Escort Passport Radar Detectors Category:
by Craig on July 31, 2011
Initially, I was rather unsure that spending $500 on a Radar Detector was a wise decision. Well, the Escort Passport 9500ix Radar Detector (an upgrade of the Escort Passport 9500i) turned out to be the wisest decision that I’ve made.
Escort Passport 9500ix
What I absolutely love about the Escort Passport 9500ix Radar Detector, is its new “AutoLearn” feature. This remarkable new feature utilizes GPS technology managed to “auto-learns” all the false alerts on my route to and back from work that made my old detectors beep, and automatically blocks them out as false alarms are usually the result of weak radar signals emitted by wireless head-set. In fact, the only beeps I get now are the genuine ones that count!
Other features of the 9500ix include its ‘Auto Volume Control’ feature, which means it listens to noises in the cars and auto adjust its beeping volume, delivering clear alerts and features intelligent volume control for customized audio. Now, whenever I drive, I don’t have to take my eyes off the road to fiddle with the device.
Other than that, it can automatically adjust brightness of display according to light in car and increase/decrease sensitivity as you accelerate/slow down. Of course, all those features can be adjusted manually as well.
As stated on the product, the Escort Passport 9500ix comes pre-loaded with thousands of safety camera locations, such as speed-based cameras and red light throughout North America, allowing the detector to warn you as one approach. After a 90-days trial that comes with the product, you can download updates, back up your data, and stay on top of new threats directly from the Escort website.
However, this feature would require a subscription and a Windows-based computer (XP or Vista only). Subsequently, if not using a laptop with the car turned on, the 9500ix must be powered by a Radar Detector 12 Volt Adapter, which is not included with the detector. The Passport 9500ix requires an USB A to Mini USB to install location database updates and detector software updates – which is not included with detector either.
The Escort Passport 9500ix also comes with a power cord that puts the mute and volume controls on the plug in my console. It’s very easy to use even without reading the user manual beforehand, and the blue LED display is very clear.
Overall, albeit the steep price, this is probably the best radar detector I’ve ever used!
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by Craig on October 11, 2009
I’ve owned this Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector for a while now and find it especially useful on the highway as it can detect most traffic police from very far away. It gives me a warning in advance of at least 10 seconds to slow down. The three main alerts, K, KA, and X are pretty much always on target – and with minimal false readings.
Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector
Although this detector can be used straight out of the box, the Escort Passport 8500 X50 has many programmable features for the fussy drivers. Programmable options include Power-On indication, Meter type, AutoMute , Brightness level (including full dark mode), two levels of Audio tones, and selectable radar and laser bands. The steps required to program this detector is really simple and straight forward. I like how user-friendly it is.
This detector is updateable too so you’ll always get the latest updates of new radar and laser threats.
The blue display is really clear. You can adjust the brightness between dim, medium, or max brightness levels, or full dark mode for discreet night driving.
Other than that, the Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector’s patented AutoSensitivity mode helps distinguishes real threats from other known sources of radar – virtually eliminating false alarms. Unfortunately, I encountered a slight lag in this mode, probably because the detector is trying to filter out false signals.
Noise level when driving in the city could get excessive since pharmacy, stores and buildings with wireless signals may trigger this detector. Thankfully the X50 comes with a very convenient mute button right on their “smart cord” power supply.
The only con that really bugged me was that the unit has low-quality internals that do not hold up well to heat. In other words, it overheats quickly and might not be suitable for places with high temperature and a lot of sunlight.
Summary, I think for a price at $300, the Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector is very much worth the money. If you’re looking for a radar detector in this price range, you can’t go wrong by buying this one.
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by Craig on September 20, 2009
This thing has an excellent range. I was driving on the highway when the Escort Passport 9500i picked up a radar signal up to 4 miles away. At first I thought it was a false alarm before noticing a well hidden detector along a signboard at the side of the road.
Escort Passport 9500i Radar and Laser Detector
The Escort Passport 9500i detector incorporates GPS technology, which provides its owner with real time vehicle speed display (updated every second), permanent muting of known stationery sources of X-band & K-band falses, identification of known speedtraps (non RADAR, such as Redlight cameras), speed sensitive radar reception sensitivity
At city driving speeds, the Escort Passport 9500i has a feature that automatically decreases its sensitivity to X and K-band sources (Ka-band is unaffected). As speeds increase so does the sensitivity of the 9500i. I absolutely love this feature as I no longer have to manually change sensitivity from Highway to City and vice-versa.
As for false alarms, the 9500i can virtually eliminate them. Whenever you encounter what you know if a false alarm, all you need is a total of 3 keystrokes to program the unit to know this signal in this location is a false alarm. You will never again get that alarm in that spot.
The only thing that I dislike about this detector is that when the first warning shows up you won’t know if it’s a false alarm or not. However, once you pass that false alarm (usually of a low signal) and it goes out of range, you are unable mark it as a fake signal to be blocked. In fact, the only way to mark it down is by passing the same area again.
Escort Passport 9500i also appears to be a lot more sensitive than my other detectors, resulting in more false alarms. But the GPS feature of this unit makes up for it.
The Escort Passport 9500i comes with a built-in USB interface allowing direct hook-up to your personal computer or laptop to download the latest location database updates and detector software updates. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with Mac computers.
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