Radar detectors? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

blueillusion97 · 09-18-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mptoledo

I also love the redlight camera detection. when it does detect a radar it will display your speed on its screen. As for the arrows, I would love to have them but they fall behind quiet and redlight cam detections in my pecking order of importance.

Wow dare devil arent you? Red light camera or not, if its red im stopping!!!

mptoledo · 09-18-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueillusion97

Wow dare devil arent you? Red light camera or not, if its red im stopping!!!

Ya think Einstein, they also have speed detection on them. If you speed up to go through them, they send you a speeding ticket regardless of the color of the light. They will also send you a seat belt ticket if you aren't wearing yours.

tonycarreon · 09-18-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mptoledo

Ya think Einstein, they also have speed detection on them. If you speed up to go through them, they send you a speeding ticket regardless of the color of the light. They will also send you a seat belt ticket if you aren't wearing yours.

or you didn't see that "no right on red" sign 3 miles back and end up making a right turn. around here the city's changed from "no right on red" to "stop here on red" which to me meant "stop here when the light's red, then you can turn right." but nooooo....

Jaxonalden · 09-18-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote;

"I agree both the v1 and the passport are the two best in different ways, but I prefer silence, which v1 can't provide. If my radar beeps I know its a cop." mptoledo
V1 can't provide silence? WTF? Ever try turning down the volume? When mine goes off I know the band (by sound and light), the strength and the direction of the thread. Enough said.

jwade · 09-18-2009, 04:08 PM

Can't decide for sure????

Do a google search for 9500ix vs valentine 1 and you will get an incredible amount of stuff pop up. Some swear by escort, some swear by V1.

To tell you the truth, I think they both are excellent and it comes down to a coin toss. I have a speedy history and used to love the K40 in dash stuff back in the day, but prior to purchasing my passport 8500 in the fall of '02, I have never received a ticket with it on. And that's the 8500 mind you without all the new technology.

I like the size of that model so it would be natural for me to go for the 9500ix next.

Viper5 · 09-18-2009, 05:09 PM

Why would you want a gps/radar combo? If you want something reliable, get a dedicated radar detector and a dedicated gps. Also to the guy who rode in his friends vette...all the radar detector does is detect frequencies. If your friend has a passport and it's not going off, either it's because it's broken, or he has one of the bands turned off. Personally, I would just rather have a detector which lets me know about every threat so that I can make a determination of if I think it's a cop. I won't trust a radar detector to do that for me. I do have X band (electronic doors) turned off on mine though.

jbox53 · 09-18-2009, 05:41 PM

Let me inform all of you folks that if you're doing excessive speed, no radar detector in the world is going to help you deaccelerate to to lawful speed prior to being intermittenly zapped by a cop running lidar or radar for that matter.. Those units sample a dozen or so speeds per second and take an average faster than you can say oh ***it. The only thing you can hope for is a good reflection single from the car in front of you.

Viper5 · 09-18-2009, 05:44 PM

jbox, detectors can definitely save you. As for laser, you have a point. Unless you are getting a detection from a vehicle in front of you then you are screwed. But with radar you can get plenty of warning if you can interpret the radar detector correctly unless again you are the only car on the road AND he is using instant on.

vath2001 · 09-18-2009, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper5

Why would you want a gps/radar combo? If you want something reliable, get a dedicated radar detector and a dedicated gps. .

So on my dash would be sitting a 4x6 GPS display and the another 2x1 radar detector, both requiring to be plugged into my cig lighter. So now I need a 12v power splitter for the power to feed both... wires everywhere.
Remember, one of my criteria was to be able to move it from vehicle to vehicle...easily. Oh I may also need to charge my cell phone too... another wire... and maybe charge the IPod.

I want an IPhone with a radar detector app!!!

mptoledo · 09-27-2009, 08:11 PM

I have owned many radar detectors throughout the decades and currently own a passport 9500ix. I have used it in cross country mode(2400 miles from Cali to Ohio), rural mode and city mode. I have used the passport in about every scenario possible. It gives great early warning, with plenty of time to slow down, It reminds you where the redlight cameras are, It has little if any false signals. I can find no flaws with it. Plus it just looks pretty damn Cool!! The valentine is a great unit also, but it's technology is like an Vinyl record while escort's technology is like Digital music. It's just years ahead!! Yes they both play music, but one just does it better than the other and all you hear is crystal clear music, while the other has a lot of irritating noise (but you can still hear the music).

pteam · 10-06-2009, 04:17 PM

Ok I bought a passport 9500 because of this thread.

First let me say:

IT SUCKS!!!!! Seriously. The reason it sucks is because of the design and the cord. First of all they give you this severly big cord that is only like a foot and a half long and plugs in on the DRIVERS SIDE! So here is a picture from my viper on how it looks from the driver's view:

Notice how it perfectly covers up the display of the radar detector? What idiots designed this thing to plug into the drivers side with the biggest round cord ever in the world, and then make it shorter than short so you have to stretch it to even go over a foot.

EDIT: Also here is a pic in my hummer

Notice how it again covers up the radar screen but also because these smart people had it plug in on the drivers side it also covers up my navigation and BARELY reaches the cigarette lighter, and thus pulls on the radar because its stretched. Its not even close to being able to reach the 2nd cigarette lighter outlet.

I cannot hardwire this as I have many cars and that would be impossible to switch cars. It won't even reach lighter spots in my hummer or my viper, I have to use the very close one instead of other ones out of the way that my old radar detector could reach. Also I really like how the cord goes right in the way of your radar or in dash navigation, it goes right in the way of it because of their wonderful design! ::end sarcasm:: This product sucks...

btw the speed camera, stop light camera known locations, and gps functions are good, but when your frustrated every single time you look at it, it kinda defeats the purpose...

tnoice · 09-19-2009, 02:59 AM

skip the radar dectector, I carry a fresh bag of doughnuts each morning. Has saved me a couple times. when in doubt I can throw them out the window when I am being chased and the police will loose my car everytime. :dance:

tnoice · 09-19-2009, 03:00 AM

on a side note, I do use a passport. I have had it for years and really like it.

vath2001 · 09-19-2009, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnoice

skip the radar dectector, I carry a fresh bag of doughnuts each morning. Has saved me a couple times. when in doubt I can throw them out the window when I am being chased and the police will loose my car everytime. :dance:

Escort 9500ix at $450
Ducan Donuts (or Timmys) at $5 per dozen, 10 trips a week, ..$50 a week, 9 weeks of coverage... hmm... not counting the littering ticket.

Decisions, decisions.

mptoledo · 09-19-2009, 11:33 AM

Viper5, I don't think you actually know how it works.(no offense) Here are a couple of links to help clarify some of the stuff for you.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4279971.html

https://www.escortradar.com/store/passport-9500ix.html

Maybe some of you misunderstood the "gps" part of it. It doesn't give you directions, it just tells detector the global position of itself in geographical relation/speed, to the radar signal being emitted. It stores them so the next time you drive by that spot it will not beep. The GPS will alert you to all the speed/redlight cameras and is updateable from your computer/laptop. As for blocking out that particular signal, each band (k,ka,x) have a wide variety of sub bands within them. it blocks those subbands and not the whole band.

Again, both units are top notch and you couldn't go wrong with each. Do your homework and try not to listen to the coolaid drinkers. I own the passport and love it. I love the fact that it only beeps when there is a cop. To me that is the deciding factor. Yes I would love the directional arrows,but not at the cost of locking out false alarms, and if anybody has owned one they will agree.

Excerpt from Popular Mechanics:
Bottom Line: Within a week, the Escort 9500ix was 50 percent less irritating than when it started, which made it 90 percent less irritating than any other detector on the market. It's a weird metric to use for a piece of electronics, but a radar detector is only valuable if it gets your attention at the right moment. The problem with most detectors is the desensitization that occurs when you are alerted over and over again at all the wrong moments, and that makes the learning feature of the Escort 9500ix a truly elegant idea.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4279971.html

Viper5 · 09-27-2009, 01:47 PM

Not sure if you bought the detector or not but thought you should know of a group of people who test detectors as a hobby. They are very maticulate in performing these tests. The tests happen about once a year and have been for the past few years. The new results have just come in! Here is the site: http://www.guysoflidar.com/ You can look at the results objectively and make your own decision.

RandallNeighbour · 09-27-2009, 05:49 PM

Thanks Viper5... what a great web site!

Makes me feel real good about keeping and upgrading my V1. I'm going to send it off this week and get it upgraded before my driving vacation at the end of October!

blueillusion97 · 09-18-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mptoledo

Ya think Einstein, they also have speed detection on them. If you speed up to go through them, they send you a speeding ticket regardless of the color of the light. They will also send you a seat belt ticket if you aren't wearing yours.

umm interesting.....maybe it has to be really excessive speed as i never had a problem with that, but i do always wear my seat belt so not worried about that.....either way with all taken in to consideration V1 with gps would by great