soupcraze's Full Review: Valentine One V1 Radar Detector
I have already owned a Valentine One radar detector for many years. Ultimately, this is the only radar detector that I would ever trust in my own vehicle. I have probably saved thousands of dollars worth of tickets and insurance premiums with this detector. After many years of use, I would like to share my experiences with you, and I hope that you will be convinced that a Valentine One is one of the best ways to spend your hard-earned $400.
-WHY I BOUGHT ONE-
Many years ago I was not the smartest of drivers. I used to speed quite a bit, all without a detector! But my luck changed on one fateful night on IL-53... I was doing around 75mph on the highway when I noticed a trooper standing in the grassy area between the two sides of the highway. I was pulled over and given a ticket, and from that point on I learned my lesson. I would buy the best radar detector that money could buy. After doing my homework, I realized that the Valentine One is the best radar detector that I could've purchased. I have never looked back and am extremely satisfied with it.
-PRICE-
At the time when I bought the Valentine One, the 1.6 version (preceeding the POP-equiped Valentine One), it was by far one of the most expensive mountable detectors on the market. Today, the Valentine One is still $399, but not the most expensive mountable detector. The Beltronics STi Driver is more expensive coming in at $449.99, and the other nearest competitor, the Escort Passport 9500 is $415. Wow times have changed... Detectors like the Passport 9500 feature neat bells & whistles like GPS to mark down common speeed traps, and other such things. The Beltronics STi Driver has a dual-antenna design to give it better range.
So while there are now mountable detectors that have surpassed the Valentine One in price, the Valentine One still offers some of the best protection out there. While it might not have voice alerts, GPS positioning, etc etc... It has the infamous arrows and bogey counter that will give you excellent protection.
Valentine has created a product that has gained drivers' trust through years... And even though the design itself has evolved over the years, it still has performance that is just as good as any other recent detector. I have never been pulled over since buying one, and I am technically driving with an "outdated" model since I do not have the 2-band POP protection offered by the succeeding Valentine One model. Overall, the Valentine One offers an incredible level of protection that surpasses that of cheaper detectors such as Whistler, Cobra, Rocky Mountain, and others... While at the same time, it still competes on a level playing field with the high-end units offered by Escort and Beltronics. Even though the cost of the unit may seem initially high, you must remember that if you are found guilty for speeding, you will have to pay a hefty initial fine, and also see your insurance premiums go up. The Valentine One will pay for itself and more very quickly if you are a lead-footed driver.
-FEATURES-
The Valentine One has some very unique features that set it apart from other radar detectors. It is moreso a no-frills detector. Such as that it doesn't have voice alerts, an LED screen, or many modes so that you are only armed with the only essential features you need for protecting yourself from the police. Here's the highlight of what the Valentine One has offered for years...
*BOGEY COUNTER - It will show you how many bogeys there are. Other detectors will leave you in the blank, so you will not actually know how many cops there are. You never know if there is one or two. This is especially important if you're driving near a shopping center, and let's say that four doors are emitting X-band signals. If you had any other detector, it would be picking up the X-band. Let's say that up ahead there was a cop using K-band. A regular detector would continue to pick up X-band, while the Valentine One would pick up the additional fifth radar source, being the actual threat on K-band. You would therefore be saved with a Valentine One, while you would otherwise get caught for a ticket because a cheap detector would only be picking up the innocent threats from the shopping center.
*ARROWS - I have had instances where my detector has gone off and then I slowed down to be passed by a cop. But then it turned out that the specific cop that passed me did not actually have their gun on, but there was a police officer up ahead. If I had another detector, I would not know that there is a police officer ahead and I would simply believe that the detector would only be picking up scatter from the first cop. If I increase my speed I would most likely get pulled over. With a Valentine One, I would always know where exactly a bogey is. When the first cop passed, it would not show a back arrow but continue to point forward, showing that it was not the actual source emitting the frequency. The arrows work well with a bogey counter since you can pick up threats both in front and in back of you. Other detectors do not offer this.
*REAR ANTENNA -I have also had police officers turn and start heading towards me from behind. Other detectors would not be able to pick up the rear-threat until it's too late... On the contrary, the Valentine One is capable of picking up bogeys coming from the rear at a very far distance. This can definitely save you since a cop approaching from the rear and then pulling you over is very difficult to spot, but at the same time can ruin your day. The Valentine One doesn't offer compromised range with the rear, I have been able to pick up police officers from tremendous distances with the rear antenna. I can not tell you about how many times I have been saved over the years just from evading rear attacks. This is something that the Valentine One has that other detectors (except expensive yet worse remote systems have) do not have, and this makes the Valentine One unique and truly a leader.
*BANDS - The Valentine One picks up the traditional X, K, Ka, and laser bands. It can also be set up to accept Ku-band which is used in Europe. On top of that, the latest version of the Valentine One supports POP-radar, which is a very dangerous version of instant-on radar. If you are shopping for a radar detector or know anything about them, you should know the differences between the bands.
*ADJUSTABLE MODES - The Valentine One has three adjustable modes. The differences is that with the full-logic mode, it will mute certain threats until they reach a few bars. This is nice if you're driving around shopping centers which set off detectors, and thus you will not have a headache.
*WHAT IT DOESN'T HAVE - The Valentine One doesn't have voice alerts, GPS, a full LED screen, or any other features. Why have all of those other features? The Valentine One only gives you what you need for the battle zone. It will show you how many bogeys there are, where they are, and will have distinctive unmistakable sounds for all bands. This is what I like best about the Valentine One. You have everything you need, but nothing you don't.
-PERFORMANCE-
The Valentine One gives incredible range. If you have a steady stream of radar, you can pick it up well in advance if you are on a straight stretch of road. The overall range depends on the surroundings, such as whether there are trees, any curves, etc... Without doubt, the Valentine One offers clearly superior performance to that offered by lower-end detectors. By no means should you believe that all detectors are created alike. A $100 Cobra detector will have clearly inferior detection abilities compared to the Valentine One. Just for the incredible range, the $399 price tag is well justified.
I have not yet tried out the Escort Passport 9500 or Beltronics STi Driver. But when I tried out the Escort Passport 8500, the Valentine One handled comparably. Even if the 9500 and STi offer greater range, I still believe that the Valentine One offers better performance due to the bogey counter, arrows, and especially because of the rear-antenna. When you see the true abilities of the Valentine One, it really gives you an edge that is greater than you'd need, unless you're doing warp speeds in a 25mph zone. The range is so long that it will clearly give you enough time to slow down. Even if the 9500 or STi give you a few extra seconds, with the range the Valentine One already has, the extra time is un-needed. Nonetheless, I would stake so much on the performance of the Valentine One. I have been using it for five years already... And how many tickets have I had in those five years?
NONE.
Please let me remind you that I usually do drive 10mph above the posted limit on most streets.
How does the Valentine One stack against other kinds of units that you maybe considering? Let's see!
-VALENTINE ONE VS. REMOTE UNITS-
Many expensive vehicles are fitted with something called a remote unit. This is a radar detector that has its radar component placed within the grille of the car (and rear on some units), and relays all of its information to a control panel that is hidden somewhere within the dashboard. Overall, from the units I have tried in the past, not only does the Valentine One still offer better range, but it is also cheaper. These units cost hundreds of dollars and simply will not offer the effectiveness of the Valentine One.
Maybe this is why I've seen serious drivers with exotic cars with Valentine One radar detectors mounted on their windshields!
-VALENTINE ONE VS. ROCKY MOUNTAIN-
There is a company out there that makes detectors with insane claims. They say that their detectors have "de-scramblers" that will "scramble" police radar. Not only does that not work, but they also have vastly inferior range compared to the Valentine One. Don't buy into their fraudulent claims, please refer to my reviews on Rocky Mountain units on epinions.com if you would like to read more about them. But I urge you not to look at Rocky Mountain products PERIOD!
-OTHER INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW-
Valentine allows you to send in your detector if a new model comes out. So for a price less than that of a new detector, you can have your unit upgraded to the latest unit. While it is not cheap (I was quoted ~$80 to get the newest unit), it is considerably cheaper than having your radar detector becoming obsolete and buying a new one.
You can also buy a remote unit that you can mount anywhere else in your car. I purchased one, hard-wired my Valentine One, and have it sitting on my gauges. This is nice if you would like to hide your detector away from cops or curious drivers that may see the red signals from the detector by following your vehicle closely. It's a handy feature and I enjoy it very much, especially since my detector is well-hidden from any police officer since I have the unit mounted above the rear-view mirror. This will make it easier for me to escape with a warning in case I am pulled over, since a police officer will not initially see a radar detector in my vehicle.
-TALE FROM THE BATTLEFIELD-
I can not tell you how many times I have been saved by my trusty Valentine One. I have probably already saved thousands of dollars worth of insurance premiums and tickets thanks to it. I would like to share with you a story that happened recently and how I was saved from a hefty out-of-state ticket...
I was visiting family friends in Florida just a few weeks ago. I was driving down I-75 to Miami and was saved quite a few times when my detector went off on Ka-band, since that is what the Florida State Police use. I was for most part moving along with the flow of traffic, so that was not a big deal. What was a big deal was what happened later that night...
I was driving from Miami to Sarasota late at night. I was doing around 80mph on an open stretch of I-75. I was passed by a car and then a sport bike, and it looked like they were doing over 100mph. Since they became my "beer bait", I increased my speed to around ~95mph. Then all of a sudden my Valentine One started blaring on Ka-band. I only saw one pair of brake lights in the distance and slowed myself all the way from 95mph down to below the limit at 65mph as I passed a Florida State Trooper. The bike and car were out of sight. I do not know where they went but they were no longer "beer bait!" Thus, if I did not have a detector, I would've been pulled over and would have to pay a hefty ticket. But thanks to the incredible range on my Valentine One, I was able to slow down below the legal limit once I passed the trooper, and avoid paying an expensive ticket. Thank you Valentine!
-CONCLUSION-
I honestly would not trust any other detector except the Valentine One in my car. It offers features that really put it above other detectors, such as the arrows and bogey counter. Valentine has built a very high-quality product that is built to last for years. And if a new model comes out, you are free to exchange yours for a new one! I would stake so much on this detector. For a speeder like me, it is nice to know that I have not been pulled over once since purchasing it five years ago. I have learned my lesson, and had to pay $125 from my pocket to the state of Illinois. I honestly hope you don't learn that way. I hope you make the right choice and invest in such a great product. I attest to it's greatness because I have never been pulled over since, and with my Valentine One at my side, I don't plan on being pulled over any time soon either.
that successful defense begins with good intelligence about the enemy. Valentine One has a patented warning system relying on both forward- and rearwa...More at eBay
X, K, Ka, and Super Wideband Ka Detection 360° Protection against all types of Laser Rear Radar Antenna Ku Band Detection Directional IndicatorMore at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.