sslkickers

i've been thinking about radar detectors and buying one and what i've seen online, the two that i really like are the Valentine One and the Whistler DE3500.
i like about the valentine the arrows and number of 'bogeys'
but on the whistler i love the option of hiding it, so if i get pulled over the cops won't see it and write me up real high like i hear they do.
any opinions would be great

exbrick

I used to use a Bel remote unit and now use a Valentine 1. I would definitely avoid using a remote mount unless you live in a place where radar detectors are actually illegal (VA, DC, parts of canada, and most of Europe.) Having the antenna in the bumper severely hampers range because it's so low. It's blocked by any vehicle in front of you, and it has a much harder time picking up signals over a hill where cops LOVE to hide around here.

The V1 can give you just as much stealthiness and even better protection. Mount the main unit high, hiding the suction cups behind the blue tint strip. Then get the concealed display and mount it down on your instrument cluster where you can see it easily when you check your speed. Here's my setup (with ugly sun shade):





I never get a second look from the cops with it mounted like this.

You should also look at the Escort 8500X50 and the Bel RX65. They have excellent range, better filtering than the V1, but no real concealed display. (Smart cord doesn't do much.)

oei28

I have the Bel RX65 and I think it's an excellent radar detector. And it's cheaper than the V1.

I would agree in avoiding remote mount detectors because it's best to mount it as high as you can to detect K and Ka bands better. Low is good for laser detection since it is such a tight beam, but by the time it tells you that it detects laser, the cop already has your speed anyway. So mount it high.

sslkickers

thanks for the opinion
i really like the valentine, because i'm thinking of long term like over the next few years, so the higher cost now doesn't seem too bad.

a few questions i have though:
is the power cord noticable?
with the remote display, it takes the display off the main unit and just puts it on the other one, right?

thats pretty much all i wanted to know
thanks

exbrick

The power cord isn't noticeable at all if you hard-wire it. The picture of mine is with everything wired and ready to go. I have it connected to the fuse box and the wires tucked into the trim/headliner...sounds difficult to some but it's really easy to do. The V1 comes with a hard-wire kit included, the Bel and Escort don't but you can buy what you need from them.

The V1 remote display is completely identical to the main unit display. The main unit goes dark when you plug in the remote.

oei28

Well, the Bel and Escort both use RJ-45 jacks (phone jacks) so if you have an extra phone cable, you can hard wire it without buying any extra things.

Even though the Bel and Escort don't have remote displays, I really don't look at the radar that often anyway since the different beeps basically tell you what it is saying. And if it sees a radar, I would slow down where ever it comes from, so I really don't need the arrows either lol.

The V1 is a great detector, but personally I like the Bel better since its software is more up to date and it is better at detecting false alarms. But whichever detector you choose, V1, Bel RX65, or Escort 8500X50, you will be happy, I can guarantee you that much.

exbrick

Second that. All three are excellent!

Last piece of advice that I forgot: stay away from Ebay when you buy! None of these companies will honor a warranty for anything bought on Ebay. Better to pay a little more up-front than pay a little less and risk getting completely screwed.