i have the Laser Interceptor and V1 installed...

I have been researching the radar detector market for several weeks now and also starting to look at Laser Jammer devices since it seems they are NOT illegal in the U.S. for 41 states (Source: Laserjammer.net). In the past I have had the original Escort and then the Passport but haven't bought a RD in almost 20 years. I ruled out the K40 and 9500ci because after speaking to several owners and installers (who make great money on these products vs hard-wiring a window or rear-view mirror device) because the general consensus is that if there is a possibility that you may sell the car at any point, the work to "undo" the wiring and removal gets tricky and sometimes takes a beating when trying to connect from one car to another. Also, the laser diffuser in the K40 and the 9500ci (different than the K40) are not that great for the money that you pay for. If you click on the site laserjammer.net, you will see there is a relatively new product called "Laser Interceptor" (I think in Tampa, Fla.) that is the cadillac of laser jammers. If you call this guy (I think his name is Cliff) you will see that he KNOWS laser jamming technology like Pedro knows Porsche's. The Laser Interceptor comes in dual and quad with quad being very thorough in coverage. So the answer so far, for me, is the Laser Interceptor...hands down. Now what about RD's????

I am very much leaning to the V1 because of his patent (front and back) and proven track record. I know the Redline, 9500ix, Bel are highly rated, it seems that the V1 is still "Gold" when installed correctly and now can be hidden with the concealed display option ($39). I see tests where the V1 looks like the red-headed step child that brought home straight F's on his report card and then I see legions of followers that believe in his technology, etc. Not sure what to do but I gotta pull the trigger soon. Lastly, I was directed to a California company that makes slick, custom fitted rear-view mirror holders for almost every car but at the time they didn't have a bracket for the 987 until now......I just got an e-mail from them 2 days ago and they tested and developed and are selling a bracket for Boxster's that have a manual dimming rearview mirror. The company is called BlendMount and can be found at blendmount.com. If you call them, they will call you back very soon as I think they are a small company. They also have a coupon for a 12.5% discount and free shipping and no tax( shipped outside California) if you ask them. So between a new V1 hardwired and mounted with a custom Blendmount and a Laser Interceptor, it looks like more fun travels. The question is Escort or Bel or V1????

It seems like this topic, along with tires and monkey wrenches , draws stong opinions without clear outcomes. I have no experience with jammers (and hence no 2 cents input) but can tell you that my Escort 9500 has performed flawlessly and helped avoid tickets when fellow drivers with units including V1 have not gotten the same early warning FWIW.

The new trend in laser detectors appears to be in integration with the internet for identification of traps and current trooper locations. Also integration with phones for better control and information albeit this does not sound that important to me. Integrations still appear nascent to me.

Check out [www.escortradar.com] This looks great if it works. Valentine does not have this yet.

Maybe a better, more established trap identifier tool are
- [www.trapster.com]
- [www.waze.com]

Anyone with experience using these apps for radar traps?

Bruce in Philly

Quote
Bruce In Philly (2000 S Boxster, now '09 C2S)
The new trend in laser detectors appears to be in integration with the internet for identification of traps and current trooper locations. Also integration with phones for better control and information albeit this does not sound that important to me. Integrations still appear nascent to me.

Check out [www.escortradar.com] This looks great if it works. Valentine does not have this yet.

Maybe a better, more established trap identifier tool are
- [www.trapster.com]
- [www.waze.com]

Anyone with experience using these apps for radar traps?

Bruce in Philly

I use Waze quite a bit and use it to supplement my radar detector.
it seems to work fairly well in areas with a lot of traffic and subscribers, but when you get into more remote areas some of the radar reports can be inaccurate.
overall, I would say its worth using.

Maybe not enough people using it.

Not that I speed on the highway, but when you have a little yellow convertible,.. some LEO will try to make an example out of them. I installed the v1 and LI myself, both hardwired. For the LI, I also added a flashing LED so when the jammer goes off, I get a visual warning also - esp useful when cabin is noisy - when top is down, for example.
You can find my step-by-step install write-up I did here: [www.box.com] - my car is a 987.

And you can see how the visual indicator works here:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlm_SJcBuc[/video]

Just after 8:00
[www.youtube.com]

... Do you know why the computer's name is HAL?
Happy Porscheing
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

IBM.
However:
[en.wikipedia.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2013 12:08AM by Laz. (view changes)

... The Beatles deny that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" has nothing to do with an LSD trip.
BTW 2001 is my all-time favorite movie.
Happy Porscheing
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Looks good! Where did you mount your VI? Do you havea pic? Did you only install the laser's in the front and not on the back? I got hit last night north 95 with laser!!!!

At the upper most part of the windscreen - just left of the RVM. Unless you look for it, the V1 is hard to spot when the top is up or down (visually blocked by the sun visor). I've had ppl sit in my car and most don't notice until they look at the rear view mirror or tinker with visor.


I did not install the laser to the rear of the car. There really isn't a good spot for it and most typically take aim at the front of the vehicle.

Thanks for the info! V1 looks incognito where you have it placed. I guess the dual vs. quad Laser sensors makes sense since I didn't think there was a hidden spot to mount them. I had my V1 mounted with a Blendmount bracket yesterday afternoon and now have to order the concealed display now that I committed to a V1. I find the "A" for highway and the Advanced Logic mode "L" great for urban/city driving. I initially worried about the V1 being too sensitive and then after reading instructions, I tested the 3 modes and it makes a huge difference without negatively impacting the radar's ability to find real threats. Mike Valentine says to leave it the V1 computer to do the work and not get into changing band programming, etc. Fine with me!

Your entire setup is almost entirely the same as mine.
I recently put dual LI's on the front of my Cayman and opted not to put them in the rear. I have had this setup for about 3 weeks and haven't been painted with laser yet.
I also have a V1 with a SAVVY. However, I have my V1 mounted on a Blendmount under the rear view mirror. I then had window tinting installed and had the tinting guy put a "dip" down in the center of the windshield. You can still see the V1 but you practically have to be looking for it, plus the extra tint keeps the sun out of one's eyes. The dark tinting also makes it less obvious to others that I have the V1 installed.
The V1 is the first detector I've ever owned or used. I find that it goes off all the time even with the SAVVY, which mutes it under 45 mph. Almost all of these seem to be doors or some other kind of false alerts. At one point near my house it will show maybe 8 radar sources at the same time, and they are all doors and whatnot. I put the V1 in full "Logic" mode and that helped, but it still goes off too much. I think in 20-20 hindsight I would have gone with the Escort, but I was thinking in terms of long-range sensitivity. I think now I would trade a little sensitivity for fewer false alerts. Maybe the V1 is better than the Escort on the open road. OTOH it is nice that the V1 counts the number of sources and tells you where they are. I did encounter three strong Ka band alerts today, then came upon TWO cop cars. Never did figure out where the third one was ... probably hiding somewhere.
I also share your attitude that I'm not really much of a speeder but I had the idea of being focused on by LEOs. At my normal driving speeds, the protection I have is probably more than I need since there are any number of unprotected vehicles passing me.

The Savvy's threshold speed is adjustable.

It connects to the OBD port, which becomes a bit difficult and intrusive, as the 981's is in the driver's footwell fuse panel. I bought the Savvy, an OBD L-connector, and a second panel cover in order to cut a hole and still have an "original" piece. I've yet to try the installation, but it seems there will still be a possibility of the L-connector interfering with one's left foot. Also, the hole would need to be not just for the connector wire, but also the OBD plug's thickness, (even though an L type) has to be accommodated.
By the way, the 981 has a second fuse panel in the passenger footwell.

I originally started with a Passport abut 15 years ago first wired then cordless. When that died bit the bullet and bought the Valentine V1. Since that time, I have upgraded using their upgrade service to newer technology, given my original V1 to my son who then also upgraded later on and bought myself a new one. I have three cars hard wired including a leased one and find it to be an easy job to install or remove the wiring. I have it mounted it low on the windscreen right in the middle so it picks up rear signals without a problem. The multiple counter is a great feature and has also saved my butt a number of times particularly since I drive back and forth from NY to South Florida twice a year.
The V1 has a learning curve but once you figure out the signals and where they come from I believe it is one of the easier units on the market.