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Customer Reviews for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Model: 8500 X50
SKU: 6354401
UPC: 737795050117
Passport 8500 X50 Red designed for the driving enthusiast, the Passport 8500 X50 delivers the best possible protection in its class. In test after test, the Passport 8500 X50 comes out on top. Digital signal processing (DSP) provides maximum range, with minimum false alarms.
Average Customer Rating:
4.4
out of 5
(53 Reviews) 53
Rating Snapshot 53 reviews
5 stars
33
4 stars
14
3 stars
2
2 stars
1
1 star
3
89% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
47 out of
53)
Customer Reviews for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Review 1 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
What can I say--it is great!
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Easy set up and use.
What's not so great: Can not think of a thing.
Works like a charm. Easy set up and use. No down side at all
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Great Product but Get the 9500ix
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: Easy to use, good value, very sensitive
What's not so great: False hits galore in town, factory suction mount
I've owned the 8500 X50 for over 5 years now and it has served in the 4 cars I've owned in that time (and still does). It's rather basic, but it's supposed to be. I leave it on highway (highest possible) sensitivity all the time so as to get better warning, but even in city mode it gets false hits galore.
My positive hits have come from as far as two miles out in the right area and I always get radar hits before I'm in the sights of the radar operator. In terms of radar detection the 8500 works as it should and it does get 360 degree hits.
The only serious drawback to this unit is the false hits. On the highway or in the country these are a non-issue. In town they'll drive you nuts. The extra $200 for the 9500ix gets you GPS-based tuning out of false hits after it sees them 3 times. I can't tell you how worth while that is. Save $200 more and get the 9500ix. If you absolutely can't, this unit is still worth its price.
I advise picking up the $20 suction mount from Escort. The factory mount works fine but it's cheap, allows the unit to bounce around a bit, and occasionally falls off on a really hot day.
Amateur users beware! Instant-on radar guns are hard to defend against. This unit will absolutely pick up an instant-on hit when the officer pulls the trigger, but if you're the only car on the road he's already got you by the time you hear the hit. This isn't a limitation with this unit, it is a fact of police radar. No detector can protect from IO radar if there isn't traffic ahead of you to get hit first (if there is, you hear them getting hit before you get in range).
ALSO, laser cannot be defended against with any detector. It is a narrow beam detection unit, which means you will only hear the hit if the laser gun is aimed directly at your car. By the time the alarm sounds, it's already too late. Only a laser jamming unit can help you with laser. The point is, if you have this and you're driving along and see an officer aiming what looks like a radar gun at traffic and you don't get a hit, it's probably laser/lidar and he just never aimed it at you (or you were close enough that he just hit your license plate and not the detector). I have received confirmed laser hits on my 8500 but in every case would have received a ticket if I'd been speeding.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
+4points
5out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
careful buying from best buy
Customer Rating
3.0
Value for Price
2.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
3.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: escort name
What's not so great: old stock
I had a 500 mile road trip for work so I picked one of these up after researching detectors. I've had Valentine 1's in the past but the New escort live was really intriguing. Went to my local store and the shelf marketing material reflected the 8500x50 Black model which was released Q3 of 2011. I used it on my trip, picked up 8-10 traps on my trip. In some cases the instant on barrages would have been too late if I was speeding. When I returned I called Escort and they verified that it was not the Black model. The sensitivity is supposed to be greatly improved in the Black model so I returned it.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
good radar detector, but...
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: photoguy81
from Philadelphia area
on 07/26/2011
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
3.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: customizable based on your needs
What's not so great: the price
i've been using an X50 for a few weeks now. mostly been disappointed, but i just figured out why. everything i've read has said to turn off the X-band due to the high number of false alarms from automatic doors. i complied, but found that i was passing speed traps without a single beep here in Pennsylvania. i've been playing it safe, watching my speed while i learn the ins and out of my Escort, thankfully.
i recently decided to try an experiment, and turned the X-band back on. i've had to put up with the frequent false alarms, but learned an important fact. everything i read on the matter stated that most police do not use X-band any more. that just is NOT true here in PA. it seems that PA State Troopers do still use the band, and this is not the only state.
i recently decided to try an experiment, and turned the X-band back on. i've had to put up with the frequent false alarms, but learned an important fact. everything i read on the matter stated that most police do not use X-band any more. that just is NOT true here in PA. it seems that PA State Troopers do still use the band, and this is not the only state.
in general, i think that the 8500 X50 is a good radar detector. the tone is loud enough to be heard over moderate music volume (and it has a headphone jack). it has a high level of customization available in the performance. and it can be easily read / understood by novice users, or set up to give experienced users additional information.
my advice is this:
1. make sure that ALL bands are turned on. the default for the X50 has at least POP turned off.
2. take a couple of weeks to learn / test your new detector. learn it's range for different bands especially.
3. if you have doubts about it working properly, exchange it. this is a sensitive piece of electronics, and there are probably going to be bad units. don't just blast it in a review because it didn't work for you. try a new one
1. make sure that ALL bands are turned on. the default for the X50 has at least POP turned off.
2. take a couple of weeks to learn / test your new detector. learn it's range for different bands especially.
3. if you have doubts about it working properly, exchange it. this is a sensitive piece of electronics, and there are probably going to be bad units. don't just blast it in a review because it didn't work for you. try a new one
I would recommend this to a friend!
+14points
21out of 28found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
PULLED OVER TWICE IN THE SAME DAY !!
Customer Rating
1.0
Posted by: GPFXX
from Michigan
on 06/02/2011
Value for Price
1.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Accuracy
1.0
Features
1.0
What's great about it: NOTHING
What's not so great: EXTREMELY MISERABLE PERFORMANCE
I purchased this Escort850 after owning an older escort a few years ago and never had a complaint.
I decided its first test was to be on our drive from central michigan to indianapolis for the indy500, 250 mile 3 hour trip.
Not even 1 hour into the drive I was surprised by seeing a michigan state cop hiding behind a bridge with radar gun out and the Escort only beeped a very dim warning signal, thankfully i wasnt speeding so I brushed off the warning.
A few minor warnings went off before arriving into indianapolis but they were usually weak and it also failed to warn me of another cop car.
I decided its first test was to be on our drive from central michigan to indianapolis for the indy500, 250 mile 3 hour trip.
Not even 1 hour into the drive I was surprised by seeing a michigan state cop hiding behind a bridge with radar gun out and the Escort only beeped a very dim warning signal, thankfully i wasnt speeding so I brushed off the warning.
A few minor warnings went off before arriving into indianapolis but they were usually weak and it also failed to warn me of another cop car.
the worst part of it all was on our way back I saw cop lights on my rear view mirror about half a mile back, i never though he was coming for me but as the cop car got closer.... YUP! pulled me over and he had clocked me at 87 on a 70mph zone, gave me a long talk and let me off with a warning, WHERE DID HE COME FROM?!! I DID NOT SEE HIM VISUALLY AND THE ESCORT850 NEVER WARNED ME!
about an hour and a half later, I was in a pack of speeding cars when we saw a cop car going the opposite way on the highway, we didnt think much of it until a mile after there were 3 cop cars ambushing us and signaling us to pull over, thankfully there were about 6 speeding cars and 3 cop cars, some cars pulled over and some didnt.... I DIDNT and i was FURIOUS at the fact that my $300 dollar Escort radar detector was officially USELESS.
about an hour and a half later, I was in a pack of speeding cars when we saw a cop car going the opposite way on the highway, we didnt think much of it until a mile after there were 3 cop cars ambushing us and signaling us to pull over, thankfully there were about 6 speeding cars and 3 cop cars, some cars pulled over and some didnt.... I DIDNT and i was FURIOUS at the fact that my $300 dollar Escort radar detector was officially USELESS.
I RETURNED IT AS SOON AS I GOT BACK AND I AM PURCHASING A VALENTINE 1 FOR MY ROAD TRIP FROM MICHIGAN TO TEXAS IN 2 WEEKS ! (its only $100 more than this one)
BEWARE OF THIS POOR RADAR DETECTOR !
BEWARE OF THIS POOR RADAR DETECTOR !
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-42points
7out of 56found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Good but not as informative.
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: pewpewpew
from Cambridge, MA
on 10/10/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Quiet
What's not so great: Not as informative
Good detector. Actually it works great however it just is not as informative as the V1 so I returned it and got a V1 instead.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-24points
6out of 36found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Best radar ever!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: MissE90
from Texas
on 09/30/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Easy to use, Simple, and Has good range
What's not so great: Kind of expensive
We've been using this radar for about 2 years now and my boyfriend and I LOVE it. It has long distance range to let you know way ahead of time that there is cop or a speed cam near by. We plan to get another one for our other car here shortly. I would highly recommend this to everybody. It's simple, easy to use, and works GREAT!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+14points
16out of 18found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Excellent radar detector
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Excellent range, Programmable, Digital signal processing
What's not so great: Falses in urban shopping areas
I purchased this radar detector more than a week ago. During my use, I was very impressed with the X50's performance. I was particularly impressed with its range during ideal sitiuations, i.e. long open roads. I was able to detect LEO's radar from more than a mile away as stated by many other reviews. The X50 also does well when radar signals originate from around curves. The X50 didn't detect around curves more than a mile away but still gave enough warning to adjust speed. It did o.k. with hills also. The only thing I would be careful with is hills that are very deep. Deep hills do not allow signasl to travel as far thus the X50 may not alert fast enough to adjust speed.
City driving is the most negative experience you may have with the X50. The X50 excels at highway and interstate driving, however, the X50 is still very supceptible to false alerts when driving around urban scenes. Areas with high levels of shopping oriented buisnesses are the worst areas for the X50 or any detector for that matter, although I would suspect the X50 does better than a lot of other radar detectors. These areas are littered with alarms and automated door openers and cause havic with the X50.
The X50 has some neat features that I haven't expierenced with other detectors. The X50 is programmable allowing the user to taylor its behavior and how it displays information. My preference was auto mute off with spec display on. You can also turn off X band which is not widely used by LEO. There are three types of city modes that allow you to run city mode with X band, LoX, and normal. There is also a POP mode that is off by default. I found the POP mode to cause some false alerts and resorted to leaving it off. The X50 utilizes digital signal processing or DSP. This is a way of analzing signals to determines its validity as a legit threat. I would not by any radar detector without this feature.
All in All, I was very impressed with the X50's performance. I was able to take it on a road trip Father's Day weekend where it more than paid for itself. Didn't really detect a lot of activity going but coming back I encountered a lot of action. I was able to make it back home without being pulled over, driving at what "I considered" to be decent speeds. My only gripe is the X50's tendency to false alert in urban areas. For this reason I decided to return the X50 and shell out the extra money for the Escort Passport 9500IX. The 9500IX is basically the same radar detector as the X50 but with the addtion of GPS. The 9500IX has the capability of locking out false alerts which is the main reason I decided to return the X50 and buy the 9500IX.
Even though I returned the X50, I would still recommend it. It is an excellent radar detector that may be getting a little long in the tooth. There are other radar detectors that have the same performance with the addition of new innovative features like GPS (9500IX). If you don't want to spend a whole lot of money but still want excellent performance, this is the radar detector for you. I wouldn't take anything from it, on the highway that is.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+58points
72out of 86found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Good Product - get the best buy warranty
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Mtncrvr
from NC
on 05/13/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Very good options and performance / smart power cord and case incl
What's not so great: Escort is owned by Beltronics and they do not back their products
I recently purchased this unit as my trusty Beltronics Vector 965 just randomly failed on a car trip (it was 1.5 yrs old). Beltronics wanted 60$ and me to pay shipping to them. For a product that was expensive and is so vital to me (I'm a driver - 8 sets of tires in 4 yrs and enjoy every moment) it needs to work. I really like the 8500 - it's only picking up 1/2 of the false alerts the other unit did. I can't tell on the range - seems a little less so far but that may be that I'm basing that on false alert areas not real radar. I love the power cord and option to run completely dark! Suction cups are not an issue. Simply get an alcohol wipe and wipe the cups then the window and you're good to go. I think heat can very much be an issue with these units - although for the money and the environment they are designed for (e.g. hot car interior) they should be designed to NOT have problems.. That said I will be VERY careful with the new unit. And you should Always get the best buy warranty on something like this - I did. I will not be stuck with another failed expensive detector again.. One other thing - Beltronics / Escort factory warranty is a joke - they will not warranty anything unless you buy it direct from them..
I would recommend this to a friend!
+10points
16out of 22found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Must say this is the BEST RADAR EVER
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Ruth27
from Houston, TX
on 05/11/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: its easy to set up, and is very accurate when detecting long distances
What's not so great: NA
I have owned my Passport-Escort for about a year and a half and I must say I have yet to get pulled over for speeding since. Even though it is somewhat pricey, I would much rather pay for this one radar instead of tons of speeding tickets. It picks up distance great! Especially on the highway setting. I recommend that anyone who has a lead foot buy this radar detector.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+16points
16out of 16found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Best Detector
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Jon72
from Tampa, Fl
on 03/22/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Great Range, easy to use
What's not so great: no gps
Great range. Good price. Already got my money's worth. I had it less than a week and was able to avoid getting pulled over. If you have enough to upgrade to the 9500 series, I would recommend that one since it has gps.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
5out of 11found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
awesome
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: caseyL
from colorado
on 03/15/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: everything
What's not so great: no GPS
excellent I drive alot across country and Ive had the unit since August and it has never let me down. the range is amazing as well
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
8out of 9found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Great radar detecter
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: packer1
from Houston, TX
on 03/12/2010
What's great about it: Has excellent distance detection. Alert is not disturbing as in too loud or irritating. Everything is as advertised. b
This by far is the best radar detector I have ever owned. The warning distance is longer than detectors that i have owned before even by this maker. It does not have an annoying alert, very good feature.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
good detector
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: sandlot2010
from NM
on 02/24/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: size sensitivity
What's not so great: NA
Works great. Make sure the convienence outlet is ignition key controlled or you will have to turn the unit on and off manually.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
4out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Passport Rocks!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Flagg328
from Fort Campbell, KY
on 02/03/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Responsive
Finally, a dectector that works like it should! For the price you can't beat it. On one trip I easily would have spent more on speeding tickets than on the price of this wonder...not that I'm a habitual speedster or anything.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
4out of 7found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Great detector
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Brock63
from Charelston SC
on 01/25/2010
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Very sensitive, programmable, great filtering for erroneous hits
What's not so great: Wish it had auto mute feature
I got the 8500 as could not justify the 9500 with GPS capability as the only real difference. Plus the 8500 and Valentine 1 have been neck and neck for years as TOP PERFORMER with Escort edging it out this past year or so with long distance sensitivity while Valentine 1 had slightly less false hits...I will take the longer detection range on hwy any day.
The Escort also has a nifty windshield mount setup that allows you to adjust angle internally rather than having to bend your suction mount. The programming functions are great so I could totally block any Xband signals but turn on safety and lidar.
Also purchased the hardwire kit and then went to Autozone and got a mini fuze add a circuit....$8 that allows me to plug it into my fuse panel rather than tapping into a wire in the vehicle harness. This prevents there being any warranty issues and also gives a much cleaner fit and finish on a switched fuse. I used the homelink fuse spot (BMW) with a 5amp fuse...ran wires up through A-pillar and headliner....then put the remote MUTE button and display down on left side of ashtray.
Very clean install and no worries on having to cut wires.
The Escort also has a nifty windshield mount setup that allows you to adjust angle internally rather than having to bend your suction mount. The programming functions are great so I could totally block any Xband signals but turn on safety and lidar.
Also purchased the hardwire kit and then went to Autozone and got a mini fuze add a circuit....$8 that allows me to plug it into my fuse panel rather than tapping into a wire in the vehicle harness. This prevents there being any warranty issues and also gives a much cleaner fit and finish on a switched fuse. I used the homelink fuse spot (BMW) with a 5amp fuse...ran wires up through A-pillar and headliner....then put the remote MUTE button and display down on left side of ashtray.
Very clean install and no worries on having to cut wires.
Great buy!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
4out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Ok radar detector
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: PulpyMac
from Denver, CO
on 01/17/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Accuracy
2.0
Features
3.0
What's great about it: Range, looks, set-up, size
What's not so great: Too many false alarms, price
I used this detector for a few weeks and then returned it. It was constantly giving off false alarms in the city and on the highway. It did do a good job of actually detecting police radar and laser at a good distance away, but after so many false alarms, one begins to ignore its alerts. I think that is the nature of these machines... there are too many radar sources putting off junk that it is hard even for the best of these devices to tell the difference. In the city, this machine is useless. I realized the best way to avoid getting a ticket was not to speed. The laser detector works, but by the time it beeps and says laser, the police already have your speed locked in. Don't waste your money on this device.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-5points
2out of 9found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Good Detector
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: TexasBear
from San Antonio, Texas
on 01/14/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Accuracy
4.0
Features
4.0
What's great about it: Easy to set up and use.
What's not so great: For the extra $200, I would buy the 9500ix; it has more options and better accuracy.
I bought this detector for my wife's 08' Mercedes C350; she has already received 2 tickets! I personally have the Escort 9500ix and love it, but I thought my wife would need basically something to let her know when to slow down! However, the accuracy and value fall just a tad short with the 8500. Although, it has done the job and has saved my wife's heavy foot from another ticket or two!
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
3out of 7found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Great Product! Escort is the best!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Scio
from Flower Mound, Texas
on 01/13/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: It will actually save you from getting a ticket. The range is fantastic.
What's not so great: It's really expensive
I was suprised at the range of this detector. It picks radar up from over two miles or more away! The laser works really well too, you can actually get an advanced warning before you see the cop! I was suprised at the accuracy of this product, it's unbeatable. The auto sensivity feature is great, virtually eliminating most false alarms. Buy and escort, you won't be disappointed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
5out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar/Laser Detector
Best interier mounted radar detector available
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Blowskie
from Omaha, NE
on 01/09/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Accuracy
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Very long range, accurate, easy to use
What's not so great: suction cups only lasted about 1 year
So far out of all the reviews, anything negative said about this product sounds like ignorant user error. First off this is a RADAR detector, not a cop car detector. If they do not have their radar gun turned on, you will not get a warning, I don't know why this is hard for some people to understand. Also, if you read the manual, POP mode detection is turned off out of the box, so you will need to turn this on. X band will be set to on out of the box, I would recomend turning this off as it is not used anymore as long as you live in a city with running water. K band is still being used though not as common, you may want to research how common this may be in your area, because K band is used in many other devices that may cause some false alarms. If K is not used in your area I would recomend turning it off. I choose to deal with the rare false alarm to protect myself from the few K band radar guns that are used in my area. Anyone who has had the hassle of getting a ticket should be able to see the value in spending the money and getting a quality radar detector. If not waste your money on a cheap, cobra ticket detector with about 50 feet of range.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+15points
15out of 15found this review helpful.
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