The fact that the V1 tells you where the Radar is and how many help you determine false alarms and where to be on the lookout. A buddy of mine took a long trip with me and immediately went out and bought one after seeing how it works.

Absolutely, They are with out a doubt worth every Penny.
I did a long trip from Denver to LA last year in my e30m3 with no detector. I was cruising well over speed limit through mountains and outside of Vegas. No tickets, guess I was lucky.

I am not going to push my luck this time though...I have a roadtrip planned from Atlanta to LA in my new ride ('97 c4s) and it prompted me to look at getting a new radar detector. After spending a lot of time on a ton of different sites this weekend I am still up in the air. The V1 seems to be the best choice without considering $, but the Bel 980 rates very strong and is almost $200 less. The escort ranks only slightly higher than the Bel in a couple of independent tests...everything I recall from this board and others is that the V1 is the way to go.
I don't do much highway cruising (live in LA) but I do drives the canyons and the coast on weekends and during the week back roads. Knock on wood but I have not been using a detector and have been fairly lucky. Am not sure if I would use everyday, and am stretching my budget at this time with the purchase of another Porsche.
Is the V1 really worth the extra cash?

thanks,
Jason