I think I just answered my own questions after reading threads 54 & 55. Virus - you sure do know a LOT about these!

 

the spectre is a radar-detector detector.

 

Completely and totally matters. If the signal is from the rear and very weak and growing stronger you know there's a cop approaching from behind. If it's getting weaker, well, his **** was on the side of the road and you don't have anything to worry about.

In a city environment where you frequently have police in neighborhoods the indicators can tell you what road to expect the cop on, etc. by using the arrows AND the signal strength.

It's really quite amazing and until you've used one with the arrows for awhile you really won't fully understand.

That is, of course, just my opinion.

 

any radar behind you will also bounce off of the person in front of you, and go into your detector.

After using a detector for years, I can tell if the cop is coming from behind with his radar on, up the road parked, etc etc....

My $.02

The V1 has, by far, the best marketing of any detector on the market.

 

I think Escort does a far better job of marketing. Valentine barely markets at all anymore. Word of mouth seems to be it's sale generator. It isn't always ranked #1 for no reason. With exception to Craig Petersons test which would have you believe it's the worst detector ever made. With the V1 you know instantly when the Leo is behind you on the highway and the V1's rear range is far superior to any other detector. The other premium detectors do normally give you ample time to slow down, but it takes time to figure out which direction the signal is coming from. Many times you never know. With the V1 you always know immediately. I can't tell you how many times my Bel STi has gone off with a strong signal and I cannot find where the Leo is located. If I could switch back to my V1 I most certainly would and will whenever Valentine defeats the Spectre. Now if the 9500i achieves undetectability I would without hesitation give it a try as I feel it may be the best all around detector on the market. It's darn close to the V1's sensitivity without all the falses.

 

I 've heard that many ppl go back to their 8500 x50s or even to the V-1 after using the 9500i. There are several reports that the lock-out feature is great as it locks out the false alarms, but has occasionally locked out real police radar! The basic guts of the radar section are supposedly the same as the x50. If you drive 2 x50s side by side, the frequency display in Expert mode may differ a bit between the 2 detectors, so I'm thinking that it's the inaccuracy of the frequency lock that is causing the 9500i to read real police radar as it thinks it's the locked out door opener! At any rate, if this is true, it's not a good thing for 9500i owners.

 

Mods, how about moving this thread over to the general Electronics section?

 

Having owned the V1 for a few weeks I can say I will never go back to any other detector. The arrows alone are so worthwhile and the V1 is always at the top of the list when there are tests on detectors. Once you have the arrows you will never go back, I can't tell you how many times this has helped me particularly at intersections in town.

 

It's your own fault if you block out REAL police radar; you have to go through a (simple) procedure to mark an alert as a false alert.

A detector is only as good as its user, just how a car is limited by its driver.

 

Just picked up the Passport 9500i yesterday at Best Buy...haven't used it yet, but read the manual thoroughly. Pretty easy to use, but haven't gone thru the programming yet. Looking forward to using it this week on my commute to work.

On a side note, damn, they really guard those high-end radar detectors...they were locked up behind a case. Went in, told the guy which one I wanted, then he had to have his manager come over with a key to unlock it. He asked if I was done shopping and if I wanted to check out there. I wasn't done, so he wouldn't let me take it w/ me to walk around...he had to hold onto it for me and I had to come back for it. Guess they're a hot item to steal!?

 

I believe alot of people did this in the beginning because of the 9500i's audio ramp up or lack there of. Escort fixed this rather quickly. The V1 and X50 have the best audio ramp up in the industry. Escort changed their antenna in the X50 a little over a year ago. This is unfortunate as it's range decreased significantly. It is no longer a top tier detector. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good detector, but at it's current price point there are much better detectors. The 9500i's sensitivity is extremely close to the V1 across most of the bands. It is a fantastic achievement. This type of competition benefits us as consumers. The 9500i still exhibits some issues with it's truelock, but from the many user reports, it's quiet as hell without the truelock.

 

I have both an X50 and the 9500i. Been using the 9500i for almost a month now and one of the features I really like is the speed display when an alert goes off. So far it has been accurate and saved me well in advance when the coppers are out on the nice days going crazy with their Ka guns. I use the lockout function for false alarms and it seems to work great.

There's always going to be a debate as to which is better, this detector or that detector. Based on the testing I've reviewed, if you get a top tier detector and use it as a tool to help you stay out of trouble and slow down immediately when it goes off, you won't be disappointed with whatever you choose to go with if it keeps you from getting a ticket.

 

Very well said. There is no perfect detector for everyone.

 

How much on average does the v 1 radar cost.

 

about $400