Best radar detector: Bel 985, Passport 8500, or V1?

[Freejack2]

See my updated question at the bottom. With my birthday money I finally have enough to get my choice of detectors. 🙂

 

[darktubbly]

[Smartarse mode]
You could just drive at the speed limit and save your money 🙂.
[/Smartarse mode]

 

[CrazyDe1]

The escort is awesome...

 

[DannyBoy]

Originally posted by: darktubbly
[Smartarse mode]
You could just drive at the speed limit and save your money 🙂.
[/Smartarse mode]

Smartarse

 

[StageLeft]

Spend $100 more and get a valentine one. do it right!

 

[Freejack2]

Originally posted by: CrazyDe1
The escort is awesome...

I really like the fact that the Bel is software upgradeable and the Laser Jammer addon is nearly half the price of the Escort one. Does the Escort have something special over the Bel's?

 

[jpeyton]

V1

 

[Freejack2]

If you just want to know what my question is skip to the bottom. Otherwise...

Might as well bring this thread back instead of starting a new one. My detector seems to have calmed down and doesn't false too much anymore. I don't know if it was just Ohio driving it insane or what. It still falses enough though that I'm going to replace it now that I have enough money from my birthday.

I've been looking at places like radartest.com and the general gist is that the V1 is so sensitive that it picks up irrelevant signals and radartest gave it 2 out of 5 stars for falsing.

The only 5 star across the board detector was the Escort passport. The Bel Vector 9xx series gets 4 stars for laser detection.

Keeping in mind that where I drive the police don't get fancy with traps. 99+ times out of 100 they usually only have one cop sitting somewhere or a cop driving up and down the road. My Bel 870 has kept me from getting any tickets since I've owned it. Mind you that's a combination of the detector, luck, and not being very absent minded about my speed.

If I go the ebay route I can get an Escort Passport 8500 for $250, A Valentine One for $380, or a Bel Vector 985 for $215.





Keeping in mind I find false alerts extremely annoying is the V1 really worth the $130 extra? If not should I get a Passport 8500, or a Bel Vector 985? And why?

Edit: If you think my question is too much for these forums, if you can point me to a forum dedicated to this kind of stuff I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

 

[OS]

The V1 is the best notion is kind of outdated, most of the current reviews say that the 8500 and the 985 are all competitive with the V1, especially when you consider the price. Motor Trend has a review of RDs in their current issue and on their homepage, I think they called the 985 the best 200+ RD when you consider pricing. Also radartest is a pretty good resource.

 

[Fiveohhh]

I'd highly recommend the V1, for the sole fact it gives you an arrow and tells you what direction the radar is coming from. I also have 1st hand experience with their CS and it rocks.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Lack of poll = the suck.

V1 >>> *

- M4H

 

[Fiveohhh]

ohh yeah V1 also does upgrades when they have a new design. to upgrade mine to the newest version is $198, but currently not worth it for me
This is what they would upgrade:

Our Instant Upgrade* will make the following improvements to your V1.

Our best Ka-band performance.
Our best X-band performance.
Our best K-band performance.
Adds radar coverage on Ku-band (used in Europe).
Our best, Generation 3 laser warning, front and rear.
Reduces V1's case height by about ¼ inch.
Reduces V1's weight by about 1.5 oz.
Latest windshield mount with new suction cups.
Latest visor mount.
New Lighter Power Adapter.
New Direct-wire Power Adapter
New coiled cord.
New straight cord.
New wiring-harness connector.
Dual-Lock® fastener.
New Owners Manual.
Spare fuse.
Spare suction cups.
One-year limited warranty, same as new units.

*INSTANT UPGRADE: As soon as we receive your old unit (in operable condition with no tampering of the serial number) we?ll exchange it for a brand-new, current-production V1. This is our way of assuring you?ll be without V1 protection for the shortest time.

 

[Freejack2]

Enh, guess it won't let me add a poll after I make the thread.
For those of you that own a V1, how often does it false? I'm having a hard time justifying that extra $130+ for a V1 if it's going to false a lot. That's the whole reason I'm replacing my Bel 870.

 

[Fiveohhh]

mine will false in the city sometimes, but its consistant, so I know if all of a sudden there's a 3 instead of a 2 on the detector, that either they added another door thing, or theres a radar gun somewhere. Again IMO I'd pay the 130 extra for the direction arrows and the fact its always upgradable. and the flas's are normally x band, and you can set it up so that on weak x signals it still goes off, but at a muted volume. And lastly with the remote display the mute button is right next to my hand at all times.