How come the 9500i horn is split in two?

[statusquo]

Techie question:

I had to bolt back on the Garmin Quick-Mount plate to the newly repaired 9500i (lack of satellite reception fix).

When I took the three screws out, I had to look at the innards. The aluminum microwave horn has a strange fin (partially) down the middle of it - almost dividing the horn into two vertical parts. Maybe 1-2 mm wide.

It doesn't completely separate the single horn into two horns, but maybe 80% (reason I used the word "partial").

Anyone know why they would divide it into two? Seems it would really make the unit very directional by bisecting the horn as it does.

The horn is very deep and looking at it from the top, it appears as though it were aimed for a pickup for oncoming radar and the rightmost portion aimed for the side of the road.

:?: :?: :?:

Aside, the speaker is huge. Probably because it isn't a piezo-alarm type, but also a speaker for the "Voice" alert, imo.

[ES13Raven]

Jim can probably answer this one...

Is the X50's horn split like that?

[proudNMAmember]

Not from what I can remember.

[ELVATO]

No pictures Hehe, jk

[<<JAZZY>>]

Unless somebody puts up some pictures of the inside of the 9500i, we will have to wait until 05/09/2007.

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Sum&calledFromFrame=N&R equestTimeout=500&application_id=250733&fcc_id='QK L95M4'

[statusquo]

Jim can probably answer this one...

Is the X50's horn split like that?

Dang, that question made me curious enough to take the x50 apart.

hmmm.... it's got that same sort of weird fin in the middle of it too? Looks like it was filed a bit (by hand?) as it is gold colored and the rest looks like aluminum (plated brass?). Maybe some sort of tuning for various frequencies or best fit of frequencies? Jim???

Circuit board sure is different though with less components than the 9500i. The 9500i has a lot of small micro-processors (?) on the main board. Laminated multi-layer circuit board too. The top wouldn't come off as easily on the 9500i - probably the switches or their LEDs hanging on? Circuit board may be snapped to the top cover. Dunno.

The laser pickup light-pipe, especially the rear facing tube, is really different too. The x50 looks like an extended soda straw from the top window down into the window facing front holding the sensor. Nice aluminum grill with small holes in front of the laser antenna guide. To me, it seems if they eliminated the grill the sensitivity to the diode would be better. Perhaps filtering over sensitivity or direction control?

Wish I had a macro-lens camera. The things are really kind'a cool to examine. The antenna or waveguide on the 9500i seemed to be larger, maybe longer too (more directional than x50?). I believe the 9500i laser unit was separate from the x50 which seemed to be a all-in-one casting. Wish I had them apart side by side.

Escort sure seems proud of all their patents. Numbers all over the label stuck to the waveguide on both units.

Didn't see any manual calibration or tuning controls in either unit. I wonder how they calibrate them? I know the x50 unit has, in the past, said "Self-Calibration" - but how does it know it's out of tune? Okay, how did the old 8500 throw up "Requires Service?" Too many curiosity questions. Should'a stayed out of 'em.

Maybe I'll go pull the old 8500 apart too while I got the crosspoint out.....

[jimbonzzz]

The "ridge" down the middle of the horn antennas in the detectors makes them more broad-banded, so that the antennas are effective across all of the police radar bands of interest, instead of being tuned for one narrow band.

[statusquo]

The "ridge" down the middle of the horn antennas in the detectors makes them more broad-banded, so that the antennas are effective across all of the police radar bands of interest, instead of being tuned for one narrow band.

Ah-Hah!

Thanks Jim. I was thinking that was the issue.

Now if they could make a waveguide for each band...