Valentine One
MSRP $400
Availability: Only from Valentine One direct or Ebay
Features: Front and rear radar antennas, front and rear laser sensors, auto dim display.
Website http://www.valentine1.com/
----- All about Smokey and the Bear -----
Speeding is a tradition in America, and has been going on since the first cars were produced. No matter how many horsepower a car has or how fast it will go, some drivers throw caution to the wind and will push the limits of their vehicle. Since there are laws to prevent out-of-control drivers from ruling the road, our law enforcement officers are sworn to detain and fine those drivers who embrace the open road too enthusiastically. Since traffic radar was first used by police officers in the early 50's, companies have marketed anti-radar devices to consumers. Radar detectors, fuzz busters, call ‘em what you want, Americans bought them in droves.
With this newfangled contraption giving drivers a sense of security, they drove faster and with less concern for “smokey bear” around the corner. Much to their surprise, many drivers found their radar detectors weren’t infallible, and actually seemed to increase the amount of tickets they received. Policemen still nailed the errant motorists with frequency, since early detectors were not very good at finding bogies around corners or over hills. Obviously officers didn’t appreciate seeing a fuzz-buster sitting on the windshield of the offending vehicle, so they were more likely to ticket said driver than if they were merely caught in a moment of recklessness.
In 2004, the newest generation of police speed detection equipment is top-notch, and is getting better as more technology makes its way into the patrol car. More than 100,000 guns are in use, with over 20K being purchased each year. No matter how small the city, everyone wants a slice of the out-of-town-sucker pie. Officers no longer leave their X-band radar on full-time and let detectors sniff them out 2 miles away. Ka-band, Laser, and rear facing radar guns are all out there on the highway just waiting for unsuspecting drivers to speed into range. The new defences must be constantly upgraded and ready to detect hits from all angles. The
Valentine One is the top dog in the cut-throat market of radar detectors.
Photo radar is a relatively new threat, and one the V1 is easily equipped to defeat. This device takes a picture of the speeding vehicles license plate as it goes by, but it's weakness is the photo radar systems are always on. They don't have the ability to instant-on like a patrol unit would, so the early warning capabilities of the V1 are particularly useful.
Another tactic that has worked in years past is the cloaking strategy. Hide in the middle or right-hand lane and speed under the cover of big-rigs or other traffic. This is no longer a viable strategy, as most modern radar guns will track multiple vehicles simultaneously and select the fastest one. The modern equivalent of the Holy Grail of radar guns is the Stalker Dual DSR mobile gun, which at this time is mostly found in heavily populated areas. This unit can shoot cars in both oncoming lanes and traffic flowing the same direction as the patrol unit. Other guns require the operator to determine if the distance to the bogey is increasing or decreasing. Modern guns such as the Stalker Dual compute all this information automatically, which makes getting out of a radar ticket very difficult. This all goes to show that a quality radar detector is worth the money, it will pay for itself after only two avoided speeding tickets of $200.
----- Life is a highway, I wanna drive it all night long -----
Tom Cochrane had it right when he banged out that ballad of the open road, and for the many drivers racing around our streets there are fewer and fewer options for reliable radar detection. The three main competitors are the
Escort Passport 8500, Bell 980, and
Valentine One. These rankings were obtained in an un-biased test by Car & Driver magazine in February of 2002, and have been proven by owners of multiple detectors.
The Valentine One beat the other detectors quite soundly, and this test along with the gushing praise given by the many rabid fans of the V1 convinced me to purchase it. The owner of Valentine Research is Mike Valentine, and he's has the enviable position (for a radar detector designer) of working for Escort in his younger years, and has built and worked with radar guns.
----- Smokey one, Smokey two, what kind of speeder are you? -----
In my opinion, there are three types of speeders on the road. First we have the Sophomore Speeder, 2nd is the Beemer Speeder, and 3rd goes to the Recreational Speeder.
#1 The Sophomore This driver (almost always a guy) will be found behind the wheel of anything fast and cheap. 㥟 Mustang GT, 㥤 Camero Z28, lifted 㥝 Chevy truck with a 454 big block, the list of cheap power is endless. 17 years old and their friends beside them, they will speed anywhere. Downtown, commercial areas, industrial parks, just gimme an open lane and watch the tire smoke! These are the guys that scare me, since they are too young to have the experience that leads to safe driving. They can often be found at the side of the road getting some chat time with the highway patrol, and that’s a good thing for all of us. The V1 is useless for this driver, since they speed so much in populated areas and false signals will be everywhere.
#2 The Beemer Everyone has seen the Beemer speeder gliding by in the fast lane of the interstate. Anytime they get on a freeway/tollway their cruise snicks into operation, set at a cool 90mph. Their Benz or Lexus is usually black, and they have to be someplace much faster than you. The V1 is built for this personality, and works very well in many circumstances. It’s much harder to hide a patrol car on open interstates, and the excellent range and detection capability of the V1 are at their best on highways.
#3 The Recreational These drivers are creatures of opportunity, and will speed when conditions allow. They will speed both on the interstate and on deserted two-lane highways or county roads. Usually you won’t find them driving too fast when traffic is heavy or in heavily populated areas. The V1 is very good for this sort of driver as well, but as with the Sophomore when you get closer to cities or commercial centers the number of false alarms increases.
----- Why is the V1 better than other high-end detectors? -----
I can sum up the Valentine One in two words; directional arrows. As the manufacturer and owners rave, you won’t know how you lived without them. The directional arrows are located on the faceplate of the unit, and light up each time a bogey (radar signature) is detected. There are three arrows on the display, forward, beside, and behind. Each time a bogey is found, the type of radar (X, K, Ka, or laser) lights up and the arrow for the appropriate direction is displayed.
Controls are easy to access and very simple. The only dial is the large volume/power button, with a second swivel arm hidden behind the volume button. Turn the volume button to power the unit on and adjust the volume level. The half/hidden lever controls the muted volume, which is accessed by pushing the volume button in. This is for those moments when that annoying
X band alert just won't go away. The volume will decrease to the muted level until the bogey is dropped and a new one is acquired.
When you purchase a V1, you'll find everything you need inside the box. The detector unit itself, a 12V accessory (cig. lighter) plug, constant power 12V kit, visor mounting clip, windshield suction cup kit, and coiled or straight power cables. Several other accessories are available, including a remote display for easy viewing and stealthiness.
The most annoying problem with detectors is the false readings the occur on highways and streets. On its open setting where nothing is blocked, it does false near urban areas and occasionally on the open road. Usually if there is a sustained and increasing warning you'll find a lurking patrol car down the road. City mode decreases the false alarms by about 50%, but I always leave it on un-filtered setting for maximum sensitivity.
The
X and
K bands have a typical radar detector warning chirp that increases in speed the stronger the signal is.
Ka band has a much different sound which is annoying enough to make you pay attention. I've only been shot with a laser twice, and the piercing shriek the V1 emits is enough to make you hit the brakes out of pure terror. Seriously, it's a pretty loud wail that will get your attention.
Another great feature is the night time auto-dimming display. As the ambient light decreases, the display dims in several degrees. If I get a direct blast of bright lights through the rear window it will light up to daytime brightness, but this rarely happens.
----- Bottom Line -----
I only bought a radar detector because I started driving on interstate highways a lot more than I used to. Out of my three main speeding stereotypes, I am definitely a
Beemer speeder. I only do 5-8 over on public highway, but on freeways I kick it up a notch or two. The best detector available at this point is the V1, and I didn't see any reason to settle for second best. Only the V1 offers full front and rear protection, and gives you the VERY useful directional arrows. The rear protection is no joke, and I was saved once this fall when a
Ka bogey appeared from behind while I was traveling as the tail gunner in a pack of four cars. I slowed down as the Ka signal strengh increased, and soon a friendly State Trooper rolled by after merging from a ramp. Score one for the V1. Like many owners before me have said, you won't know what you did before the arrows.
The V1 has an upgrade policy that allows you to send in your unit to be reprogrammed with the newest version for the fraction of what a new detector costs. If you can afford the best, it will pay for itself over the years. For a good second choice take a look at the
Escort Passport 8500. You'll save about $100, but lose out on the useful directional arrows. I must say the Passport 8500 is one of the few detectors to count multiple bogeys, and it does so in a similar manner to the V1.
Check out the information at www.radar-detectors.com You'll see the V1 beat or tied the Passport in every category, and was among only three detectors awarded with the "most invisible to Radar Detector/Detectors" category.
DISCLAIMER: Using this detector is not an authorization to speed. Instant-on radar is nearly impossible to detect, and while the V1 does a great job at quick bursts, if you're the first car in sight you're toasted. Whatever you do don't speed in residential or commercial areas. Not only do detectors work poorly in these areas, it's just plain unsafe and irresponsible.
In closing, I'll leave you with the comments of a very satisfied Valentine One owner.
I live in Maitland, Fl, a suburb just north of Orlando, and was set to cross Highway 414 (Maitland Boulevard to the locals) and get onto Interstate 4. I was the first car in line at the left turn arrow.
Maybe three seconds before the arrow turned green, I got a weak Ka from the side. Knowing there are very few Ka false alarms, I glance to my right and see nothing. The light turns green and I begin to pull away and turn. As I do, I look left hoping to see where the Ka alert is coming from. Instantly, V1 goes full on Ka, and I instinctively hit the brake. Out of nowhere, a fleeing car blows through the intersection at high speed, hotly pursued by a FHP trooper. They missed me by about six feet.
After the subsequent cursing (and soiling of garments, which brought on more cursing), I looked at V1 in a new way. Had I been using another detector, I would have been toast crumbs.
A satisfied customer,
Michael Hilal
Altamonte Springs, FL
Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment.
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