Tinted windows & radar detectors
 

Did you guys know this? Tinting your windows can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of your radar detector, sometimes by up to 75%. I hadn't realized it until I started looking for a replacement detector.

Yeah, its due to a certain metal that sometimes appears in window tinting material.

I've heard, though, that if you get really expensive window tinting done, it won't interfere with your radar detector.

There are non-metallic tints.

I've noticed on road trips when Dean or Mike H (who have clear windows) are with me, that their V1's alert a second or two sooner than mine, but that seems like the only difference, nothing to really worry about.

However, on my POS Sti, my window tint makes my AM radio not work, because the back window is the antennae...sucks

I've got "semi-metallic" tint... it's kinda like mirror tint, and there's supposedly metal in the tint, however my radar detector works fine, even through the vinyl window banner I've got now. (I'm pretty sure the laser detection won't work through the vinyl though.)

Matt, I think your antenna's jacked because your installer cut the trace for it when he was trimming the vinyl or something... even with tint over the lines you should still get some radio, not just static on the AM band. :(

I had a real dark tint strip in the front before and my V1 worked just as good as it does now with no tint. I just got the best tint I could the V1 never had a problem. I was thinking of getting it again but now my window has two chips in it. :x I think its worth the stealth factor even if you it takes a half a second longer to alert you but I dont think it messed with my V1. :D

and that my be the truth of the story - radar detector (best buy, circut city, ect.) < V1. If its not a V1 you may endeed have problems with tint. 8)

Well, good feedback and real life results, thanks everybody!

No problem :D

Who makes the V1 and why is it so special?

http://www.valentine1.com/

it works!

It has litte arrows. Oh, and it is one of the best out there. A few come close, but none have the arrows.

Wow...thanks for the replys. How much have you guys been paying for these and from where?

$400, and you gotta buy it off the website... there are no resellers.

the valentine 1 is good because IT WORKS. If you do purchase the v1, you will see that it was well worth the 400+ dollars you pay. The only negative thing i've heard about the v1 is that the Laser detection is weak.
I dont know if that's really true, but, my brother owns a v1 and damn it's already paid for itself and more.

to make a long story short, spend the extra money and GET a V1.