finally upgraded the V1
 

Well the windshield bracket split in half last week on my 9+ year old V1, so I decided it was time to upgrade. I had ZERO problems with my old V1 and it payed for itself many times over. Sent in my old detector and got a new V1 with laser and POP protection. It seems to weigh a tad bit less. Just in time to pick up the 5 speed swap later this month! Hoping for another 10 years. Thanks Mike!

where could a guy find one?

here:
http://www.valentine1.com/

ive had mine since 95 as well....
cant say enough about the product..

if yours was old enough, the new one should weigh less and is a little smaller. when i upgraded, the face was about 1/4-1/2" thinner. i had a v1, got a passport 8500 when they came out, returned it after 2 weeks and upgraded the valentine. it's hard to go back after you've had the arrows.

I had mine for 5 years and upgraded 2 years ago and now Mike comes up this "POP Protection" shit. :mad:
I guess I'll wait a little to upgrade again, but will say this, you can't live without the arrows once you try them. :bigthumb:

Another satisfied Valentine One user here! I don't have the latest "POP Protection," but I don't know that it really matters.

neat product but how does this have to do with fd's?

FD's seem to go slower even when you think your doing the speed limit.
The V1 is a good reminder to check your speed to slow down. I was doing 80 mph that seemed like 60mph in my FD.

I plan to buy one for my FD as well.

Its hard to do the speed limit in a FD cause you want to always kick in the turbos to feel the G's!!!!!!!

What is "POP Protection". Mine is about 5.5 years old and I don't think I have it. Thanks. Still love the V1 though.

Pop protection is some complicated program it uses to recognize "pop" or instant-on radar. It's when a cop's waiting on the side, w/ his radar gun OFF, then waits until he sees a car, turns on his radar gun for a second, and turns it right back off - barely enough time to get a reading. http://www.valentine1.com/pop/ has a lot more info, but also note that such methods of obtaining radar readings are extremely inaccurate...

Long story short, cops in areas such as here (Fairfax County) where radar detectors are illegal, KNOW ppl still use detectors, so they use the pop method to try and beat them at their own game. Since the radar gun isn't on for more than a second, you prob will think it's a false alarm or possibly not pick it up at all. POP mode helps you detect and identify pop radar.

As for upgrades, I bought my V1 about a year ago, it was the latest model save the POP upgrade. I sent it in about a month ago to get upgraded, and it was only $55. Not bad at all IMO for a very important function for where I live, while not having to buy a new unit.

I've had mine for a little over a year as well. What exactly does it do to help you distinguish the POP? My experience is that if a cop is really gunning my direction, the signal will be VERY strong even if just for a brief moment.

To be 100% honest, I don't know lol. I read all the info they had about it on the website, and Dan (Scrub) and I were like huh?? :scratch: lol. Weren't really sure what was going on. I haven't had a chance to try it out because it was about a month ago, and we're still in snow season (in fact, there are 3 inches on the ground right now) so the FD has been staying in the garage, all nice and warm :) But bottom line, I know that Car and Driver's test (I think it was them) had the V-1 in second place for the very first time because the Passport had pop protection, but the V-1 didn't, so it was only a matter of time until the V-1 came out w/ it too. I just know it's important for my area because cops use pop mode a LOT over here, but don't know how the detector will give me a head's up on that yet. I'll let ya know in a month or two tho when it gets warmer and all the sand and salt's off the ground...

How much did it cost you for the upgrade? My V1 is also like 8-9 years old, never upgraded it, still works good though...

The older your detector is, the more it will cost to upgrade. You are paying for all of the upgrades they have made since you bought your detector. Btw. I just bought my first V1 about 3 weeks ago, and it is awesome. If you have a tendency to drive fast, I highly recommend the V1 and nothing less.

It saved me twice in just this last week. The pop protection works great. You just have to know how to interpret your device. It's worth the money.


Story:
The cop was sitting in a hidden drive way right off the road. He would turn his radar on and nail a car then off. I saw the V1 go nuts for a split second then nothing. This all started about a mile or two before I saw the cop. A moment later, nuts again with the arrow pointing forward. This was in an area that I usually don't get false alarms (by stores ect.), so I slowed down to 35 (the speed limit). As I approached the cop it kept going nuts then stopping. Then I see the cop, at that moment the V1 goes nuts again. This time the arrow was in front, as I passed it was side to side, then the rear. Shortly after I saw the rear arrow light up, the V1 went silent. As I made it further down the road it would still go off but show rear arrows and the signal was getting weaker.

I have even been able to see cops drive by the opposite lane (freeway) with the radar on. It will pick them right out of traffic if the cop has his radar on.

The thing works well, just learn to read it and use a little smarts behind it.

Yep. I think a lot of people are under the impression (not in this thread) that a radar detector gives you a license to speed. That is a terrible and dangerous misconception. My V1 has saved me from getting pulled over several times, but there have been other instances where the motorcycle cops were using laser that I would have had no warning because of very light traffic. I have been pulled over for speeding once in the FD. I was on the beach going north in a 35. Traffic was slow, and I passed another car under light throttle. As I approached the bridge onto the next barrier island I got a laser warning. I quickly tapped the brakes, but quickly noticed that there was a Trailblazer in front of me. Most Trailblazers have a strange center brake light that sets off the V1. As I got closer to the the Trailblazer, I saw that it was not the correct kind of brake light. Not 5 seconds later, I saw a beach cop SUV changing lanes rapidly behind me. He pulled me over and said I was doing 52 in a 35 according to his "laser radar." My detector is up at the top of my windsheld so he wouldn't have noticed it. He asked me what my association with law enforcement is because I have a Police Athletic League license plate. I correctly told him that I used to do fundraising for PAL and that my brother is in the police academy. He took my license and registration and went and sat in his cruiser for a few minutes (after asking me to turn off my car, LOL). I watched in my rearview, and he didn't even look anything up in his computer. He told me that he gave me a formal warning in the system, and that if I were to get pulled over again in Treasure Island that I would receive a ticket. I thanked him for his kindness and pulled away as quietly as possible.

Long story short: A radar detector is not a license to speed. You must be careful in areas that laser could be easily used especially when there isn't much traffic to alert you to their location. Getting a law-enforcement-related license plate is not a bad idea but be sure that you have a reason to give as to why you have it (not because you want to avoid tickets).

Most def. So what's it mean when ALL the lights come on all of a sudden? I'm guessing that's what you're referring to by it going crazy. That happens every now and then to me...and it's diff from regular radar, because w/ radar, I get a weak distinct beep, and it gets stronger as I approach. I can always tell when I hear that sound that it's a legit radar reading. But other times, I'll be driving along, and the detector goes haywire. All the lights light up, and it beeps like crazy. First time I heard it, I thought the world was gonna end or somethin :rofl: Not sure what it means...but the only time I verified it was actually something real was when I saw a cop eye me on the side of the road, and about 1/2 a mile up, my detector went crazy, and I saw another cop a few feet ahead of me on the size, aiming his gun at me. Dunno if it's radar or laser or pop or what. :scratch:

Oh and both of you are right about still driving smart w/ a detector. The only time I got pulled over in the FD was when I was speeding all alone, and considerably so. V-1 didn't work because the cop used pop mode on me... So yea you gotta think smart.

I got a ? for you long-time V-1 users. Does your V-1 also have "A," "1/2 L," and "full L" (logic) modes? If so, which mode do you guys use? "A" goes off from EVERYTHING around you lol but I'm afraid/worried to use "1/2 L" or "full L" in case it'll filter an actual warning that I should be getting... Anyone?

Hell, I still need to read the directions.:D

What I meant by nuts was, it would beep loud and hard (strong signal) showing the arrow towards the front.

I to have had it all light up (show all arrows) and beep abnormally but I thought it was due to the power (cig connection) connection and having it disconnect for a split second. Causing the radar to turn off and on. But now I am not sure.

Full logic mode and 1/2 logic mode was news to me.

I guess I'll read the directions in full and take better notes.:p:

"Everything going crazy" is probably the laser warning. It has the European siren sound.

I run my detector on "1/2 L" which is Advanced Logic mode when I'm just driving around town. If I'm going to be doing some "spirited" driving on the interstate or other open roads, I'll switch it to "A" which is All Bogeys mode.

:rofl: You dork haha (j/k)

1) Your prob does sound like a power prob. I don't think I have all the arrows light up. Just all the strength lights light up, and I think there are vertical lights too (3 on top of each other) that light up as well? And it makes a different and distinct sound. My guess is it's the "you just got hit by laser" alarm...

2) For the logic modes, you know how your V-1 has an "A" on the front left? If you hold down (ie press it inward) the power/volume button, then let it go, it'll switch to a "1/2 L" mode. Do it again, and it'll switch to "full L" mode. One more time, and it'll go back to "A" mode. A is most sensitive, but also means it'll pick up false alarms. L is using computer logic to filter out what it thinks are false alarms, although it should beep once if something classified as a false alarm gets really strong.

Ok, so I guessed right. I'm guessing when it goes off in the middle of nowhere, w/ no cops around, I'm prob catching someone's middle (laser) tail light? It's funny because there's a shop or two that EVERY TIME I pull into, I get that laser alarm :confused:

Ditto...so no one uses full logic mode, eh?

Oh, haha. :rlaugh:

I read the part in the directions that said it turns on in "A" all bogey mode and I was set. I have only had it for about a month now, so I do have a little excuse.

I am pretty sure mine is a power problem because my LM-1 turns on and off too.

I have never messed with the logic mode, I just figure I can determine the false alarms better then it can.

Either way it is a great tool that you need to learn how to use. Drive safe.
:bigthumb:

Some neon signs are the same frequency as well. There is at least one place that I think of where I my Laser warning goes off every time, but I can find no reason for it to do so.

I have an FD! This gives me license to post products that I think may be of use to other FD owners, and to share info that helps enhance our FD driving experience. Thanks...