Looking for advice- Passport 9500ix install

[MFNATIK]

Originally Posted by IrvineTim

For the guys that are running the escort up high on the windshield near the visor, Is it picking up bogies in front and in back pretty good?

The higher up the better line of sight it has. It's not like a V1 where it constantly falses so mine rarely makes a peep.

[IrvineTim]

I read that V1 has a lot of false alerts. Why do guys like the V1 so much if it has so many false alerts?

[MFNATIK]

Originally Posted by IrvineTim

I read that V1 has a lot of false alerts. Why do guys like the V1 so much if it has so many false alerts?

I was a 10+ year V1 user and I had 3 of them (one for each car). Valentine really marketed the directional arrows well. I mean, it makes sense to know which direction the cop is coming from right? But if you really think about it, not really. Who cares which direction he is shooting his radar. Whether it be from the front, the side, or the rear, what is the only option you really have? SLOW DOWN! Right? So all you need to know is if its a real threat or not. V1's false so much you have to check the display and learn to mentally tune out the falses. VERY ANNOYING. Until a V1 user switches to an Escort, they will feel they have the superior detector (I know I thought I did), but once you experience the peace and quiet of a Escort 9500ix, then you'll never go back to a V1. Additionally, the 9500ix and other models have GPS tagging so they auto block speed signs or consistent false signals like auto sliding doors, etc.

TLDR - directional arrows on V1 are a gimmick and the detector is not sophisticated enough to eliminate falses. Get an Escort for the peace of mind and less headache while driving due to false alerts

[Ian1973]

i had a V1 for a few years, I didn't have too many troubles with it... But this time around I decided to go with the Escort, couldnt be happier. I'm sure both are great, but I like the GPS, when it goes off I can look up and see my real speed, not speedometer speed.

But I owned my V1 in like 1999, so I'm sure the product has evolved some.

[EALm4]

No performance issues at all.

I too was a long time V1 user and switched to the Escort Max 360 on a whim. The Max 360 blows the V1 out of the water hands down. The arrows work pretty well but where the Max 360 shines is the distance, self learning, gps and advanced display of the frequency of the radar. While here in MD, K band is pretty much all false alarms the advanced display allowed me to memorize the band of some stationary speed cameras in various counties.

i.e. K band 24.131 is a mobile speed camera that can be relocated at any time so the GPS database doesnt have it. K band 24.129 are those stupid digital "you're going this fast" signs. Anything Ka band here are police radars.

Plus you get free firmware updates for life.

Only complaints I have is the stupid suction cup mount. Doesnt really hold on that well during the hot summer.

[busymo]

I've been thinking about getting the escort Passport 9500ix, Escort Max 360, and the Valentine one. I've been reading reviews on radardetectorhub.com but I'm going to toss out the Valentine one based on this review.

I've also avoided cops via Waze, but I'm sure its not better than a real radar detector

Originally Posted by MFNATIK

I was a 10+ year V1 user and I had 3 of them (one for each car). Valentine really marketed the directional arrows well. I mean, it makes sense to know which direction the cop is coming from right? But if you really think about it, not really. Who cares which direction he is shooting his radar. Whether it be from the front, the side, or the rear, what is the only option you really have? SLOW DOWN! Right? So all you need to know is if its a real threat or not. V1's false so much you have to check the display and learn to mentally tune out the falses. VERY ANNOYING. Until a V1 user switches to an Escort, they will feel they have the superior detector (I know I thought I did), but once you experience the peace and quiet of a Escort 9500ix, then you'll never go back to a V1. Additionally, the 9500ix and other models have GPS tagging so they auto block speed signs or consistent false signals like auto sliding doors, etc.

TLDR - directional arrows on V1 are a gimmick and the detector is not sophisticated enough to eliminate falses. Get an Escort for the peace of mind and less headache while driving due to false alerts

[MFNATIK]

Originally Posted by busymo

I've been thinking about getting the escort Passport 9500ix, Escort Max 360, and the Valentine one. I've been reading reviews on radardetectorhub.com but I'm going to toss out the Valentine one based on this review.

I've also avoided cops via Waze, but I'm sure its not better than a real radar detector

My friend used Waze with great success for a year or so. Until she became the person who got to post up that there was a cop there. So it works ok for the most part, but someone usually has to be the sacrificial lamb. If you're the one speeding, chances are you'll get tagged eventually. For that reason, I prefer having a radar detector. I think a lot of people don't want to spend $400-500 on a detector, but its either you pay now or you pay later by way of a speeding ticket. I can't count how many times my V1 and 9500ix have paid for themselves (probably 10-20x over ).