Escort or Valentine
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,359
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From: California
06 C55, 09 E350
You should have gone with the escort I have the escort and even though it locks out and uses GPS I still get falses and they are annoying and annoy passengers. The V1 is a lot more annoying I have mine next to my rearview and it's not very noticeable.
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Super Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 561
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moon buggy
I also like the Escort. But V1 has the multi directional warning that escort doesn't have.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,475
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From: City with Tall buildings!
C43/55,2k11 Volvo S60 T6AWD,2k Audi B5 S4,95 Eagle Talon Tsi AWD 500+awhp
I say V1 for the win. I've had mine since 2k5 and I've never looked back. Nothing beats the directional arrows and the bogey counter.
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Super Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 561
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moon buggy
Got the V1 delivered
Received it around lunch time today. I'll read the manual later this evening.
Time to get some new tires for the family minivan. Planning a long road trip
during the 4th of July weekend.
Time to get some new tires for the family minivan. Planning a long road trip
during the 4th of July weekend.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 940
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From: Chapel Hill, NC/Montreal, QC
1995 C36 AMG, 1998 C43 AMG
My 2 cents goes to the V1. Mine (got it used off bay cus they are a little pricey) may be malfunctioning because the Ka goes off almost constantly, so I called them up and Mike Valentine himself answered and told me to send it in. Now that's customer service. Love my V1.
I see you bought the concealed display. I'd love to know where you end up mounting the detector, as I could never find a stealthy place to install it. Now I just have it high, to the left of the rvm.
I see you bought the concealed display. I'd love to know where you end up mounting the detector, as I could never find a stealthy place to install it. Now I just have it high, to the left of the rvm.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 940
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From: Chapel Hill, NC/Montreal, QC
1995 C36 AMG, 1998 C43 AMG
To debunk some misconceptions:
Radar Detectors are legal in every US state except Virginia, and DC.
Laser Jammers are more frowned upon, and vary a lot more state to state.
Radar Jammers are federally illegal (everywhere in the US) by the FCC.
Canada has different rules for different provinces. I believe RDs are illegal in Quebec. I don't know about others.
A cop should not (and most likely will not) pull you over for having an RD (except of course if you are in VA or DC)
A cop may be more likely to give to a ticket as opposed to a warning if he spots a detector (or watches you scramble to rip one from your windshield) which is why concealed displays are good.
Concealed displays do not get you a free pass to Radar Detection in VA or DC because cops there use Radar Detector Detectors (and so, believe it or not, some companies make Radar Detector Detector Detectors...) and so a plus to buying an RD that's not a V1 is some are RDD invisible.
Not sure how, as Laser Jammers need to be on the outside of the vehicle (behind the grill or inside the headlight housing at least with reduced function) for them to work. Because they work with light (at light speed) they need to be able to receive and send light, so any physical barrier will block this. And radar jammers are illegal, so that's a pretty risky product you found there... I'd be interested to see how many speeding tickets they have had to pay.
Radar Detectors are legal in every US state except Virginia, and DC.
Laser Jammers are more frowned upon, and vary a lot more state to state.
Radar Jammers are federally illegal (everywhere in the US) by the FCC.
Canada has different rules for different provinces. I believe RDs are illegal in Quebec. I don't know about others.
A cop should not (and most likely will not) pull you over for having an RD (except of course if you are in VA or DC)
A cop may be more likely to give to a ticket as opposed to a warning if he spots a detector (or watches you scramble to rip one from your windshield) which is why concealed displays are good.
Concealed displays do not get you a free pass to Radar Detection in VA or DC because cops there use Radar Detector Detectors (and so, believe it or not, some companies make Radar Detector Detector Detectors...) and so a plus to buying an RD that's not a V1 is some are RDD invisible.
Car toys sells a radar/laser jammer that is installed under your body panels (undetectable) and is advertised to prevent you from ever getting another ticket. The company backs their product to the point where they will pay any speeding ticket you get (that was given due to radar or laser, pacing doesn't count) for LIFE.
Downside = it costs like $2000
Downside = it costs like $2000
Not sure how, as Laser Jammers need to be on the outside of the vehicle (behind the grill or inside the headlight housing at least with reduced function) for them to work. Because they work with light (at light speed) they need to be able to receive and send light, so any physical barrier will block this. And radar jammers are illegal, so that's a pretty risky product you found there... I'd be interested to see how many speeding tickets they have had to pay.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,437
Likes: 43
From: PDX
1999 C43, 2008 P30 E63, 2014 SQ5, 2024 Model Y Performance
To debunk some misconceptions:
Radar Detectors are legal in every US state except Virginia, and DC.
Laser Jammers are more frowned upon, and vary a lot more state to state.
Radar Jammers are federally illegal (everywhere in the US) by the FCC.
Canada has different rules for different provinces. I believe RDs are illegal in Quebec. I don't know about others.
A cop should not (and most likely will not) pull you over for having an RD (except of course if you are in VA or DC)
A cop may be more likely to give to a ticket as opposed to a warning if he spots a detector (or watches you scramble to rip one from your windshield) which is why concealed displays are good.
Concealed displays do not get you a free pass to Radar Detection in VA or DC because cops there use Radar Detector Detectors (and so, believe it or not, some companies make Radar Detector Detector Detectors...) and so a plus to buying an RD that's not a V1 is some are RDD invisible.
Not sure how, as Laser Jammers need to be on the outside of the vehicle (behind the grill or inside the headlight housing at least with reduced function) for them to work. Because they work with light (at light speed) they need to be able to receive and send light, so any physical barrier will block this. And radar jammers are illegal, so that's a pretty risky product you found there... I'd be interested to see how many speeding tickets they have had to pay.
Radar Detectors are legal in every US state except Virginia, and DC.
Laser Jammers are more frowned upon, and vary a lot more state to state.
Radar Jammers are federally illegal (everywhere in the US) by the FCC.
Canada has different rules for different provinces. I believe RDs are illegal in Quebec. I don't know about others.
A cop should not (and most likely will not) pull you over for having an RD (except of course if you are in VA or DC)
A cop may be more likely to give to a ticket as opposed to a warning if he spots a detector (or watches you scramble to rip one from your windshield) which is why concealed displays are good.
Concealed displays do not get you a free pass to Radar Detection in VA or DC because cops there use Radar Detector Detectors (and so, believe it or not, some companies make Radar Detector Detector Detectors...) and so a plus to buying an RD that's not a V1 is some are RDD invisible.
Not sure how, as Laser Jammers need to be on the outside of the vehicle (behind the grill or inside the headlight housing at least with reduced function) for them to work. Because they work with light (at light speed) they need to be able to receive and send light, so any physical barrier will block this. And radar jammers are illegal, so that's a pretty risky product you found there... I'd be interested to see how many speeding tickets they have had to pay.
) and the laser jammers are these small black blocks that mount tucked away in your grill
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,213
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From: Kirkland, WA
500E Signal Rot
Not sure how, as Laser Jammers need to be on the outside of the vehicle (behind the grill or inside the headlight housing at least with reduced function) for them to work. Because they work with light (at light speed) they need to be able to receive and send light, so any physical barrier will block this. And radar jammers are illegal, so that's a pretty risky product you found there... I'd be interested to see how many speeding tickets they have had to pay.
Police are trained to aim their laser at a reflective surface, mostly the front/real license plates. You find most jammers installed in this locations and they do not have to be visible or behind a grill. They are fully functional if mounted behind a plastic bumper.
They work exactly as advertised. Also, there is no way a police officer can tell you have a jammer, if they get a bogus signal there really isn't anything they can do about it. The remote add-jammers integrate with your existing radar detector (like the 9500ix), so even if they look in the interior all they see is your legal radar detector.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 5
From: Kirkland, WA
500E Signal Rot
That is a nice feature but in reality, does it really matter? I mean reallly, if my detector goes off, I am going to slow down to the speed limit, so it does not really matter where its coming from. Although, I agree that the directional warning feature is great. It wasn't a sell point for me when I bought my V1 and it isn't missed on my 9500ix
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Super Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 561
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moon buggy
Thanks for your comment.
To answer your question, yes it does matter to me. It would be nice to know where the signals are coming from. But all of those have yet to be validated when I take a long road trip with my family this summer.
To answer your question, yes it does matter to me. It would be nice to know where the signals are coming from. But all of those have yet to be validated when I take a long road trip with my family this summer.
That is a nice feature but in reality, does it really matter? I mean reallly, if my detector goes off, I am going to slow down to the speed limit, so it does not really matter where its coming from. Although, I agree that the directional warning feature is great. It wasn't a sell point for me when I bought my V1 and it isn't missed on my 9500ix
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,558
Likes: 8
From: Sacramento, CA
Ducati
I have a Laser/Radar Jammer installed in my C lol.
Makes for an interesting stop by the police, as they seem to not like the fact that it was hard for them to get a speed reading off my car.
As for a radar detector, I run a Passport 9500. I like the GPS feature of it, as the V1 I previously used would not stay quiet for my commute to work!
Makes for an interesting stop by the police, as they seem to not like the fact that it was hard for them to get a speed reading off my car.
As for a radar detector, I run a Passport 9500. I like the GPS feature of it, as the V1 I previously used would not stay quiet for my commute to work!
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 232
Likes: 3
From: Monmouth Junction, NJ
'06 C55, '14 Audi S4, '09 Range Rover Sport, '07 Lexus ES350,
+1. Knowing where the cop is is a big advantage. Have had my V1 since 1999.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,971
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From: SF
2003 CLK 320
I have the v1. i love it but only really use it for the freeway driving. i like the directional arrows. i think its a plus.
the escort has a nice gps function that i think becomes useful when driving in the city.
if i had a choice and the money for it, i would get the escort 9500ic or whichever ones come with the laser shifters. but is it really worth it for the price of 1k+
the escort has a nice gps function that i think becomes useful when driving in the city.
if i had a choice and the money for it, i would get the escort 9500ic or whichever ones come with the laser shifters. but is it really worth it for the price of 1k+
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Super Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 561
Likes: 4
moon buggy
Haven't really considered where to put it. I'll be using it mostly on my long road trips with the Odyssey. I have a perfect place for it there. Right of rear view mirror. I'll be hardwiring it from the accessories plug (cig lighter) since that's the easiest place to look for a power source.
My 2 cents goes to the V1. Mine (got it used off bay cus they are a little pricey) may be malfunctioning because the Ka goes off almost constantly, so I called them up and Mike Valentine himself answered and told me to send it in. Now that's customer service. Love my V1.
I see you bought the concealed display. I'd love to know where you end up mounting the detector, as I could never find a stealthy place to install it. Now I just have it high, to the left of the rvm.
I see you bought the concealed display. I'd love to know where you end up mounting the detector, as I could never find a stealthy place to install it. Now I just have it high, to the left of the rvm.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 10
From: San Diego/San Francisco
AMG GLC63. Audi R8
I don't like hacking into the stock wiring. I usually use "add a fuse". Unfortunately it will not fit in MBZ utilized fuse locations. All the unoccupied fuse leads I could find in the drivers side fuse box (side of dash board under a cover) are hot all the time. So I ran power to the V-1 from the extra 12v cig lighter in the glove box between the A pillar and dash up to the headliner to a spot just above my driver's side sun visor. I had to add some soft rubber bolsters to the visor to keep the V-1 level. Hard to tell it is even there. Of course the V-1 wont work if you put the visor down.
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Los Angeles, CA
2000 C230 Kompressor Sport
