nfnsquared

Not sure how long this will last. Marked down by $200. BBY also has them for $430, but BBY will price match Amazon and if you have a BBY credit card, you can get 12-months interest-free financing. I just picked one up today from BBY. The earlier firmware versions had some issues with the DSP programming, but they seemed to have cleared most of that up.

https://www.amazon.com/Escort-Max-HD.../dp/B00NJTNQ82

If you don't care about/need the built-in bluetooth, you can get the Escort Max for $300 (also marked down by $200) from Newegg. This one is a Shell Shocker deal, so it will probably be gone in less than a day:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA3JN1P91473

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

i'd like to get your thoughts on that radar detector and if you've used anything previously to compare it to. i run a beltronics pro500 24/7 on my windshield and it's helped me quite a bit (i don't speed often though), but i know technology has come a long way in 3-4 years. i have heard about 50/50 good and bad reviews on the max ii so i'm curious to see what you think. i'd ideally like to get the 360 but that price point is ridiculous for something i don't necessarily need that big of an upgrade for (again i don't speed that often). interested to see how you like the max ii

as a heads up, the newegg link was for the regular max and it shows 600

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^I have the 360.
too be honest, anything we use is a tool to help us out. by having a radar detector doesnt mean you'll be protected. For me, as soon as KA or if i'm in an area that cops use K, I let up on the accelerator.
It's NICE to know where they are at, via direction arrows, butt, again, its just a tool. the direction arrows cannot tell on which side of the freeway the targets are on. So, If Im headed southbound, boogeys could be Northbound.

the 360 has 2 DSP chips and you can tell it to mute the specific frequency of blind spot monitoring and other radar emitting tech

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

i agree that it won't eliminate us getting a ticket, i use it mostly for awareness...like you mentioned, stepping on the brake or letting off the gas. i also use my pro500 to let me know when red light cameras are coming up. does the 360 still have this along with the manual lock out button?

what are your overall thoughts on the 360? i don't know anyone that has this radar detector. i read a lot on the forums about the BSM making the detector go off, but i think i also read that turning off TSP eliminates that issue. I currently run no TSP on my pro500...which way do you run it and how is the sensitivity to the blind spot monitoring most cars have now? do you have to manually set those frequencies or are you just pushing a button to lock in that frequency when a car with BSM passes you?

how is the range on the 360?

waxy1926

Looks like it's back up to $600 on newegg, shell shocker deals only last 24 hours.

As a heads up, register on slick deals.net and you can setup price deal alerts that will email/text you when these products go on sale. You have to be quick to react though.

I also don't speed too frequently, can't justify spending $400+ on a good radar detector that would just be an annoyance more than anything. I've never got a speeding ticket with my type S , although I got a few in my '99 camry back in the day

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the way I understand it is; manually locking out those frequencies. BSM(false K's) is showing up a lot more in the past week, and it will show a specific frequency. I usually lock those out...but then by my understanding is that it locks out by location, via GPS? not too sure, i'll have to read to make sure its locking out by frequency and NOT location...cuz what if real cop is in that location?

I think I have TSP off. dont really play with the settings too much...

yes, it still has red light camera awareness, but I turned it off..or just the voice..cuz that was annoying.. "red light camera" "another red light camera"

the range is pretty great! warns me well in advanced, maybe a mile or more....but by that time, ive already let off the skinny pedal and cruising at 65mph

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

it was pretty fucking expensive tho.
I had just gotten a ticket, and I didnt care about the price cuz I wanted something to warn me when some one is running radar.

I get hit by lazer every so often...but there's no possible way to figure out WHERE the blast is coming from


(exercized my right to take defensive driving and got the ticket dismissed, only paid court fees)

nfnsquared

Yeah, as I indicated, the Shell Shocker deal for the Max was still good when I posted the link, but it probably was cutoff sometime overnight.

I'll keep you updated on the Max II. What really sold me on it was the $200 price drop plus the recent reviews on Amazon. Sort the reviews by "most recent" and you'll see that everyone seems to be very happy with the later firmware updates. If you go back further, the reviews aren't so stellar...

FYI, Beltronics and Escort are the same company now. I watched a few videos to help me decide, but the $200 price drop on the Escort Max II was probably the biggest factor.

I couldn't justify the extra cost (an extra $261 after tax) for a rear facing antenna. If money were no object, I would've bought the 360. As I understand it, that's the only difference between the Max II and the Max 360. (The Max II is a Max with Bluetooth. The Max 360 is a Max II with a rear antenna). Plus the reviews on the Escort website were not that great for the Max 360, although it was equal in rating (4-star) to the Max II on Amazon.

Have you updated the firmware lately? Escort has pushed out quite a few updates in the last few months. FYI, you can't beat the range of the Redline, but it lacks a lot of bells/whistles for city driving. And the V1 and Max versions still give plenty of warning.

I watched a lot of youtube videos in doing my research, most of them from VortexRadar.

Buy a Radar Detector » Vortex Radar

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^yeah, we can sit and watch reviews all day....
i had buyers remorse after watching the redline vid....
but fuck that....the 360 still warns me in a mile in advance...
and I enjoy the features of GPS lockout, which the redline DOESNT have...

so, yes...while reviews are good in a way, they also hamper or put bad thoughts into your head.

and I connect the 360 occaisionally to the computer and let the software do its thing (update firmware) but havent done so in the last month.

and yes, it was fucking expensive...no butts about the price...it's the greatest and latest hardware from Escort and I dropped coin for it!! will also likely keep it(own it) for the rest of my life...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

my co-worker has a MaxII in his '15 Mustang 5.0

we've went to lunch a few times, swapping the two. (one day, we'll use the MaxII, the next we use the 360)
VERY comparable. the 360 has the leg up because of direction arrows.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

ok so i'm debating on selling my pro500 for the max ii or the max and had a few questions for the "new" features compared to my radar detector. one of my main reasons for switching would be the digital signal processing on those radar detectors. seems like radar guns are getting more advanced obviously, and the DSP seems to be the way to go. not that mine is bad...but mod bug hits hard in all areas haha

mag mount: this mount seems much better using a magnet instead of a release for that purpose, however does the radar detector bounce more with this setup? in videos it seems like the magnet isn't super strong and that it would be possible for it to shake a lot or even come off if someone had stiff coilovers. have either of you had a radar detector with the normal "clip" mount? it does shake some but nothing that bad.

escort live: do you guys actually use this thing? it seems to still confuse me, do you have to manually connect your phone via bluetooth every time you get in the car and do you have to continuously monitor your phone for upcoming items? or does it send items to your radar and the radar alerts you? i don't like being on my phone while driving and usually tuck it away so i don't even know if it's worth it. bluetooth and escort live seems to be the only difference between max ii and max...which is a $100 difference on amazon (max goes for a shocking 300 bucks on amazon)

can you use your HFL while connected via bluetooth to your radar detector?

thanks guys, glad to be able to talk to a "real" customer about these radar detectors

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the magnetic mount is one of the best innovations that has ever came out for windsheild mounting!!!!
there's still a metal prong that extends out, just like the clip kind. I have stiff coilovers and radar detector stays put on metal mount!! the Sun and heat still fuck with the suction cup tho. I slip off the radar detector by pulling towards me, EVERY time i get out of car. If I forget and park out in the sun, the heat will make the suction cup fall. in other words, magnetic mount is awesome..still needs innovation on suction cup

escort live; its free!! they say you gotta pay a monthly fee, but when you activate it for the first time, it'll give you like 3 years for free. its just like waze. mapping app with "alerts"
and no, once you set up bluetooth, it will automatically connect EVERY time you get into the car.
iOs and Android are very smart. lets you connect to multiple devices....in the blue tooth menu on your phone, you can see all the multiple devices that you are connected to.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

escort live continued: the Mapping app needs to be in the foreground and not in the background to get ALERTS. waze can be foreground or background to get alerts.. some people run both waze and escort live.

i dont have time to open up apps when I drive...so, i dont usually use them

its a phone app. so the alerts will be notified on your phone and if auxed out will go through speakers like Waze.
and the ONLY benefit of Escort live is that YOU DONT HAVE TO MANUALLY press a button to alert...the radar detector sends alerts to the app, so that other people know where cops are

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

regarding the magnet mount thanks for your feedback. i agree the suction cups are always the weak point. i actually had mine fall off twice so i got angry about that and decided to use professional strength polyurethane adhesive in the suction portion to stick it to my windshield up by the rear view mirror. no chance of it falling off haha and it hasn't in 1 year. i keep my radar up all the time. it's mostly hidden by our black tint line at the top. only downside is i have a tinted front windshield so i had to cut a "circle" in the top tint (can't see it from outside) and glue the suction cup inside that circle, otherwise it would crinkle up the tint...pay to play i guess haha

thanks for all the info! if you have to have the app open every time you drive, does that suck the battery life out of it? sounds like something i wouldn't necessarily use if i have to open the app every time to make it work. i don't use waze because it destroys my battery haha

long story short, if there was a radar for 300 (max) without bluetooth and one for 400 (max ii) would you get the one with bluetooth? they seem to otherwise be exactly the same

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

fuck the bluetooth. grab the cheaper one!!

i havent connected my phone+radar, by opening up the app in OVER 6 months.

and yes, Since EL has to be in the foreground, means it will be on your screen using up the battery.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

haha thanks!

one more "twist" to the hypothetical choice you would make...the max without bluetooth has the old style mount (no magnet)...what would you do?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

be sure to understand the units dimensions. i didnt know how large the 360 was until i got it.
the max and maxII are also hefty units

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if you dont ever remove it, the clip kind will be fine.

i remove mine and switch vehicles (bought two suction cup magnetic mounts) its very easy to pull towards you without ever having to press a clip. (im assuming thats what the magnetic slide was intended for, being easily removable)

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

thanks for all the feedback!
do either of you have any pics of yours mounted up?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

even better, i just made a video.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

yes!! haha

just talked to an escort rep and he said all recent passports (regular, max and II) all have magnetic mounts. said there are versions still being sold with the old clip but i can send it in to escort and they'll give me a magnetic based one.

he said max and max ii are identical other than the bluetooth

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

intended to be funnaaay.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

hhahaha thanks man...clear and to the point haha

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

ohh chit, i just realized I payed EXTRA for the ALL black.

I couldnt stand the bi-colored white and black

nfnsquared

Yep, love the mag mount. It's a great improvement apparently over the previous mount.

The Max can also use bluetooth if you buy the Live cord, but the Live cord is $100, so the effective price to get bluetooth is still $400 (this is assuming you can still find the Max for $300, which I don't think you can). Personally, I'd get the Max II. You may not use BT right away, but it will be there when/if you start using the App.

On the other hand, you could buy the Max (if you can still find it for $300) and add bluetooth later by buying the Live cord for $100, but you'll always have a cord hanging from the detector.

And I forgot to mention, Escort will price match as well and give you free 2-day shipping, you just have to ask. I went with BBY price match for the instant gratification plus the 12-month interest free financing

Here's a picture of mine mounted (I already had the hardwire installed for my 8500):



show off!!!

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

^^ yea part of me thinks it's worth it just to have the bluetooth embedded for wahtever may come up down the road.

that's the same spot i have mine mounted in! thanks for the pic. i also have mine hardwired to my fuse box because i'm OCD and it bothers me when cords are exposed or hanging. i think you both have convinced me i should get something newer haha. i'll see if i can sell my radar detector for a decent price and then pull the trigger. luckily if i have to use a new mount i can get my suction cup off with a razor blade and alcohol.

so it sounds like all radar detectors use the same input cord right? so if mine is hardwired for a beltronics, the escort input should be fine since escort/beltronics are essentially the same company?


damn justin going for the all black...i would have done the same haha

nfnsquared

Silly me, you can get the Max for $302 on Amazon, FYI. That "special edition" looks pretty sweet BTW!!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E40QPX8/

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

fyi; thats where I bought the 360 from..Amazon. and just checked my order list and I bought it Jan. 3rd 2016

waxy1926

If you don't mind me asking, how much did u pay for the 360? $642.99 on Amazon right now seems steep AF!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

LOL i aint going to lie, it is expensive.

$648 + tax. so, it did come down in price a few dollars.


right now, I dont have many bills. car is paid off and I'm steady stackin' for a home. that's my main goal and aspiration right now. a home.

I figured if the speeding ticket court fees were at least 200...(I got the ticket dismissed, but still court fees were about 200 + defensive driving cost. )

and I figure a little warning alert would help me stop speeding. and so far it has! I'm very cautious as soon as the mufuckin KA BEEEEP goes off


could a cheaper unit have done the same? sure, yes it could have....but then i guess it was more my ego wanting the very latest and greatest gadget.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

been browsing thru the escort radar forums during my lunch break and found this great post from escort themselves regarding escort live....this is pretty cool and makes it more worthwhile to get the bluetooth version

"A little hint at using Escort Live, to make it more user friendly. You can leave your iPhone's screen off or another app in the foreground and Escort Live will still communicate with your Max showing the PSL and nearby alerts (along with their color and distance) on the Max's display. You can also leave Escort Live running in the iPhone's background all the time. When your Max is turned off or out of range then Escort Live will stop using data and location services. When your Max with the SmartCord Live is back within range and gets power then it should auto-connect and wake up Escort Live"

i just wonder how much data it really takes up (damn family plan restrictions!)

nfnsquared

Wow, I just found this. I have yet to sort through the entire thread, but VortexRadar thinks the updated/new app is great.

ThreatLink: Waze alerts for ESCORT & good alternative to ESCORT Live - Radar Detector & Laser Jammer Forum - RDForum - RadarDetectorForum

nfnsquared

^^^^^ Thread discussing the new/updated app, "Escargot Drive":

Escargot Drive, FKA ThreatLink is on the Android Play store again! - Radar Detector & Laser Jammer Forum - RDForum - RadarDetectorForum

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^neat, I always said if they could combine the two....and looks like some one has done it..

waxy1926

That's awesome, I guess it was only a matter of time before this kind of app integration got developed.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

you should start running the app since the radar will reflect what's being sent to it by the phone (and then let me know how much data it uses haha). here is my question to escort and their response:

Originally Posted by sockr1
this is a great tip and answers one of my main questions. so i don't have to actually go into my phone each time and look at the app? the radar will automatically pull alerts from the app/phone and show them on the radar display?

do you know if this puts a major drain on both data usage and the phone battery life? i'm running an iphone 5s

Correct there is no reason to have the phone's screen on when using a detector with Escort Live. Just be sure that "Background Updates" are enabled in Escort Live's settings (the default setting is enabled) when using Escort Live in the background.

Battery drain is much less with the phone's screen turned off. Escort Live is constantly using GPS, cell data, and bluetooth so it will put some stress on the battery but it isn't bad. If you have notifications disabled for Escort Live (this is found in your phone's settings menu for each app) then when Escort Live is in the background and loses bluetooth connection with the detector, it goes to sleep and stops using cellular data or GPS. You can verify this by seeing the Location Services arrow on the top of your iPhone disappear. The same is true for Android phones.

Data usage varies greatly with the amount of Live alerts you receive.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

one more post that really highlights this cool feature:

Originally Posted by sockr1
so just to make sure....the phone/app will send alerts to the radar detector and the radar detector will signal those alerts on the RD display?

Yes sir! and if the detector has a full color OLED display (all Max's, Escort iX, X70, Passport) then it will show the Live alert's color which tells you how old the alert is, as well as the distance to the alert. Max 360 users also receive an arrow for direction to the alert.

The Live alert color legend:
Red = recently reported, up to 30 minutes old
Orange = a little older, 31-60 minutes old
Yellow = an old report, it is about to be deleted

All user reported Live alerts are deleted 90 minutes after they are reported.

I rarely ever use Escort Live with the phone's screen on. If I do then I have another app in the foreground such as Apple Maps for navigation or Pandora.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the only thing is, no one uses it around me!

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

hahaha ok then that won't work. do you live in the middle of nowhere?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

i'll open app today going home to check to see if more users.
last time i had it open, all of houston, there was only a few "alerts" that were red. but coppers no longer sitting at location.

I expected to see something like WAze where at every intersection or freeway, there were alerts. but attributed to no one using EL