 8 V1 sales through friends and family including myself, and as bad as I wanted to see those arrows in my car tomorrow it's not going to happen all because one lady totally burned my happyness. So I'm going to give Escort 9500ix a try.

-I will check back later. I am really bummered about this such bad experience man.

[CodyOebel]

Bought an 9500ix. VR lady really angered me to trying out the competition for once.
I made a post on this. I reaaaaaaaallly hope the admin puts up my post. I'm absolutely pissed off!

[nr2d]

I just read your post. I have never had to call VR. I just purchased my 2nd V1 and along with the 1st, 3/2009, I have not had any problems ordering on line. Good luck with the 9500ix.

[CodyOebel]

Thanks.. well... I'm a bit worried now lol. My bank shows the deduction of the cost of the 9500ix. Because saturday delivery could not be made. Friday the escort lady followed up and called me back letting me know my 9500ix is set to arrive monday. I checked my bank account, and the 558$ was then refunded back to me I guess in correction for the payment to have it Saturday delivered. Unfortunately my address doesnt allow for sat deliveries, BUT she followed up. So I checked my bank account today, and I am not seeing the deduction for the cost of the 9500ix. I'm really hoping nothing went wrong, and that it arrives for me on monday as promised. I havent got a shipping number or anything yet .

Would be nice if they shipped it and gave it to me for free lmao no complaints there lol.
However I have a bad gut feeling I'm not going to see my passport 9500ix until tuesday.
Which was one reason I backed out on the long wait for V1. I wanted this device saturday. Was willing to pay 100$ to have it on that day, but oh well. Cant have everything when I want it lmao. Just I am so damn prone to tickets getting it sooner could save me couple hundred bucks now I have to constantly watch my speed. Having a speed sensor problem in my car doesnt help when my speedometer zeros out. Thats ticket prone even worse. So escort showing my speed actually fills a mechanical issue with my car.

Income tax is coming in . So I will be orderinga V1 for the wife, and run both units. I will be taking videos with my 1080p camera of both devices and go on cop runs to see if I can detect them.

[Cooluser23]

Bought an 9500ix. VR lady really angered me to trying out the competition for once.
I made a post on this. I reaaaaaaaallly hope the admin puts up my post. I'm absolutely pissed off!

The VR lady is the reason I have not pulled the trigger on a Valentine1 and am waiting for Escort to finally release something good. She has such an attitude, and doesn't seem to understand that in 2012 a 9 segment display just doesn't cut it.

User interfaces should be intuitive to use, and not require a "cheat sheet" to program it.

VR, please finally update your product, or throw in the towel all the way to Escort. This stalemate reminds me of politics.

[CodyOebel]

Bought an 9500ix. VR lady really angered me to trying out the competition for once.
I made a post on this. I reaaaaaaaallly hope the admin puts up my post. I'm absolutely pissed off!

The VR lady is the reason I have not pulled the trigger on a Valentine1 and am waiting for Escort to finally release something good. She has such an attitude, and doesn't seem to understand that in 2012 a 9 segment display just doesn't cut it.

User interfaces should be intuitive to use, and not require a "cheat sheet" to program it.

VR, please finally update your product, or throw in the towel all the way to Escort. This stalemate reminds me of politics.

I agree with you on this. You have a competitors unit who detects just as well if not better than your own. Your competitor destroys you in marketting and sales. Your competitor has gone GPS and quantum leaped into the next generation with defense networking. The only thing they ride short on is arrows to point which way the signal is coming from, but with Escort live once a full network of users are active V1's arrows will entirely become obsolete.

Before Escort figures a work-around to the arrow patent such as incorporating dual antennas on a next gen radar, and interface it to a smart phone which then shows digital arrows for front and back as V1 does. I would joinem instead of being beat by them.

I think Mike would be given a considerable offer, lead or CEO of R&D and come out far more ahead in the long run, AND still be a leading figure in the field of RD's. Imagine an Escort Valentine Defense Gear. It has arrows physically on the radar unit, it can display arrows on a smart phone or IQ interface, has duel antennas, has a live network of users with all the features provided in escort LIVE.
Hands down that is the un-defeated combination. Every competitor out there might as well throw in the towel.

I think we will see that day come soon enough. It is a market full of money, and Escort just seems to be dominating IMO. Actually I am holding back on buying a V1 because what if Escort comes out with something to show direction of signal detected via an Iphone ? V1 will be done for!

-Cody