My Valentine 1 (v3.826) Was in Need of a 'Tune-Up." Does Yours?

As it turns out my Valentine 1 was in need of a "tune-up." For the sake of saving some time and for our drive back home from Ohio, my wife and I decided to purchase their latest V1 (v3.861) [bringing our total ownership to four V1s over 15 years] instead of paying $85 and having to wait for a couple of days to have my existing unit updated -- I am certain to get top-dollar for my trusty V1 on Ebay when I get my 3.826 back and tuned-up. (Update: As of 30 Jan 08, I still have had the heart to put it up for sale. This brings me to owning four Valentine Ones since they were first introduced in the early 90's.)

This experience has further re-enforced my notion of the potential value of driving with two top-of-the-line radar detectors, concurrently -- specifically the BEL STi Driver and the Valentine 1 -- as they can each serve as a check and balance to each other. Had it not been for the fact the I had been driving with multiple radar detectors, I would not have known that something was awry with my particular V1. To my knowledge the V1s do not have a self-diagnostic mode or "re-calibration required" alerting feature -- as do the top-of-the-line BELs and Escorts -- to alert their owners to the potential of reception problems -- sort of the equivalent of a "check engine" light.

Fortunately the latest V1 models have apparently corrected this particular situation with the incorporation of digital temperature compensation circuitry which may, in the long-term, help to stabilize any potential "drift" in the reception of the different radar frequencies. Only time will tell for sure.

Owners of models prior to v3.861 may want to consider having their models "updated" as the cost to do so may be quite reasonable. You can check directly by visiting, V1 upgrade.

Hey, even my high performance BMW needs a tune-up from time to time...It's just the cost of doing business.

More on our 1900 mile Ohio trip to come...