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Summary (Abridged) Report

1. Introduction
2. The Equipment
3. The Drive/Ride
4. Conclusions
5. Credits
6. Useful Links

Full (Unabridged) Report

1. Introduction
2. What's Included
3. Costs
4. Build Quality
5. Display (Video)
6. Alert Volume (Video)
7. Alert Tones (Video)
8. Alert Gradient
9. Alert Muting
10. Size
11. Adhesion
12. Programming (Video)
13. The Drive/Ride
14. Test Day #1
15. Test Day #2
16. Test Day #3
17. Respite
18. Test Day #4
19. Test Day #5
20. Test Day #6
21. Conclusions
22. Epilogue I
23. Epilogue II
24. Credits
25. Useful Links

Ultimate
Radar Detector Review '05
Unabridged Version 

Valentine One Radar Escort 8500 X50 Beltronics RX65

Programming Ease / Capability

Both the Bel and the Escort excel in this area.  Given their ease of use, either of these radar detectors is easily programmed in the field without requiring reference to a manual or to the little programming card that is provided.

Programming can be easily performed during operation with a push-button combination, both radar detectors auto exit the programming mode and return to normal operation after about eight seconds of being left untouched.

We came across an undocumented programming tip with the Bel RX65 – if one presses the pwr button, programming mode can be exited immediately and the radar detector will return to normal operation.  The speed at which one can program the RX65 is impressive along with its responsiveness.  In comparison the 8500 X50 feels a little sluggish when stepping through the programming. The RX65 also retains the ability to alert to a threat during programming as well, a nice feature, indeed.

Another nice feature of both the Bel and the Escort units was the ability to perform a quick factory reset with a power-up push-button sequence.

It essential to note that both the Escort 8500 X50 and the Bel RX65 Pro default settings have POP reception disabled.

The Valentine One, in comparison, feels a little like something from the 70s when it comes to programming.  The single LED display and single push-button knob serve as the limiting factors here.  I would not recommend programming this unit without reference to the programming manual, which can be inconvenient if one is on the road.  Further, the manual (as of late December '04) did not contain a reference to the latest programming feature - the "J" function nor was it documented on the website.

We had to place a phone call to tech support to get the info on this latest feature.  We would like to see the Valentine come with a quick reference / programming guide and/or the programming procedures printed on the bottom of the radar detector to simplify programming in the field.  To our knowledge, there is no quick reset mechanism available on the V1.  Unlike the other two radar detectors, the default settings have POP reception enabled.

In the meantime, we recommend printing the online programming guide provided online at Valentine’s website at this URL: http://www.valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt3.asp.  Be mindful that it does not contain, as of 07 Feb 05, any reference to the new “J” function which turns on/off the POP features.

Video/Audio Clips (DivX Codec):

Programming the Beltronics RX65 Pro (Hi Bandwidth)
Programming the Beltronics RX65 Pro (Med Bandwidth)

Programming the Escort 8500 X50 (Red, Hi Bandwidth)
Programming the Escort 8500 X50 (Red, Med Bandwidth)

Programming the Valentine One v1.8 w/POP2 (Hi Bandwidth)
Programming the Valentine One v1.8 w/POP2 (Lo Bandwidth)

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