I have owned this Radar for approximately 1 month now, and I use it everyday. I can truly say that I am impressed, very impressed at that. When I am on the opposite of the highway with a divider 30 yard dividing medium, this thing can pick up the po-po from about a 3/4 miles out in KA band. The other day, I happened to exiting off the highway and about a 1/2 mile away from an overpass. As I exited, the po po was located about a 1/2 miles down the road after the overpass, which means it saw him a mile away even though there was a steep overpass blocking us. In pop mode, this babe is a champ, as it went crazy nearly 1 and 1/2 miles out as the po po were crawling all over this particular area. If you are buying this for highway travel, buy this one as you will be safe. Now I do believe that there is nothing that can protect you in time if the po po have their guns out and off and you happen to be on a strip where there is little to no traffic, as he can shut his gun off and if you’re 2 miles out or so he can catch you. With that, I don’t think that anything can save you. At the price I paid, 84 bucks with free shipping…it has saved me at least 3 times.
When looking for a radar detector, drivers are usually looking for performance, bottom line. If the device can’t deliver what it says, then it’s not worth anything on the road. Take, for example, a laser detector that comes equipped with technology that can give you the longest range for radar detection. It should work for the distance it says it will scan for police radar and laser signals and should alert you with a clear indicator that you’re about to be tracked. Another great feature that comes with some of these devices is the ability to utilize GPS to tell the driver where red light cameras and speed cameras are mounted in their area. As those intersections and areas are approached, the unit gives a warning; the best are via a voice alert, to warn the driver of an impending scan. Here are some of the very best features in Escort radar detectors for this year.
Escort Passport 9500ix GPS-Enabled Speed Camera Database
The Escort radar detector line is really unsurpassed when it comes to Best Radar Laser Detector features and performance. Remember that performance is the single-most important feature of a radar laser detector. One of the most sophisticated GPS-powered radar detectors on the road is the Escort Passport 9500ix. For just under $500, it has it all. The feature that deserves highlighting, however, is its speed camera detection capabilities. The unit has the best radar detector long-range protection against police radar and laser signals as well as for speed cameras and red light cameras.
Since these photo enforcement devices are popping up in new locations every day, how can a driver keep up? The answer is in the Escort Passport 9500ix database. It actually has thousands of known speed trap locations already programmed into it and the driver can add more as they are discovered. A link up to a subscription online is available so drivers can update their databases by synching up their device to the online update site. It simply can’t get any better than that! Well, actually it can; this detector just won the WIRED Magazine editor’s pick for August 2009!
Passport 8500 X50 Blue
When it comes to winning the contest for detection range, this unit takes the blue ribbon. According to the manufacturer’s site, this unit is “hailed as the most revolutionary radar laser detector ever.” Why, you may ask? Because the 8500 X50 has a special technology inside called a “V-Tuned” radar receiver to detect all police laser and radar. This includes protection from the new POP mode, the X-Band, and about 50% longer range than the original Passport 8500 for the K and Ka bands (the most important ones). This amazing long-range detection is possible through the device’s “digital signal processing” or DSP. Not to mention that this unit boasts minimal false alarms; something that can be very annoying in most other units.
For the very best in radar and laser protection on the road, the Escort radar detectors really outperform the rest. These special features and technology make driving in 2009 the best year for driving ever!
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This unit picks up signals with ease. If anything, it picks up too many signals and when programmed for all the radar sources, it constantly beeps.
It picks up the POP signal at times, when I can not see a visable source for a POP radar unit. Nevertheless, that is not to say it doesn’t work right.
To compare it with the Escort is like comparing apples and grapes, but it seems to do the job, and for the price, it is a good buy.
I would suggest that the owner try the factory settings prior to reprograming for additional radar signals. Some area only have K band and laser. So, you in essence have an over kill in signals.
CSP
I have had this radar detector for 6 months or so & I enjoy having it on my side very much!
Be sure to turn on all the different types of radar detection & you are good to go.
It’s a great deal for the price & I have had good luck with it.
cobra xrs 9630 far cry to meet its own features
I usually don’t write any reviews, its a waste of time anyway.
I am going to be brief. I got the product quick, that’s fine.
i went to birmingham to tested and to atlanta also; i passed three troopers at the other side of the road, the device didn’t beep even once.
it went off a couple of times, but who knows what it was, i did not see any police car. during highway it was so disappointed, i saw many police cars at the side of the road with all their lights on and no detection at all.
Im telling you it makes me laugh when i went back to the box to read all the features, not even close to meet at least one of those with reliability. I read an article saying that you dont get a good radar for less than a three hundred dollars, i start to believe that. i am impressed how many good articles i have seen in this site promoting this product. i simply don’t understand, must be someone that works for this radar. please try it out but be sure that they are going to reimburse you the money before doing it. in the scale from 1 to 10 this product is 2 maybe. i gave 2 stars because people dont trust in 1 star rating. think about getting a speed ticket of $200 for trusting this device, try it out, drive at 55mphs/hr just for testing and you will see the piece of thrash you have. then return it.
To point out what others have said, this detector works fabulous and the range is fantastic. In that area, I’m extremely happy with it.
The compass thing isn’t really a big deal for me… I never really programmed it so I won’t make any other comments about it.
There was an issue I’ve had with this detector and it’s quite bothersome. BUT this may be partly the fault of my 12v power outlet in my car. I noticed sometimes while driving the detector would “restart” itself. I traced this back to a loose connector for the power outlet. I assumed I fixed since the restarting stopped. About 4-5 months after I bought it I started seeing strange incomplete lettering and blocks on the display. The detector continued to function properly.
Now about 8 months later the display shows nothing at all. It is completely non-functional. The detector still works fine though audibly. Did my loose connector end up causing a strange short in the display? I’m not sure. The connector is not a problem anymore but the display no longer shows. It’s ok. I can deal with it.
I bought this item for a trip out to Indiana from New Jersey. The mechanism designed to keep it in place itself was bad and poorly/cheaply made. After placing that in multiple locations and finally settling on one place in the center of the windshield I wanted to see what It would do. The honest assessment was very little. It was set off sporadically by speed signs that document your speed, and radio towers. Every speed trap besides one went unnoticed by this detector. POP mode went off but there was nothing more (I am still not sure I understand it.) Nevertheless, I think I will be returning this one for a more reviewed item.
Best of luck with the Unit if you choose to keep it!
This is the first radar detector that I have purchased and I am very satisfied with the product. I bought it based on the price and the good reviews that followed. The detector goes off every now and then for me when I drive by certain gas stations, because their doors set it off, but it doesn’t keep beeping or anything. The times that I have seen cops, it lets you know from quite a bit away that their radar is near. I have had no problems with connections or functionality. I would only recommend spending a lot more money on a radar detector if you are doing some serious speeding all the time.
For those of us that like to speed every now and then and have gotten tickets for it, this is a great product to help ease getting caught speeding.
I’ve had the Cobra XRS for about a month now. So far I’ve seen 2 or 3 highway patrol and this little guy picked them up really far away. I love how it automatically gets a little quieter after the first couple warnings. Nice when you are focused on the road and don’t want to turn it down manually. Ya, it does go off near automatic doors but I don’t really mind it. Buy it.
This detector works great!! Took me from Chicago to Seattle with no tickets!! I used the POP feature and wow I knew there was a cop before they could see me! I also loved the speedy delivery. I would recomend this item for the busy traveler.
The Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser detector was purchased by myself from Amazon for $104.02 to replace my aging Whistler Model 1773 Radar Detector / Laser Detector (purchased from Best Buy in January of 2005 for $125.99). The Whistler radar detector still works and is quite satisfactory, but I was nervous trusting it since I have depended upon it and used it uninterruptedly for four (4) years in my 2004 Nissan Maxima SE 6 speed manual automobile. I have been using the Cobra detector unit for three (3) days, and I am blown away by its style, features, and ease of use. It is an incredible purchase for $104.02.
The Cobra detector unit was shipped from GizmosForLife and arrived via UPS normal shipping within three (3) days of placing the order. The package was light, and so is the radar detector. The detector unit isn’t heavy at all – some of the reviews which claim that it is large left me with the impression that it might be heavy. Also, the unit is NOT particularly large compared to my Whistler radar detector unit – it is perhaps 1 inch longer, and roughly the same width. The Cobra unit arrives in a standard, retail plastic blister pack which must be cut open with scissors. Inside the blister pack is the detector unit, a coiled D/C power cord for your automobile, a windshield suction cup mount, an alternative dashboard adhesive mount, detailed instructions plus an instruction addendum, and a Cobra registration card.
COILED D/C POWER CORD:
This cord is too short for comfortable, easy usage with most automobiles. Since the cord is coiled, it will stretch. However, the length and elasticity of the cord will sometimes cause the detector to snap-back out of your hands and fall to the floor of your automobile as you’re attempting to seat it within the suction cup mount. BE CAREFUL – you may want to seat the detector unit FIRST and then plug in the power cord. Also, the placement of the D/C power receptacle on the detector unit is on the LEFT side – this means that in my Maxima, the suction cup mount must be placed slightly to the right of the dashboard center stack to keep the coiled cord from obscuring my view of the center stack information cluster / Navigation Computer screen. The combination fuse / D/C power receptacle seated easily and snugly into my auto’s cigarette lighter.
WINDSHIELD SUCTION CUP MOUNT:
Despite what the reviewers are saying, this is a high-quality unit – especially when compared with the mount that came with my Whistler detector unit. It’s not cheap at all. The Cobra’s suction cups, rubber vibration peg and attached metal bracket are black. The plastic / rubber cups are rather large, and do a great job of seating on the windshield glass and staying put. The bracket will most likely need to be adjusted to properly fit your windshield by manually bending it with your fingers so that once the detector unit is mounted, it is completely parallel to the ground and facing backwards / rearwards out of your rear window. Don’t be afraid to do this – the metal won’t break unless you bend it back and forth several times unnecessarily. The detector unit does not move or vibrate unnecessarily when mounted to its bracket.
COBRA RADAR/LASER DETECTOR UNIT:
This unit is not the latest made by Cobra, nor is it the greatest – Cobra now makes a 9955 15-band model and a 9960G 15-band model, both with a few more features than the detector unit I have purchased. However, this model – the 9950 12-band – was within my price range, and is fantastically adequate. I set the unit up and started using it without reading the instructions – that’s how easy it is to use – although it is by no means a “simple” unit. The only feature I was not able to properly set up without reading the manual was the compass feature. I was immediately impressed by the detector unit’s menu, the super bright, adjustable display (4 brightness settings), and the wealth of information provided to the user while the unit is in operation. The only thing I didn’t initially like was the unit’s screen-saver mode: This is a little orange dot that is factory preset to blank-out the display and appear 30 seconds after the last signal prompt / display picture, thus saving the screen. The orange dot appears and disappears every 5 seconds, depending upon how hard the engine is revving (it appears every second when my auto is at idle). This feature can be overridden by the menu: If you want the display to be visible and on continuously, simply access the menu and follow the prompts to turn off the screen saver. After reading the directions, I got an even greater understanding and appreciation for the unit’s features. I was able to set up the unit’s magnetic compass, which works perfectly.
1) SIGNAL STRENGTH: The visual and audio signal strength indications are excellent. When the signal is distant or negligible, you get one visual dot, a corresponding picture, a descriptive voice alert and a lower tone. When the signal is nearby and strong / important, you get from two (2) to five (5) orange / red vertical visual dots positioned on the right side of the display window, a corresponding picture, a descriptive voice alert and a LOUD tone. The tone also increases in rapidity with signal approach. The distance and range of the unit is very good.
2) TONE ALERTS / VOICE ALERTS: The tones or sounds that the unit is provided with are sufficiently engaging and do not fall prey to the ambient noise of your vehicle – the sounds are distinctive. The voice the unit uses is female, smooth, and clearly enunciated.
3) APPEARANCE: DO NOT leave this unit sitting unattended on your windshield – it is attractive and will invite curiousity – and possibly theft. It is a tiny bit unsophisticated with a few sharp edges and a space ship / death cruiser appearance – some would say it looks like a child’s toy – but this feeling will pass as you begin to trust the unit and rely upon it for accuracy.
4) ERGONOMICS: The buttons are mostly well-placed, but the volume dial rotates too easily and the placement of the power cord on the left side of the unit may annoy some people. The screen is well-protected by a huge, 1/2″ plastic lip protrusion all the way around, which also prevents sunlight from washing out the display. The bracket release button on top of the unit must be pressed *very firmly* to release the unit from the suction mount – this may give some people a bit of trouble and may take a few times to master. The detector unit indefinitely remembers all user-selected settings, even when disconnected from a power source.
5) UPGRADEABILITY: According to the instructions, a separate Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) unit may be purchased and plugged into the detector unit to provide Red Light Camera locations as well as relative satellite speed sensing for your automobile. The Red Light Camera locations data is provided from a Cobra database, but the user may also easily add Red Light Camera locations into the unit’s memory with the touch of a button while in close proximity to a specific Red Light Camera.
6) “WOW” / FUN FACTOR: Very High. The unit is attractive, racy and invites experimentation. Be warned – you may be tempted to speed just to test it out!
I like the sensitivity of the radar detector, I replaced an older cobra detector, it picks up radar signals from a good distance. For the price I got my money’s worth.