RE: Valentine versus new Passport

["Spire, Ed" <ed.spire@missioncritical.com>]

>Todd Phenneger said:
>>Ed Spire said:
>>
>>The V1 is many generations ahead of the old passport you
>>are using.
>
>    Not entirely true.  The old Pasport/Escorts are still great for X -
>K bands.  The V1 is slightly better but the older Passports still can
>outperform many newer units that are supposedly generations ahead.  I
>would say the only real advantage of going with the V1 over the original
>Passport is in the display which isnt needed or if you get Ka band or
>Laser in your area.

I strongly disagree with Todd on this.  Range isn't the only issue.  The
ability of the V1 to sense radar from the front or rear separately is unique
to my knowledge, as is the ability to discriminate the number of unique
signal sources, and the display issues associated with these features puts
the V1 way ahead.

Does the new passport have front and back radar sensors?  Can it count
unique sources?

>>Check out their web site for some very good demonstrations of this.
>
>    Agreed.  Where is the site BTW.

www.valentine1.com

>>Laser sensing doesn't help much.  The beam is so narrow that once you
sense
>>it, the odds are extremely high that it has sensed you.
>
>    Only in some cars.  If you drive a Black Car with no Chrome on front
>and no front plate or an Anti-Laser cover on the plate then you have a
>significant advantage over the guy next to you.  This will usually (in
>most tests I have read) give you time to slow down with a GOOD Laser
>Detector of which the V1 is second to none. :-)   Depending on the units
>being used, some times they had trouble picking up black stealthified
>cars at all untill they were literally within like 50 feet of the patrol
>car. :-)   By then you better be slowed down.

I have been looking at this in some depth recently, and the stealth approach
is nowhere near as reliable as the jamming approach.  The plate covers do
not help very much, and most states require a front plate.  I have not yet
made a purchase, but I probably will.

>>very good (and legal) laser jammers available.  I recommend the Blinder.
>
>    Blinder huh, where and how much?  I dont know about this.

As I said above, I have not yet made a purchase, and I have not yet
researched distributors (i.e., shopped for price) for the blinder in the US.
It is made in Sweden where laser is routinely used for traffic enforcement.
There are at least three other manufacturers who make units that work, but
the blinder looks to be the best of the bunch to me.  See it at
http://www.laserstealth.com/blinder_ms.asp

Note also that the above distributor told me that there would be a new, more
expensive, top of the line blinder model in March (implying maybe I should
wait.)  Very unusual for a distributor to say such a thing, since they want
to make a sale **now**, but perhaps he did so because I had been helpful to
him regarding a problem on his web site.

If I decide to make a purchase I will certainly tell you all about it.