BRAAP

I finally finished my permanent V-1 radar locator install tonight in my ‘93. Mounted it just above the rear view mirror on the driver side, (I first did this same permanent V-1 mount in my 280-Z back in ’94, then in my ’96 Q-45 4 years ago). I used some spare sheet metal I had laying around the shop for the bracket, bent it up to clear the mirror arm, sun visor, and position the V-1 as low as possible without contacting the rear view mirror. When I was content with the bracket and V-1 placement, the bracket was sprayed with VHT wrinkle black paint then the triangular mirror mount trim piece was lightly trimmed to clear the new bracket. The power wire was ran along the interior trim at the top of the windshield, and down behind the A pillar molding along side the T-top drain tube, into the driver foot well and wired with the V-1 fuse into an ignition circuit so it automatically powers up when the ignition is turned on.

Here are some pics of the install.

NismoPick

Beautimous.... V1 is the only way to go.

ZLover4Life

Actually, no it isn't. Every review I have ever seen complains that the V1 gives too many false signals. The industry standard is now the Escort 8500.

And at $100 cheaper with longer range and less false warnings, I still don't understand why people go with the V1... perhaps it's just a lack of actual research and simply going with what V1 owners say.

But either way... as long as you're happy with it. Anything is better than nothing. (And by the way, you're not going to get a good laser warning with it that high... the tint strip on the top of the windshield will degrade the pickup. But in actuality, once you're lasered, it's too late anyway.)

http://www.radarbusters.com/support/...-valentine.asp

NismoPick

I take it you've had little to no experience with radar detectors......

All radar detectors give false warnings. There are plenty of objects you drive by that emit radar. Detectors that claim to give less "false warnings" are either less sensitive (giving LESS warning time on real radar), or just have a "city mode."

The V1 has quite a few more options than the Escort... hence the cost. It displays the # of radar sources (in case there is more than one officer radaring, or a false warning, then radar). It also shows the direction of the source so you're not blindly guessing where the officer is. It also has true 360 degree radar coverage, unlike most others w/ just 360 laser & front radar. Yada Yada Yada... Yes, maybe you should do more research. I've used about 10 different radar detectors from Uniden, RMR, Cobra, Escort, Bel, V1, etc... V1 is the only one for me... but if you want a cheaper, less functional one... go for it.

PS... you really think thousands of people spend $400-$500 on a V1 because they haven't done any researcb?

entropy31

you know, if it werent for the V1, i would have likely been hauled in to jail one night. and those arrows are a lifesaver too. it got me from san diego to seattle in 16 hours with no tickets. i am a believer.

ZLover4Life

You're the misinformed one. Read the article. And search around for more articles. Every competition I've seen puts the Escort above the Valentine. Yes, every detector gives false warnings, but the Valentine gives MORE OF THEM. That's the problem.

And you should obey the first philosophical imperative "do not speak about things of which you have no knowledge" because the Escort DOES have indications for multiple signals.

And thousands of people DO spend $400-$500 on Valentine without doing any research... these are the people who say "it's $100 more than Escort so it MUST be better," and all these Valentine owners stand by it too! Such a sad mentality, considering like I said, the reviews say that the Escort 8500 (and Bel RX65) are better than the Valentine. (And go ahead and argue about the directional signal bullshit... it doesn't matter where the signal is, if there's a radar signal, you should be slowing down whether it's in front of behind you.)

But if you really want to argue this, email radarbusters.com... argue with them. We'll see who really knows what they're talking about - the consumer or the people who test the detectors.

You Valentine owners just don't like to hear that you spent more money on an inferior product and get pissed as a result.

ZLover4Life

I'm not saying it won't tell you when there's a radar signal in the area... I'm saying that it'll tell you that there is when there isn't too often.

So, yeah, you'll know when there's a cop and be able to slow down... but you'll also think there's a cop when there isn't one and slow down for no reason more often than with an Escort.

entropy31

as long as it goes off when there IS a cop, i dont care how many false alerts i get. and if you know how to interpret the data the V1 gives, you can asses the likelihood of it being real or false. and V1 is the only one that has antennas aimed forward AND back. cops dont always come from the front. as for laser detection, they might as well just leave that feature out. by the time you detect laser, you are likely done for anyways.

ZLover4Life

Are you unaware that the Escort does detect signals from both directions? The only difference is that it doesn't tell you which way it's coming from, but that's irrelevant since you should be slowing down for radar warnings anyway.

And you shouldn't have to determine if it's a false signal or not... the filter should be of good enough quality that you shouldn't get so many false alerts... which is why real experts prefer the Escort over the Valentine.

ZLover4Life

Oh look! Another review saying the Escort/Bel is superior to the V1...
http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9090
Keep in mind, the RX65 and the Escort 8500 are the same radar detector in different packages... (Escort owns Bel). And since laser alerts don't help much considering it's already too late, which one looks best?

I'm done responding to this thread. If you choose not to follow logic, I can't argue with you, because I'm bound by fact and rationality.

NismoPick

I agree... you should not speak about things of which you have no knowledge. I've been dealing with radar detectors for years... you've been reading articles about them.

I do admit from those articles that V1 is no longer the leader... aparently I haven't been keeping up w/ the latest & greatest.

From the link http://www.radartest.com/article.asp?articleid=9090

ezramoore

We had an Escort 8500 till it got stolen. It was great. I've got friends with V1s, we seem to be pretty close to the same, although the V1s DO get way more false alarms. The idea of laser detection is BS.

BRAAP

First off, how did a thread that was meant to show ones idea of mounting a radar detector in Z-32 become a battle of which radar detector is best? Honestly, wouldn’t this topic be better off as its own thread? C’mon boys…

Now I'm stooping to your guys level and joining in on the OFF TOPIC discussion…

Ok, when I bought my first V-1 back in ’94, I did research. Back then, the V-1 was number 1. I have kept tabs every now and then on the radar detector industry and it seems that V-1 has been holding a nice lead in not only performance, but also features ever since. Also take note that the most discerning drivers among us that prefer performance and functionality above all else in everything about their cars, including their radar detectors, mostly run with the V-1. Yes it is $100 more than the Escort, there is a reason. NO other radar detector offers the 100% positive radar and laser identification, and the V-1 offers, without argument from anyone, the widest off center sensitivity to laser which may not always afford you the chance to avoid a ticket, but your chances are much less having that ability as near by vehicles are being scanned before you, you will get that early warning. Maybe the Escort doesn’t false as often at the V-1, and if so, the V-1 doesn’t false much more often. The Escort has in testing, totally ignored actual radar signals or waited till it was way too late to pass that detection on to the driver, i.e. TICKET! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather deal with a few more falses and have the piece of mind knowing that the detector that is in my windshield is going to pass on 100% of all radar and laser threats. I purchase my car related goodies based on performance first. Face it, ALL detectors false. We can’t get away from it as most stores with automatic doors and some building alarm systems are using the same radar bands that the cops use for their radar guns. If falsing is an issue for the driver and the if driver buys his detector based on "anti falsing" features alone, instead of proven performance, then he shouldn’t be speeding while on those wine tasting tours to begin with. Also, the V-1 has a separate mute volume control. So when it is going off and you don’t ant to listen to the annoying beeping, just press the volume button and the tone is muted to a level that is adjusted by the dial that is behind the volume button. Very slick and makes dealing with noisy falsing or actual threats completely tolerable.

Other features that the V-1 offers discerning sports car enthusiasts that more than offsets its $100 extra price tag…

The V-1 tells the driver WHERE the Radar or Laser threat is coming from! That feature alone is worth $100! VERY handy! Driving down the freeway, the V-1 encounters a radar signal up front and then suddenly it indicates beside the car for a quick second and then behind, then after a couple seconds it suddenly stops! With the V-1 you know there was a cop going the other direction on the freeway that you didn’t see due to shrubs separating the freeway etc, or he was on a side street adjacent the freeway, at any rate, you now know the coast is clear and free of threats, proceed on down the road. With ALL of the other detectors you don’t know if the cop is still up ahead or behind you in traffic moving with you using instant on etc, so if you are prudent using those other “less falsing” windshield beepers, you should hold steady prudent speed and continue to visually scan to verify that what the detector indicated wasn’t indeed a cop nearby in traffic with you using instant on. With the V-1 and it radar “locator” feature, (those cool arrows), you are back on your way to grandmas house with confidence that you know for sure the cope isn’t in traffic with you.

Yet another V-1 attribute you don’t get with the other detectors…
The V-1 tells you “how many” radar threats you are being tracked by. This is a useful tool on your regular “to and from” work routes where you encounter falsing no matter what detector you have. In a known neighborhood near a grocery store, the automatic doors always show 3 signals on my V-1. When I see a 4th signal, (tones are still the same), I know that there is a cop hiding under the veil of the shopping stores automatic doors. Believe me, the cops do this knowing that a lot of people just listen for beeping and get used to certain locations and ignore those beeps, such as grocery stores etc. I have seen them hiding in the parking lot with their buddy just off the side waiting for his signal on which car to nab. They do it quite often here in Portland Oregon. With any other detector, if you are used to the radar going off by that store and just ignore it as you always have over the past 2 years of driving that route, TICKET! With the V-1, because it told you there was another radar signal present, you knew it was an ambush, proceed with caution, no ticket!




There has been mention of “Radar Busters” a couple times in the same reference as researching. “Radar Busters” is NOT researching. Radar busters is a dealer for detectors and they don’t offer the V-1 hmmm.. My guess is that their opinion will be biased as such, don’t you think? Radar Busters is one site that has NOT actually tested the V-1 against the others they offer. They are merely choosing to quote others views that fit their biased sentiments.
If you guys are going to say research is key, then don’t quote one source that doesn’t even have any first hand testing or experience with a particular detector, (the V-1 in this case), that is NOT research.

As for research, I offer the following links for the discerning drivers among us… I also encourage you all to keep researching and draw your own conclusions. Personally, I purchase my car related goodies based on how they perform, i.e. how well they do the job they are intended to do. The V-1 does it job better than any other, in my not so humble opinion.

These links are from Veils “Ultimate Radar Detector review”


Veils build quality test review
http://www.laserveil.com/en/ultimate...ew-05/quality/

Veils Display review…
http://www.laserveil.com/en/ultimate...ew-05/display/

Veils alert volume review…
http://www.laserveil.com/en/ultimate.../alert-volume/

Veils conclusions, (read thorughluy thoru ghe updates… )
http://www.laserveil.com/en/ultimate...5/conclusions/




Laser testing… The results are nothing short of obvious in regards to performance!!!
http://www.laserveil.com/laser/detec...adar-detector/



A forum dedicated just to radar detectors. A great source of incredibly detailed info, including people altering their radar detectors with different lights, real world tests etc.

http://www.radardetector.net/

ezramoore

did you even read the rest of the thread before you posted your reply?

BRAAP

Now, lets get back on topic and show us all your radar detector permanent mount, no matter what brand it is, please?!?!?

If we are going to continue bickering about brands, lets start another thread as such……

ZLover4Life

I appreciate your light-heartedness, but you're making a big assumption. I do have experience with radar detectors, but I don't consider myself as much of an expert as the websites doing the comparisons (which is why my personal experience with various detectors was left out of my arguments completely - citing professionals makes an argument more credible than citing myself, whom you may or may not consider to be knowledgeable on the subject).

And to prove that I'm not biased towards the 8500 as an owner, I don't even own one. I currently use an Escort Solo S2 because I truly needed wireless at the time that I was in the market. (When it comes time for me to upgrade, I'll be going with the 8500... unless the V1 reclaims its position on the throne, in which case I'll get it if it's the best at the time that I'm buying. Pending reviews, it looks like it may be the Escort 9500i that becomes the industry standard, with GPS based memory for false alert elimination...)

BRAAP - ezramoore hit the nail on the head... you didn't read any of the discussion in this thread before you came in with your own statements. I found an argument that I already negated about than halfway through your first paragraph. As such, I'm not even going to bother reading the rest of your arguments (or any following argument), because they seem to be clearly invalid and just as easily disproven. When you can't even present a fresh argument that holds, I have no reason to argue back. Face it, if you have a V1, you own a currently contending product... the Escort 8500 is the best on the market as of right now. The difference might be minimal, but every recent competition I've seen has placed the 8500 above the V1 (and considering it is $100 cheaper, as I've already stated, there's no good reason to buy a V1 at this time). And as for opening a new thread to discuss detectors... there's no reason. You're the only one left who won't accept that the 8500 is currently the industry leader, and I'm not willing to argue with someone who doesn't read the previous discussions and argues points that were already negated.

BRAAP

Yeup, no reason to argue any further, you are absolutely right. I couldn’t agree more.

I do thank you for having the open mind in agreeing to disagree over which detector we feel is best. You have yours for your reasons, I have mine for my reasons, nuff said. My post was just answering your question in your first post …


As for reading the thread before I posted? Hmmm.. Yes I did. My only excuse for what I posted is that I was struggling with how and why this thread got so far off topic tin the first place and I assumed I was making a valiant attempt to straighten it out and get it back on track, but apparently I just fell to the same level going further off topic and posted “my” opinion of the V-1. My bad for allowing my ego get in the way.


Since you and Ezra asked if I read the thread before I posted, I want to ask you the same question. Did you read the first post of this thread before you posted your first post? Your first post really wasn’t in line with the theme I had hoped this thread would take when I started it.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that would love to hear some constructive input on permanently mounting a radar detector in the Z-32 We already know your thoughts on the V-1 and Escort, so how would go about permanently mounting your Escort once you get it? Maybe a custom stealth install?

ezramoore

Sorry our hopes weren't aligned more closely, you're absolutely right, its my fault.

Sometimes when I post a question I hope Snow, or Zlover, or Entropy will come visit me and just fix the problem without me even having to look at the car. That has yet to happen, so instead they respond to whats written in my post, be it my question or others'. I was merely doing the same. Even though I really had nothing to do with the turning of your thread into an argument about radar detectors (I was merely adding my experience), I'm sorry it happened. You have a nice install.

Comorat2x2

And just to stave off any further arguing, I can pee further than any of you. So don't even try

BRAAP

GAME ON!!!!

entropy31

haha, doubt it. especially if i've been drinking.

BRAAP

Practice makes perfect....
(does squatting count?)

snwbrderphat540

so its a pissin contest you want is it... there is a funny movie that has that in it... ill try to find it. lol

Comorat2x2

If it invoilves some ricer blowing up his Civic while trying to flex on a Z then go for it....if it involves urine I'll take a pass on that one. lol

Riz Z Speed

u know, there is an off topic section for this kind of thing.