Radar Detector

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The best location for signal detection is right in the middle of the windshield, unfortunately everyone else also sees this so we compromise. Put it in the ideal location or build yourself a mount like mine and I'll bet suddenly you'll see a lot more signals.

Did you try various locations? According to this article Mount Detector Properly - RadarBusters.com the middle is where manufacturers suggest but the best location is the lowest point... I was just wondering if you actually tested which areas were in fact the best...

From that article:

During the testing of the products reviewed on RadarBusters by Radar Roy and Speed Measurement Laboratories, the radar detector is always mounted in the manner the manufacture recommends in their manual, in the center of the windshield. However you will see on this page, that mounting it in this manner will not allow it to receive laser alerts. A laser beam shot at 500 feet is only 18" wide when it hits your vehicle. Police target either the front license plate or the headlamps. If the radar detector is mounted in the center of the windshield, it will be too high to receive any of the "splatter" that may indicate you are being targeted by a police laser gun.
 
Did you try various locations? According to this article Mount Detector Properly - RadarBusters.com the middle is where manufacturers suggest but the best location is the lowest point... I was just wondering if you actually tested which areas were in fact the best...

From that article:

I drove around with the tell-tale twin suction-cups for a while. I moved them around, and had an off-duty buddy help me out with his radio car. My v1 is slightly canted to the left, and in approximately the correct location for all of the testing I did. The only thing that would be better is if there wasn't a driver and passenger seat. :D
 
I meant you can't see it from behind or the sides because my car sits significantly lower than most other cars or most peoples eyesights. If you crouch down and look at it it's a straight shot to both the front and rear windows.
 
Doug brought this thread to my attention on FB, figured I'd post my experience with the Escort Passport 9500ix that I got about a month ago.

I've never been a 'pro-radar-detectors' guy...matter of fact, I've always thought they were absolutely fuckin retarded and a complete waste of money. BUT this little guy has been one of, if not THE best investments I've made in the last few months. Only reason I went with the Escort over a V1 or a K40 was that's what was available immediately for me. I dunno if other brands have this particular feature, but the Escort has GPS that not only shows me my current 'exact' speed whenever it gets a hit, but it learns when/where it sees alerts, and over time will learn where fake alerts are...I got clocked about a week ago here in Houston by a motorcycle cop using X-band; I know that most detectors in 'city' mode filter out X-band completely, and I was doing 70 in a 30. Granted, I could just slow down, but that defeats the purpose of a radar detector. Also, the Escort has a 'live' option, that'll communicate via the GPS with other Escort owners, and if someone up ahead with an Escort gets hit with laser, it'll alert me that there's laser up ahead. There's also some way to get it to interface with my iPhone that'll show me a map, and everywhere that other Escort owners are getting alerts. Again, I'm not sure whether or not other brands have that option or not - I did absolutely zero research prior to buying mine. I just bought what was available, because I needed it immediately for a cross-state trip through several 'speed-trap' podunk-ass towns...not so much for speeding, but because my license was suspended at the time, lol. I'd initially intended to use it that weekend and then return it when I got back to Houston.

Since I've had it, it's 'learned' pretty much every false alert in Houston, yet still gives me X-band and K-band alerts fairly regularly, almost ALWAYS followed by a speed trap - I assume that the local smokies use older radar guns in order to not be picked up by detectors in 'city' mode that filter out X and K band. I don't have any solid proof to back that up, other than I know from first-hand experience that I REGULARLY get X and K band alerts, full-on, and then a few miles/hills/turns/whatever later come up on an HPD officer standing there holding a radar gun, and have full-on X or K band alerts going off on the Passport.

I'm sure that the V1 or K40's have comparable features or whatever, and may or may not be better - but I've yet to get surprised by a speed trap, whether I'm speeding or not - and almost every alert I get is far enough in advance that the time from getting an alert to seeing the cop is long enough for me to slow down, think 'ah dammit, it's a false alert', hit the 'mute' button on the power cord, drive a little further, think 'gah, what a piece of shit, there isn't a cop anywhere', come over a hill, and see a LEO in the distance waiting for me.

I'm thoroughly satisfied with the $350ish that I spent on the new unit.
 
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almost every alert I get is far enough in advance that the time from getting an alert to seeing the cop is long enough for me to slow down, think 'ah dammit, it's a false alert', hit the 'mute' button on the power cord, drive a little further, think 'gah, what a piece of shit, there isn't a cop anywhere', come over a hill, and see a LEO in the distance waiting for me.

That's EXACTLY what happens to me.
 
Doug brought this thread to my attention on FB, figured I'd post my experience with the Escort Passport 9500ix that I got about a month ago.

I've never been a 'pro-radar-detectors' guy...matter of fact, I've always thought they were absolutely fuckin retarded and a complete waste of money. BUT this little guy has been one of, if not THE best investments I've made in the last few months. Only reason I went with the Escort over a V1 or a K40 was that's what was available immediately for me. I dunno if other brands have this particular feature, but the Escort has GPS that not only shows me my current 'exact' speed whenever it gets a hit, but it learns when/where it sees alerts, and over time will learn where fake alerts are...I got clocked about a week ago here in Houston by a motorcycle cop using X-band; I know that most detectors in 'city' mode filter out X-band completely, and I was doing 70 in a 30. Granted, I could just slow down, but that defeats the purpose of a radar detector. Also, the Escort has a 'live' option, that'll communicate via the GPS with other Escort owners, and if someone up ahead with an Escort gets hit with laser, it'll alert me that there's laser up ahead. There's also some way to get it to interface with my iPhone that'll show me a map, and everywhere that other Escort owners are getting alerts. Again, I'm not sure whether or not other brands have that option or not - I did absolutely zero research prior to buying mine. I just bought what was available, because I needed it immediately for a cross-state trip through several 'speed-trap' podunk-ass towns...not so much for speeding, but because my license was suspended at the time, lol. I'd initially intended to use it that weekend and then return it when I got back to Houston.

Since I've had it, it's 'learned' pretty much every false alert in Houston, yet still gives me X-band and K-band alerts fairly regularly, almost ALWAYS followed by a speed trap - I assume that the local smokies use older radar guns in order to not be picked up by detectors in 'city' mode that filter out X and K band. I don't have any solid proof to back that up, other than I know from first-hand experience that I REGULARLY get X and K band alerts, full-on, and then a few miles/hills/turns/whatever later come up on an HPD officer standing there holding a radar gun, and have full-on X or K band alerts going off on the Passport.

I'm sure that the V1 or K40's have comparable features or whatever, and may or may not be better - but I've yet to get surprised by a speed trap, whether I'm speeding or not - and almost every alert I get is far enough in advance that the time from getting an alert to seeing the cop is long enough for me to slow down, think 'ah dammit, it's a false alert', hit the 'mute' button on the power cord, drive a little further, think 'gah, what a piece of shit, there isn't a cop anywhere', come over a hill, and see a LEO in the distance waiting for me.

I'm thoroughly satisfied with the $350ish that I spent on the new unit.

Which Escort do you have exactly? Sounds bad ass for $350...
 
Passport 9500ix. Everywhere that sells electronics at or above retail seems to have it for around $500. I went to a 'Houston Car Stereo Wholesale Outlet' or whatever the fuck they call it, walked in, and said 'I need the most expensive radar detector you carry. You got Valentine or Escort?' They had Escort.
 
Passport 9500ix. Everywhere that sells electronics at or above retail seems to have it for around $500. I went to a 'Houston Car Stereo Wholesale Outlet' or whatever the fuck they call it, walked in, and said 'I need the most expensive radar detector you carry. You got Valentine or Escort?' They had Escort.

Well... you can only buy the V1 direct from Valentine. It's not a retail store item.
 
Escort is pretty top notch. I don't use one personally (feels like it gives me a false sense of security) but friend has the 9500 and the GPS function is great.

I'm hoping one day a car gets traded in with stealth mount K40 installed that I can pillage. Until then, gonna just keep doing what I've been doing.
 
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