Randy K

While taking a trip to Austin last weekend my 8500 started chriping and then displayed the message "Service Required" I unplugged it and it worked again for a while then did the same thing. I know this is a problem when using it in the vette because I've used the same detector in my truck and have never had any problems. I plug the sig adapter into the sig lighter in the dash not the arm rest compartment. Is there some sort of funny voltage fluctuation in the vettes I should know about? Has anyone had similar problems with the 8500? I wonder if hardwiring would help? :confused:

Black01Coupe

I've had the same problem everyonce in a while. I think it was because the unit was getting too hot sitting in the sun for too long, when I took it out and let it cool down in the shade, it started working again when I plugged it back in.

Randy K

That Sux. You would think that the manufacturer would know that the thing is going to be sitting out in the sun for a long time and would account for that. Besides, It never did it when I had it installed in my truck and I ran it for 4-5 hours without any problems.

EvilBunny

I have a different though complaint with the 8500. I own 2 of these things and 1 V1. I use the suction cups to attach them to the windshield. When left hanging in the sunlight, the little nipples (can't think of a more descriptive term) that the mount is attached to soften, and the weight of the 8500 causes the mount to pull off of the suction cups. :mad I'm going to contact Escort about this, but I wondered if you guys had similar experiences or maybe a solution. 600 bucks spent on the things (damn - I have a grand worth of Officer Avoidance Insurance). :D

pip

Get a visor or mirror mount.

BQuicksilver

Evilbunny: since you have both detectors, which one do you prefer, and why? Sometimes I think that V1 may just be the rage here by mob rule, and not quality. Anyway, give me you opinion if you can :yesnod: :yesnod:

R23HTC

I don't want to start a war here so I'm just going to say this.
IMHO, I had 3 products from the company that makes the Passport. The original one designed by Mike Valentine had a magnesium case. After he left, they went to plastic. EVERYONE of their detectors that had the plastic case I've had problems with. They can't take the heat. If you have a plastic case, the heat goes to the boards and solder connections come loose.

The V1 has a metal case and I've never had any heat related problems with it.

Randy K

I've heard alot of forum members rave about the V1 and I'm tempted to get one. It's just that I can't get past how bulky and ugly they are. I wish they'd put alittle style into the design.

EvilBunny

BQuicksilver - I would definitely recommend the V1. It IS more expensive, but to me, the arrows alone are worth the extra 100.00. I've taken to simply removing the Passports when the car will be sitting in the sun, but then the suction cups become difficult to work with. I originially bought a V1 for my Vette (and it STAYS in my Vette :D ), but I went and bought a couple of Passports for the other 2 cars. The Passport purchases were based on 1) the price, 2) the size difference, 3) the fact that V1 doesn't have a working "dark" mode unless you use the remote, and I live close to VA and DC where radar detectors are illegal, 4) the stuff I read on radartest.com which is very anti-V1.
After spending time with both products - buy a V1 - I think you will be happier with it. Like I said before, the arrows are worth the money. You can quickly look at the source and decide if it needs any attention. With the Passport, you have to treat every threat as real until you've scanned 360 degrees.

Hope this helps...

Sam Lin

Just FYI, RadarTest.com has been disproved by people on here as well as by Mike Valentine himself, for myriad reasons. The reviewer is known to have a bias against V1, the site's test procedures are horribly unscientific and innaccurate, I suspect that there is money involved in the deal from one of the other manufacturers running that site. That site is nothing but BS.

Sam

BQuicksilver

Thanks bro, I appreciate the reply :cheers:

As for price, I really don't mind paying for the V1 since one ticket would more than offset the difference b/w the two.

I read radartest.com and assumed that it was biased based upon what the guys here said, but I figured that some of the info might be useful.

Just curious, where do most of the guys mount their remote V1 units? Or do most guys prefer to just use the head units?

EvilBunny

No prob :cheers:
I am still using the head unit because I couldn't figure out how to route the cord through the center console (I have the CD and dual climate stuff so it's crowded in there). I tapped the 12V from the fuse box under the passenger side floorboard, then routed the cable under the plastic pillar between the passenger door and the windshield, and then the one between the roof and the windshield until I got it to the area of the rear view mirror where I have the V1. These pannels pop off and on pretty easily.
I use the suction cups. I tried the mirror mount, but prefer the suction cups because I can get a more stealthy mount with them.
I want to mount the remote on the dash just in front of the gas guage - if I can get ever get the other cable routed through the center console. :rolleyes: It doesn't block the guage if you set it up properly. The idea would be to have the cable for the remote exit on the right side of the steering column, and then connect it to the remote. It can also be mounter in the ash try, but then you have to take your eyes off the road to see it, and the shift blocks it in some gears.

Jeff Kirk

I had a V1 in my yellow C5 that was stolen (the car AND the V1)...and currently use a 8500 in my z06. I'm not sure how much the "arrows" actually helped me. Anything in back of me I can pretty much sniff out anyways, and I'm not worried about it. Most of them prefer tracking anyways versus using radar.

Anything to the side most likely will show up as "up front" to begin with.

the only real advantage I saw from the V1 perspective was the remote box that could be placed anywhere in the car.

BQuicksilver

Good point, Jeff. Most of the cops here just run up behind you at 85 and you don't notice them there sometimes until they're tracking you. Having said that, how do you feel about the front detection difference between the two detectors? :cheers:

EvilBunny

The issue I have is that all of these detectors give false alarms. The arrows help me figure out if I'm picking up a building's alarm system or something I should worry about.
Having said that, for driving on roads where clutter is not an issue, the V1 and the 8500 seem to be close. I don't think there's much of a difference from the front, although the V1 seems better at detecting things to the side and rear. When I pass radar with the V1, the alerts continue until the radar is well behind me, while with the 8500 the alert seems to stop almost as soon as I pass the source.
I think because I can A/B these things on a continuing basis, I'm probably more inclined to be critical. They are both good units.
:cheers:

DPC5

Not only does the V1 provide directional information, It's what else it does that no other detector can do. It "counts" all bogies (radar transmissions) in a particular area. You can pass 1 taking radar, and 1/2 mile down the road there could me another (i've seen it alot in houston), the V1 has a digital counter from 1 to 9 showing how many bogies are in the area. What I mean is that when you pass the 1st one, the V1 will pick up the second one also with a special tone and give you a readout of 2. No other detector does that, they will just continue to alarm making you believe that you are still picking up the signal from the one you just passed.

BQuicksilver

Thanks again for the feedback, I really hadn't thought of a lot of info presented here. BTW, I'm in the market now since my BEL seems to have quit looking for radar (on the LPE cruise last week everyone but myself was braking for the police). I loved the BEL back when it was working, with only one hot-on Ka scare in Texas. This is part of my apprehension for switching to the V1, as the passport seems to be most similar to my old BEL. Right now my thoughts are:

comfort level: passport (similar to BEL)
reputation: V1
size (eg how obvious it is to other drivers): passport
features: V1
sensitivity: ?
looks: passport
reliability: V1
price: passport

Right now, the only thing that really bothers me about the V1 is that I'd like to wedge the detector into the base of the windshield where it meets the dash (as I have with my BEL with no problems), and thus the V1's rear and side detection would be hindered, leaving me with only a big, bright unit that has comparable front detection. I know that I should mount the detector high, but I'm (as you can probably tell) a creature of habit. This is going to be a tough choice...

EvilBunny

I emailed you a .pdf of a Car and Driver test which included both the 8500 and V1...