Valentine One radar detector installation

[artsci]

I've been a Valentine One user for more than a decade. There is a concealed display which I have on my S2000.

The V1 has saved me a number of times, but not from laser. And the V1 technology has not changed much over that time. As others have noted, the number of false alarms it generates is especially annoying. So I think when my S arrives I will leave the V1 in my Volt and go with a more up-to-date technology and perhaps even a laser jammer. I'm thinking PASSPORT 8500ci Plus and Blinder HP-905 Quad Laser Defense System plus Veil Stealth coating on the head and fog lamp covers. And no front license plate, as that's most often the target of laser guns.

The only thing that will stop me is the very high cost. All of this will run about $1,800. That's a lot of speeding tickets. On the other hand the PASSPORT 8500ci Plus maintains a database of speed and red light cameras which are increasingly present around here. Most of them are set to give the benefit of the doubt to the local governments that have installed them (they're really about generating revenue, not safety).

 

[Nikoli]

Is it possible to remove some of the coating from the windshield? I also have a V1.

 

[v12 to 12v]

I have not heard anything from V1 about my inquiry yet. I sent an e-mail off on Friday. Hopefully they will reply soon. I informed them that there is a thread here at TMC discussing implementing their product in the Model S. Maybe they will pop in.

 

[FTLRKT]

I have not heard anything from V1 about my inquiry yet. I sent an e-mail off on Friday. Hopefully they will reply soon. I informed them that there is a thread here at TMC discussing implementing their product in the Model S. Maybe they will pop in.

I just tried mounting it on top of my pano roof (obviously the pano roof then has to be open), and while it is quite ugly and not aerodynamic, it did work...

Obviously, not ideal. The V1 website is fairly adamant about placing V1 up high, not in the front bumper or lower on the ground where traffic gets in the way and where "it can't see over hills" as easily. I'll try to work on a mount that places enough of the front sensor directly behind the blacked-out "open" area on top of the windshield to make it functional.

 

[josh]

For all you V1 owners: you really have to try a modern generation detector! Have always liked the V1 and love the directional, but the single most fantastic thing about the new escorts and Bels (owned by the same company, pretty much the same product) is the GPS feature. You would think the shared database etc would be it, but the genius feature is this: it tracks your location by GPS, and keeps track of alerts. If you see the exact same location and exact frequency three times, it marks it as a false and never sounds for it again. Effectively, within your normal driving radius, within a month, you basically get no more false alerts, even in the city. It's spectacular.

Re: Laser. It's true, the alert that's in your detector is just ticket early warning. There are many jammers/shifters on the market, their effectiveness is very high, legality is mixed! However, if you have one, way better than a radar detector as it's not just a warning! This site has many reviews and a highly data driven approach to the products:
ECCTG Laser Jammer Fest 2011 - Featuring the Digital Ally Laser Ally - Radar Detector Laser Jammer Forum

 

[W8MM]

The GPS feature will work less well if the detector is positioned under/behind a metallic-coated windshield. The metallic coating blocks the GPS signals just as effectively as radar or cell phone signals that try to come through the windshield.

 

[JRod0802]

Yeah, the laser detection is really only good for telling you that you've just been caught...

It tells you if there's someone currently checking your speed via laser. This is not useless information. It lets you know the situation and that you definitely shouldn't speed up. A lot of times they'll get you as you come around a corner, right before you speed up.

- - - Updated - - -

There is a concealed display which I have on my S2000. View attachment 11104

I have the same one, only mine is colorized, like this:

It makes it much easier to figure out exactly what band of radar and/or laser just got you when it's too dark to read the display.

For more info:
COLOR Valentine One Displays
languy99's Photostream

 

[josh]

The GPS antenna on the stealth units is remote located so you can try to move it to a location that is not blocked, or even an exterior location.

 

[W8MM]

The GPS antenna on the stealth units is remote located so you can try to move it to a location that is not blocked, or even an exterior location.

Right, I was speaking of the most common integrated units that don't cost over $1,000.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

@ Josh -
about the 3 times false alert- what about the CHP that always uses radar at the same location? I don't speed past those spots because I know about them but it would be nice to know if there is radar or not and not just have it blocked since CHP is there almost every day.

 

[v12 to 12v]

I got a reply from Valentine One:

"We contacted Tesla yesterday to discuss the windshield. Tesla will research the issue and contact us.

We are quite surprised about the situation. Mrs. Valentine has the new model ordered and was expecting to take delivery soon.

There is nowhere in any of the Tesla information that indicates that the windshield would have a coating. Mrs. Valentine test drove the car in Chicago this summer. Mr. Valentine and she asked about the windshield and were told there was no coating that would prevent receiving signals.

Mr. Valentine made the call to Tesla and we are awaiting a response."

 

[efusco]

I got a reply from Valentine One:

"We contacted Tesla yesterday to discuss the windshield. Tesla will research the issue and contact us.

We are quite surprised about the situation. Mrs. Valentine has the new model ordered and was expecting to take delivery soon.

There is nowhere in any of the Tesla information that indicates that the windshield would have a coating. Mrs. Valentine test drove the car in Chicago this summer. Mr. Valentine and she asked about the windshield and were told there was no coating that would prevent receiving signals.

Mr. Valentine made the call to Tesla and we are awaiting a response."

That is interesting! Mrs. Valentine...had no idea the company was named after people...much less living breathing Tesla driving people!

 

[Nikoli]

And they're headquartered right here in Cincinnati!

 

[v12 to 12v]

I love small, agile and responsive companies. All the more reason to support them.

 

[pete8314]

I love small, agile and responsive companies. All the more reason to support them.

They've never replied to any of my emails, but, still, if they're going to be as Model S owner, maybe there's a chance they'll develop an app for the Model S? Maybe...? We can dream. Would be great though, to have some kind of remote head unit that provides audio/visual feedback via the screen(s). It would help leapfrog Valentine into the 21st Century too, as there's no doubting that their technology is reliable and well engineered, but it's still very '80's' in terms of style and functionality.

 

[josh]

I think it's possible you could get a false negative due to this. The geographic spot is tight (so it would have to be exact) and they correlate with exact frequency, so it's a fairly unique pair. If a cop hides out where a "Your Speed Is" sign that your system has blocked, you'd still alert on the cop (on a presumably different frequency).

I haven't seen the behavior you describe locally here in the bay area (cop with radar in exact same spot), but you could get a false negative. However, I'd still trade removal of the dozens of daily false positives I get from a V1 in exchange for no alarm on a spot where I know there is always a cop with a radar gun...

 

[W8MM]

I think it's possible you could get a false negative due to this. The geographic spot is tight (so it would have to be exact) and they correlate with exact frequency, so it's a fairly unique pair. If a cop hides out where a "Your Speed Is" sign that your system has blocked, you'd still alert on the cop (on a presumably different frequency).

I haven't seen the behavior you describe locally here in the bay area (cop with radar in exact same spot), but you could get a false negative. However, I'd still trade removal of the dozens of daily false positives I get from a V1 in exchange for no alarm on a spot where I know there is always a cop with a radar gun...

http://www.valentine1.com/gps/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxy7gGG-JlI

 

[antochat]

Did anyone ever get a response from Valentine on using it in the Model S?

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Any update on this?

We're driving around "naked" as we've not installed anything for protection yet. Optimal: an app that would simply takeover a small portion of the 17" screen's real estate for radar/traffic information display, as one might find with the Escort iPhone app . . . .

 

[HHHH]

http://www.valentine1.com/gps/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxy7gGG-JlI

Good to see you here Mike, I'm a frequenter of Teamspeed, Rennlist, Rennteam, 6speed, etc. Is there any update to the V1's being able to be installed in the Model S? The V1 was the first radar I got when I turned 16, and I've had it in every car since then.