Miata Mailing List: March 1997, Message #299



     



   From: (none)

Subject: Valentine 1, Bel945T, Whistler 1490 - Repost

   Date: (none)



A few months ago Automobile Magazine analyzed radar detectors and

ranked the Whistler 1490 first and the Valentine 1 second.  They

didn't have the updated Valentine 1 with the additional features

including increased Ka band sensitivity.  The most recent Car and

Driver ranked the Val 1 (updated version) first by a wide margin and

the Whistler 1490 last. This agrees with a previous post that I made

to the list in January which I've reposted below.



>I have a trial going on the 1490, the Val 1, and a Bel 945T. After

using them concurrently I think that the Val 1 is the best.  It gives

the most information and its the most sensitive even on the Ka band

where the prior model was not the most sensitive.  As an example, the

police put a speed module on a road near me which flashes your speed 

to let you know if you are going too fast. It emits on the Ka band. 

The Val 1 in the city mode picked it up way before the Bel 945 

(about 50% further away) while the 1490 didn't even recognize the 

emission as a Ka but just indicated a weak X band near the speed 

module which was no different than some non-specific >emission that 

the City mode in the Val 1 suppressed.  All in all many people have 

sworn by the Val 1 and the newest model (no change in outward design) 

is even better.  They started shipping the updated version in 

December 96.>  



Herb Samuels