EaterofWorlds
07-17-2005, 10:37 PM
All right... here's my situation. Anyone knowledgable, please tell me what you think. I need to know if I actually have an Escort Passport 8500 X50 and not an imposter.
A really good friend on myh father's purchased an RMR Product. At the time, I had no idea of the scandal with RMR. Here's the weird thing - he was sent an Escort Passport 8500 X50 free of charge. He had no idea what to do with it, and no one wanted the Escort. So, he asked my father who turned to me and asked if I wanted an Escort Passpoirt 8500 X50 for $125!!! Well I, just having purchased a new '05 Mustang GT, jumped at the chance to purchase a $400 detector for a little over $100 bucks!!!
My dad's friend brought it over, and it was in the right box. It came with a beautiful black case and the instruction manual. Everything down to the suction cups was brand spanking new. I read the instruction booklet and went over everything so I knew how to operate it. Even ripped out the quick reference card they have in the front of the manual. I mounted the Escort in the center of my windshield, about 6 - 7 inches above my dashboard.
When I power it up, the detector goes through this cycle: it says Passport, then 8500 X50, then it goes through all the bands (K, Ka, X, Laser) and then it shows an X band reading at full alert and then down to nothing. Then if my POP detection is on it says POP ON. Then it goes to whatever mode it is currently in. Is this the regular power up? From the videos I've watched, the tones of the detector are right.
Now here's the weird thing - I really haven't run into many speed traps yet, so I'm not 100% sure of this thing's detection range. There is a constant K-Band speed sign by my g/f's house, but it's at the top of a hill around a turn, so the Escort won't pick it up until I'm near the top of the hill and about .2 miles away from it. Should it be picking it up further away, like a faint signal at the bottom of the hill? Also, as SOON as I pass it... like maybe 300 feet, it's gone. Seems like there's almost no rear detection, although I don't know for sure. I have no other place I know for sure there's constant radar operating. I have passed by some cops on highways/roads... even had a few overtake me from the rear... never a peep from my detector. Of course, the cops could have just been not running radar. I know this thing doesn't detect cops, only radar/laser, but I've driven over 500 highway miles and never encountered a speed trap... seems a little weird to me. Maybe the Escort isn't picking it up? It picks up very faint signals like motion detectors at shopping centers and places of business, though. This of course only further confuses me.
I guess what's really weirding me out is that I never have those mile long detections everyone is always talking about. It's always a faint signal, then quickly up to a mid-high signal, then back down to nothing again. All in the space of about .2 - .3 miles. I almost want to hire a cop to see if this thing works, lol.
Anyway, are there any cases of fake Escorts flying around? Like some built by RMR or something? Because this thing, if it's fake, is PERFECT. Looks exactly like the real thing, came in the right case, etc. It just seems like I've been driving WAY too long not to have encountered a speed trap in NJ. Should I take it to an Escort dealer and see if this thing needs fixing? If so, anyone have any reccomendation for NJ?
Also, how do you check what Rev. (3 or 5) this thing is? I tried holding down all three buttons (City, Dim, Mute) but that did nothing.
Sorry for all the questions... I'm new here. :(
A really good friend on myh father's purchased an RMR Product. At the time, I had no idea of the scandal with RMR. Here's the weird thing - he was sent an Escort Passport 8500 X50 free of charge. He had no idea what to do with it, and no one wanted the Escort. So, he asked my father who turned to me and asked if I wanted an Escort Passpoirt 8500 X50 for $125!!! Well I, just having purchased a new '05 Mustang GT, jumped at the chance to purchase a $400 detector for a little over $100 bucks!!!
My dad's friend brought it over, and it was in the right box. It came with a beautiful black case and the instruction manual. Everything down to the suction cups was brand spanking new. I read the instruction booklet and went over everything so I knew how to operate it. Even ripped out the quick reference card they have in the front of the manual. I mounted the Escort in the center of my windshield, about 6 - 7 inches above my dashboard.
When I power it up, the detector goes through this cycle: it says Passport, then 8500 X50, then it goes through all the bands (K, Ka, X, Laser) and then it shows an X band reading at full alert and then down to nothing. Then if my POP detection is on it says POP ON. Then it goes to whatever mode it is currently in. Is this the regular power up? From the videos I've watched, the tones of the detector are right.
Now here's the weird thing - I really haven't run into many speed traps yet, so I'm not 100% sure of this thing's detection range. There is a constant K-Band speed sign by my g/f's house, but it's at the top of a hill around a turn, so the Escort won't pick it up until I'm near the top of the hill and about .2 miles away from it. Should it be picking it up further away, like a faint signal at the bottom of the hill? Also, as SOON as I pass it... like maybe 300 feet, it's gone. Seems like there's almost no rear detection, although I don't know for sure. I have no other place I know for sure there's constant radar operating. I have passed by some cops on highways/roads... even had a few overtake me from the rear... never a peep from my detector. Of course, the cops could have just been not running radar. I know this thing doesn't detect cops, only radar/laser, but I've driven over 500 highway miles and never encountered a speed trap... seems a little weird to me. Maybe the Escort isn't picking it up? It picks up very faint signals like motion detectors at shopping centers and places of business, though. This of course only further confuses me.
I guess what's really weirding me out is that I never have those mile long detections everyone is always talking about. It's always a faint signal, then quickly up to a mid-high signal, then back down to nothing again. All in the space of about .2 - .3 miles. I almost want to hire a cop to see if this thing works, lol.
Anyway, are there any cases of fake Escorts flying around? Like some built by RMR or something? Because this thing, if it's fake, is PERFECT. Looks exactly like the real thing, came in the right case, etc. It just seems like I've been driving WAY too long not to have encountered a speed trap in NJ. Should I take it to an Escort dealer and see if this thing needs fixing? If so, anyone have any reccomendation for NJ?
Also, how do you check what Rev. (3 or 5) this thing is? I tried holding down all three buttons (City, Dim, Mute) but that did nothing.
Sorry for all the questions... I'm new here. :(