Speaking of radar detectors

Timmer · Mar 13, 2009

I just installed the Passport 9500ci in my 08.

Initial opinion is it is quite impressive. Drove around with both this and the Valentine and they seem to be equally sensitive yet the passport doesn't pick up all the false alarms, thanks to the GPS technology.

It also has laser shifting which I will report back on.

Below is the display mounted flush in the dash.

You must be registered for see images attach

Below is the keypad controller (still might relocate it but haven't found a better place yet)

You must be registered for see images attach

adamlotus · Mar 13, 2009

what i like ablout the v1 is it tells you where the radar is

Qualitywires.com · Mar 13, 2009

adamlotus said:
what i like ablout the v1 is it tells you where the radar is

I have to agree...about the V1.

But that passport deal is pretty slick though!

VIPER GTSR 91 · Mar 13, 2009

I prefer the V1 and just suction mount to the windshield. This way the alerts are almost directly in line with your viision and no looking down. Not to wild about how your cable sticks under the center bezel. :dunno:

FastZilla · Mar 13, 2009

Check out this website!
Speeding Limits - Field Testing Radar Detectors and Public Safety Products

Done by Speed Measurement Labs.

The Valentine and Passport provide the best protection if you are not running a laser jammer. They were the only ones that would pick up the laser weather it was aimed at the windshield or the license plate.

ROCKET62 · Mar 13, 2009

While I currently have two V1's the GPS feature of the Passport interests me a lot - especially since a shop right near my house just installed something that sets off the V1

. It drives me crazy every day - so my next radar purchase may very well be the passport

goldcup · Mar 13, 2009

Love the V1 but have heard alot about the passport

KWIK96 · Mar 13, 2009

I had both a V1 and a passport SRX
V1 is good and can be easily moved from car to car
SRX is better but built into car.
Ended up buying a second SRX and selling the V1
They are both good units, just I feel the SRX has the edge

CarDude · Mar 14, 2009

ROCKET62 said:
While I currently have two V1's the GPS feature of the Passport interests me a lot - especially since a shop right near my house just installed something that sets off the V1 . It drives me crazy every day - so my next radar purchase may very well be the passport

Yes I have both. It is very cool to drive down the street with the Passport 9500ix and have the car alert on a door or something unusual that has not been downloaded from the database. It alerts a couple times then it says learned...and stops alerting. I really like the fact that it talks and tells you the type of radar. It only beeps loud a couple times then can be programmed to go into a quieter mode.

mike & juli · Mar 14, 2009

We also have the Passport (8500 I believe) and a laser scrambler to attach to it. The ONLY problem I've found with it is having the scrambler on (Phazer) when BEHIND a fellow driver who is using a radar detector, it makes THEIR detector go off constantly...found by trial and error. If behind a fellow radar-detector-user, to unplug the scrambler...no need for it at that point anyway.

Right, Mr. Plumcrazy???

(It drove him nuts and we didn't know why til FAR into the drive!) LOL...juli

Tere · Mar 14, 2009

FastZilla said:
Check out this website!
Speeding Limits - Field Testing Radar Detectors and Public Safety Products

Done by Speed Measurement Labs.

The Valentine and Passport provide the best protection if you are not running a laser jammer. They were the only ones that would pick up the laser weather it was aimed at the windshield or the license plate.

I use the Passport since it's a better value as far as bang for the buck. Once you get practice with the Passport, you don't need the V-1's little arrows -- you can tell the general direction of the radar alert.

Regardless of the brand, don't leave home without it! Saves my bacon all the time!

wallbanger · Mar 14, 2009

i also went with the passport

SkyBob · Mar 14, 2009

adamlotus said:
what i like ablout the v1 is it tells you where the radar is

I don't own a radar detector, never have, so I'm not up on the nuances. What is the benefit of knowing where the radar is? The thing goes off you hit the brakes to avoid a ticket. What am I missing?

Bob

Tere · Mar 15, 2009

It's nice to know what your threat is, where your threat is and about how far away it is. You don't hit the bakes as a rule every time the alarm goes off -- you do some quick analysis and determine the best course of action (not always slowing down).

FastZilla · Mar 15, 2009

Tere said:
....Saves my bacon all the time!

And yours has saved mine a couple of times too

Dustman · Mar 15, 2009

question for you using either the V1 or the Passport,

does it pick up the 'Stalker' ?!

Just wondering if anyone can tell - Thanks ! :2tu:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJVOQ_9SBT4[/media]

ROCKET62 · Mar 15, 2009

Tere said:
It's nice to know what your threat is, where your threat is and about how far away it is. You don't hit the bakes as a rule every time the alarm goes off -- you do some quick analysis and determine the best course of action (not always slowing down).

I've owned a V1 for quite a while, and now that I think of it, I can only think of one instance when the rear arrow actually told me something. Unfortunately all it told me was that I was busted. Seems that the cop traveling on the other side of the road saw me flying by, but did not have his radar going. He turned around, snuck up from behind, hit me with instant on, and all the V1 did was confirm that I was nailed.

All of the false alarms - even with the most updated software - are driving me crazy. What's an excellent condition, less than 1 year old, V1 worth these days?

Red Shift · Jun 11, 2009

The big question - V1 of 9500?

I bought both to figure it out. The 9500ix is going to eBay.

V1 beats it on range and I turned off X band and customized K band alerts (see Ask Mike - Report #3). That squelches most falses in town (police only shoot Ka, limited sheriffs shoot K and I'm still alerted once it hits 4 dots strength. No X in state at all). Add that the V1 can be upgraded when a new version comes out and the lifecycle cost wins out big time over the years.

If I lived around speed cameras the 9500ix would be more appealing. The red light cameras are marked by signs and I turned off that feature using the 9500ix. It would alert me to 4 cameras on my commute, while driving on the HIGHWAY! 9500ix does have the advantage of filtering other radar detectors' leaked signals. The V1 will alert a weak signal and usually label the detector as 'J' (junk). Sometimes it takes awhile and that slows down highway progress.

Summary:
V1 - King of the highway
9500ix - King of the city (caveat - that's only YOUR city once you've driven a route 3 times (GPS auto-learn). V1 gives more information in a new place and I'll take that on a road trip any day)

Red Shift · Jun 11, 2009

Dustman said:
question for you using either the V1 or the Passport,

does it pick up the 'Stalker' ?!

Just wondering if anyone can tell - Thanks !

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJVOQ_9SBT4[/media]

I'm pretty sure Stalker is an old school technology advance that allowed a radar gun to shoot different frequencies in the Ka band. This troubled the detectors of the time because they couldn't look on a single frequency for each gun. No problem now. POP is the new trick - shoots a short duration of radar that most detectors will miss. Both the V1 and 9500ix will catch it. I've only seen POP once when driving for the past 5000 miles, it's not a big deal.

Google 'Guys of LIDAR' for independent testing. Remember - their tests are sometimes worst case scenarios (off-axis testing). These are the rare occurances. Most radar cops will be straight ahead radars blaring.

wallbanger · Jun 11, 2009

i have been having a problem with the 9500i... on hot days when left in the car it looses the ability to locate the gps signal...it still works fine on picking up radar but looses it's gps capabilities

wallbanger · Jun 11, 2009

Red Shift said:
The big question - V1 of 9500?

I bought both to figure it out. The 9500ix is going to eBay.

V1 beats it on range and I turned off X band and customized K band alerts (see Ask Mike - Report #3). That squelches most falses in town (police only shoot Ka, limited sheriffs shoot K and I'm still alerted once it hits 4 dots strength. No X in state at all). Add that the V1 can be upgraded when a new version comes out and the lifecycle cost wins out big time over the years.

If I lived around speed cameras the 9500ix would be more appealing. The red light cameras are marked by signs and I turned off that feature using the 9500ix. It would alert me to 4 cameras on my commute, while driving on the HIGHWAY! 9500ix does have the advantage of filtering other radar detectors' leaked signals. The V1 will alert a weak signal and usually label the detector as 'J' (junk). Sometimes it takes awhile and that slows down highway progress.

Summary:
V1 - King of the highway
9500ix - King of the city (caveat - that's only YOUR city once you've driven a route 3 times (GPS auto-learn). V1 gives more information in a new place and I'll take that on a road trip any day)

How much better did you find the V1 on range... can you explain your testing ? Did you have both radar detectors installed at the same time to see which picked up Ka quicker?

08Venom · Jun 11, 2009

I will only use the V1.The range varies by how straight the road is and how savvy the officer is.I personally have dozens of times (no exagerration) in the prairies have had 5km notice before seeing the police car.Both instant on and with officers who leave their radar guns on all the time.I have had as little as 1/2km notice on twisty mountain roads,but have never been caught while using it.I was even fortunate to pick up a laser trap once,without it being me they were zapping.I was able to slow down before being zapped myself.Don't kid yourselves,the arrows are essential for being aware of what's going on around you.Conversely,any detector is only as good as the operator.You need to know what direction the radar is in order to effectively combat it.I have caught radar sneaking up on me from behind before more than once.

darkostoj · Jun 11, 2009

i had the passport 9500i in another car before i got the viper and it SUCKED! The GPS feature is a freaking joke

would like to try a v1 as i've heard good things about them

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