Escort 8500 x50 mount - question about vibration

[metroplex]

I noticed that the x50 will hang unless the unit is squared up against the windshield. There are two hard plastic "nubs" that will rub against the windshield. Do I have to pull the detector away from the windshield and simply bend the bracket to "level" the detector? Or is it supposed to be squared against the windshield?

Beltronics used to have a very good windshield/visor combo bracket that had a rubber nub to reduce the effect of vibrations on the detector itself. It seemed like when Escort and Beltronics merged, the Bel units had to change brackets to become uniform with Escort.

I would expect that the plastic casing would resonate or be affected by road vibration more with the x50 mount. Has anyone had any x50's fail or give the Self-Cal/Service Required message AND used the suction cup mount with the radar detector squared up against the windshield?

[TSi+WRX]

Good question.....as a previous-generation BEL user (i.e. product before the Escort-BEL acquisition), this is a very good observation.

I level my detector against the windshield, with the top corners touching, in the hopes that the windshield will give the detector something solid to brace against, and prevent it from wobbling on-end (which is something that the rather long and heavy x50 is prone to).

Through the three different vehicles in which I've carried this detector, I've had to bend and re-shape the bracket several times in order to get the ideal positioning/bracing in each vehicle due to windshield rake. The same can be said when I take my x50 over to wife's vehicle (which has its own suction-cup mount to ease the transfer).

I am uncertain whether or not any vibration that is carried through the windshield would not already be present no matter how you have the detector mounted - certainly, road-shocks traveling up the windshield itself would seem to be the most logical concern as you stated, but the logic is somewhat iffy....

For example, what happens if the detector is mounted to the dash? Same shocks, albeit attenuated somewhat by the dash insulation, correct? But what if the "detector" itself is only a remote display unit, such as the Escort SR7, and, the actual sensor hardware is remote-mounted to a vehicle hard-point (i.e. bumper skin) - wouldn't that still see the same road-shock?

This question I'll leave to the more experienced tech-heads here. I'd love an answer, too.

I've had my x50 Rev5 for nearly two and a half years, now, and it's always been mounted with the rear of the unit "touching" the windshield. Two of the vehicles it's ridden in had very, very firm - almost harsh - performance aftermarket coil-overs installed, paired with low-profile, hard-sidewall tires which themselves did little to protect the vehicle against road irregularites. My current vehicle, despite overall a much more compliant ride than the previous vehicles, still rides on harder-than-factory progressive-rate springs.

I also leave the detector in my car 24/7, through both sub-freezing weather as well as direct-light, sweltering, summer days.

So far, no Self-Cal./Service Required messages noted.