New Escort Passport Radar [Archive]

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racing2448

01-26-2007, 08:01 PM

anybody look into the new Escort Passport 9500i? i was just browsin on the internet and came across this... rumors are it will hit stores in march or april...

here's the site i saw it on...
http://www.007radardetectors.com/escort_9500i.htm

Big Country

01-26-2007, 09:12 PM

I didn't know they had a new one coming out. Sounds really good though. I have a Bel RX65 which is the sister detector to the Escort 8500 X50. The Bel is of course cheaper than the Escort. I wonder how long it will be until Bel's version comes out? Neither will be cheap though considering the features it has.

70gt6

01-26-2007, 09:58 PM

Andre

01-27-2007, 12:42 AM

How do radar detectors work in general? Do all police vehicles have some frequency being emitted at any given time or are they only emitting these frequencies whenever police actually try to measure your exact speed?

In other words, will this protect you any time a police vehicle is around or is it only going to pick up signals being sent out at a particular time (ie. the police is sitting on the side of the street with his radar gun).

Big Country

01-27-2007, 01:16 AM

It all depends on the type of radar the police are running. If they are using a constant K or Ka band (the two most popular bands), then yes, the radar detector will pick it up. Eeach band has a particular frequency range that they operate at. Ku is a new band that supposedly will start gaining popularity over the next few years. However, if the police use "instant on" radar, they basically wait until you are in their sight and then shoot you with the radar. Only thing you can hope is the detector picks up a faint signal from a vehicle ahead of you being hit. If you are running by yourself, it's a good idea to just be cautious because you are a sitting duck.

Laser is another tricky one. 9 times out of 10 if you get hit by Laser and your detector is going off, it's too late. You could also get lucky and have the laser bounce off a vehicle in front of you and get an early warning, but that's rare.

Are radar detectors fool proof? Of course not. They are most effective if the police use constant on radar. However the detector only has to save you one time to have paid for itself.

Here is a good site to read up on detectors, along with a nice forum. http://www.radarbusters.com/

BIGGCharger

01-27-2007, 02:56 AM

I've had the 8500 for a few years and love it. Might be time to try a new one, but I was thinking of the valentine after the posts on best detector.

Big Country

01-28-2007, 01:05 AM

The Valentine One is a great radar detector, but I have heard that due to its high sensitivity, it is prone to false more than say the Escort 8500 X50 or Bel RX65. The Valentine One is no longer leaps and bounds ahead of other radar detectors like it used to be. The main thing it has going for it is the arrows, but the way I see it is like this. If my radar detector is going off, I'm going to be slowing down, I don't care which direction it's coming from.

Manicmechanic

01-28-2007, 06:30 AM

The Valentine One is no longer leaps and bounds ahead of other radar detectors like it used to be. The main thing it has going for it is the arrows, but the way I see it is like this. If my radar detector is going off, I'm going to be slowing down, I don't care which direction it's coming from.

Maybe, maybe not. I have both the 8500 and the V1 units in different cars. The arrows are great, it gives you the advantage to understand where the signal is coming from and determining if you are in real danger or not. I have been on the interstate and gotten a signal with side arrow showing, I'm approaching an overpass to a state highway and the officer is on that highway, not mine so I can ignore that hit. It also helps out in city traffic situations knowing where an officer is coming from to save you once again from "other" situations. When an Escort alarms that's all it is an alarm.

rander

01-28-2007, 07:47 AM

Arrows are cool and all, but like Big Country stated, being cautious is key no matter you look at it. I just can't get over how bulky and fugly the V1 looks where as the Passport 8500 X50(blue LED) looks sleek and FANCY.

RaDaRkInG

01-30-2007, 08:25 PM

I just can't get over how bulky and fugly the V1 looks where as the Passport 8500 X50(blue LED) looks sleek and FANCY.

As hard as it might be to believe, the Valentine One, 16.20 cu. in., is smaller than the Escort X50, 18.95 cu. in., and the Bel RX65, 16.33 cu. in., and also the Bel STi, 16.33 cu. in. The Valentine One is wider because it has 2 antennas and not 1 like every other radar detector, but it is shorter and not as tall which gives you more mounting options.

As far as weight goes,

Valentine One -> 181.5g (6.40 ounces)
Escort 8500 X50 -> 253.7g (8.95 ounces)
Beltronics RX65 Pro -> 236.6g (8.35 ounces)
Beltronics STi Driver -> 291.6g ( 10.29 ounces)

As you can see, the 8500 X50 is the largest in size and the Bel STi Driver is the heaviest. The Valentine One is the smallest and lightest radar detector of the Top 4 radar detectors made today.

The Valentine One is still #1 according to the latest independent unbiased radar detector test.

http://guysoflidar.com/radar-detector-test-fall-2006/radar-detector-test.html

You can have that shiny, plastic, thief-loving silver colored X50 but I will take the stealthy, black, magnesium Valentine One with better performance.

Rambit

01-30-2007, 09:40 PM

One of the new features I noticed is that it learns false alarms preventing it from going off in known locations. Seems to me that would be an excellent place to set up radar.

Rambit

mcinfantry

01-30-2007, 09:57 PM

i atually used to sit where known false signals were, and THAT worked well!

Big Country

01-31-2007, 10:20 PM

Rambit

01-31-2007, 10:56 PM

That's a known trick by the police. No radar detector can replace a good set of eyes and being aware when you drive. The thing is, most police today are using Ka band, and not the K or X which are two big culprits for false alarms. By knowing where the detector picks up false alerts, and what band your local police use, you can generally tell if it's legit or not.
Yeah but the problem is this unit works off GPS that will learn these false alarm spots regardless of the band from my understanding anyway. I think I'd prefer to have the false alarms going off anyway.

Rambit

racing2448

02-12-2007, 06:22 AM

Has anyone tried the 9500i yet? im pretty sure that they came out a week or two ago... just wondering if its worth spending $200 more to get that over a regular 8500 X50... the gps doesnt bother me as i too agree that i would rather have the false alarms goin off. (what happens if you pass a cop that sits in the same spot everyday? will it think its a false alarm???)

RadarmagneT

02-12-2007, 07:41 AM

i atually used to sit where known false signals were, and THAT worked well!

That depends on the intelligence of the band detector. Technically, it shouldn't be that difficult to decern the "false" as a particular class of door opener or some strange band from an adaptive cruise vehicle.

The real problem with falses, if you live in a city where there are lots, is that you become less alert when certain band groups are detected. I react slowly to X and K, but Ka always makes me alert.

I don't know if any are that smart (yet), but they are heading in the right direction for a radar "sensor". (ie, add memory/adaptation and intelligence)

I hope that they will allow contant UPS based speed calculation so I don't have to chase mileposts to get me tire size right :-)

maansman

02-12-2007, 08:01 AM

I have tried so many radar detectors in my driving life. You name the brand, I had it. The best detector I ever owned is the Beltronics Pro 65. It is the highest rated in most of the 'legit' tests. Beltronics is owned by the Passport/Escort company. Many reviews consider the Pro65 the Passport 8500 X30 but with voice......so you may save some money buying the Beltronics version as it's the same as the Passport..Don't buy cordless....good detecting requires GOOD POWER to the unit...that's why the cordless versions always score low....

I am not saying that Valentine 1 or some of the high end models don't work well, but certainly not worth the price tag, especially the price of the Valentine 1.

There is no 100% science to these things,a s you know.....useless on Laser :dead: ....don't care what anybody says....maybe 1 in 50 chance it will notify you on time....which is good I guess, better than 0 in 0, but don't count on it for total protection. Best choice for that is using 'veil' for your headlights...90% of the cops point at your headlights for the reflective response....especially if you have a darker color car...that's why they always face you when doing Laser....veil makes it harder for the
gun to report the speed from afar....it will however as you get closer, but the inital hit response from your radar/laser detector will give you a fighting chance...

Anway...just rambling....just telling you my personal experience with these things...and I would never in a million years looked at Beltronics...but you can't go wrong. I go from Delaware to Long Island NY every weekend...I know....I would buy a $1,000 metal detector if it was 110%...why spend all your money..look at the Beltronics on Ebay...

If your go for the 9500....wait a few months for reviews...........

http://www.beltronicspro.com/rx65.html
http://www.laserveil.com/

- Mark

joescat

02-12-2007, 12:13 PM

In every radar detector thread I've ever seen, someone discounts the usuability of the Valentine One's directional and bogey count indicators. They usually haven't actually tried the V1, and probably don't really understand why they are there.

It's for greater situational awareness. It works, and works well, in real life. I know, I use one.

Two scenarious where it has saved me:

Directional: Where is the radar coming from? On the highway, ahead of you? You have plenty of time to slow down, and you KNOW for SURE that is the source you passed.
But on the highway behind you? DON'T HIT THE BRAKES, like some of the other posters here might have you do. You just announced you have a detector, and guess who's detector is COSTING them a ticket instead of avoiding one? I know that too, when I used another brand, and got popped from behind. Lesson learned.

Bogey count:
Not long after I got my V1 years ago, I had quickly learned where the common radar sources are on my daily drive.
One day, the same thing - but, ONE additional bogey count. I was running a little late, and as usually speeding a little too much, until the V1 let me know exactly what the situation was. Sure enough, I passed the usual chatter source, and THOSE sources moved to the side then behind, but one remained up ahead, clearly indicated - a local PD car. Saved a ticket that day.

Sure, you can live without the arrows. And, you can live with less information. It's up to you of course. For me, if I'm going to bother hooking up a detector, I want the maximum performance and information available, even if it costs a little more. It's still a LOT cheaper and more convenient than traffic tickets.

R&T'sR/Tw/R/TPG

02-12-2007, 02:33 PM

Nicely put. I'm happy that I switched from an old K40 Undetectable 3000SWL to the V1. Love the bogey counter and arrows; it has saved me several times when the troopers are running the highway in the same direction about a mile or so apart. I just wish V1 would come out with an "undetectable" version of the V1.

In every radar detector thread I've ever seen, someone discounts the usuability of the Valentine One's directional and bogey count indicators. They usually haven't actually tried the V1, and probably don't really understand why they are there.

It's for greater situational awareness. It works, and works well, in real life. I know, I use one.

Two scenarious where it has saved me:

Directional: Where is the radar coming from? On the highway, ahead of you? You have plenty of time to slow down, and you KNOW for SURE that is the source you passed.
But on the highway behind you? DON'T HIT THE BRAKES, like some of the other posters here might have you do. You just announced you have a detector, and guess who's detector is COSTING them a ticket instead of avoiding one? I know that too, when I used another brand, and got popped from behind. Lesson learned.

Bogey count:
Not long after I got my V1 years ago, I had quickly learned where the common radar sources are on my daily drive.
One day, the same thing - but, ONE additional bogey count. I was running a little late, and as usually speeding a little too much, until the V1 let me know exactly what the situation was. Sure enough, I passed the usual chatter source, and THOSE sources moved to the side then behind, but one remained up ahead, clearly indicated - a local PD car. Saved a ticket that day.

Sure, you can live without the arrows. And, you can live with less information. It's up to you of course. For me, if I'm going to bother hooking up a detector, I want the maximum performance and information available, even if it costs a little more. It's still a LOT cheaper and more convenient than traffic tickets.

RaDaRkInG

02-13-2007, 09:56 PM

The Valentine One is still #1 according to the latest independent unbiased radar detector test.

http://guysoflidar.com/radar-detector-test-fall-2006/radar-detector-test.html

modesto83

02-14-2007, 09:06 AM

would it be easier to make a poll, and see which one member prefer? just throwing it out there

birddog

02-14-2007, 09:20 AM

would it be easier to make a poll, and see which one member prefer? just throwing it out there

Holy religious wars batman! People are passionate about their RD..
The debates are interesting, and informative, but there will never be a consensus.

modesto83

02-14-2007, 09:25 AM

I figured that lol, if there was a poll, people would be biased about there opinion accroding to what rd they have

Manicmechanic

02-14-2007, 06:34 PM

I figured that lol, if there was a poll, people would be biased about there opinion according to what rd they have

Maybe, maybe not. I have owned Escorts from day one, but what most people don't know is that the man behind Escort is the man behind V1. Since he started V1 I switched to them, but still own 1 Escort (8500) and will always go with the V1 when I can. There are a lot of people who will testify to what they own, lets face it these things aren't cheap and I'm not buying each different one to try to find the best one, that's what the testing outfits are for.

joescat

02-15-2007, 10:54 AM

I figured that lol, if there was a poll, people would be biased about there opinion accroding to what rd they have

Yeah, there will always be people that try to justify what they already bought, and never consider the matter objectively.

For me, I'd never heard of Valentine (V1) when it was time to replace my older one. At the time, the research led me to the V1 as the best offering.

It's still a working solution today, but other manufacturers are coming out with technical advances. Valentine is also, but it seems the gap is narrowing.

IndyCharger06

03-23-2007, 09:55 PM

I'm switching to the 9500i from my Existing 8500(Blue). The 8500 worked well, still does. I like the GPS and marking feature. According to one review, RadioRoy, he had a police officer go to a known false zone. The then approached it at 50mph. This caused the detector to be in highway, sensitive mode. Despite the known false, the 9500i could tell there was a different signal and started alerting a mile away. This is despite it approaching a known false zone.

So, anyone want a 9 mth old 8500? I'll be putting it up on eBay in the next two weeks. I can offer it up to my Charger Brethren first if you're interested, drop me a message (lets not litter the thread with buying stuff)

IndyCharger06

03-26-2007, 10:09 AM

I'm going to be driving to FL later this week for a combo of work and vacation. It'll give me a chance to try out the new 9500i on the road as well as in a new environment. When I get back (2 weeks) I'll post an update on how it performs. (Hopefully with no tickets).

RaDaRkInG

03-27-2007, 02:29 PM

The latest radar/laser detector and laser jammer results are out.

Radar/laser detectors:

http://www.guysoflidar.com/march-2007/radar-detector-test.html

Laser Jammers:

http://www.guysoflidar.com/march-2007/laser-jammer-test.html

Spreadsheet of the radar/laser detector results:

http://home.comcast.net/~ccaeric6/GOL_averages_MB5.htm

birddog

03-28-2007, 09:41 AM

RitzRT

03-28-2007, 09:59 AM

Thanks for this! The Laser Interceptor looks awesome -- too bad it is not available yet.

The two top performing units "are not available yet" and were "demo/prototype" units from the manufacturer. In other words....ringers. These tests aren't very useful unless all the participants are off the shelf units that are available to Joe Consumer at the time of the test. Otherwise, you run the risk of manufacturer tampering.

As for Radar detectors, the V1 still seems to hold a pretty commanding lead. That would definitely be my choice.

Cheers,

IndyCharger06

03-30-2007, 09:36 PM

Made the trip to Orlando using the 9500i. I chose not to run my 8500 at the same time. I like the new unit. Before I left it was nice to mark the local false zones. That is a great feature. The voice feedback is interesting. Not sure it is all that efficient. Faster to see it than hear it.

Had no trouble getting alerts early. Works as well if not better than my 8500. Definitely fewer false alerts. Lost GPS signal in FL on a clear day for about 5 miles. I like the MPH on display during an alert. Saves time looking at road, Speedometer, etc.

All in all, its a great unit.

Only beef is that I can't seem to find an angle for the bracket to NOT let the unit tap the windshield on a bumpy road.

Manicmechanic

03-31-2007, 08:00 AM

Only beef is that I can't seem to find an angle for the bracket to NOT let the unit tap the windshield on a bumpy road.

Don't the instructions say that the nose has to rest against the windshield? To stop the bumping I use the rearview mirror for the unit to sit against so it has no where to go.