07tsx20

iTrader: (1)

hey im looking at getting a radar detector and i found an escort 8500 x50 for $240 on sale and was wanting anyones input on this model or any other models you suggest, and any experience with this model is appreciated thanks

Rocket_man

Save your money. I once bought a radar detector for a cross country drive. It was the latest tech, cost me close to $300. The first day I used it I was crossing through a small town in rural Texas, speeding of course because I had my trusty $300 detector and bam! I got hit by 'instant on' and right there I had a $280 speeding ticket. The only thing the detector did was let me know I jsut got a speeding ticket. What a waste. Save the money on the detector and put it towards your speeding ticket.

nj2pa2nc

had a radar detector years ago-it would go off alot for other reasons besides cop radar. No longer use it-It is illegal in Va which I drive in often. Save your money and do not speed. No worries then.

Simba91102

I totally disagree with this opinion. I drive from 300-500 miles a week, all highway, and would feel absolutely naked with my Valentine. Foolproof? NO, but..... take the time to learn to drive with a radar detector (and that can take quite awhile), and it will invaluable. Driving at high speed on public highways can be risky business for a variety of reasons. A big one is the risk of getting a very expensive speeding ticket. There are many ways to reduce this risk (all involve paying attention by the way), one being the use of a radar/laser detector (and it's mainly laser on the highways now). That's a whole different thread though. As far as what model to buy, there's the Valentine, then there are all the rest. Just my opinion of course, but I haven't been witout a detector since I bought the orginal Fuzz Buster 35 years ago. If you're serious about using a detector to help you drive safely (and without harassment by the revenuers), get a Valentine.

nj2pa2nc

good thing you do not have to drive in Virginia-

07tsx20

iTrader: (1)

this model stops pop radars, just because it was $300 dosnt mean it was a good detector

Jdmhoes

I have the Escort x50. It works well for me, "knowing it doesn't catch them 100% of the time and when it does. Then again I am always alert looking for cop when I am driving I get the alert at least 1/4-1/2 a mile ahead. I would feel naked not driving with a radar too.

mrgold35

How fast do you want to drive?

You need to move out west. Speed limit is 75 and up to 80 mph in some parts of TX. Hwy patrol don't bother you unless you are 10-15 mph over the posted speed. You just make sure you do the speed limit in town. I hardly see any radar detectors in cars/truck out here. I set my cruise to 80-83 mph and still get passed serveral times per mile.

They use unmarked cars that follow you with no radar, airplanes (use 2 spaced out white marks on the hwy and time the distance you travel), and zap you from behind on the overpass with 3-4 cops on the hwy on-ramp out west. I don't think a radar/laser detector would cover all the situations if you travel a lot.

Don't know if it is true or not, I've heard the newer vehicles with adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring can cause false alarms with radar detectors. I would hate to have my alarm go off every 5 seconds because there is a MDX advance driving next to me.

tsx_trendz

honestly imo save ur money!

07tsx20

iTrader: (1)

the thing is im in georgia and dont travel alot, ive only gotten 1 ticket and its because he was using a moving radar going the opposite direction and made a u turn, the escort would have saved me from that one, and i would drive the same as i normaly do, about 10 to 15 over, but a radar detector would just keep me alert just in case, it costs the same as 1 ticket and could save me from a couple is the way im looking at it, i used to drive a truck and the police didnt ever bother me, 3 weeks into owning the tsx driving the same and got a ticket

DuckDodgers

I've used Cobra, Escort, and Valentine One in the past 15 years.

Cobra was a piece of crap. Useless.

Escort was ok for a while, but then (about 1 year in) it started falsing more often. Web checks revealed that is common, and due to inferior components that deteriorate over time with use. Escort offers a program to "rebuild" you detector, while they deny this happens. You decide.

Valentine One, I've owned 2. First one I kept for 10 years and upgraded twice to add better sensing and then laser. After that, I tired the other brands and was unhappy with the loss of the directional arrows. After I decided to dump the Escort, I bought a new V1 and am loving it. Have I got tickets with it, yes. It was because I ignored a quick hit that turned out to be instant on over a hill shooting the car in front of me. My fault, not the detectors.

On that note, all the detector does is gives you a more even playing field. Most of the time I get alerts, it just reminds me to check my speed and decide if I am too fast or not. It has saved a numder of tickets that way.

The Escort with Red-light camera warnings is interesting, but my V1 warns me about the radar anyway.

Boulder TSX

Mike Valentine is the guy behind the Valentine One...and he was the chief engineer at Cincinnati Microwave, aka Escort, back in their heyday. The early Escorts were the best you could buy. Now, the Valentine One is.

When I lived in Illinois, with long, flat roads, radar detectors were a huge help. Now that I live in Colorado, with the largely un-patroled winding mountain canyons or the densely trafficked streets of Boulder and Denver being my main paths of travel, the need is much less. I know where the speed traps are in between and I slow down for them.

But if you are in the open highway a lot, there is a benefit.

crx_91si

i love my blue x50. it's saved my ass alot of times so far.

i recomend getting both the hard-wire kit and mirror mount from eBay.

Mirror Mount Kit
ESCORT-9500i-8500-X50-RADAR-DETECTOR-MIRROR-BRACKET

Hardwire Kit
ESCORT-Radar-9500i-8500-X50-STEALTH-MIRROR-Direct-Cord

good luck

mike

07tsx20

iTrader: (1)

yea i ended up getting the 8500 x50 black and im very pleased with it, already saved a couple

DuckDodgers

Had the 8500 x50...sold it and bought my new V1...best decision ever.

The Escort started falsing laser after a year and a half...Escort said they'd "rework" it to imrove shielding if I paid for it, and insisted that the fault was my car. Compared another x50, no falses...even side by side. Research showed good evidence (not proven, just a lot of smoke) that Escort is cheaping out on components, and that these items fail over time.

Can't prove it, but it convinced me.

Simba91102

This is a real problem (the blind spot warning system is the worst and very aggravating, though fortunately, right now, not a terribly common occurrence). The newer Valentine may not be as sensitive to this, but it drives mine crazy. Also, I'd guess that there are those that don't even know why their detector is going off. I've become fairly adept at identifying the offender, but I realize that the driver has little or no control over it. Oh, Audi's are the worst by the way.

Daffunda

Some of the arguments are just plain silly. You still have to know how to drive with the radar detector, having one doesn't mean that you're 100pct immune to police radar laser.

That's like saying you bought a Bentley and Armani suit to get some booty, but you still can't get any since you don't know how to talk to women. You gotta have the skills to get the ladies, on top of having the high roller goods.

But I use the X50. Saved me couple of times, especially when the police is just running radar.

I got saved with laser also, but that was because the police kept shooting the cars in front of mine, and got scatter. If you are the loner wolf and doing 30 over, and if cop pops you with laser, nothing will save you, minus the laser jammer.

Radar detectors make you ticket resistant (if you know how to drive with it), not ticket proof.

DuckDodgers

Daffunda is exactly correct. Radar/Laser detectors do a few simple things:

They perhaps give you warning of an upcoming speed trap or police unit to enable you to check your speed vs the speed limit and your risk tolerance.

They tend to make you more aware of red-light cameras, which makes you less likely to rear-end the bozo in front of you who decides to experiment with ABS at the last second. It also makes you more likely to avoid a red-light ticket.

They do NOT protect you from instant-on units (laser or radar) that aren't used on someone else around you.

The best feature of the V1 is the directional arrows/source counter. The best feature of the X50 was the "pro" mode.

EvanIntl

I agree with a lot of the people here. Valentine 1 is definitely number 1. I previously had the same exact detector you are talking about. Don't get me wrong, it was great. Some times I think it was more accurate at cutting out false alarms, but the valentine one can't be beat. Best part is, it'll tell you how many cops and what direction. The directional feature is a huge advantage for serious radar drivers. I also recommend a laser jammer. I got the one from escort for $450. Just hunt around. Laser is a whole other topic. To sum it up, they are not illegal due to its original use and patent. But any kind of radar 'jamming' is illegal.

If you want all the skinny, you can message me. This is an industry I studied for quite awhile.

Aretardedorange

iTrader: (2)

I have the 8500 and it has helped me many times. You also need to use your brain when using the radar.....you can't just rely on the radar. That said, my 8500 has an odd problem if giving me a laser alert whenever I shift into drive or reverse. Usually (no joke) I have to take it off and whack it hard on the back. This usually happens ever 2-3 months.

My next plan of action is to get the Valentine 1 and get a laser jammer. But for now the 8500 is good enough for me.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

V1 All day long.

I hate to say this, but knock on wood...no speeding tickets since 2003.
Guess what I bought that year? V1

If you get a ticket, it's bad luck, but if you avoid even 1 major speeding ticket, this thing has paid for itself. I agree with maturing and driving slower or more with the pace of traffic but if you're someone that pushes the speed limit, you probably always will.

You have to get over the idea that it's a cop finder...took me a few months to realize it was only a radar detector, you still need to keep all your other senses and common sense alert.

This doesn't help you with gliders and timing you from the sky...

It's not the prettiest...but it tells you where, how many and what kind all at once...and is never obsolete as you can always send it in for upgrade as new technology comes out. V1 is the only option IMO.

vthree

iTrader: (1)

in my experience, i've gotten less tickets without a radar.... vs when I did have one. LASER is pretty much impossible to avoid anyways -- unless you have jammers... lol