Does my Valentine One Radar Detector REALLY need this upgrade? (SolidJake?)

My valentine one doesn't seem all that accurate sometimes.

So I went to the website to see if my Valentine RD is out of date and needs a software update, according to their site: https://store.valentine1.com/Upgrades


The Following report appeared when entered serial #:

V1 Description: Radar circuitry known in-house as V1.8.A-POP2 with Euro Mode.

Comment: This is our latest and best performer on both radar and laser.

Upgrade Recommendation: You already have our best performer, enhanced by crystal-controlled frequency tuning. More recent V1s, however, have two additional features. Traffic Monitor Filter eliminates the K-band false alarms caused by a traffic flow-measuring system being installed along some U. S. highways. SpeedInfo sends frequent K-band radar bursts into the traffic stream (www.speedinfo.com to learn more). If you drive in an area with one of these systems, this upgrade will pay off immediately. Extended Serial Protocol (ESP) enhances two-way communication with SAVVY and future peripheral devices.

The Upgrade for those two features is $199 plus shipping.

Do I REALLLYYY need those two additional features? Traffic Monitor Filter and Extended Serial Protocol?

If I don't need them I just need a good setting, it would save me a LOT of money.

Anyone? Jake?

Thanks!!
Geo

How long have you been using your V1?

About 2 years or so. Lately I haven't really been using it because it acts a bit "glitchy" for lack of a better word.

If you don't live in an area where speedinfo is collecting data, and you don't plan on using "savvy", then there's no need to do the update.

Originally Posted by HellRaiser1

About 2 years or so. Lately I haven't really been using it because it acts a bit "glitchy" for lack of a better word.

After 2 years of use, I think the unit will lose some accuracy due to temperature changes and whatnot, so it may be worth it for you to update or sell yours and purchase a new one to eliminate your issues.

Can you describe what problems you're encountering? If you can live with them, I think I would tend to agree with TerraPhantm.

Sell it on ebay and get a new unit straight from www.valentine1.com

That's what I did. The newest unit is THE best.

Ugh I still need to hardwire mine.

Originally Posted by illestminimike

Ugh I still need to hardwire mine.

Takes <10 minutes.

Well wait, IDK how it works in a vert.

Yeah I don't know where to put the wires. I keep the hardwire kit in my door to get me motivated to do it. It's been there for 3 months.

whats the savvy for?

Mike,

A clean way to power in a conv. is the pull the glovebox, wire into the back of the flashlight, run wire to a pillar and over. Its clean out of sight, and powers on and off with the door lock. Many other good ways I'm sure.

in upstate ny I don't see an advantage to the V1 upgrade. I am not sure where the traffic monitor systems are in place in the US.

Originally Posted by tock172

After 2 years of use, I think the unit will lose some accuracy due to temperature changes and whatnot, so it may be worth it for you to update or sell yours and purchase a new one to eliminate your issues.

Can you describe what problems you're encountering? If you can live with them, I think I would tend to agree with TerraPhantm.

This is 100% not true. My V1 was the very first purchase for my car, and I bought it about a month or two after getting my 01 330i in 2005. I've had mine hardwired sitting up next to the rear view mirror on the right side for 7 SOLID years, constantly exposed to lots of heat and sun, and it works as perfectly as it did on day 1. I will say that a buddy of mine bought one as well, and claimed that it never seemed to work as well as it should have out of the box. We did some tests, and unfortunately for him (idiot) he waited too long to get it fixed under warranty, so he had to pay the $48 fee or whatever to send it in and have it fixed. The instant he got it back, it was working properly and has been ever since. A great test to see if they are doing what they should be is to drive by one of those roadside radar/speed signs that always set it off without a doubt. But you never really know until you pick up a LEO's signal and see them.

Originally Posted by Solidjake

Sell it on ebay and get a new unit straight from www.valentine1.com

That's what I did. The newest unit is THE best.

That is a very interesting solution here because I know selling used ones can almost get you the money you paid for them initially, especially if you have everything that came with it in the first place. But in my situation, I only have to deal with those roadside traffic flow signals when I go up to Maine in the summer, and dealt with them once driving down to florida (they are basically along the entire highway in either georgia or south carolina, I can't remember which, but my GOD they are annoying). Never knew what they were for, so it's nice to hear they are monitoring traffic flow and not actually speed.

So, depending on if you have this situation where you live, the upgrade would be worth it, however as Jake points out, it's significantly cheaper if you can sell the one you have at a good price and just buy a new one.

Oh, and Jake, please break down the SAVVY thing for me, what is that exactly?

Edit: This is cool! forget about skooling me, I skooled myself: http://valentineone.com/savvy/

Blah. So what do you do if you want to use SAVVY, but have the V1 hardwired into the sunroof controls? You'd have to run a wire from there all the way down the A-pillar and connect it to the box near the OBD II port? That sucks. Totally do-able, but sucks.