The Valentine One radar / laser detector is one of the highest performing radar detectors on the market, and will give you the very best protection in Western Australia. We've given the V1 the title "WA's best" because of all the different brands of radar detectors available, the V1 will give you the LONGEST warning on Multanova speed cameras, BEST detection of hand-held laser guns and the LONGEST warning against WA police highway patrol dash mounted radars.

There are many radar detector manufacturers who claim their product is the best. There are also dealers that claim a particular model is the best...but who do you believe, and who do you trust?

Unfortunately most websites, businesses or manufacturers have a hidden agenda behind their claims. It may be (of course) that the manufacturer wants to sell his particular product. Or it may be that the dealer earns a higher profit margin from a particular brand or model...or perhaps a particular dealer only sell certain brands of detectors.

It may be far less obvious, however, if a particular website (or reviewer) has financial ties to a manufacturer, something the average Joe on the street wouldn't realise. But you see, "which model radar detector is the best", really needs a few more questions asked...and answered...before a true honest, unbiased answer can be given.

So why do we at DelonixRadar we make the claim the Valentine One is the best radar detector for Western Australia?

Going back a few years now, [I] used to be a die-hard Beltronics fan. I "did my research" (asked a salesman in a car audio store) and came away justifying the $900 I spent on a Bel radar detector as it being the best unit money could buy...after all, this was my brief given to the salesman.

It wasn't until [I] started doing more research years later, talking to other suppliers, attending radar detector tests, but more importantly testing radar detectors myself, that I began to learn what I had been told in the car stereo shop wasn't quite accurate.

It may not have even been the salesman's fault, after all he probably attended some product training night where he was fed information from the Beltronics distributor in Australia, but I began to see with my own eyes, through my own tests, that not all was as true as (that) salesman had claimed (10 times the range of imports comes to mind...but more on that later).

I never really did like the look of the Valentine One before I first bought one to test. I thought the pictures of it looked like an ugly tank, as it didn't have the smoother sleek lines the Escorts and Bel models did. But (fortunately) I ordered one from my supplier anyway, and tested it out here in Western Australia....and have never looked back since.

We at DelonixRadar are not influenced in our claims by profit margins, or exclusive distributorships - we started as a group of electronics enthusiasts, and base our recommendations on the raw results. Not a very good business decision (in reality) but instead preferring to take the moral high ground, and tell it how it is, regardless of the brand.

The Valentine One radar detector may not bas as readily available as Beltronics or Escort Radar Detectors, but it certainly performs better than any other portable radar detector we've tested in Western Australia, for WA types of police radar and laser


1) Speed Cameras

Put in simple terms, the Valentine One will alert you to a Multanova speed camera earlier than any other portable radar detector in the world. We've tested nearly every model of every brand you can buy, with over 200 test videos on this website alone. And when the camera operator gets tricky, and sets the camera up facing AWAY from the traffic (in other words talking a photo of your rear as you drive past) the Valentine One radar detector still gives you plenty of warning - unlike many other radar detectors that only "beep" as you draw level with the speed camera!

See our speed camera test we did in 2006
Then again our 2007 Multanova speed camera test
And our 2008 Radar Detector Test

All of which place the Valentine One as number one in detecting Multanova speed cameras


2) Radars mounted in the highway patrol cars

The radars in the police highway patrol cars have the ability to detect your speed when the police car is coming towards you, or coming up from behind you. The newer ones can even shoot backwards! At the time of writing the WA police use the Kustom Eagle radars which operate on the "K-band" radar frequency. The Valentine One radar detector will pick up this "K-band" radar frequency earlier than any other portable radar detector in the world! This means you will have maximum warning on these types of police radar.

Here are the results from an independent test conducted by a group of radar / laser enthusiasts in the US called the Guys of Lidar on detecting this "K-band" frequency:

As you can see, the Valentine One (and note that they tested three units for manufacturer variance) in all three models tested, had the longest range on the "K-band" frequency - the one used by WA police cars.

3) Hand-held laser speed measuring guns

In WA police use a laser gun instead of a radar gun as their choice of hand-held speed measuring device. The Valentine One is the best radar detector in the world for detecting laser guns, as demonstrated by Bob "The Veil Guy" in his 2006 laser detection test.

Similarly, at the beginning of 2008 we undertook our own laser detector test with 7 different models tested against the laser gun the WA police use. You can see our own test results with videos which back Bob "The Veil Guy's" results up.

And finally Bob revisited his earlier laser detector test in 2009 - where for the third time, the Valentine One was the winner.

4) New Speed Camera coming to WA

A new high tech speed camera is due to be deplyed in WA from 2010 which used lasers to calculate your speed instead of radar. Similarly to the Multanova 6F (Ka-band) speed camera already in use, the new laser speed camera from Vitronic is set up at an angle across the road. As a vehicle enters the laser's field of view, the speed is calculated, and if above the posted limit, a photograph is taken. Only the Valentine One, with it's unmatched laser detection abilities can offer you advanced warning on this new speed camera in WA.

So to summarize, the Valentine One radar Detector

1) Will detect a Multanova speed camera earlier than any other portable radar detector

2) Will detect the K-band radars in WA police cars earlier than any other portable radar detector

3) Will detect hand-held laser guns better than any other radar detector in the world

4) Will detect the new laser speed cameras better than any other radar detector

But this is only talking about performance. There's also the false alert suppresion:

The difference between the Bel / Escort detector's mute and the V1 is that when you get an alert on a Bel or Escort detector it alerts at full volume (well at the volume you have it set) then it either quietens down if you have "automute" selected to a lower volume or you can press the mute button and it silences the detector completely.

I'll give you an example: One time I dropped my partner off at the train station and as usual, I silenced the Escort X50 by pressing the mute button (it always falses there). I drove up the street and back onto the highway where shortly after, noticed a HWP car coming at me. I looked down and the X50 was displaying a full strength bar of alerts, but because I had muted it down at the train station, it had continued to remain silent even though it picked up a new (real) K-band signal. I wasn't speeding, so there was no panic, but it shows a real life example where the mute on a Bel / Escorts doesn't always work best.

Now we can program the V1 to alert differently on K-band.

When the V1 first gets an alert on K-band, instead of alerting at full volume (like the Bel / Escort) it alerts at a much quieter level. And with the V1, pressing the mute button doesn't completely silence the detector, it simply changes the volume to a secondary level which you can adjust. In other words the V1 has 2 volume controls; one for the "normal volume" and one for the "muted volume". So in effect, you can actually have the "muted level" anywhere from complete silence to "full bore". So I've set this secondary (muted) volume in my car to just audible. Back to the scenario....

When the V1 first detects a K-band signal it is programmed to alert at the muted (secondary) level (in my case just audible) rather than at full volume. It will stay at this quieter volume unless the signal strength gets to 75% (can be set to 50%) OR

the K-band signal stays on for over a certain amount of time (in my case 30 seconds).

On top of all this, it is set to drop the volume to the "muted level" (if not already) once the K-band signal is coming from the rear.

So to give you an example, say you are approaching a petrol station that sets off your detector on K-band with it's automatic opening door (which use the unlicensed K-band frequency as well). The V1 it will detect as per normal, but only alert at a (just) audible level. As you drive past the petrol station it will stay at this quiet level until it no longer detects the K-band. If I were to encounter a real K-band signal on top of that one, it would scream into full volume as soon as the signal strength was over a certain level (in my case 6 of 8) and on top of that, it would actually display the number of different radar sources (2 in the above example) in the "bogey counter".

It's an awesome idea, something that pretty much comes close to my desire of always wanting my Bel to only provide an audible K-band alert once the signal got to a certain strength rather than blasting away as you drive around shops.

The difference between the Bel / Escort detector's mute and the V1 is that when you get an alert on a Bel or Escort detector it alerts at full volume (well at the volume you have it set) then it either quietens down if you have "automute" selected to a lower volume or you can press the mute button and it silences the detector completely.

I'll give you an example: A few weeks back I dropped my partner off at the train station and as usual, I silenced the Escort X50 by pressing the mute button (it always falses there). I drove up the street and back onto the highway where shortly after, noticed a HWP car coming at me. I looked down and the X50 was displaying a full strength bar of alerts, but because I had muted it down at the train station, it had continued to remain silent even though it picked up a new (real) K-band signal. I wasn't speeding, so there was no panic, but it shows a real life example where the mute on a Bel / Escorts doesn't always work best.

Now we can program the V1 to alert differently on K-band.

When the V1 first gets an alert on K-band, instead of alerting at full volume (like the Bel / Escort) it alerts at a much quieter level. And with the V1, pressing the mute button doesn't completely silence the detector, it simply changes the volume to a secondary level which you can adjust. In other words the V1 has 2 volume controls; one for the "normal volume" and one for the "muted volume". So in effect, you can actually have the "muted level" anywhere from complete silence to "full bore". So I've set this secondary (muted) volume in my car to just audible. Back to the scenario....

When the V1 first detects a K-band signal it is programmed to alert at the muted (secondary) level (in my case just audible) rather than at full volume. It will stay at this quieter volume unless the signal strength gets to 75% (can be set to 50%)

OR

the K-band signal stays on for over a certain amount of time (in my case 30 seconds).

On top of all this, it is set to drop the volume to the "muted level" (if not already) once the K-band signal is coming from the rear.

So to give you an example, say you are approaching a petrol station that sets off your detector on K-band with it's automatic opening door (which use the unlicensed K-band frequency as well). The V1 it will detect as per normal, but only alert at a (just) audible level. As you drive past the petrol station it will stay at this quiet level until it no longer detects the K-band. If I were to encounter a real K-band signal on top of that one, it would scream into full volume as soon as the signal strength was over a certain level (in my case 6 of 8) and on top of that, it would actually display the number of different radar sources (2 in the above example) in the "bogey counter".

It's an awesome idea, something that pretty much comes close to my desire of always wanting my Bel to only provide an audible K-band alert once the signal got to a certain strength rather than blasting away as you drive around shops.

The third reason why the Valentine One is the best radar detector for WA in our opinion, is that it tells you which direction the radar or laser is coming from...by the use of it's arrows.

Say your driving on the open road and you get a faint K-band radar signal, but then it stops. Then a few seconds later you get another faint K-band alert. Is there a police car up ahead, or is he behind you slowly catching up? Only the Valentine can tell you which direction the radar or laser is coming from.

So for these three reasons:

1) Gives you the most warning for all WA radars and lasers

2) Is quieter than other (non GPS) radar detector with regards to "false alerts"

3) Tells you which direction the radar or laser is coming from

- We have declared the Valentine One as the hands-down best radar detector in the world for use in Western Australia.

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Nearly every (unbiased) test that includes the Valentine One in its line up of detectors tested, places the Valentine One at (or very close to) the top position. Our own testing confirms these findings. Quite simply, the Valentine One is one of the highest performing radar detectors when it comes to sensitivity - in other words, its ability to "sniff out" police radar.

See how the Valentine One performed in our 2008 Multanova 6F 34.3GHz Speed camera test - with videos:

Click on any of the Radar Detector names in the table above to watch the corresponding video of the test.

See how the Valentine One performed in our 2008 Laser Detection test:

See how the Valentine One performed at the August 2007 Guys of Lidar test:

and then again by the guys of lidar in 2008:

 

 

FIELD EVALUATION REPORT
BY SPEED MEASUREMENT LABORATORIES, INC.

 

Products Evaluated:Valentine One Radar Detector.

Evaluation Methodology:Radar and laser guns operated by certified police officers. Testing conducted February-April 2000 in El Paso, TX, by Speed Measurement Laboratories, Inc. (SML).

 

All radar and laser equipment operated within the guidelines of the International Association of Chiefs of Police per standard police practices.

Detectors provided by manufacturer.

 

Radar guns used:Stalker ATR 34.7 GHz, Kustom Signals Talon 35.5 GHz, Kustom Signals Falcon 24.150 GHz, Stalker Basic 2 4.150 GHz, MPH Industries 10.525. Laser guns used: LT1 Ultra Lyte 200, 904 nanometers, Kustom Signals Pro Laser III, 904 nanometers, Stalker LZ-1, 904 nanometers. Normal police targeting with radar is 1/4 mile. Normal laser targeting with laser is 1000 feet.

 

Note: At short laser targeting ranges, the laser beam is extremely narrow and in many cases all detectors will give no warning. Each detector was given two runs in each evaluation category. SML not compensated for field testing Valentine Research products. SML requested "top of the line" models for testing. Evaluations conducted under ideal atmospheric, RF propagation conditions. Your results may vary.

 

In the results below,"instant on" testing was conducted with the test vehicle containing the radar detector at 2,000 feet. "Instant on" is the manner in which the officer triggers the radar gun on for approximately 1-2 seconds then turns it off with no signal being emitted. "Yes" indicates the radar detector detected this "instant on" signal.

 

All detectors have a series of LEDs or text informing the driver of the signal strength of the incoming radar gun signal. The higher the number displayed by the detector, the stronger the reported incoming radar gun signal.

 

In the "signal strength" report , the number reported is this signal strength. If "Full" is indicated in the report, the individual detector immediately reported a maximum signal strength report with accompanying full audio alert per the instruction manual of the individual detector with no signal strength "ramp up" of the alert reporting LEDs or audio.

 

Field Testing Results
Model Maximum Range in miles Instant On at 2000 ft/alert strength Laser Alert at 2000 ft VG-2 X K Ka X K Ka (904 nanometers) (11.55 GHz) V-1 3.0 3.3 4.0 yes/F yes/F yes/F yes/full alert undetected

 

The Valentine One uniquely includes front and rear facing antennas. It is the only dash mounted detector with such a feature. It is the only detector with a metal case greatly reducing false alert potentials.

 

The V-1 gives scorching performance on all radar bands and its directional arrows tell you where the radar is. Rear reception range of all radar bands is exceptional. Laser receiver is top notch.

 

The Valentine One gave advanced warning to police radar guns six to eight times the normal targeting distance of the radar guns, depending on the radar band.

 

Results Attested To:

Carl Fors, B.S., M.S.
President

Testing conducted February-April 2000 in El Paso, TX
Speed Measurement Laboratories, Inc.  Fort Worth, Texas.

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The Valentine One Remote designed to have the waterproof antenna section mounted in the front of your vehicle, with the visual and audio alerts coming through inside your vehicle.

The Valentine One has been rated as the number one radar detector for many years by independant testers and hobbyists. Our tests confirm this. The Valentine is the undisputed champion when it comes to laser detection of any radar detector, as well as turning in some of the highest performance figures on all radar bands.

How to program Valentine One Radar Detector:

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