Radar Detector Legend Michael Valentine Has Died

[ripcord]

Michael Valentine, the developer of the Escort line of radar detectors as well as the celebrated Valentine V1 detectors passed away at age 74. There's a lot that could be said about his products, but I'll just say, God speed Mr. Valentine.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62283108/radar-detector-legend-michael-valentine-has-died/

 

[shortyb]

Dang. Mr. Valentine was extremely intelligent and quite the pioneer when it came to microwave and light detection. Had a few of the original Escort products (Cinncinati Microwave), a couple V1s, and now a V1 Gen 2. He will be missed in the industry. Rest in Peace.

 

[DuckRyder]

Wow..

Guess I better get my V2 upgrade…

 

[GMBoy]

Such memories back in the day! I had an Escort then moved up to the Passport both of which were solid metal units. The last Cincinatti Microwave product I had was the Solo which was a battery operated unit and plastic. From there I always wanted a Valentine unit but never bought one. I don't think radar detectors do as much if anything as they did way back then so I haven't used one in 15+years.

 

[skyactiv]

My dad had a 1990 Iroc-Z28 when I was a kid. He had an Escort radar detector in it. I remember it'd go off when driving by a nearby bank.

 

[Snagglefoot]

RIP Mr. Valentine. He was a fighter against tyranny.

 

[02SE]

I saw this coming because of the arrows...

Thanks for saving my license, Mr. Valentine.

 

[fdcg27]

There was a day when any serious interstate traveler really needed one of these and I did have one.
I mean, a thousand miles at 55 mph just wasn't happening,
Today, with more realistic speed limits and much more lax enforcement, there is little need for them.

 

[Cujet]

There was a day when any serious interstate traveler really needed one of these and I did have one.
I mean, a thousand miles at 55 mph just wasn't happening,
Today, with more realistic speed limits and much more lax enforcement, there is little need for them.

And yet, my V1 saved my speedy self today.

RIP Mike. Loved your products.

 

[Hall]

He had an Escort radar detector in it. I remember it'd go off when driving by a nearby bank.

I had radar detectors when I was younger and if you drove in the same areas enough, you learned where the false alarms were and to ignore them. As I recall, automatic entry doors (like at grocery stores) were common for triggering them too. Never did own an Escort because of the higher cost, but I wanted one. The fact that they were from Cincinnati also was a factor. I still remember printed ads for them in R&T and other magazines or comparison/competitions with different ones in paper magazines. The Escort, Passport, etc almost always won.

 

[MCompact]

In 1982 my girlfriend -now wife of 38 years- gave me a first generation Escort when I graduated law school (one year later she found a 1973 Bavaria for sale in Cincinnati and I knew she was the one). We met Mike and Peg through the BMW Car Club and they were gracious enough to invite us to their beautiful home (and the 12 car garage) more than once. Of course I bought a V1 as soon as it hit the market. Years later my son had the privilege of riding shotgun with Mike for 30 minutes at Mid Ohio- in Mike's GT3 RS 4.0. What a terrible loss. RIP Mike.

 

[MCompact]

There was a day when any serious interstate traveler really needed one of these and I did have one.
I mean, a thousand miles at 55 mph just wasn't happening,
Today, with more realistic speed limits and much more lax enforcement, there is little need for them.

From 1982 to 1986 my girlfriend lived in Cincinnati (Hyde Park) and I lived outside of Louisville. With a CB and the Escort I could average a 60 mph door to door speed- and note that off the interstate I never exceeded the speed limit by more than 5-10 mph. I never came close to getting a ticket

 

[DukeOfFrontenac]

Loved the Escort in my GTI. He was only 13 years older than me, wow. RIP

 

[xspeedy]

Had the original V1 from years back. I remember Valentine Research and Tire Rack as the two most consistent ads in Car and Driver when I was an avid reader of the publication.

 

[k1xv]

Before he arrived on the scene, all that existed was the primitive Fuzzbuster.

Also an enthusiastic amateur radio operator, now a "Silent Key". Permanently QRT

 

[MCompact]

Mike and his partner went to Electrolert and offered to sell their radar detector design to them. They were told that, while it was an excellent design, it would cost too much to produce and no one would pay over $200 for a detector. Mike and his partner founded Cincinnati Microwave and the rest is history.

 

[SHOZ]

Before he arrived on the scene, all that existed was the primitive Fuzzbuster.

Also an enthusiastic amateur radio operator, now a "Silent Key". Permanently QRT

I had one if those brown boxes on the dash of my TR7. At the time radar could not lock on without a steady speed. The look on the cops face as I was driving by hot on the brakes with the FuzzBuster bleating away!

Just did a software update on the V1 Monday.

 

[paulo57509]

I still have my old Passport. It's probably doesn't detect modern radar anymore.

 

[alarmguy]

I still have my old Passport. It's probably doesn't detect modern radar anymore.

View attachment 241348

I do too a passport escort
It goes in the storage area of every truck I owned for decades now (?)
I think I’ll go take a picture right now, but your picture is much prettier
It was an amazing radar detector, I just dug it out of the storage bin in my Chevy traverse, before that it was in a Dodge Durango before that two trailblazers, before that is Subaru before that a 1977 Honda Accord hatchback is when I bought it I’m almost certain.
I don’t know why I still have it, but I might be inclined to clean it up and see if it works.
It was just something that moved from car to car

 

[Hall]

I think I’ll go take a picture right now

I just knew it was going to have a coily power cord and cigarette lighter plug !