Escort 9500Ci and STI-R

[Radar Roy]

I have received several PMs and Emails regarding the the performance of the STI-r compared to the 9500ci along with the undetectablility.

As I have both units and a Spectre III, I can say without question that both are totally undetectable.

As far as performance, I see no difference. Both offer great range, sensitivity, off axis detection.

Therefore it comes down to:
Choosing the 9500Ci over the STi-R because of its GPS capabilities and the ZR4 shifters or; choosing the STi-R to save a few dollars and doing without the GPS and Shifters.

In my review of both units, they each offer the best in radar detection over any other unit that I have ever tested.

Hope this helps...

[hockey005]

thx for the update Roy

[spider_55]

Is there any difference with the audio or visual ramp up?

[spider_55]

no comment?

[MEM-TEK]

Is there any difference with the audio or visual ramp up?

From what I could tell from Roy's video, the visual ramp-ups are identical between the 9500ci and the STi-R.

As far as the audio ramp-up goes...

Supposedly the STi-R audio ramp-up sucks, i.e., being basically the same as the two audio alert rates found in the standard STi. Escort on the other hand has improved the 9500ci's audio ramp-up to feature at least 5 distinct alert rates as I recall. The fact that the 9500ci has 5 distinct alert rates strongly suggests to me that the 9500ci is in fact using the same programmable chip for the audio tones and alert rates as is used in the STi and STi-R, but that Escort took that same chip and altered its programming. As far as I can tell, looking at the circuit board on my STi, the chip in question is NOT the main CPU chip.

Dang it! I had the chip number written down so that some of you electronics gurus could look it up and perhaps figure out its programming specs, but I have lost the sheet of paper. I guess I will have to open up my STi yet one more time to get the info again. I had to use a magnifying glass to read the chip info.

[hockey005]

MEM-TEK if u figure out a way to give the regular STi more ramp up tones please PM me because i will pay u to alter mine

[MEM-TEK]

Therefore it comes down to:
Choosing the 9500Ci over the STi-R because of its GPS capabilities and the ZR4 shifters or; choosing the STi-R to save a few dollars and doing without the GPS and Shifters.

Here is the way I see it (strictly looking at features only):

-- Both of these new remote models obviously offer outstanding radar performance, likely the equal of or somewhat surpassing the V1. Yet one shouldn't expect these remote models to be able to beat a dash mounted V1 every time since the dash mounted V1 has an obvious height advantage, being mounted on or above the dash.

-- The 9500ci is an all-in-one concealed remote install system where everything is integrated together for ease of installation.

-- Yet the 9500ci, by itself and without the ZR4 installed, does not have any laser detection capabilities.

-- The STi-R doesn't have the 9500ci's GPS lockout capabilities, but adds the ability of the user to turn off certain Ka band segments in order to somewhat further increase its sensitivity to USA Ka band radar.

-- The STi-R includes basic forward laser detection capabilities only, yet allows the owner to use the STi-R in conjunction with whatever other non-Escort brand of laser jammer which they choose to use in order to fully compliment the STi-R installation.

-- Both remote models are full remotely and concealed installed "road warrior" types of radar detectors.

-- Both models are completely immune to Spectre RDDs since both models use the exact same stealthed dual horn design found in the dash mount STi.

-- Both models feature improved K and Ka band performance compared to the dash mount STi. How this is done, I can not and will not disclose. Lets just say that the basic STi performance has been seriously tweaked.

-- Since both models use the same STi antenna design, it should be noted that the antenna is almost completely downward flared. Thus the antenna does not tolerate the front of the antenna being tilted below the horizontal plane. This is an important observation which installers should take note of when performing installations of either the 9500ci or the STi-R. If in doubt, leave the front of the antenna tilted 1 or 2 degrees upward, which actually would be more optimal if the remote antenna is mounted very low.

Well, those are my thoughts for what they are worth.

[djrams80]

I think the rampup for the 9500ci is identical to my 9500i, but since the 9500ci is more sensitive, it acts different.

[Virion]

MEM-TEK if u figure out a way to give the regular STi more ramp up tones please PM me because i will pay u to alter mine

Yeah, I'm sure alot of people would!

[MEM-TEK]

MEM-TEK if u figure out a way to give the regular STi more ramp up tones please PM me because i will pay u to alter mine

ROLF! If I was that good with electronics then, believe me, my standard STi already would have the ideal audio ramp-up fix, and I would have told all of you how to do it. I am dain bramaged with regards to electronics since I am a ME rather than a EE.

Dang everyone who blew off Esoterica because his posts became so very inflammatory. The dude found out that he likely had lung cancer, and this threw his world completely upside down. No wonder his posts went "beyond where no man has gone before." I, in his shoes, would have been in a grand funk too. Anyway, I bet that if I had sent him overlaid photos of both sides of my STi's circuit board, focusing on the audio portion of the electronics and the info about the programmable IC chip used to drive the audio, then he could have ripped the circuit apart as far as its design, dumped the existing programming for the audio chip, and figured out how to reprogram the audio chip as well.

Oh well. He isn't here anymore.