Please help: new X50 owner here; current V1/9500

[kensteele]

so the X50 is for my s/o, she doesn't need the 9500 with gps which is what i am currently using in my car and the v1 which i have in storage now (and may sell) will drive her crazy with all the false alert.

so i got the x50 and i'm using it for a day or two to see how it performs. it falses more than the 9500 with lockouts...obviously. my question is what is the best setup for the x50 to minimize false alerts, is there a secret menu (like you have on the V1)?

i'm happy with the 9500 because we have very very few traffic radar in kansas and the 9500 has almost completely cut-out false alerts with the gps lockout. i am aware of the potential 9500 issues (thanks to this forum) but i can go days without hearing a single false beep out of the 9500 and weeks without detecting traffic radar.

but the minute i installed x50, those pesky k-band false alerts came back and there doesn't appear to be anything i can do. i'm running in c-mode, there is no x band in the metro area (no false x-band alerts either), otherwise no other mods.

will i have to breakdown and take the x50 back and get a second 9500i for her car? tia

[TSi+WRX]

^ In my view, that last option, unfortunately, might be your only option.

You've already done everything you can to minimize "falses," with the K-band, there's not really much that you can do any more, aside from totally disabling it :shock: .

[kensteele]

argggg! best buy has a 15% restocking policy so that's out. this x50 falses almost as much as my v1! today i'm picking up a couple of k-bands at near full strength and it's a false alarm, no cops. the 9500i is totally silent, what gives? also the x50 when it false for 2-3 seconds burst, it doesn't just beep 2 or 3 slow beeps but 10 or 20 quick beeps (sorta like instant one). i'm not really liking this unit so far. :cry:

[Synbios]

I've never heard of anyone complaing about an X50 falsing so much.

I have my X band and POP off. I get very very few falses..

Remember too that it's not your RD's fault if it picks up legitimate K band, you can't do anything about that unless you want to only run KA which is a nono.

X50 is the best filtering RD and it's WAAAY quieter and less crazy than a V1!

[kensteele]

I guess I'm comparing it mostly to the 9500i. Even before I lockout false alerts, the 9500i still rarely false alarms on K-band in my area. But this x50 is driving me nuts, sorta like my V1 did before I put it away (been on the shelf for about a month now). I was starting to drive around in relative peace until I took down the 9500i and put up the x50. My s/o will never accept this, she not a techie and won't understand....all she will know is it's beeping like crazy and there's no cop. With my 9500i, nearly ever single time it beeped (maybe a dozen times), cop....otherwise silent.

So....I guess the x50 goes on my motorcycle and I'm going to have to give up the 9500i to her. That leave the v1 back in my car with is lousy because I was just starting to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Thanks for all the help and comments, I was hoping there would be additional K-band settings. I do have to have K-band....x-band I could do without and turn it off. I'll make sure X and POP are off and keep plugging away for a few more days.

[TSi+WRX]

synbios and kensteele -

Like brother synbios cited, unfortunately, we can't fault our detectors for reporting what seems - by all means to it - to be true K-band signals. Indeed, this is why many of us favor the x50 over the V1, due to our situational needs (i.e. living in a "high false," densely urban area), but even the x50's "filtering" can only do so much, and certainly, disabling K-band would not be a viable option unless you are absolutely CERTAIN that your locals do not use this method of enforcement.

My current thinking, kensteele, is that the more advanced algorithms in the 9500i may be what's doing the trick - even when you did not have TrueLock enabled, the 9500i proved quieter because of its GPS-enabled speed-sensitivity adjustment.

If an absolutely quiet ride is a must, then the 9500i may be your only viable option.

[Orbital75]

kensteele,

Your not really going to stop K band falses as stated above but I have to say the X50 is one of the best filtering detectors I have ever owned. One thing though, My X50 has never falsed as much as your stating and I know from time to time Escort pumps out a bad unit. You could alway swap it out for another and see if that could be the issue. On the other hand if you want to try some other options, I have some suggestions that may help.

Here is how I have mine set up for the fewest false alerts

High Mounted
City Mode
Lo X
POP off ( Default )

I've heard some really close calls with the LockOut feature on the
9500i so I wouldn't put to much trust in it yet. It's a nice unit but
as I don't really trust the Auto mode on the X50 I wouldn't hesitate
to second guess this LockOut feature.

[Synbios]

Yes even without the truelock, I think the 9500i is still going to be quieter than the X50 with new speed sensitivity, etc.

I still don't see how you can compare a V1 to an X50 in falses though.

a list of problems in the V1 over the X50:

The x50 has a "better" automute
the x50 has a button you can hit to silence it completely (nice!)
the x50 doesn't change tones as the signal moves around
the x50 doesn't go crazy with all sorts of flashing arrows everywhere that aren't even very accurate with falses.

[KnightHawk]

the 9500i proved quieter because of its GPS-enabled speed-sensitivity adjustment.

Even when GPS is turned off, speed senstivity is still working.

[TSi+WRX]

^ :shock: Wow! I didn't know that! ops: Thank you for the correction!

Question - how is it determining vehicle speed, then? From alternator pulses/RPM conversion? Onboard gyro?

That's nifty!!

----

Orbital - I think that kensteele's issues regarding "falses" may be due to his local area.

My x50 (Rev5), set just like yours when I am on my normal daily commutes, is also very, very, very quiet.

However, I can still get it to "drive me nuts" if I take a run down "false alley," in a more densely urban area, right by where I live.

It's definitely possible, too, like you said, that this may simply be unit-to-unit variance, and that kensteele just happened on one that was either more sensitive or has "bad" filtering.