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View Full Version : What's wrong here? Or is it me?


Surgeon
02-07-2005, 04:08 PM
For some reason, I'm starting to doubt the sensitivity of my X50. No, I'm not opening the door for X50 bashing by all of you V1 owners. I just think mine 'might' be a little defective...but I'm not sure because it's my first radar detector ever. So, bear with me and let me know if this is normal.

Today, while I was sitting at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green, I noticed a cop car pull off a side street about 500 feet up. When I saw him, I immediately turned to look at my radar detector because I didn't hear any beeping. Right then, it started to beep a weak K signal (1/9). As the cop pulled onto the road in front of me and started to drive away from me, the signal got stronger (4-6/9) until it began to die out as he crested a hill and finally disappeared.

For starters, he was obviously using moving radar but the question was in what direction? My guess is that he'd be using it pointing forward with the microwaves leaving the front of his car and continuing out in front of him. If he was using it pointing out the back, my signal should've been 9/9 from that distance when he started driving away....plus it makes no sense for him to just be driving like that.

So that begs the question, why didn't I detect him before I saw him? Hell, I was detecting him moving forward with his radar pointing forward and I was behind him...so why not? I find it hard to believe that he turned his radar on right at that moment. The road that he was pulling from was perpedicular to my road but I think I should still detect him with the "mighty" X50. It makes me think twice about being secure in the city with a radar detector because a cop could pull off a side road at any minute....EVEN WITH CONSTANT ON and I wouldn't detect him until I saw him.

One more question...if I drive in "highway" mode in the city, shouldn't I get false alarms like crazy or does it still filter? Doesn't make sense to me that it would still filter but I don't get falses like crazy....in fact, they don't seem any different than driving with "auto."

Anybody have any thoughts on this or could help me out with this?
jimbonzzz
02-07-2005, 04:20 PM
I don't have an X50, but from what it sounds like, if he was using front radar, he never had it pointed right at you. In all cases here, you would be relying on reflections for an alert. It sounds like he was in front of you off to the side, and then in front of you. To me, the 4-6 alert when he was ahead of you seems reasonable. As to why you didn't detect him when he was off to the side, since it wasn't pointed directly at you, "reflections" would be needed for you to detect him, maybe in this situation there just werent any. Maybe he had his range turned down for use in the city. And who knows, maybe he did turn on his radar right then...
Just my thoughts.

Jim
stealthJamal
02-07-2005, 04:21 PM
My first 2 X50's were defective. I ended up talking to some high up guy that doesn't usually talk to customers when I was having problems with my second X50. He assured me that I was the first person that has had so much trouble and that it is rare that people have problems at all with the X50. He sent me a 3rd detector which has been working great. He also gave me a 3 year warranty (extended service plan) for free and made sure that I didn't pay the postage for shipping the damn detectors back forth to Escort.

So if it happened to me, it could happen to you but it's not likely.
Surgeon
02-07-2005, 04:33 PM
My first 2 X50's were defective. I ended up talking to some high up guy that doesn't usually talk to customers when I was having problems with my second X50. He assured me that I was the first person that has had so much trouble and that it is rare that people have problems at all with the X50. He sent me a 3rd detector which has been working great. He also gave me a 3 year warranty (extended service plan) for free and made sure that I didn't pay the postage for shipping the damn detectors back forth to Escort.

So if it happened to me, it could happen to you but it's not likely.

Thank you both. What was wrong with your first two X50's and how is the third one any better?
stealthJamal
02-07-2005, 04:38 PM
I ordered it directly from Escort.

The first one falsed on POP like crazy and the Ka range was suspect. (worked when it wanted to) It also had scratches on the back of it.

My second one the POP falsed like crazy and the damn thing went into "self cal" mode like 4 times. This one was sent in for service twice and the last time I got it back it would freeze during the start up sequence.

Third one has worked great and it is very rare the POP falses. Also, it has not gone into "self cal" mode.
Surgeon
02-07-2005, 04:44 PM
Yeah, mine's never gone into self-cal mode and I only had about 2 false POP's when I used it with "pop on" for a week. Decided to turn it off because I don't think they use it here in Massachsetts. Plus, it's never frozen on me. So, maybe my detector isn't faulty.

But, that leaves one more question...If I use highway mode in the city, shouldn't I get falses like crazy? Or does it still filter? Doesn't make sense to me that it would still filter.
Iknox
02-07-2005, 06:49 PM
My X50 works great and i had that happen to me i was driving behind a state troop for 5 plus miles didnt even know till he pulled over to the side and turned on his radar i really wish they had a cop detector lol no not a scanner
sethy
02-07-2005, 07:08 PM
IM with jim on this one. I doubt he had is radar on in the direction you were.
SETITOFF
02-08-2005, 07:52 AM
But, that leaves one more question...If I use highway mode in the city, shouldn't I get falses like crazy? Or does it still filter? Doesn't make sense to me that it would still filter]

Even in HWY mode in the city there will be filtering depending upon what other functions you may or may not have set.

I have a Cobra 9400, always set on HWY mode and even in the city of Fairfax, VA it filters some auto-door openers after detecting it once. I'm impressed with how it's performing so far.

At 2a.m. Sunday night I was rolling down I-66, just coming off I-495, took the unit off the dash because I had just passed an unmarked(UM), then put it back up after the UM turned off; no sooner than I did, about 1/2mi out it started chirping KA, I turned it off again, went from 70mph -60mph and there was a marked VSHP on the right shoulder in a deep curve, lights off radar on. His partner was about 2mi futher up already engaged in soliciting a donation for the policeman's ball.
sethy
02-08-2005, 08:32 AM
If I use highway mode in the city, shouldn't I get falses like crazy? Or does it still filter? Doesn't make sense to me that it would still filter

With highway mode an it will not filter, it reports all alerts. I have my x50 on Auto and I pick up instant-on radar about 1/2 mile
SETITOFF
02-08-2005, 08:53 AM
I was trying to quote Surgeon there, Sethy. As I said earlier,
even in HWY mode there will be some filtering depending upon what other functions are set in.
COBEL
02-08-2005, 10:41 AM
Do any areas have radar detector clubs where guys like Jim show up with their guns and everyone gets to test their equipment? If not that might be fun and informative. Instead we have to learn on the "live" range or from the professional test range writeups.
SETITOFF
02-08-2005, 11:08 AM
Not a bad idea, so long as we don't gather in VA...lol