Uniden R1 VS Valentine One
Are you in the mood for a new radar detector, but are not quite sure which one to pick? Given that there are so many choices, it can be confusing to determine which is the best within your budget.
Well, the aim of this Uniden R1 vs Valentine One article is to help you decide which of the two better suits your needs.
Let the battle of the Ones begin!
- Comes with a high radar sensitivity level
- Seamless to use
- Low false alarm rate
- Able to filter and recognize most bands like K, X and KA
- Its display is OLED making it colorful and bright enough to read
- User adjusted alert tone
- K, Ka, X, and Super Wideband Ka Detection
- Arrow Directional Indicators
- 360° Protection against all types of Laser
- Rear Radar Antenna
- Ku Band Detection
Features of Both Radar Detectors
Here are some features of the Uniden R1 and Valentine One radar detectors and how they compare.
GPS
Most people understand that the Valentine One does not come with GPS capability, not because it is not possible, but simply because the company strongly argues that radar detectors should not have GPS and the Valentine One is a purist’s radar detector.
The thinking behind this is the fact that a radar detector is not supposed to miss a threat, however, GPS can alter that creating blind spots which actual threats can hide.
That being said there is a whole lot more to GPS than just muting false positive. For example, other radar detectors use it to measure the speed of the vehicle, so that when an alert is received, the driver need not look in two places to find the information of the alert and how fast they are going.
The Uniden R1 is not left out of this scathing review as it also does not come with GPS capability. What this means is that it does not have the over-speed alerts that its big brother the R3 does.
Given that it also doesn’t have GPS capability it lacks a red light and speed camera alert function.
Nevertheless, this isn’t strange for radar detectors in this price range.
Sensitivity and Range
The Uniden R1 is extremely sensitive and that is helped with its capability to read X, Ka, and K banded radars. It is these bands that most law enforcement agents make use of, so in theory, it makes it much easier for you to evade any speed trap or police car lying in wait.
When it comes to range, the R1 is described as a long range detector, meaning it is able to alert you to radar signals far away. This provides you enough time to change your driving style and speed.
The Uniden R1 takes it a step further by offering users full coverage. This means that it is able to detect any radar signal regardless of what direction it is coming from.
It can be said that the Valentine One is sensitive, however, that could be because its filtering system is not as effective as it should be.
The menu can be a bit convoluted, so trying to turn off the X band in a bid to improve sensitivity and reduce false alerts is a process that no driver should while trying to get off the highway.
The Valentine One is an extreme range radar detector, beaten by the R1’s longer range. This might not be a problem. However, the lack of effective filtering leaves a lot to be desired.
Speed
The R1 comes with a wonderful digital signal processor and that means it is extremely fast when it comes to detecting radar signals.
This is all the more impressive when you consider that it is able to detect a radar signal using its 360° coverage in under a second. When you couple this speed with the fact that the R1 is a long range, you discover that you have sufficient time to change your speed. When you get closer to the radar signal source, the alerts become faster, providing you with spatial awareness [1].
The Valentine One might not get a lot of plaudits for this, but it actually has a decent signal processing speed. You are able to get alerts as quickly as most radar detectors.
One thing that does detract from this is the fact that you are inundated by numerous false alerts.
Performance
Both the R1 and the Valentine One are capable of detecting radar from the following bands: X, K, and Ka, as well as laser signals. What sets them apart is that the R1 is also able to register these signals way faster than the Valentine One can.
What this means is that you are bound to get an alert as soon as you these bands get within range.
The Valentine One is held back by being mid-range, so it needs to be much closer than other radar detectors.
The R1 comes with user-adjustable menus meaning that you can shut off the bands you do not need.
Conclusion: Uniden R1 or Valentine One
Both detectors are excellent in their performance ratings.
The Uniden R1 is a great radar detector as not only is it seamless to use, but it is also affordable and highly reliable. For its price, you get a fast DSP that can compete with almost any radar detector out there. This is a perfect radar detector for those that want something long range, with a quick DSP, whilst being able to stay within budget.
The Valentine One is a radar detector that has purist and expert detectorists as loyalists.
It has gained fans over the years for its very retro design and extreme range. That being said, the design seems to falter as Valentine has refused to move with the times. This is evident in its dated controls and displays.
This is a great radar detector for those that want to go back to the days of early radar detectors.
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
