Longshot close call with the Imperial Forces

[Toecutter]

Yesterday Eve and I had to go to Frisco to help our kids move some furniture, so we loaded up in the cage and hit the road early. Up near Modesto, the Escort started chirping, so I went into safe mode. As the signal intensified, I spotted a car pulled over with a hidden cruiser parked behind, so I silenced the alarm.

As I was picking the pace back up, I looked ahead and saw another prowler coming the opposite way. I glanced at the Escort display, which was still silenced, and it was lit up all the way! Doh!

Fortunately, I had just been passed by a dark Honda Civic that was doing 80+. I saw the LEO hit his brakes, but curves in the road had us out of sight in no time, not to mention the guy getting lost in the Honda.

A few moments later, the Escort started chirping again, so I passed one last slower vehicle and pulled out of the #1 lane. The officer soon blew by me like I was parked, and we could no longer see the Honda. A couple miles down the road we saw him though, being asked for his documents by the nice officer guy.

I :wub: my Escort, and rarely leave home without it.

May The Force be with you....

 

[wheatonFJR]

'Way to use the Force Luke! :clapping:

 

[Sportster]

WoW,

Thanks for the report. I was going to buy the Valentine V1, but it looks like the Escort 8500 does the Job.

Sportster

 

[tcfjr]

Toe:

Would the V1's arrows have helped in this situation?

 

[Greg E.]

My Passport has saved me on a number of occasions. The trick has been learning to interpret the 8500's audio and keeping an eye on the display as well. The unit is well worth the $$.

-Greg-

 

[Toecutter]

Would the V1's arrows have helped in this situation?

No, because I wasn't looking at the display while the audio was silenced, and the second threat came from the same direction as the first. If the first signal had cleared before the second one registered, I would have gotten a fresh audio alert.

The arrows would be helpful in many other situations though, and while I haven't tried a V1 yet, it's probably the next detector I will buy, unless I get a great deal on an Escort 9500.

I won't be silencing any confirmed threats in the future. Even without arrows, it's all about signal strength. The only time I ever got stopped was back when I ran "Auto-mute"and a false alarm muted the unit for the real deal. Case dismissed on a technicality. Oh, and one other laser tag with some professional courtesy granted. No convictions yet....

 

[LDRydr]

I love my V-1 (and its arrows) but no rant against the other detectors from me, as anything is better than nothing. If you want to read more us-against-them stories check out Valentine's Tales From the Combat Zone, they're great fun.

 

[El Toro]

One plus with the V1 is that you can punch the button and it silences, but then when another threat enters your perimeter, it sounds off again for an instant, just to warn you that another bogey may be threatening. You have two volume controls on the V1. One of them is the volume before "silencing" and the second is the volume after "silencing." I generally set the first one at its maximum level, and the second one at its minimum level. When I pick up a threat, I punch the button and for the duration of that threat's signal, the sound level is low unless another bogey comes along.

 

[Toecutter]

You have two volume controls on the V1. One of them is the volume before "silencing" and the second is the volume after "silencing.".

Does the user-set volume stay the same the next time it powers up, or is there a default volume?

 

[sonicspeed]

you know you could always just drive the speed limit and not have to worry about a radar detector

 

[SkooterG]

My next radar detector will the the Passport 9500ix. The fuking socialist state of Arizona that I live in is in the process of putting up 60 new photo speed zappers around the state, mostly in the greater Phoenix area. MY tax dollars going to great use. Bastards.

The new Passport 9500ix also has a gps receiver enclosed, and you can get web updates of photo radar sites for across the country. So it will warn you of freaking things. George Orwell wasn't all that far off. He just had the year a bit early. Travellers to Arizona beware.

If I want, I can trade my 8500X50 in for a whopping $80. Only negative is that the web updates aren't free and cost a nominal fee.

With more of these Nazi photo speed enforcement cameras going up, I believe the future of radar detectors will necessitate the inclusion of fighting this threat, like the 9500ix does. And all for only $500!

 

[Bounce]

Do you have an iPhone (or an iPod Touch)? If not, get one quickly.

You need this installed yesterday!

 

[LDRydr]

You have two volume controls on the V1. One of them is the volume before "silencing" and the second is the volume after "silencing.".

Does the user-set volume stay the same the next time it powers up, or is there a default volume?

Both of them stay set. They are knobs. The main one is for the alert volume, the outer one is the muted volume. A push in on the volume knob moves it to the muted volume. Note that if you get the remote audio box (to hook up to your Autocom or Starcom) the same controls exist on the remote unit. If you get the remote display unit (in case you stash your V-1 in your tankbag) it has only a mute button on it, which after pushing causes the volume to be muted to the setting on the knob on the main unit. It's easier than it all sounds here. LINK to doc on controls.

 

[LDRydr]

you know you could always just drive the speed limit and not have to worry about a radar detector

Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen! :lol:

 

[Toecutter]

you know you could always just drive the speed limit and not have to worry about a radar detector

Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen! :lol:

If I wanted to do that, I would be on a Harley.

With more of these Nazi photo speed enforcement cameras going up, I believe the future of radar detectors will necessitate the inclusion of fighting this threat, like the 9500ix does. And all for only $500!

Why can't the GPS units have this technology?

 

[SkooterG]

Why can't the GPS units have this technology?

They can and do.

It's through an altogether different company, but you can pay them some $$$ and they will periodically send you a list of all speed/red light cameras in the U.S.. You then download this list to your GPS which stores all of them as POIs.

When approaching a camera, my Garmin GPS gives you a warning box on the screen, and a audio chime alert. Works well, but I think I would prefer the standard radar detector audio alert of some sort.

It would be nice if Garmin and Passport would join forces for an all in one unit.

 

[lnewlf]

Escort 8500 is the mutts' nutts-and along with the H.A.R.D. system the farkle I value most. Saved my scofflaw arse many times. Don't need no stinkin arrows, I lift whenever it barks and I never mute it for the reason mentioned above. Probably will upgrade when the next version comes out tho..

 

[bmwhd]

My trusty 8500 has saved my a$$ so many times I can't count 'em.

Only time it fails is when I fail to pay attention to it, such as the time the officer on my tail had to keep hitting me with the gun in the hopes that the alerts (which he could clearly see over my shoulder) would finally get me to stop B)

 

[El Toro]

As someone already answered, the V1's buttons stay set. They are physical dials and they act like they're on real rheostats that control the volume.

Someone else mentioned that he leaves his detector on and doesn't mute it. That gets old, at least in my riding/driving area. When HARD is used with the V1 you lose the effectiveness of both the muting and the arrows, but you still have the benefit of the built in logic that the V1 includes. You can choose your logic setting. At the lowest level of logic, it shares all perceived bogeys that it encounters. At the intermediate setting, it screens out stuff its pretty sure wouldn't be a threat. At the highest level of logic, it screens out even more stuff its pretty sure isn't a threat. I've learned through 10 years of use and three upgrades that the highest level of logic is pretty reliable, but cuts down on the false bogeys.

If you wear ear plugs, HARD(aftermarket LED in your face called Helmet Assisted Radar Detection) is pretty much a necessity.

Someone else said that you could ride at the speed limit, and another pointed out that's what H-D's are for. I actually have a friend who rode sport bikes for many years, and finally switched to an H-D with the quote "I had to change to a Harley. It was the only bike that would assure I could keep my license." I gotta remember to stop Harley bashing myself. I left on a 250 mile loop ride today and forgot my ear plugs. I stopped at a Harley dealer to buy some, and they didn't sell them.... but then the parts manager remembered that someone had left some samples to try to get them to sell them. So he gave me a pair for free. The grease monkeys cleaning up the bikes, and the Michelle Smith/Karen Davidson wannabee women selling the clothing apparel, and everyone else I could see at this gigantic dealership all exuded honest and sincere pride and joy at working for an H-D franchise. I sure wish the other marques would inspire this same level of commitment on the part of the staff....