Escort Redline versus Valentine One Reviews: End to a Long Debate?

Escort Redline vs Valentine One Review: Both Stellar Performers

 Updated: 07-08-13:

Escort Redline versus Valentine One Review

Updated Escort Redline Gets Advanced Feature Set visit Escort Redline Review.

Escort Redline Raw Sensitivity versus Potentially "Higher" False Rates

I think it is going to be very interesting to see how the new Escort Redline ($499) is going to look to some [other] reviewers when historically the Valentine One ($399)—which also has possessed high sensitivity levels (and coupled with very quick response times) but [came with] higher "false" alerts as a consequence—has been historically hammered [by] some reviewers for its uber-sensitive behavior(s).

If, as I expect, the new Escort Redline will perform in the same vein ("vain") as the venerable Valentine One (but with potentially even higher sheer [radar detection] performance), it will mean that the Escort Redline will most certainly be a very significant and exciting product (a departure, really) from Escort, however, I believe the Passport Redline has the potential to create a sort of a conundrum for some of these [same] reviewers who have historically been critical of the Valentine One for the same type of performance (although to its credit, Escort has been very clear about its intended behavior and purpose).

I believe this is going to be very interesting to see how this plays out online, will there be moral clarity/consistency, or not?

If the Escort Passport Redline, is praised for its high raw performance even while it comes with a higher level of potential "falsing" then what does it mean for all the historical reviews of the Valentine One which have historically criticized the V1 for possessing the same type (or similar) behavior to radar sources (from bonafide police radar and not)?

I, for one, have always appreciated what the Valentine One is/has been and its design approach philosophically and I welcome Escort's decision to offer a windshield-mount radar detector possessing potentially the same philosophical design elements while remaining (myself) entirely consistent on this matter.

Here's are just two examples of the inconsistencies that have existed with some other reviews.

For a long-time, the Valentine One was the most expensive windshield-mount radar detector (although its price point has stayed unchanged at $399). Reviewers have always hammered the V1 on its high price...that was until Escort and Beltronics started introducing products that were priced even higher. Do you recall reading any reviews about those products being excessively priced? I don't recall seeing them.

Remember the review calling the V1 the "chicken-little" of radar detectors and the subsequent references to that review from Automobile Magazine? Are you catching my drift? How about the notions of the V1 as being a "noisy" and "old" radar detector compared to the "latest" [quiet] model like the Passport 9500ix.

Having journalistic integrity is more important to me than winning any popularity contest from my readers or from the manufacturers (whose products) I review, no matter what price I may have paid for having that conviction.

If, indeed, the Escort Passport Redline may finally put to rest this long-raging (longest and most passionate?) debate in our very small industry (although laser detection performance will very likely remain a decided win in Valentine's favor) with both the manufacturers and their [very] passionate group of consumers, it will still not detract from my appreciation and respect for what I believe has been one of the most purely designed pieces of consumer electronics for nearly two decades, the V1.

Cool Runnings, Peace be da Journey...

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Recommended Purchasing Sources for the Redline:

• BuyRadarDetectors

Related Reading:

• Escort versus Valentine Review Part II
• Escort's Redline Product Announcement

Related Online Discussion:

• Redline Validates Valentine 1 as Driver's Detector
• Escort's Redline: Raw Sensitivity versus Potentially "Higher" False Rates

Veil Guy

AutoScan versus Highway Mode...A Closer Examination.

As some of my friends and close followers [of my postings] already know, I recently drove to Atlanta, GA and back from Philadelphia, PA, to attend a conference with my good friend and business associate RadarRoy (of radarbusters.com).

Instead of flying, I decided to drive it -- all in the name of testing the latest radar detectors (including new models from both Whistler and Cobra). I managed to take copious notes on my traveling experiences and will include a summary of them in my upcoming blog postings and our full-review entitled "the ultimate radar detector review 2007." Our trip included a journey through Virginia (where radar detector usage is still banned in Draconian fashion) -- you can guess which radar detector we used for that portion of the trip. We also managed to visit our friends at Cricket Ventures (buyradardetectors.com) in Rock Hill, SC.

It's going to take a bit of additional time to compile all of those experiences and post them. That is something that is in very short supply of late since a lot of things are going on both in my personal and business life. (For example, my sister is tying the knot this weekend and the pre-wedding activities, alone, are demanding on what little time I have).

As you may already know, I recently purchased another retail model of the Beltronics STi Driver, which brings my current ownership count to two units. Once I got familiar with the operation characteristics of both them (on both an absolute and relative basis) I decided to take a unique approach to empirically examining the actual effect of operating the radar detectors in AutoScan mode.

One particular reviewer -- Craig Peterson of RadarTest.com -- has mentioned the use of AutoScan mode (in terms of generally quieting Bel's and Escort's detectors 'even more') but has not gone into depth about its utility and generally recommends to drive with the radar detectors in Highway mode when on the highway -- to maximize their effective performance by minimizing filtering. All other tests with which I have read (such as SpeedZones.com or GuysofLidar.com), either in print or on-line, always focus on performance of their tested radar detectors set in Highway mode (or in the V1's case -- all bogeys mode).

But since the default settings of Beltronics and Escort radar detectors are, in fact, AutoScan mode, I felt it was high time to really explore, in depth, the actual effect of running their detectors in AutoScan while driving on the highway and around town.

And what better way to do this than with two BEL STi Drivers running concurrently.

First things first: Establishing a Base-Line with both BEL STi Driver Radar Detectors

Before I could really explore the effect of AutoScan, I have taken a few weeks and about 3500 miles of driving with both of them in Highway mode. In this manner, I was able to accurately access the intra-model performance production variances of each radar detector.

My conclusions are the latest STi Driver that I purchased is slightly "hotter" on X-band and Ka-band reception (at least on the observed frequencies of 33.8Ghz, 34.7Ghz, and 35.5Ghz) while not being quite as "hot" on K-band reception. These performance variations are relatively small (about 1-2 seconds max between each radar detector) and not completely consistent. In other words, the new BEL STi Driver doesn't always beat my other STi Driver. But, it does enough times for me to draw these basic conclusions.

Empirical Findings of AutoScan mode (BEL STi Driver)

After several weeks of close examination of each radar detector (run in AutoScan and Highway modes) and many additional miles I believe I have formulated some opinions which may be helpful for you to determine whether AutoScan is the right mode you or not.

It appears that AutoScan mode effectively reduces sensitivity to both X-band and K-band by a very little bit and reduces sensitivity to non-police Ka-radar bands while not effecting reception performance to (at least) the three U.S. police radar Ka-bands (33.8Ghz, 34.7Ghz, and 35.5Ghz). To the contrary it appears that reception performance may actually increase (slightly) on those three police radar Ka-Bands relative to their Highway setting counterparts.

I write effectively because I believe their is much more to AutoScan than merely "dialing-back" sensitivity to certain radar bands. I believe the detector still receives the signal but it may be doing some additional processing to "squelch" the initial reporting of weak X, K, and non-essential Ka signals that normally would register about a 0-3 signal strength level. It may also be that the (listening) sweeping pattern (remember a radar detector is a very specialized radio-scanner) may be altered so that an AutoScan'd radar detector may actually focus a greater amount of time on Ka (in the case of the STi Driver, at least) at the slight expense of both X and K-bands. Or it may be a combination of all of these. Regardless of how Beltronics actually accomplishes their advanced filtering, the ultimate effect, is slightly reduced sensitivity to X and K and non-essential Ka.

And I do mean slightly...nothing really dramatic...just enough to eliminate some of the observed variance advantages of one detector over the other.

The benefit to all of this advanced filtering is a quieter radar detector! Gone are are a good number of X and K "falses" one often receives with a high-end radar detector when traveling on the highway by interchanges and adjacent shopping centers. Gone too are the occasional Ka-falses which occur from other cheap radar detectors which leak RF (harmonics in the wide Ka-band) at frequencies like (a reported) 33.458Ghz.

AutoScan does not appear to have any adverse impact on the Beltronics STi Driver's ability to report multiple and simultaneous radar encounters. Each radar detector seemed equally adept at identifying concurrent encounters of X and K-band regardless of the filtering mode selected.

So the trade-off appears to be a very slight reduction to both X and K reception -- in some cases -- for getting an even quieter detector which falses even less frequently. Having driving with Valentines for many years, I am really warming up to the quieter nature of the Beltronics STi Driver since it really doesn't appear to come at the expense of extreme sensitivity to real bona-fide police radar traps. Too much sensitivity without advanced filtering becomes painful over time and your mind can start to do its own filtering (eg; ignoring) which may not be a good thing.

Empirical Findings of AutoScan mode (BEL RX65-Pro and Escort 8500 X50)

Over the years I have examined the performance of AutoScan mode relative to Highway mode on both the Escort Passport 8500 X50 and the Beltronics RX-65 Pro radar detectors and although I haven't published anything, I have formulated some opinions which I will share with you now.

AutoScan appears to have a very interesting effect on the Escort Passport 8500 X50 (of which I own four -- two blue and two red). It appears that K-band reception actually improves slightly where X and Ka reception is affected similarly to the Beltronics STi Driver.

The Beltronics RX65-Pro detector doesn't quite seem to be affected to the same degree as the Passport 8500 X50 (at least in terms of K-band reception).

I suspect these performance variations in operating modes may be tied to an altered sweeping pattern for listening. In the instance of the 8500 X50, the detector may have allocated more time to listening to K-band relative to X and/or other parts of the Ka-band that are not police radar. The Beltronics, in general, feels a little quicker and as a result performance changes are somewhat less noticeable.

Conclusion

At least for now, I am going to continue driving with my STi Drivers with POP-OFF and AutoScan on (which is their factory default operating mode). You may want to try the same -- for your own edification -- you may actually prefer it.

Regardless of which mode you use, it's good to know that both Beltronics and Escort are continuing to push the envelope on super-advanced filtering modes -- that have minimal adverse impact of genuine police radar reception -- to deliver their owners the most enjoyable high-end radar detector ownership experience possible.

I can't wait to see how the Escort Passport 9500i matures over time!

Veil Guy

How (I Think, in Part) my BEL STi Drivers Occasionally Outperform my V1s in RADAR (not LIDAR) Reception

I continue to notice, that on occasion, my Beltronics STi Drivers outperform my Valentines and I believe I have formulated a possible reason for this that may go beyond simple model to model variance that is inevitable in production.

While my V1s tend to consistently outperform my STi Drivers from the rear and extreme sides (likely due to the antennae [one rear-facing] and their relatively large/wide shape(s) that uniquely are housed inside a Valentine's casing) my STi Drivers appear to occasionally alert sooner to police radar sources that are farther down the road which more directly face my vehicle front. (These are the kind that I am most concerned about when I drive on the highway).

And I think that this is probably due to the actual design and shape of the STi Driver's front facing horn antennae. It almost feels like these radar detectors "look" at [frontal radar sources] objects with a 600mm telephoto lens versus the Valentine's 550mm lens. At least that is the impression I am forming after many many thousands of driving miles with each.

While the V1's dual antennae arrangement and radar/laser locating arrows are awesome and unique, this design also tends to create a higher initial false rate from the side or rear, as well, so it is to some degree a double-edged sword.

The STi's somewhat "narrower" field of view appears to naturally assist in spotting radar slightly bit farther out, in some cases, while at the same time tending to false a bit less to other radar sources which emanate from shopping centers and outlet stores that are routinely adjacent to the highway. This is true even in "highway mode" and has nothing to do with the advanced radar signal processing that this radar detector is capable of.

It appears the both the Beltronics STi Driver and Valentine 1 provide stellar reception sensitivity in controlled test chambers, however the performance, to which I am writing, goes beyond mere lab numbers and these differences may only be observed in actual use with all the signal-reception-imperfections that real-world environments provide over an extended period of time -- which don't occur in a "vacuum."

This is why we pioneered our unique approach to long-term radar detector testing against real police radar speed traps. Some aspects, of radar detector performance, can not be revealed with mere performance charts.

Next week, we will be driving to and from Atlanta, Georgia, along I-95 and continuing our long-term evaluation of the top-performing best radar detectors.

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...

Does my particular Valentine 1 have an issue?

As part of continuing series of driving with the top-of-the-line radar detectors, while out in Ohio, I managed to hook up with Steve (co-founder of GoL). He rode shut gun as we compared the relative performance of my particular models of the V1 (v3.826) versus his (v3.861) and my STi Driver versus his STi driver (both rev: A4m9).

The purpose of these "experiments" was to explore the possibility of model/model product variance between them. During one pass through Sheffield Village, yesterday, we got a brief shot of instant-on K radar from a cruiser coming the opposite direction on River Road. Both STi's alerted to the K-band hit...my V1 stayed silent.

We drove around for another hour or two and were unable to duplicate the V1's behavior, as it alerted to X, K, and Ka (34.7) appropriately.

During our drive we compared the performance of Steve's v2.909 and v3.861 to my v3.826. Again it appears that my 3.826 appeared to lag, somewhat, behind either of his two units on K-band.

A couple of things may have accounted for the observed performance "gap" in my V1's K-band reception. Either 1, there was inter-detector interference going on (which I still highly doubt, considering the STi is a non-radiator in areas that would likely cause such interference) or 2, (I am more inclined to believe) that my particular V1 is either in need of a tune-up or an update or both.

Given this experience and my recent ones with the STi Driver (relative to the V1 on X and K) I have decided to purchase their latest model when I venture out to Cincinnati. When I get an opportunity, I will send my 3.826 into the lab to have it's specs checked.

This experience, in no way, curbs my enthusiasm for BEL's STi Driver, which is still, without a doubt, an awesome performer. But, if my particular V1 has an issue, I want it corrected along with the record.

I believe, my particular V1 also showed less sensitive at one GoL testing venue relative to other V1s tested that same day. I also have the feeling that my particular STi Driver is also a very sensitive one. My STi appeared to outperform the other detectors on Ka (34.7 Ghz) by a pretty good margin in one of our encounters around Sheffield Village to a cruiser who was approaching us off to our left at an intersection.

At any rate, if it actually turns out to be related to inter-detector chatter, I will report this as well.

Veil Guy

How to quiet-down your Valentine One without giving up performance

Yesterday (Sunday), I drove my usual Northeasterly route - which takes me through parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey that go by some heavily populated areas and heavily traveled highways.

Oftentimes, it is in these kinds of areas, where the Valentine One's extreme sensitivity can become...well...tiring...to put it nicely. Sure the V1 alerts with high frequency to the presence of both X-band and K-band door openers and the like which every strip mall in northern Jersey seems to have, but it is also not uncommon for the Valentine alerts with a relatively high number of Ka-band falses - which come from a plethora of cheap and poorly insulated radar detectors that are operated by the majority of the great motoring unwashed (please forgive my hubris).

Wouldn't it be nicer world if everyone who thought about owning and operating a radar detector - to potentially save them thousands of dollars - would be willing to drop a few more dollars to really have a chance at accomplishing such a thing [by owning an ultra-premium radar detector] while at the same time providing relief to guys like us, who have already made that wise decision?

Pollution is everywhere in these extra-urban areas, it seems - noise pollution, air pollution, and yes RADAR pollution. Things, of course, may be getting better (at least on the air front), but wouldn't it be nice if there were a way to easily abate some of this without having to wait for the driving public to wake-up to its senses and turn their RADAR polluting devices (cheap radar detectors) into solid waste?

Well, there just may be a short-cut to that nirvana, at least with the Valentine One. That short-cut is entitle 'J-feature' disabled. Some of you may be wondering, 'what the heck is J-feature disabled'? Very simply, it is the turning off of POP radar reception. In all of the years that POP radar has been out (now several), I have yet to encounter a real speedtrap that has been employing POP radar as a precursor to standard instant-on police radar usage.

This, of course, is not to say that this specialized operating mode of a particular series of police radar guns manufactured by MPH Industries is not being utilized or more likely mis-utilized somewhere in the country, it's just that I have yet to encounter one in the many of thousands of miles that I have traveled.

Instead, what I have encountered, frequently, is either reduced operating performance of many of my radar detectors when operated with the reception mode enabled or one particular radar detector that, despite it's quieter nature as compared to previous versions (when POP reception was first incorporated into it), is a noisier detector than it has to be.

Yes, I am referring to my Valentine One. More times than not, when I travel on busy highways like I-78, I-287, I-80, I-95, GSP in northern NJ and the outskirts of New York City the Valentine frequently alerts to Ka sometimes followed by the J[unk] alarm muting sequence, sometimes not. At any rate, it all can become pretty fatiguing.

By disabling POP reception, with programming, which is not the default mode of this detector, I have found that my V1 is much more quiet and more livable as a result in these areas. Not once in almost 300 miles today through very heavily traveled roadways did I receive one Ka-false nor J alert. Other times through these same areas, such alerts routinely happen totaling 8-9, on average, a day.

In fact, for now, I am going to leave my Valentine in this quieter mode (as well as my other radar detectors). What I give up for all this peace and quiet is POP reception. But, I keep my blazing sensitivity to all standard police radar band forms of X, K, Ka, and of course the blistering laser reception ability of this radar detector is unaffected in any event.

If I ever end up getting ticketed by some knucklehead operating only POP radar to obtain my speed, I'll know it, because the detector would not have gone off. I don't believe that POP radar can be used to legally issue speeding tickets in and of itself, anyway, and what better way to collect that kind of information at the time of stop. I'd sure like to hear the explanation of the offending-officer to the court why he thinks his in-admissible evidence should be allowable. In other words, I really don't believe that could really ever happen.

My advice* to all existing post-POP owning Valentine One owners, is to try disabling the J operating mode...You may like it and like it enough to leave it off.

My advice* to all owners of Escort Passport 8500 X50, Escort Passport 9500i, Beltronics RX-65 Pro, and Beltronics STi Driver radar detectors is to leave POP reception off so you can not only enjoy a quieter radar detector, but a generally higher performing one, at that.

*Of course, have POP reception enabled, if you are certain you are deriving a benefit from it in the unusual case you actually encounter POP augmented radar speedtraps and receive advanced notification to them with it on.