Out of the box (if you exclude the GPS lock out feature) the 9500i is a HORRIBLE detector. Period. For me after own something like 6 generations of Escorts.
If you exclude the GPS capability. It has two serious issues.
1) The Ramp up is HORRIBLE. Period. I have had the fix, it's still Horrible. You slowly creep up to a false or real threat and it often starts FULL blast. This is startling and throws you off. If you set it to Highway it's better. But then it's overly sensitive in the city. But I'd rather it be chatty and predictable. The jumping around on ramp up is mostly caused by it not being sure your in city or highway and if in city then it tries to supress it and then panics and blasts you. It s**ks. A dumb ramp up is better. Which forcing it in highway does mostly.
2) The Automute/Autovolume thing as I discussed in another thread is totally f'ed up. I shut Autovolume off and now have it set at one full bar volume. I think it's at one full bar (it's around there). It is set to the point where when Automute is loudest and does a FULL mute (mostly). That is when it does it's thing it almost COMPLETELY mutes it. If you have any background noise at all it will sound 100% silent. I decided the way I drive this is best for me. I ran this way on a 400 mile trip with my wife in passenger seat and it didn't piss either one of us off. It is riskier running in this mode. But it is safer than throwing it out the window. This is a bug I'm taking advantage of. It should do something more consistent on the automute. But at the right level it fully mutes automatically. It alerts me and then goes almost silent a few seconds later. That's really all I need. Even if the radio is on, I'm tuned to it.
To Escort, get off your butt and fix this thing.
I won't even get into the whole GPS Lock Out thing which I think is appropriately being debated.
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