[1badss]

All...I'm looking for a good Radar/Laser mirror mounted (using Belmount radar bracket) unit and/or a concealed unit...I've had both Valentine and Beltronics in the past but been out of the driving "Hot Rod" mode for a few years...Here in Calif the ole CHP using the POP/Instant On Radar tend to creep up on ya fast...Any suggestions greatly appreciated...(Note: The "Blinder" laser products really do work!!...Worth the monies and concealed install)...

 

[Maverick Man]

Valentine still works very well. CHP cars that have them usually keep them on from what i have noticed. if it is a motorcycle cop or just one hiding yes i can see the concern but usually if you are in a heap of traffic someone in front of you is going to trigger your unit. if you are the only one well.... no radar is going to help.

use the WAZE app that works well for cops. but it does not work though the SS radio which i miss with an aftermarket radio because the app would warn you if there was a cop near by. between that and the Valentine it works very well.

 

[1badss]

Valentine still works very well. CHP cars that have them usually keep them on from what i have noticed. if it is a motorcycle cop or just one hiding yes i can see the concern but usually if you are in a heap of traffic someone in front of you is going to trigger your unit. if you are the only one well.... no radar is going to help.

use the WAZE app that works well for cops. but it does not work though the SS radio which i miss with an aftermarket radio because the app would warn you if there was a cop near by. between that and the Valentine it works very well.

Thanks...Yes normally in a bunch of traffic in LA etc...I'm more concerned going to Vegas or Arizona etc...The WAZE sounds awesome...So no way to get this to work with MyLink Radio/Camera etc...Who makes this tech or software?

 

[Maverick Man]

Thanks...Yes normally in a bunch of traffic in LA etc...I'm more concerned going to Vegas or Arizona etc...The WAZE sounds awesome...So no way to get this to work with MyLink Radio/Camera etc...Who makes this tech or software?

way out in the boonies your gonna be screwed. all you can do is hopefully pace someone else ahead of you. the valentine pick up the signal a really good distances.

as far as getting WAZE to work with the mylink i have not figured out how to do that yet. **** i can't figure out how to get the car from honking when i close the door! lol! but it works with my pioneer head unit great! i just can't stand how small the screen is on my iphone.

 

[FSTASNTZ]

Another vote for the Valentine unit. Seems to work well on our trips to up state NY.
Mine is shared between the truck and SS, so no permanent mount in either.
Again, the WAZE app with the radar detector is a great combo!! Not fool proof, but one more layer of protection.

 

[JimArneson]

Escort Passport Max

I just bought a new Escort Passport Max and a mirror mount (Blendmount). I've been driving around with the Passport Max on the dash of my Subaru and installed the mirror mount in the SS.

I own a previous model of Escort radar detector (8500) but decided to upgrade to the Passport Max to get the GPS false alarm and speed cam detection features. If you have not used a radar detector recently you will probably be a little disappointed by the number of false alarms you get while driving in the city. My Escort 8500 is going off all the time and I pretty much quit using it except on the road. I have to admit that I am not exactly impressed with the Max's ability to automatically "lock out" false alarms but am going to reserve judgement until I've run around town a whole bunch giving it time to "learn" where the signals are located (Escort promises it gets better). You can (of course) "mark" a false alarm manually to permanently remove it.

Our patented AutoLearn technology uses the
power of GPS and the exact frequency to learn and automatically reject unwanted door openers and other
fixed position false alarms

The Blendmount was super easy to install and supports the Passport Max nicely (despite what you might read in some forums). I set up with about a 1/2 inch gap under the mirror (as they recommend) which gives you adequate access to the buttons although you cannot see them. I am currently running with the "Combo Smart Cord" plugged into the cigarette lighter but will eventually run a permanent cord. The Smart cord has a "mute" button which also lets you "mark" alarms by "triple tapping". Their Detector Tools software allows you to transfer you saved information and works well.

My brother-in-law has a Valentine in his Corvette and absolutely swears by it but they have not as of yet offered a "built in" GPS system. I loaded the WAZE app into my Windows phone and have been using it for a week or so. It looks really promising but of course requires yet another device (smartphone) hanging off the dash. If we could integrate it into the MyLink screen with Bluetooth it would be a lot nicer.

First a few photos showing the Max and mount in the car...

Next the Blendmount up close and a product shot from their website...

 

[JimArneson]

Laser...

Further to my last posting...

I absolutely agree about the invincibility of the new police laser systems. I've run into the Minnetonka, St Louis Park, and Edina (suburban area where I live) cops with their laser systems and get alerted way too late to do any good. Fortunately I have yet to get "pinched" but I pretty sure if you speed around here its only a matter of time before you will. No fancy new detector is going to save you if you're speeding around here and the police are set up to trap you. This is where WAZE could shine!

Laser jammers are now illegal in Minnesota. We know a kid who was stopped with a "concealed" Blinder brand jammer who ended up having his car towed and impounded (he got it back with the jammer heads cut off) as well as spending about 12 hours being "processed" at the police station. I don't know what the fine ended up being but he has lost all interest in having a system installed.

 

[Headrat]

I swear by Valentine. Use it on my trips to Bakersfield drags going down I-5 in the valley. The V-1 picks up as far away as three miles coming or going in the flat. Blendmount is really cool. Looks like the one out of my departed 06 Impala SS wil fit the mirror stem in the new SS, IF I EVER GET MY CAR!!!

 

[PRLx1967]

I swear by Valentine. Use it on my trips to Bakersfield drags going down I-5 in the valley. The V-1 picks up as far away as three miles coming or going in the flat. Blendmount is really cool. Looks like the one out of my departed 06 Impala SS wil fit the mirror stem in the new SS, IF I EVER GET MY CAR!!!

Bakersfield? Really? Who would go there? I am from that town I was just there and there was so much smog it looked like fog!


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

 

[Headrat]

Bakersfield? Really? Who would go there? I am from that town I was just there and there was so much smog it looked like fog!


Sent from AutoGuide.com App

Oh, come on now, you know, the little farm community of Famoso, just north of there. Not surprised about the air quality. One trip to the track awhile back, the smell of the nut shell compost piles next to the track would gag a maggot off a gut wagon. You prayed for smokey burnouts to mask the smell, or a real good alcohol car to make a pass to help out. Everone would say, "now that's more like it".

 

[GXPaycheck]

I have the Bpendmount on my GXP. Did you have to remove the mirror to install it?

 

[JimArneson]

No... you just disassemble the clamp.

 

[PRLx1967]

So what's better? V1 or Passport Max?


//Nick

 

[Headrat]

Mike Valentine helped develope the Escort detector way back, then branched out on his own. He has a very simple unit to understand and use. The simplicity of it sold me on mine. And brother is it effective!! Besides, when you are cruising at 85 on I-5 here in lala land, and it goes off, it gives your passengers something to do. "Find the bogie".

 

[JimArneson]

I think you could be happy with either brand. It really depends on how and where you will use the detector. Out on the open road the Valentine probably has the edge but around town a system that filters out false alarms is becoming a necessity. I honestly don't know that the Passport Max is going to do this effectively but the (current) Valentine lacks the capability altogether. Escort has built in the capability to update the firmware on this detector through a USB port and will almost certainly improve the false alarm performance over time (they are already 4 or 5 versions in). GPS integration in a radar detector is a big deal. I keep hoping Garmin buys one of the detector makers.

I really like the idea behind the WAZE system... lots of users reporting what's going on in "real time" to a cloud app. But I'm looking at WAZE on my smartphone right now and there are only 15 "alerts" in the whole Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area (2.5 million people). There are no speed traps reported and 5 of them are WAZE "chats" (whatever that means). There must be at least one police officer on the side of a highway pointing a laser at cars going by.

 

[dz28]

I have the Max, a 9500ix and Solo. The Max is actually pretty darn good. My only complaint so far is it seems to lose connection to GPS more often than does my 9500ix. I used the 9500ix with Blendmount in my GXP and plan to do the same with the Max in the SS when it gets here. The Solo is adequate but I will be moving that out of my Camaro and putting the 9500ix in. With the GXP I was using an Invisicord however in the SS I plan to hardwire with the mute button remote setup. I've never tried a Valentine since I've been happy with Escort products for nearly 20 years...

 

[PRLx1967]

I have the Max, a 9500ix and Solo. The Max is actually pretty darn good. My only complaint so far is it seems to lose connection to GPS more often than does my 9500ix. I used the 9500ix with Blendmount in my GXP and plan to do the same with the Max in the SS when it gets here. The Solo is adequate but I will be moving that out of my Camaro and putting the 9500ix in. With the GXP I was using an Invisicord however in the SS I plan to hardwire with the mute button remote setup. I've never tried a Valentine since I've been happy with Escort products for nearly 20 years...

The max does not have the anti radar...have you seen that as an issue? Or the flashing lights? I want to pull the trigger on Max but those things make me lean to a Redline....thoughts?


//Nick

 

[dz28]

Nick, so far not having anti radar has not been an issue. The sensitivity and range on this thing is really great. I have a secondary mute button as part of my hardwire in the SHO and it flashes in my line of site. I've looked at both the Redline and Max; obviously chose the Max. So far, like I said, very happy with the performance and I really didn't think I'd see a great improvement over the 9500ix...

 

[PRLx1967]

Nick, so far not having anti radar has not been an issue. The sensitivity and range on this thing is really great. I have a secondary mute button as part of my hardwire in the SHO and it flashes in my line of site. I've looked at both the Redline and Max; obviously chose the Max. So far, like I said, very happy with the performance and I really didn't think I'd see a great improvement over the 9500ix...

Thanks for the info. I really like the Max, I can't seem to find a good mirror clip to hold it though. What r u using?


//Nick

 

[dz28]

Currently using the super sticky cup at the very top of my windshield. I really like the Blendmount but Escort has changed the mounting tab on the Max so when my SS rolls into Michigan in a few months I'm going to have to figure out a way to mount this to my rear view mirror by modifying the Blendmount.