96 CE LT-4

Any one have any comments on the new cobra line of radar detectors? I know everyone loves the valentine and the escort, but man are they pricey! Thanks for the help!

65Z01

I have had a low end Cobra mounted in the IROC-Z for over 5yrs and one mounted in the Vette for over 3yrs and both have served me well.

In both cases the Cobra is mounted to the windshield just to the left of the rear view mirror and powered from a switched source comming through the header. This makes for a trouble-free stealth mount.

I've noticed that at either unit gives a radar warning of 1/4-1/2 mile.

Though I do NOT rely only on the Cobra as a counter measure; I've found that vigulance is the most effective deterent and use the Cobra as an adjunct. None the less, it has saved my butt several times.

MinnesotaWhite

If you search the web, there are three main radar detector test pages that rank detectors.

Valentine is like Zaino on this forum, you can't say anything bad about it or you have a bunch of hate posts. Nice to see people who's only basis in fact is using it can comment how much better one product is over another when they only use one product...but whatever...(even though Valentines are well known for lots of false signals, I experience this when in Vette caravans all the time).

Here are a few things for you to read:
http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=1024
http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...ar/index7.html
http://www.radar-detectors.com/(personally don't trust this site the most)
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/au...dar_detectors/ (this one is comsumer opinions that don't mount to a hill of beans IMHO)

Beltronics have the V940, V960 and the V985 which (if you read most of the radar test sites) score at, above, or a little below on most of the test categories in comparison. 940 is about $149, 960 is $179 and the 985 is about $249.

Cobras have traditionally scored very poorly on all the sites...



[Modified by MinnesotaWhite, 12:28 PM 3/24/2004]

96 CE LT-4

Thanks for the replies! Keep em coming!

Wayne88

MY $.02

I have an Escort Solo S2 Cordless.

This morning I had the Vette out for a ride.

I turned the radar detector on & placed it on the passenger seat.

It started beeping and sure enough, about 1/8 mile up there was an officer trying to earn his day's pay--But not from me.

The Escort cordless works well. It picked it up the radar even while on the seat.

bogus

:rolleyes:

I have had quite a few detectors over the years... 6 different units, from 3 different makers (Two Whistlers, three Escorts and one Valentine). And the Valentine is by far the best. No questions asked.

It is the only unit that supports true 360* protection - it has both front AND rear mounted antennas. No guessing. Once you use the arrows & bogey counter, there is no going back. Here's a good example: South Carolina, several years ago, I am driving to Sebring for the 12 hours. A speed trap is set up on I-95. It's on one of the portions where there is a huge median section and no exits! There are quite a large number of trees. My V1 goes off and reads like 3 or 4 different signals. I am a good mile before the area. I see brake lites go off, so there is something near. I slow. Get past the trap and my detector goes silent... for only a second - a new forward signal is there! A SECOND trap about .75 miles down the road. No other detector would have reported that without some serious interpretation, or, a ticket. Cause a regular detector would never have shown the extra signal and the directions.

Sure, it picks up falses, but if you filter out a false, you filter out the real deal.

Some of those sites are a joke... mainly, radartest.com. that guy is some kind of consultant to the industry, and Mike Valentine does not play his game, hence, he blasts the V1 at every turn.

There are other detectors with good reception... not questioning that, but none of them have the bogey count or the ability to tell you WHERE its coming from!

As stated above, a radar detector is nothing more than an extra eye. Do not depend on it 100%, but, as a helper, it will save your bacon. And if you are going to hire a helper, why not hire the best? And the best is V1.

No question about it.

Check the Car & Driver tests. They are by far the best testing measures around. They are consistant and really test the units abilities.

corvette-pilot

Presently I have the Beltronics V985. Been using it a little over a year and seems to work good for me.

Before this I have alway bought Escort detectors all the way back to the days when they were known as Cincinatti Microwave. Would have bought another one but at the time I didn't have the $$$. Found a great deal on ebay on the Bel.

No matter what you do, get one !! Sure $200-400 is a lot of money but then again so is a ticket and 3-6 years of surcharges !!

:steering:

MinnesotaWhite

You prove my point Bogus...is this a side by side comparison...HOW do you know the Valentine is better than the others?? HOW do you know the other units would not have given the same warning as your Valentine. Until you test each one with the same conditions side by side your "opinion" is just that with NO basis in fact.

Source? Funny every test out there never states that...

Not true, there are many frequencies of X band that are not used on radar guns but on uplinks...why should I care about those?

Sorry...your Mike Valentine sounds like a blowhard to me...I've been a part of corporate America for a loooong time...and he fits the pattern...read the rebutt:

http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9070

QuikZilver

I have a Cobra 9850 and like it a lot! It has all the bells and whistles. Has saved me a bunch of times!! :cheers:

Aaron71771

Boy, someone has an anti-valentine agenda.

V1 is by far and away the best detector out there. The bogie counter and directional arrows are a god send. My now 10 your old unit has picked up police rader from over 2 miles away.

bogus

I HAVE tested my other detectors against the V1... my 2nd Escort only did X&K, it was a good match to the V1s range on those frequencies (surpassed them in some, but that has been proven in recent testing, too).

Secondly, I tested it against my Passport Solo. That thing was JUNK (and yes,the batteries were new).

You are probably wondering about my testing methodology. It was not the most scientific, but, I took them both and pluged them into a lighter adaptor that ran 2 items. then set them side by side on the middle of the dash. And drove my normal highway loop. I know the loop has a ton of doors and such.

I tested the Passport, but it failed within seconds of testing... leaving my house, it didn't pick up a cop doing radar at the end of my street! So I quit right there...

If you are after empirical data, read the damned tests. I cannot afford to buy every single detector on the market. But I have tested it against what I have owned. I ended up giving the Passport away... what a POS. The big escort? in a box somewhere...

It should. Check the sites... the V1 has a rear facing antenna. Only the high dollar installed systems with remote antennas can match that feature.
Sure, it picks up falses, but if you filter out a false, you filter out the real deal. Could it be your sources for empirical data are flawed? Amazing.

There are filters you can turn on.

I have. Radartest.com is a shrill for his own interests. I don't trust him on bit. It's not that I trust Mike, cause I don't know him, but, I would trust Mike first, cause his product WORKS.

So... you are going to discard the V1 just because a lot of people like it? and because it has the best user interface around? And because it has a few falses? Nothing is perfect... just some things come closer to perfection than others. Uh, ok, whatever. :rolleyes:

What is your opposition to the V1? Other than some falses? That's a minor detail in the big scheme of things.

As an aside - Cobra bought up the remains of Cincinnatti Microwave after they went belly up.

A final thought... when C&D did their last tests, the V1 won, with a score of 97/100 points. Second had 73/100 (the Escort). What does that tell you?

The test was published February 2002. I suspect it's time for an update.

Check this test out:
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

RIC96

:iagree: The V1 is huge and overpriced. The BEL is just as effective at about half the price. All top quality detecters have front and rear detection and it makes no sense to pay $200 for arrows. If you're on the open freeway, you won't be encountering door openers and you should react to all alerts. Motor Trend just did a review for 2004 and named the BEL as the best value for high end detectors. The difference between the V1 and the 985... .1 of a point.


[Modified by RIC96, 4:06 PM 3/24/2004]

MinnesotaWhite

Simple, benefit for $$. I'm discarding the V1 because I don't see the additional value for the additional $150-$250 dollars. This forum makes it sound like the V1 is the only detector that works which isn't true (like the Zaino cult).

My experience with the V1 when in car caravans are numerous falses (not few) which get very annoying. I wouldn't spend the extra $ if that is the result.

Personally, I don't believe C&D or even Motortrend because they are directly attacking an advertisers product. IF C&D had given the V1 a poor rating, after seeing how Mike Valentine acted like a child with Automobile magazine, they'd lose that revenue.

Okay I do have a question though...Radartest.com is promoting who's product in particular? Escort? BEL?

Another question...V1 doesn't handle POP mode where a number of the others do...is that good? Valentines response to POP is that the ticket doesn't stick so they aren't going to handle POP.

MinnesotaWhite

Nope...best means different things to me, and like I said before...you can't have a differing opinion on this forum when it comes to the V1.

If you read the original post on this thread, the person was looking at a value detector and not the most expensive on the market, and I provided sources to read and my personal opinion...that's the great thing about a forum...you can state your opinion.

GS919

When I was researching detectors I ran across this site. Seems to be a nuetral test of detectors done by Speed Measurement Labs. They do not declare a winner but list best in category and include details of the results if you want to chart your own winner. http://www.speedzones.com/

Also this site seemed more nuetral since they sell BEL, Escort and Valentine. http://www.radarjammertechnology.com/index.php

I ended up deciding that you really can't go wrong with the top of the line BEL, Escort or Valentine. And now they are all priced within $70 of each other (retail). But to each their own!

jackdaroofer

:cheers: My Bel :D

985, works great, tests great!

:seeya

:steering:

dizwiz24

As a Valentine one owner for 5 years (yes, the upgraded for 1998 radar detection circuitry in my 5 year old detector is the same as whats being sold in a 2004 model) I can say that radars have changed.

Police radars are less powerful now, and ANY radar detector will give you less warning than they would have a few years ago against older radar units.

However, the thing that concerns me is the POP mode and Valentine One's attitude that its not important.

POP mode works beautifully. Your radar detector is like a scanner, and might be scanning say X-band or a segment of the wide Ka band when a K band POP radar is used. You wont even know you were hit. Sure, the cop is 'supposed' to switch to regular radr to verify your speed, but by the time your radar detector does go off, he's got your speed.

The biggest drawback is a cop using POP wont set off your detector as he is zapping the car in front of you. That instant-on 'splash' you rely on.

Even though I do not have one, I would likely recommend the Passport 8500 for this reason. Also, the arrows arent always perfect working, although I do like them.

Sometimes they will switch without any provocation.

avideo

I'm really glad I came across this thread, because I was planning to get a radar detector in a few weeks. So far, I've been really lucky the past four years in my 1987 Coupe. But due to all the recent government budget cuts in our state, the cops are seriously trolling for dollars these days.
Thanks to everyone for your input! :flag

bogus

so you are implying that C&D would compromise their editorial ethics to keep Valentine happy? Thats absurd. I have been reading C&D for YEARS and they have had many an advertiser pull out because they have nailed their product. I reference Buick for one.

And on the flip site, that Peterson with Radartest.com is an angel?

interesting.

I find that the arrows and bogey counter are worth the extra $$. It is value to ME. I have owned this unit since 1998 and have had it serviced once - no charge.

I will continue to recommend the V1. It is the best unit I have owned, and on the rare occasion I have loaned it to friends, they don't want to give it back. One friend used it for the caravan to Bowling Green last year for the 50th... it saved the caravan's bacon...

In the years I have had the V1, I have only been nailed by 1 cop for speeding. And that was a situation I dare anyother detector to beat out... around a downhill bend, instant on Ka. Done. $150.00 poorer.

Oh, and I drive A LOT. My Prelude had 173k miles on it when I sold it... and my vette currently has 125k on it. Nearly 100k in 4 years.

As much as you don't want to admit it, my opinions are based on fact... not just marketing crap.

Midnight89

I was getting ready to post the exact same sight. You have to check this article out. It really seems to be an objective, extensive, no BS test of some of the markets most popular detectors.

Personally, I love my BEL 985; and if you look around on ebay, you should be able to find them easily for less than $200.00.