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  1. #1
    Newcomer
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    Oct 2005
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    12

    Default questions on x50

    i had the 8500 x50 for about a month now, and it seems to be working great.

    one problem i have is that is seems to false on me quite often while driving through the city. i would get x and k alerts while passing walmart or the holiday inn. is the x50 suppose to false so often over auto doors?

    i'm also decideding to tint the side and back windows of my car. i know know it would affect the range of the detector but by how much? is it a dramatic decrease or is shouldnt really matter?

    thanks.

  2. #2
    Power User
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    Nov 2004
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    Maryland
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    Default

    Unfortnately those X and K band doors are within the same frequency as the police radar. The more sensistive a detector is the more it will alert to the doors. If you know for sure the city doesn't use X(most don't except for a few areas of the country, some people will disagree) you could turn X off. K band you just have to use Expert mode display and learn the false areas. When a cop is around in the False area with K band, the X50 will display 2 k signals in expert mode.

  3. #3
    Newcomer
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    Sep 2005
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    Default

    just slow down whenever you get a alert...its better to be safe than sorry

  4. #4
    Good Citizen
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    Jul 2005
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    Elkhart, IN
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    If I slowed down everytime I got a false in my town I'd might as well drive the speed limit and toss the X50.

  5. #5
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    Default

    so you have a lot of conveince stores and stores with automatic doors espcially in elkhart, Indiana?

  6. #6
    Old Timer
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    Jun 2005
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    New Hampshire
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    As you drive around you'll get a feel for where the falses are, and when you suddenly get an alert in a spot you never got one before, or get a stronger alert, or 2 bogeys instead of 1 (in Expert Mode), then it's time to pay attention.

    In my experience, areas that have lots of door openers aren't usually prime speeding locations anyway, so the door openers are more of an annoyance than anything.

    Think of the detector as an information gathering device. It tells you there's radar. It's up to you to determine if the radar is a real threat or not.
    If I'm passing you on the right, YOU are in the wrong lane!

    If speed kills, how come I'm still alive?

    Active Countermeasures: V1 3.858, Escort Redline, Beltronics STi-R+, LI Dual 7.1x CPU/8.7 Heads (front)
    Other/Backup Countermeasures: V1 3.813 (loaned to friend), Beltronics Pro RX65 M4 6.3
    Vehicle: 2002 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro
    LEO Toys: Kustom Pro Laser II & III
    Encounters/Saves August 2011: Radar 3/1, Laser 0/0


  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by stealthJamal
    Unfortnately those X and K band doors are within the same frequency as the police radar. The more sensistive a detector is the more it will alert to the doors. If you know for sure the city doesn't use X(most don't except for a few areas of the country, some people will disagree) you could turn X off. K band you just have to use Expert mode display and learn the false areas. When a cop is around in the False area with K band, the X50 will display 2 k signals in expert mode.
    The problem with Expert Mode is the lack of identification. Spec Display is the only way to identify who is who (what is what).

    I live in an area that has a drug store on every corner (drugs are big business in Florida). Allot of them are using K band. The damn detector is always going off. But what I found out by reading the frequency is that allot of stores have more than one entrance, therefor you get more than one alert in Expert Mode. Many times I pick up more than one store in major intersection areas. I have picked up to FOUR different door openers at a time. By now I know the frequencies of most of my local stores. BUT HOW would you know if one of those multiple hits was a real threat on Expert Mode ? You CAN'T! So if you really want to discern what is legit from the noise around you, you must get to know the frequencies in use in the areas you often drive.

    :idea: Belscort should make better user options to deal with populated areas. City mode should have some K band options. I would like to see a couple of user memory modes where you can tailor the detector the way you want it and make it easy to switch on the fly. I would like to be able to set the alert threshold on each band. I would prefer to see the alerts under the threshold (like my RX65 City Mode does now), but also have a Voice Alert at the onset of these low level signals. This way you can be informed but not annoyed by almost constant beeps. Sound like a plan?

    Last Friday I went down "the I" and picked up FOUR different Ka frequencies in one area. Sure enough...I spotted all four (3 SO and 1 FHP) bogies. Just when you think you have passed the last threat, you get a new frequency letting you know there is more AHEAD (not lingering behind). It's important to realize the first bogie would disappear on Expert Mode (maybe even the second). The display might show 2 signals when there are 4 distinct signals. Seeing 4 different frequencies is the only way to know. Spec Display (TEC Mode) is the way to go. :wink:

  8. #8
    Good Citizen
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    Jul 2005
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    Elkhart, IN
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AYZeRo7
    so you have a lot of conveince stores and stores with automatic doors espcially in elkhart, Indiana?
    Yes. The street I drive the most on is loaded with X and K doors. I have to use expert mode to watch as there's a vacant lot they like to sit in just before the CVS store. I've actually had 5 alerts showing several times when I've passed the CVS.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by goofy173
    Quote Originally Posted by AYZeRo7
    so you have a lot of conveince stores and stores with automatic doors espcially in elkhart, Indiana?
    Yes. The street I drive the most on is loaded with X and K doors. I have to use expert mode to watch as there's a vacant lot they like to sit in just before the CVS store. I've actually had 5 alerts showing several times when I've passed the CVS.
    goofy173, you'll get the same thing with the V1 and most if not all radar detectors.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by PHILBERT
    Quote Originally Posted by stealthJamal
    Unfortnately those X and K band doors are within the same frequency as the police radar. The more sensistive a detector is the more it will alert to the doors. If you know for sure the city doesn't use X(most don't except for a few areas of the country, some people will disagree) you could turn X off. K band you just have to use Expert mode display and learn the false areas. When a cop is around in the False area with K band, the X50 will display 2 k signals in expert mode.
    The problem with Expert Mode is the lack of identification. Spec Display is the only way to identify who is who (what is what).

    I live in an area that has a drug store on every corner (drugs are big business in Florida). Allot of them are using K band. The *BEEP* detector is always going off. But what I found out by reading the frequency is that allot of stores have more than one entrance, therefor you get more than one alert in Expert Mode. Many times I pick up more than one store in major intersection areas. I have picked up to FOUR different door openers at a time. By now I know the frequencies of most of my local stores. BUT HOW would you know if one of those multiple hits was a real threat on Expert Mode ? You CAN'T! So if you really want to discern what is legit from the noise around you, you must get to know the frequencies in use in the areas you often drive.

    Last Friday I went down "the I" and picked up FOUR different Ka frequencies in one area. Sure enough...I spotted all four (3 SO and 1 FHP) bogies. Just when you think you have passed the last threat, you get a new frequency letting you know there is more AHEAD (not lingering behind). It's important to realize the first bogie would disappear on Expert Mode (maybe even the second). The display might show 2 signals when there are 4 distinct signals. Seeing 4 different frequencies is the only way to know. Spec Display (TEC Mode) is the way to go. :wink:
    I agree with stealthjamal that expert mode is better. When using spec mode, the fequency is not accurate-it shows and gives you different frequencies in just one grocery store or suparmarket store and when you compare it in the expert mode setting, it only shows one bogey. K band frequency with auto door openers range from 24.116, 24.132,24.150(same with police radar frequency) and 24.166. If you look at the frequency of the ones i mentioned, most police radar k band units are in the 24.150 frequency and it can fool you to think it's just an auto door opener. With regards to Ka band, you don't have to think twice about the alert because most Ka alerts are true alerts. In expert mode, you go by the signal strength and number of bogeys.

    One thing i've noticed about using spec mode is that, it even changes frequency. I encountered a state police with constant on in Ka band in spec mode showing 35.5.. and did an experiment. I turned off my X50 and turned it on after a few seconds. What showed next on the display was a different frequency than it showed the first time. You may also try it and see if it does the same thing with constant on. I have been doing some testing on using spec mode and have posted it on the board. In my experience, most false alerts are usually in the intersection with traffic lights and you don't speed much in these areas anyway. I only switch to spec mode if i need to check the frequency of what LEO is using. By knowing what frequency they are using, you can pretty much tell what brand of radar guns they are using and that to me is what the spec mode is for IMHP because each brand of police radar guns use different frequency and use different tuning forks - you can't use a tuning fork used by MPH to test your kustom brand radar.

 

 

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