Is the 975R Software Upgradable or not?

[Wardrobe_Malfunction]

I just called Beltronics to ask them whether there are any updates available for my remote 975R before I install it in my new car. The Bel rep insisted that the unit is not, and never was upgradable, even though I read this description to him right off the back of the box:

Software Upgradable - an industry first!

VECTOR LR Remote is the first detector with an eye on tomorrow. Flash Microcontroller Technology provides the highest capability to reprogram the detector's software as the threat of new traffic Radar monitoring technologies, such as Spread Spectrum, emerge. No other detector offers comparable technology to provide you with industry leading performance now, and into the future.

Then again, the guy also refused to believe me when I pointed out this detector contained the latest "M4" platform, and that the FCC ID number QL4G7M4R printed on my unit was just issued in October 2006.

So can anyone tell me if this unit is upgradable or not? And if it is, how can I get through to someone at Bel who will actually give me an informed answer about whether there are any updates available for mine?

[<<JAZZY>>]

Bel and Escort lie about their upgradeability every day.

See if you can find anybody that upgraded from the 7500 to the 7500s...There is nobody. See if you can find somebody that upgraded from the 7500s to the 8500...There is nobody. See if you can find somebody that upgraded from the 8500 to the 8500 X50...There is nobody. See if you can find somebody that upgraded from the 8500 X50 to the 9500i...There is nobody.

See if you can find somebody that upgraded their Valentine One from 1992-2007...It happens all the time!!

[insidercw3]

I just called Beltronics to ask them whether there are any updates available for my remote 975R before I install it in my new car. The Bel rep insisted that the unit is not, and never was upgradable, even though I read this description to him right off the back of the box:

Software Upgradable - an industry first!

VECTOR LR Remote is the first detector with an eye on tomorrow. Flash Microcontroller Technology provides the highest capability to reprogram the detector's software as the threat of new traffic Radar monitoring technologies, such as Spread Spectrum, emerge. No other detector offers comparable technology to provide you with industry leading performance now, and into the future.

Then again, the guy also refused to believe me when I pointed out this detector contained the latest "M4" platform, and that the FCC ID number QL4G7M4R printed on my unit was just issued in October 2006.

So can anyone tell me if this unit is upgradable or not? And if it is, how can I get through to someone at Bel who will actually give me an informed answer about whether there are any updates available for mine?

It is a shame that the Marketing folks can't seem to write new copy that actually makes sense for the product that they're selling. Upgradeability is over-rated and unnecessary in almost all cases. No one know's what the future holds but there doesn't seem to be any new RADAR technology on the cusp of the horizon just moments away from rendering any good detector obsolete.
You didn't buy your car believing that the maker could upgrade it into next year's model, or a model 5 years hence.
You bought the 975R because you wanted a remote unit for whatever reason, don't you belevie that the 975R works today? Did you buy it believing that maybe someday there will be an "upgrade" that will make it work better? If it doesn't work well enough now why would you buy it?
Upgradeability is a marketing myth, it is a sales pitch. When the V1 people read this keep your comments on the V1 forum. Valentine does "upgrade", but when your basic design hasn't changed in several years it is a bit easier.
There has been but one significant change in many years in the RADARand LIDAR threat and that change is basically LIDAR and it's been around for years. So what again is the need for upgrading?

[happya$$]

I just called Beltronics to ask them whether there are any updates available for my remote 975R before I install it in my new car. The Bel rep insisted that the unit is not, and never was upgradable, even though I read this description to him right off the back of the box:

Software Upgradable - an industry first!

VECTOR LR Remote is the first detector with an eye on tomorrow. Flash Microcontroller Technology provides the highest capability to reprogram the detector's software as the threat of new traffic Radar monitoring technologies, such as Spread Spectrum, emerge. No other detector offers comparable technology to provide you with industry leading performance now, and into the future.

Then again, the guy also refused to believe me when I pointed out this detector contained the latest "M4" platform, and that the FCC ID number QL4G7M4R printed on my unit was just issued in October 2006.

So can anyone tell me if this unit is upgradable or not? And if it is, how can I get through to someone at Bel who will actually give me an informed answer about whether there are any updates available for mine?

It is a shame that the Marketing folks can't seem to write new copy that actually makes sense for the product that they're selling. Upgradeability is over-rated and unnecessary in almost all cases. No one know's what the future holds but there doesn't seem to be any new RADAR technology on the cusp of the horizon just moments away from rendering any good detector obsolete.
You didn't buy your car believing that the maker could upgrade it into next year's model, or a model 5 years hence.
You bought the 975R because you wanted a remote unit for whatever reason, don't you belevie that the 975R works today? Did you buy it believing that maybe someday there will be an "upgrade" that will make it work better? If it doesn't work well enough now why would you buy it?
Upgradeability is a marketing myth, it is a sales pitch. When the V1 people read this keep your comments on the V1 forum. Valentine does "upgrade", but when your basic design hasn't changed in several years it is a bit easier.
There has been but one significant change in many years in the RADARand LIDAR threat and that change is basically LIDAR and it's been around for years. So what again is the need for upgrading?

Well if we go by this logic then why buy a new model or upgrade if radar technology has not changed in years? Why does VR offer "upgrades" and Belescort "new models"? For $$$$$$ that is and company survival. Both companies are doing the same thing the only difference is phylosophy/approach. It has gotten to the point where the only thing a new model or upgrade gets the cosumer is features. I personally want to see my dollars get me performance! :?

[insidercw3]

Personally I don't want to argue this issue, it's not worth the effort.
V1 upgrades have provided POP, less falsing, and what else I don't know.
Beltronics and Escort detectors change every couple of years and if you follow the history you can see that those companies are putting out new detectors with improved performance over past models.
Those companies are building new hardware into their detectors not just changing the software. When you change the hardware design it negates in almost all cases the ability to "upgrade" a previous model into the new hardware design. The software changes that have occured in the same "Belscort" model family of units, hasn't actually produced better performance, so best guess is the software changes are fixing bugs. GOL testing and the testing results of others hasn't included testing various software versions in Belscorts, so there isn't a lot of independent testing to verify the need for "upgrading" to the latest software. Yes, I've seen the Rev 5 vs Rev 6.1 ? or whatever postings concerning the X50s. But the accompanying "I think" it's better statements are not verified by testing, those are just opinions of performance and probably just as much due to the hype disease of "I have the most expensive" or " I have the newest" ergo it has to be better.
V1 set the performance standard many years ago, other companies have been trying to play catch up for a long time. Valentine Research has been able to sit back and provide design tweaks over the past several years because the V1 was at the top of the pure performance pile. Beltronics and Escort have been creeping up on the V1's performance edge.
The "Belscorts" haven't done that through "updates" to existing hardware, they have done that by redesigns every few years.
Worrying about updates isn't verified by actual test data, so if you have Rev 5.1 or 5.8 or 6.27 or who cares. Does it actually matter, did it matter when you bought the product? Updates are Marketing hype, sales pitches.
Sorry for the long post, no more about this from me. bye

[happya$$]

Personally I don't want to argue this issue, it's not worth the effort.
V1 upgrades have provided POP, less falsing, and what else I don't know.
Beltronics and Escort detectors change every couple of years and if you follow the history you can see that those companies are putting out new detectors with improved performance over past models.
Those companies are building new hardware into their detectors not just changing the software. When you change the hardware design it negates in almost all cases the ability to "upgrade" a previous model into the new hardware design. The software changes that have occured in the same "Belscort" model family of units, hasn't actually produced better performance, so best guess is the software changes are fixing bugs. GOL testing and the testing results of others hasn't included testing various software versions in Belscorts, so there isn't a lot of independent testing to verify the need for "upgrading" to the latest software. Yes, I've seen the Rev 5 vs Rev 6.1 ? or whatever postings concerning the X50s. But the accompanying "I think" it's better statements are not verified by testing, those are just opinions of performance and probably just as much due to the hype disease of "I have the most expensive" or " I have the newest" ergo it has to be better.
V1 set the performance standard many years ago, other companies have been trying to play catch up for a long time. Valentine Research has been able to sit back and provide design tweaks over the past several years because the V1 was at the top of the pure performance pile. Beltronics and Escort have been creeping up on the V1's performance edge.
The "Belscorts" haven't done that through "updates" to existing hardware, they have done that by redesigns every few years.
Worrying about updates isn't verified by actual test data, so if you have Rev 5.1 or 5.8 or 6.27 or who cares. Does it actually matter, did it matter when you bought the product? Updates are Marketing hype, sales pitches.
Sorry for the long post, no more about this from me. bye

No do not get me wrong please I am not trying to start a fight with you just sharing my frustrations. I have yet to see a perfromance jump justifying the cost to upgrade or buy a new model. I believe we have hit a point of diminishing returns a few years ago and it is frustrating. I do not feel like paying lots of $$$$$$$ just to have 100' of more detection on any band. I agree 100% that the performance gap has closed where the V1 is not clearly the winner on radar performance. Sorry if I came across to you as trying to start a fight.

[insidercw3]

happya$$, My intro sentence wasn't directed at you kind sir, it was universally applicable to all who are about to pick up the gauntlet and reply about the absolute need for updates.

[happya$$]

One more thing I want to add. If you look at this industry as a whole the last time we (consumer) have had a substantial jutified $$$ gain in radar performance was 7500 to 8500, V1 1.6 to 1.7. Here is what I think and this is just my opinion on what is going on in the industry. Manufacturers have hit a major roadblock in terms of getting substantial improvements in terms of sensitivity so everyone is throwing fancy features and fancy terms to make the consumer feel like a $200 "upgrade" or a $300, $400, $450 is justified spending. A manufacturer can throw all of the features and fancy terms at me about their new model or upgrade but I want to see a MAJOR perfroamnce gain in K and Ka bands. I will be the first one to tell you that I was thoroughly disapointed going from an 8500 to and 8500 X50 only to see K band improved while losing some Ka performance. I was also thoroughly disapointed going from V1.7 to V1.8 on my V1 to only see laser performacne improved. So anyone can spin it any way they like it but look at this industry's trend in the last few years. I want someone to show me a substantial leap in performance in the last 10 years to justify $$$$$$$ paid! All we have been spending our $$$ on have been features and fancy terms. Prove me wrong please.

[stealthJamal]

I will be the first one to tell you that wI was thoroughly disapointed going from an 8500 to and 8500 X50 only to see K band improved while losing some Ka performance.

Well said. I remember how extremely disapointed I was when I got my brand new X50 and it's 35.5 Ka performance was less than my original 8500 I was using! It really pissed me off since that is almost the only Ka frequency used in Virginia, I switched back to my orignal 8500 until I got the STi. I couldn't believe Escort would release a detector calling it "up to 50 times more sensitive on the all important K and Ka bands" only to have it suck on 35.5 Ka compared to my older 8500.

Seems like Belscort got it right with 35.5 on the STi.

[Wardrobe_Malfunction]

Manufacturers have hit a major roadblock in terms of getting substantial improvements in terms of sensitivity so everyone is throwing fancy features and fancy terms to make the consumer feel like a $200 "upgrade"...is justified spending.

Right, because they can't change the laws of physics. Radio waves and light beams only go so far before they diminish to zero. Once the technology exists to pick up the the smallest traces of those signals, there's not much more that can be done. You can't pick up zero even if you increase the sensitivity by 100x.

Receivers are so sensitive now that manufacturers might be able to tweak their fringe reception for small performance gains but that's about it. So the only things left for them to do is to improve falsing, make units more undetectable and add "features" like text, voice and laser jamming. And of course, come up with a concealed model that detects POP and is Spectre proof, unlike the one that's the subject of this thread.