GPS mirror - why user input alert, and not user input mute??

[GTRstikya]

One of the main reasons I bought it was for the mute ability of false... mis-thinking it had user input MUTE ability.

Unfortunately it only mutes when under the chosen speed (F.A.S.T). I drive through a highway area, speed = 70mph, that has various falses for about 5 miles straight. Thus, FAST doesn't help at all. What I need is my STi to shut up in false areas.

The mirror has the ability to take user input GPS location and mark a spot for alerts,

WHY not take user GPS location input and MUTE falses????

It seems this would be a simple and incredible option to add to the already available user input feature. Best would be to mute the exact frequency, but at least mute the desired band.

Nearly all false alarms would go away..atleast on the daily commute-which is the most important anyway. This would make the mirror a "must have" for all radar users!!!!!!

[Beatlesfan]

I'd love that option to. My V1 would have the muting of a 9500i!

[allyoops]

I'd need to actually go and check out Escorts patent but I'm pretty sure they've got that feature protected. :cry:

To be fair, when we were designing this product three years ago we looked at the other feature you're talking about - a blanket muting of a band in a geographical area - and dismissed it as being too dangerous. The chances of muting out a genuine K Band threat are just too high to make the feature genuinely beneficial.

It's the kind of thing people think they want but when you get down the real world practicalities, it's just too risky. The feature would be fine until you got the first ticket. Then you'd be cursing.

[Beatlesfan]

I'd need to actually go and check out Escorts patent but I'm pretty sure they've got that feature protected. :cry:

To be fair, when we were designing this product three years ago we looked at the other feature you're talking about - a blanket muting of a band in a geographical area - and dismissed it as being too dangerous. The chances of muting out a genuine K Band threat are just too high to make the feature genuinely beneficial.

It's the kind of thing people think they want but when you get down the real world practicalities, it's just too risky. The feature would be fine until you got the first ticket. Then you'd be cursing.

That's very true. In my area the local LEOs use K band, and I don't even trust the GPS lock out of the 9500i. After thinking it through, I wouldn't want this feature. You're right, it's just too risky.

[allyoops]

Love your avatar, by the way.

That was a particularly good Top Gear piece. Funny, I'm just getting to that age when a bigger fancy sports bike is beginning to appeal. Hmm, I wonder if the Atom would do the same thing to my face as it did to Clarkson? (Sidebar - if you saw me in our recent Wireless Fitting Kit video I think you'd agree it would. )

[Beatlesfan]

Love your avatar, by the way.

That was a particularly good Top Gear piece. Funny, I'm just getting to that age when a bigger fancy sports bike is beginning to appeal. Hmm, I wonder if the Atom would do the same thing to my face as it did to Clarkson? (Sidebar - if you saw me in our recent Wireless Fitting Kit video I think you'd agree it would. )

Stay away from a bike! There's a reason we in the medical field call them donor cycles. Sure they're fun, but I remember wiping out on my pedal bike going maybe 10 MPH when I was a kid. I would hate to have the same happen at 80 MPH on a bike...I've been called to too many motorcycle accidents that were just horrible. On one call, the people in the car were shaken up but walked away. The guy on the bike was missing a lot of his brain. His helmet held most of his skull together though so it was easy to clean up.

The Atom costs more, but I'm sure it's a whole hell of a lot of fun to dive. You can buy them used from the atom website. Some even have V1s already installed on them.

[GTRstikya]

I'd need to actually go and check out Escorts patent but I'm pretty sure they've got that feature protected. :cry:

To be fair, when we were designing this product three years ago we looked at the other feature you're talking about - a blanket muting of a band in a geographical area - and dismissed it as being too dangerous. The chances of muting out a genuine K Band threat are just too high to make the feature genuinely beneficial.

It's the kind of thing people think they want but when you get down the real world practicalities, it's just too risky. The feature would be fine until you got the first ticket. Then you'd be cursing.

Granted the user would have to be very selective of it's use; but it would be very beneficial to rule out all the crappy Xs...which are most of my falses, and great for areas you know they use only Ka to rule out the K's. I would use the crap out of this feature. Now if you could get it at the exact frequency level, like Escort, that would be the big win!!

[allyoops]

Why don't you just disable X band alerts on the GPS mirror? I'm not completely sure but I didn't think X band was used around KCMO.

Go into the menu structure and press button 1 till you hear X band, then use button 2 or 3 to change the setting ("1" is on and "0" is off) then press button 4 to save.

That way you'll still see the tech display on the STi-driver light up when it picks up a signal but you won't get any X band warnings from the mirror.

The other thing you can do in a bad false area is to just press button 4. This swaps the unit between two modes. City Mute OFF - gives you the full voice plus tone alerts. City Mute ON just gives voice alerts and disables the tone part. It's a direct access button that's a great way of quietening down your detector quickly.

While you're at it, I'd recommend setting your Alert Speed at around 35 mph and if you want to disable the Overspeed alert completely you just set it for 255.

[allyoops]

You're going to notice the real benefit from our product later this year when the 12 new ATS red light cameras come to KCMO. That's when the product really comes into its own.

[GTRstikya]

You're going to notice the real benefit from our product later this year when the 12 new ATS red light cameras come to KCMO. That's when the product really comes into its own.

Oh, I'm definitely not disputing the benefit of the mirror and it's main purpose. I'm definitely keeping the mirror.

Why don't you just disable X band alerts on the GPS mirror? I'm not completely sure but I didn't think X band was used around KCMO. .

Right, in KC it's mostly Ka and laser, with some of the smaller suburbs (like Parkville) using K.

But, I don't want to kill X, as I travel through rural towns, to visit my family, as does my wife with her career. I don't want to have to remember to turn X off/on. The time I forget is when we'll roll through a small town and get nailed by Barney Fife.

The entire band kill at GPS location, seems like an easy feature to add to kill (mostly X's) on the normal daily commute. Users would just have to use it sparingly on K bands.

But why not add what seems like a simple option, and let people choose to utilize or not...

None of the police coutermeasures are full-proof...we all realize that, but we choose which features to use/ignore on all our equipment based on our preferences and tolerance for getting caught. The more flexibility you offer, the more people you will appeal to and thus sell to.

A second (lesser) option would be city mute for each band separately. Thus allowing minimal alerts for certain bands, and full alerts for other bands.

Also, a mute on the hard wire cord would be nice.

Bottom Line: Given too many false Xs (and some K's) is probably the number one complaint with most radar detectors, if you create options to alleviate that I believe you will increase the worth of the product far beyond being a great photo radar warning system.