I have not had a speeding ticket since 1992 thanks to a cool head, nice cops and a radar detector.

V1 Baby!

My brand spanking new V1 should be arriving today.

I don't generally speed, but seem to be nailed EVERY damn time that I drift over the limit without realizing it.

I got nailed last week, 70 in a 50. Traffic was running fast, and I wasn't watching my speed. As usual I got singled out of the bunch. No more, I'm done.

One interesting thing I noticed.... my insurance carrier (AAA) covers all theft from my vehicle except for radar detectors!:p

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

This is interesting. If you read all the reports, the Escort 8500 gets all the great reviews, yet concensus here is almost unanimous V1. What gives? Is the V1 really that much better in the real world?

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

Wow MedMech, you owned a Ferrari with no speeding tickets! I wish I was that restrained.

For me, the radar locator arrows are a HUGE help. I know what direction the radar is coming from and I don't have to guess.

Yep!

Fifteen years ago when I did have a detector, I had a cop follow me on the highway one night. I was probably the only one on that stretch of interstates for miles, and he could see the light from the radar detector display on my visor. So he would shoot the radar at me just to watch it go nuts (he told me later when he pulled me over).

I wasn't speeding, but it was a holiday weekend, and he was just checking info (had vanity plates), but back then, I got used to being pulled over (a lot).

Seems that seeing a young African American in a nice car sets off all sorts of alarms with the law enforcement...a sure sign that I must be a drug dealer...especially since I was crossing state lines!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

My last ticket was in 1995 from a cop that was working with an eye-in-the-sky. I was using my radar detector on the interstate and was clocked from an airplane.

What frosts me about my tickets is that most of them were when I was driving on an open road in the daytime with light traffic. The cop is usually sitting on the side of the road "fishing" for speeders. This doesn't target the really dangerous drivers and is a lazy way for the police to issue tickets. If they really wanted to do some public good, they would have to stealthily get among the heavy traffic I drive in and catch the drivers who risk MY life with their boneheaded maneuvers (tailgating, threading the needle, not letting me merge...). These drivers deserve reprimand over the drivers who pick an open road to speed.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 169K

It's the features of the V1 that sold me. As mine will be showing up today (probably already has), I'll get to play with it for the first time hopefully on the way home from work.

The V1 has extra features over the Passport 8500. The arrows are one, as well as the "bogey" counter. V1's don't try to mask false alarms. They show you where they are (with the arrows), and how many signals it sees. This allows for you to see if an officer is hiding in that radar field, where other detectors would just be going nuts. They will also let you know if you're being followed with those arrows as well.

If there are multiple speed traps, the V1 will alert to those as well. Actual performance wise, the V1 and Passport both score very close. Valentine Research will also upgrade your detector throughout the entire time you own it.

Thanks for the info DP.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

My detector , an original Cinncinatti Microwave Escort ca 1984, has been my faithful road companion for almost 20 years. I had it upgraded in '89 and it has worked flawlessly since new.I don't have laser detection but the police here still use the X and K radar guns most of the time.I've been lucky so far and have only had 3 speeding tickets with it (none in the Benz's). I think it's paid for itself

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Democracy dies in darkness, you have to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight

My neighbour brought my freshly delivered V1 to work with her so that I could use it on the way home from work. In short, I REALLY like it. It's awesome to be able to tell where the sources are coming from, and how many. Of course, every one of 'em tonight was from various door openers. With my luck though, it'll be a couple of months now before I see a cop running radar, but that's only a good thing.

I'm working a 16 hour shift tomorrow, so I should get some good testing with it due to the midnight Friday night revenuing.