Torn Between the 9500xi and the V1

[warrior3313]

Hey im new to the web site. I am looking into purchasing a Radar Detector because i could have paid for 2 high end ones now with my tickets. So im a college student at UNC Charlotte in N.C. but i live in Wilton CT. So i travel back and fourth every now and then. So i do a good amount of travel on highways and on back roads and such. So i dont know which one to get. The 9500xi or V1? Please give me some help and guidance on what to do and where to go. If you need more info just ask.

[Jon_Doh]

I've used the Valentine One since 1992 and have upgraded twice with them. The latest upgrade was for v. 1.8, but before they added pop protection. I have been very pleased with the range I received and lack of falses. The problem is that since they came out with pop mode they false a lot. Only a couple of states are running radar guns with pop and so it really isn't a feature you need. Just this week I switched to the Passport 9500ix. My reason is that I like the ability to lock out areas with false alarms as well as the ability to mark known speed traps and VASCAR spots. Also, the red light/speed camera database is a plus. According to tests the V1 may still give slightly (as in a few feet) more warning but the overall advantages of the Passport still put it ahead in my book. Too much sensitivity and constant falsing negates the advantages of a little more warning in my book. Good luck with which ever detector you choose to go with. I think they are both at the top of the class and you really can't go wrong with either one.

['09 Milan]

Hands down the Passport 9500ix. We had a v1 and it was over hyped. Plus the 9500ix has features that the v1 could only pray for.

[CJR238]

well i live in Ridgefield CT and travel sometimes to Wilmington NC to visit family. I definitely prefer the 9500 sires RD but the V1 works extremely well for highway driving. The issue you will have is driving through VA RD's are illegal there, and i have gotten a ticket for having mine in VA.

It really comes down to if you want as much situational awareness possible the V1 is great. Or if you want a quiet RD that seems to only go off if there is a real threat and there are speed cams the 9500ix is great.

[MEM-TEK]

Originally Posted by warrior3313

Hey im new to the web site. I am looking into purchasing a Radar Detector because i could have paid for 2 high end ones now with my tickets. So im a college student at UNC Charlotte in N.C. but i live in Wilton CT. So i travel back and fourth every now and then. So i do a good amount of travel on highways and on back roads and such. So i dont know which one to get. The 9500xi or V1? Please give me some help and guidance on what to do and where to go. If you need more info just ask.

Hi warrior3313,

This is an easy one to answer since you have to drive through Virginia to and from home in NC and CT. The only real choice is Bel's STi Driver since it can not be detected by the Spectre radar detector detector which VA police use. The STi Driver is a windshield mounted radar detector. If you are willing to pay more for a concealed remote installed radar detector, then you have only two other additional choices:

-- Bel STi-R (remote version of the STi Driver)
-- Escort 9500ci (uses the same stealth antenna as the STi and includes Escort's ZR4 laser jammers)

[warrior3313]

To me it just seems that everyone uses a V1 on this forum so i was wondering if there was something i was missing. I'm also not really worried about driving through VA. I'm kind of leaning toward the 9500xi because it seems less annoying on false alerts.

['09 Milan]

You'll be very happy with the 9500ix, just know that if you don't have a laptop that you'll need one of these for updates. Enjoy your new detector

[Jon_Doh]

Originally Posted by '09 Milan

You'll be very happy with the 9500ix, just know that if you don't have a laptop that you'll need one of these for updates. Enjoy your new detector

You don't need a laptop. You can buy a universal power supply at Radio Shack and hook it up to a desktop computer for updates.

[TSi+WRX]

Easy one.

Try both.

Both offer a "30-day test-drive."

If you find the V1 too noisy, but find the arrows too important to miss, just get a Cheetah GPS-Mirror or C100, and add its Detector Interface to it. This will suppress audible alerts below your preset speed. In conjunction with smart programming of the advanced features of the V1, you should do quite well. The Cheetah products will also add Trinity database to your overall countermeasures setup, and unlike Escort's requirement that you pay a fee to access the database, Cheetah products come with Trinity access, free, lifetime.

That said, the 9500ix will be quite a few dollars cheaper than investing in the V1/Cheetah combo, and also will be more portable.

Honestly, I see this purchase as one that's solely to-be-decided by *YOUR* personal preference.

['09 Milan]

Originally Posted by Jon_Doh

You can buy a universal power supply at Radio Shack and hook it up to a desktop computer for updates.

You're not going to find a regulated power supply at radio shack for less than the one Escort sells on their site (see the link provided above)