# Valentine One vs Escort 9500ix



## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

Having an early Christmas, my spankin' new Escort 9500ix now rides directly aside my upgraded up-to-date Valentine One.

Long & Short: 9500ix blows away V1 - there really is no comparison.

9500ix talks to me, gross improvement over looking at a detector. So good is the 9500ix's real world performance that the directional arrows I thought I'd need, I don't. At all.

9500ix GPS much discussed - gotta agree w/buzz; no need to add 2¢.

Maybe what hasn't been highlighted is the silky, sophisticated 9500ix controls. Also, reassuringly weighty, FWIW. Like the auto shutoff and on functions.

V1 alert tone a poke w/sharp stick.

9500ix not grating, but attention getting.

9500ix exhibits latest advances; V1's yesterday's tech.

Hey....:thumbup:

PS - Ordered from Amazon on a 2 day delivery spec - arrived a day early. :thumbup:

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## captainaudio (Jul 17, 2007)

I have both a V1 and an Escort 9500Ci hard wired into my car.

The V1 picks up signals before the Escort does.

I find them equally annoying.

If I had to choose one over the other it would be the Escort but I would miss the arrows on the V1.



CA


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## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

captainaudio said:


> The V1 picks up signals before the Escort does.


My V1's detecting the 9500ix - Escort's ignoring the noisier V1.

Love Escort's ability to ignore traffic flow radar, a major pain with V1.

Love strikes again near any red light camera, many of which I didn't know were there.

With more experience, maybe I'll miss V1's number of sources and arrows, a simple to decipher display.

But, if 9500ix handles the job without V1's info, I'll put the Valentine in my detector museum display case, in which I have the original Escort, purchased back in '82. That old Escort's a beautiful piece of engineering....

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## captainaudio (Jul 17, 2007)

CALWATERBOY said:


> *My V1's detecting the 9500ix - Escort's ignoring the noisier V1.*
> 
> Love Escort's ability to ignore traffic flow radar, a major pain with V1.
> 
> ...


My V1 and my Escort are totally oblivious of each other.

CA


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## BillLumberg (Mar 30, 2006)

captainaudio said:


> I have both a V1 and an Escort 9500Ci hard wired into my car.
> 
> The V1 picks up signals before the Escort does.


Is your 9500ci mounted BEHIND your bumper or grille by chance? It should be mounted level and straight ahead with a clear and completely unobstructed view of the road. True plastic shouldn't affect radar reception, but it does in the case of the 9500ci. Several users on radardetector.net run both V1 and 9500ci, and 9/10 times the Escort beats the V1 by a few seconds. They've got plenty of videos proving it.

FYI I run a 1 month old V1.

Interference between them shouldn't be an issue, assuming you've got the Escort mounted in your grille/bumper. You've got quite a bit of metal (engine, radiator, hood, etc) shielding the Escort from the V1.

However, not a good idea to run two window mounted RDs together (eg V1 and 9500ix) due to interference. That might be why the 9500ix is beating out the V1. To really be certain, run ONE detector a few times against a supermarket or speed sign. Note the initial alert distance. Repeat for the other detector. Make sure only one detector is powered on for each run.


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## captainaudio (Jul 17, 2007)

BillLumberg said:


> Is your 9500ci mounted BEHIND your bumper or grille by chance? It should be mounted level and straight ahead with a clear and completely unobstructed view of the road. True plastic shouldn't affect radar reception, but it does in the case of the 9500ci. Several users on radardetector.net run both V1 and 9500ci, and 9/10 times the Escort beats the V1 by a few seconds. They've got plenty of videos proving it.
> 
> FYI I run a 1 month old V1.
> 
> ...


I have a 9500ci not a 9500ix.

I have tested them with a radar gun and concluded they don't interfere with each other,

I have the 9500ci sensors mounted behind the grille and the V1 mounted up high on the windshield. It is very possible that the V1 picks uo the signals slighly sooner because it is mounted higher.

CA


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## BillLumberg (Mar 30, 2006)

captainaudio said:


> I have a 9500ci not a 9500ix.


Sorry, I was referring to CALWATERBOY.



captainaudio said:


> I have the 9500ci sensors mounted behind the grille and the V1 mounted up high on the windshield. It is very possible that the V1 picks uo the signals slighly sooner because it is mounted higher.


More likely it's because the grille is affecting the radar reception. See here:
http://www.radardetector.net/forums/escort/54619-9500ci-install.html
Then scroll down to post 3:
http://www.radardetector.net/forums/escort/54619-9500ci-install.html

Either way, you've got a killer setup. But if want to take full advantage of it, you'll need to move the receiver out from behind the grille. Best place would probably be in one of the mesh screens towards the bottom of the bumper. You'd need to cut it though, which isn't terribly hard to do, and the replacement mesh screens are cheap ~$15.


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## captainaudio (Jul 17, 2007)

BillLumberg said:


> Sorry, I was referring to CALWATERBOY.
> 
> More likely it's because the grille is affecting the radar reception. See here:
> http://www.radardetector.net/forums/escort/54619-9500ci-install.html
> ...


Actually that is what I meant by "behind the grille"

CA


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## dest149 (Oct 27, 2009)

its hard for me to shell out 1200 for the 9500ci... i dont know if it is worth it.... why not get the v1 or the 9500xi and some blinders?


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## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

captainaudio said:


> captainaudio said:
> 
> 
> > My V1's detecting the 9500ix - Escort's ignoring the noisier V1.
> ...


Interesting - mine are within an inch or two - your 9500ci would be much farther separated.

Verified by turning 9500ix on and off that V1's picking it up as a rear radar alert - V1's about 2" forward of the Escort.

Not a constant alert. Could be when Escort's processing and rejecting a signal, V1's reading Escort + signal.

Escort detected a speed sign, Xa band, seconds before V1 today - a surprise as I've seen V1 alert before Escort.


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## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

captainaudio said:


> CALWATERBOY said:
> 
> 
> > My V1's detecting the 9500ix - Escort's ignoring the noisier V1.
> ...


Interesting - mine are within an inch or two, yours better separated.

Verified by turning 9500ix on and off that V1's picking it up as a rear radar alert - V1's about 2" forward of the Escort.

Not a constant alert. Could be when Escort's processing and rejecting a signal, V1's reading Escort + signal.

Escort detected a speed sign, Xa band, seconds before V1 today - a surprise as I've seen V1 alert before Escort.

.


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## accel (Jul 11, 2008)

I tried probably around 10 diff. detectors.

Go Arrows. It's just very useful and informative to know the direction regardless rest of the features.


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## bluescoupe (Jul 3, 2008)

accel said:


> I tried probably around 10 diff. detectors.
> 
> Go Arrows. It's just very useful and informative to know the direction regardless rest of the features.


+1
Knowing *where* is most important to me.


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## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

accel said:


> I tried probably around 10 diff. detectors.
> 
> Go Arrows. It's just very useful and informative to know the direction regardless rest of the features.


Here's the thing:

V1's propensity to alert at any signal means the number of sources and arrows have real utility.

Escort's ability to reject the many many false [not police] signals we drive through means an alert has much more importance than V1's.

No need to take time checking the number of sources or arrows to decide whether to hit the brake or not - one depends on 9500ix to give valid alerts; cognition time's zero - there's no question about a 9500ix alert.

When 9500ix alerts to speed radar, it displays vehicle speed - GPS accuracy, not what the vehicle speedometer says. Good show.

And, it tells me when I'm approaching a red light camera, spoken in English. I'm smitten!

If I were to make an improvement, it would be to program variation in the female voice. Same tones every time might have harmonics of the nag, though English is hugely better/more informative than the sharp V1 alert.

AI, please....

.


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## johnc_22 (Sep 14, 2004)

How fast do you guys drive in a regular basis that you need to spend > $1000 for a radar detector? Or are the cops in Georgia just slackers? I usually don't exceed 80mph on the cruise control.


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## Snareman (Nov 24, 2006)

I just did the upgrade on my 9500ix to get rid of the traffic cameras and it makes the ride SOOOOOooooo much more peaceful. That's the big reason I got rid of my V1 - _far _too many falses and I just stopped paying attention to it. It doesn't do you any good if it cries wolf all the time.


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## CALWATERBOY (Aug 26, 2009)

Snareman said:


> I just did the upgrade on my 9500ix to get rid of the traffic cameras and it makes the ride SOOOOOooooo much more peaceful. That's the big reason I got rid of my V1 - _far _too many falses and I just stopped paying attention to it. It doesn't do you any good if it cries wolf all the time.


I now view V1 as:

A worried person - unable to see if what he's looking at is real or not, he presses an alarm bell for everything.

9500ix:

A professional, confident and fit, with extensive reference materials and a pretty good education at his command. He is master of his domain.

:angel:

.


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## bluescoupe (Jul 3, 2008)

johnc_22 said:


> How fast do you guys drive in a regular basis that you need to spend > $1000 for a radar detector? Or are the cops in Georgia just slackers? I usually don't exceed 80mph on the cruise control.


:dunno: $400 vs fine & points & insurance premiums??
sounds like an easy decision.


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## UnderSteer (Jul 24, 2008)

In far too many case speeding tickets are not issued to promote safer driving but are merely a sneaky form of taxation. I just purchaded two new cars and intend to have an Excort 9500ci installed into each of them.

I am a careful and conservative driver but I have gotten caught in a speed trap more than once.


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## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

I don't have either V1 ir Escort but my inexpensive detector is better than none by far. I'm looking for compelling information to buy a new detector.


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