Why is my RD more sensitive after a reset?

[mikered30]

I was testing my RX 65 (V6.2) with a Bushnell K gun and I discovered that on K my RX 65 was slower to react to an alert before I reset it when the gun was a specific angle (blind spot). I reset it because if I aimed the gun away from it my rx 65 did not alert at all. I repeated the test many times, the gun worked fine, so I did a reset, did the test again, and it alerted to K band. This is not the first time I noticed this, I sent it in for a tune up, and explained a similar situation with the repair guy at Bel. I never had any self cal or service required issues. Any one have any ideas?

[DeadReb245]

I was testing my RX 65 (V6.2) with a Bushnell K gun and I discovered that on K my RX 65 was slower to react to an alert before I reset it when the gun was a specific angle (blind spot). I reset it because if I aimed the gun away from it my rx 65 did not alert at all. I repeated the test many times, the gun worked fine, so I did a reset, did the test again, and it alerted to K band. This is not the first time I noticed this, I sent it in for a tune up, and explained a similar situation with the repair guy at Bel. I never had any self cal or service required issues. Any one have any ideas?

I'm sending mine in soon for the very same issue. Aside from the same type of delayed response with the Bushnell gun I have (sometimes the RD will take up to 10 seconds to alert to it, even when holding it just feet away), I have noticed on speed signs and door openers, it will either not alert at all or will suddenly alert to instant-on as I get closer. These situations happen where I know in my head the point at which the source ALWAYS has set it off in the past, and in situations where instant-on is simply not the case and not possible. When I do a reset, it'll kick it back into gear and work normal, TEMPORARILY. It's almost like doing the reset is bringing it back to life, but it won't stay that way. I too, have had no service required or calibration messages in relation to this issue. It may be interesting to note, HOWEVER, that at times the detector will lock up when I'm editing my settings. I can't explain to you the technical electronic aspect of this, but you are not alone.

[MEM-TEK]

Belscort RDs will NOT accurately re-calibrate their LOs when strong radar is present during the automatic recalibration process. This can also occur if another RD is powered on which is located very close to the Belscort RD. The recalibration process reportedly occurs roughly every ten minutes after power up.

Here is a good example:

Everyone knows that you shouldn't run two RDs at the same time. Yet I assumed that I could run my STi next to my 9500i at the same time since the STi has such extraordinarily low leakage. With my STi powered off my 9500i would alert with the correct 24.15 frequency for my K band transceiver. With my STi powered on at the same time my 9500i would consistently alert and display something like 24.18 to 24.23 for my K band transceiver. Obviously my STi being powered on during the interim (while my 9500i was self-calibrating) affected my 9500i's self-calibration process and accuracy.

Just something which I have observed and thought worthwhile to pass along.

Anyway, also keep in mind that the Bushnell guns have far from a stable local oscillator -- especially during the first second or two after being powered up. So I don't think that it is a very good radar source to use when testing any radar detector.

[DeadReb245]

I couldn't agree with you more about the Bushnell guns, MEM-TEK, which is why I made sure to mention the door openers and speed signs. I do not power up near any RD sources. I live way too far out in the boonies for that. This is something I've consistenly had going on for 6 months or more, and I just haven't bothered sending it in because we've had one snowy winter here.

[mikered30]

I was testing my RX 65 (V6.2) with a Bushnell K gun and I discovered that on K my RX 65 was slower to react to an alert before I reset it when the gun was a specific angle (blind spot). I reset it because if I aimed the gun away from it my rx 65 did not alert at all. I repeated the test many times, the gun worked fine, so I did a reset, did the test again, and it alerted to K band. This is not the first time I noticed this, I sent it in for a tune up, and explained a similar situation with the repair guy at Bel. I never had any self cal or service required issues. Any one have any ideas?

I'm sending mine in soon for the very same issue. Aside from the same type of delayed response with the Bushnell gun I have (sometimes the RD will take up to 10 seconds to alert to it, even when holding it just feet away), I have noticed on speed signs and door openers, it will either not alert at all or will suddenly alert to instant-on as I get closer. These situations happen where I know in my head the point at which the source ALWAYS has set it off in the past, and in situations where instant-on is simply not the case and not possible. When I do a reset, it'll kick it back into gear and work normal, TEMPORARILY. It's almost like doing the reset is bringing it back to life, but it won't stay that way. I too, have had no service required or calibration messages in relation to this issue. It may be interesting to note, HOWEVER, that at times the detector will lock up when I'm editing my settings. I can't explain to you the technical electronic aspect of this, but you are not alone.

I noticed that too.

[kilit]

MEM-TEK, what recalibration are you talking about? There is another calibration process beside the one when the detector is displaying "SelfCal"? (what is the difference between the two processes?)

[MEM-TEK]

MEM-TEK, what recalibration are you talking about? There is another calibration process beside the one when the detector is displaying "SelfCal"? (what is the difference between the two processes?)

That is the recalibration process -- SelfCal is displayed only when the RD has a problem during the recalibration process. I don't recall exactly how long the intervals are between each automatic recalibration but it is something like once every 10 minutes or so. Belscort RDs periodically recalibrate to account for local oscillator drift as the RD electronics warm up or due to ambient temperature conditions. The idea is that the RD will always be performing with the best possible sensitivity and that its local oscillators will be operating at the correct frequencies regardless of the present operating temperature of the RD.

[kilit]

MEM_TEK, thank you, I had no idea that there is a recalibration process taking place so often...

But one more question: if there is a radar source (or another RD) nearby while the detector is recalibrating (therefore it can't recalibrate correctly), shouldn't it display "selfcal", because there actually was a problem during recalibration?

Or the selfcal message is for more "serious" malfunctions?

[jimbonzzz]

External radar sources can NOT cause the detector to calibrate incorrectly (according to Escort).

[mikered30]

I did more testing with my K band bushnell gun, and it set off my RX-65 on KA band 3 times. I checked the frequency, and it hopped from 35.7XX to 33.7XX. Anyone know why? One instance it went from K to KA.