RE: Valentine versus new Passport

[Todd Phenneger <phen9461@uidaho.edu>]

On Fri, 12 Feb 1999, Spire, Ed wrote:

> I just went to escort's web site and read their user manual for the new
> unit, the passport 7500.  When you run it in its "expert" mode (which they
> do not suggest a first time user should try,) it will display multiple
> signals, up to 2 K band, 2 Ka band, and 4 X band signals.  It does it by
> converting it's dot matrix display to show alpha characters like this..
> 		Ka|K||X||'    
> (although the ' is really the bottom half of a bar, not the top half...)

	Cool, thanks for checking up on my limited knowledge.

> The above would mean that the unit is seeing one strong Ka signal, two
> strong K signals, and two strong and one weak X signal.  I doubt that this
> will communicate as well as the signal strength meter, flashing arrows and
> numeric display you get on a V1, but the passport is limited in size and
> this is all they have room for.  I suppose this is why they make it optional
> and steer new customers away from it.  If it worked well, it would be SOP.

	I am betting the V1 is still better buy I would venture a guess
that this Passport is the closest thing you can find.  And as you say it
is smaller and cheaper so that is a plus if you are on a tight budget.  I
still wonder about performance though.

> I also saw absolutely no display that indicated if the signal was coming
> from the front or the rear, so even though they apparently are detecting
> this, they don't have room to display it.

	Oh, In the advertisment I saw it mentioned that it could do this
but maybe I read it wrong and it just detects from all directions.  My
mistakes.

> It is smaller and cheaper than a V1, and it may work out well in use for all
> I know.  It will be interesting to see the next comparison test done by C&D
> etc.  Competition is a good thing, if the passport is indeed catching up to
> the V1, it may spur Valentine on to newer and better things.

	If it spurs the V1 on to be better then thats great for all of us.
The V1 is a huge unit and that is my biggest gripe.  I would like to get
one with the remote display but as I change cars often this would be more
difficult as I would need at least wires strung in each car and
preferabbly a display in each car so that I only would have to swap out
the radar unit itself.  I just hate having a box as big as  V1 on my
Windshield.  :-)

	Anyhow, thanks for the update.  My conclusion, V1 still the king
but the Passport is gaining and is currently probably the second best out
there.  I have seen nothing better from the other manufacturers.
L8R
	Todd