need advice on concealed unit

**MichaelGrae** · 10-16-2010, 03:29 AM

Ok here is my situation. I have a 2011 bmw 750li because of the stupid windshield I have to go the concealed route. I have been reading the forums and they are certainly alot of different opinions. So these I guess are my options the 9500ci everybody seams to like it as a detector but some seem to question the jammers that come with it and prefer the laser interceptors. Now to pay 1600 for the unit and another 600 for the interceptors is alot of money. So my question is are the shifters that come with the 9500ci sufficient for everyday use or do I need the LI's. FYI I live in the New York Metro area. Now my other option that i figure I have is to get the passport QI45 and then get the li jammers, but my question is this will I regret not having the gps lockout the 9500 has especially since i do alot of urban driving. So i guess thats 3 options, 9500ci alone, 9500ci scrap the shifters that come with it and add laser interceptor, or qi45 with laser interceptor shifters. Your opinions will be greatly appreciated.

**ExoticRadar** · 10-16-2010, 05:08 AM

If you got the $$ and you press the speed limit laws.
Then the best combo would be the Bel STIR-Plus w/ LI Jammer
With this setup you have best of breed components bar none.

**nine_c1** · 10-16-2010, 06:25 AM

What ExoticRadar said!

The STi-R Plus is a remote M3 (like the 9500ci) with GPS and without the ZR4s.

Unlike the 9500ci, the STi-R Plus has Ka Band Segmentation and RDR (on/off options) that make this not only the most sensitive radar detector available, but also the quickest to respond to brief Instant On shots. This means you will not have to spend another $400 down the road for a V1 to cover your butt against LEOs pulling Quick Triggers with their radars.

Your looking at ~ $1200 - $1300 dollars if you can get your hands on an STi-R Plus (they are not sold here in the States), but you're not waisting any money on sub-par shifters you don't want and will have the best RD available with False Lockout capability.

**CJR238** · 10-16-2010, 08:26 AM

9500ci is really great, but the shifters wont consistently protect you across the board. Best full protection combo would be the 9500ci and add a set of LI's.

Many people run with just a RD and no jammers, especially if they don't see laser a lot. If you look at it this way a 9500ci may be just fine, and you can add LI's when you see the need.

**swarga** · 10-16-2010, 09:59 AM

I have a 9500ci, but if I had it to do over again I would buy an STI-R Plus instead for the reasons already stated.

**Hunter** · 10-16-2010, 10:19 AM

I personally would go the LI or Blinders route.

**swarga** · 10-16-2010, 10:28 AM

Dear Noob:

Don't start multiple threads on the same topic.

Thanks so much!!!!

**category4** · 10-16-2010, 05:22 PM

9500ci, scrap the ZR4's and add quad LI's. You just spent $80K on a car and you want to scrimp a few hundred on countermeasures?

Of course the other option is to drive the speed limit, it's free.

**Stealth Stalker** · 10-16-2010, 10:38 PM

The jammer question is the easy part. You MUST have at least an LI Quad to protect that car, and nothing less. Preferably, an LI HP Quad. And it must be PERFECTLY installed to work, not just however it looks best. End of story.

The detector question is a little more involved. If you kill X-band, you'll kill half of your false alerts. In Metro NYC proper, you can kill the rest of your false alerts by turning off K-band, without losing any except the rarest legitimate hit. It just doesn't seem that common in NYC anymore. For that, the STi-R+ (if you can find it) is probably the way to go.

The 9500ci is quieter in the city on your normal route, as it "learns" the false sources. But it is not any quieter on streets you don't regularly drive. So for a quieter commute, it's great. But for just general city driving, not on a regular route, it is much less useful. I feel you would be safer running the STi-R with bands turned off than the 9500ci, which has a tendency to lock out legitimate radar. And you won't be stuck with the Shifters that way.

I dunno if red light cameras are a significant threat to you, but if so, then you might want to invest in a Cheetah GPS or Escort SC55 GPS to mate with your remote detector for those warnings, same as you would get from a 9500ci.

Before I got too carried away with changing your current set-up, I would do some first-hand testing against a known radar source to be absolutely POSITIVE that the windshield is the problem. Don't take anyone's word for it. Test it. A used radar detector is always an unknown quantity.