Veil Guy's Review of the Escort Passport 9500i

**statusquo** · 02-15-2007, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Deputy

statusquo: Thanks for the details on that chip. Knew someone had details about it. HEY!! You DO realize that there is a surcharge on using my quotes in your sig line

Dep...charges $5 per memorable quote

Check's in the mail. :wink:

**Deputy** · 02-15-2007, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by statusquo

Originally Posted by Deputy

statusquo: Thanks for the details on that chip. Knew someone had details about it. HEY!! You DO realize that there is a surcharge on using my quotes in your sig line

Dep...charges $5 per memorable quote

Check's in the mail. :wink:

LOL...

Dep

**M_Six** · 02-17-2007, 02:07 PM

Good review. But I have two concerns. One, has Escort solved the laser falsing around airports? I sold my older 8500 because it falsed so much I though it was dying. I bought the X50 and it falses as well. It stays in nearly constant laser alert mode for about a mile before and after I pass a local airport. It does the same thing anywhere within a mile of the airport in Indianapolis. That area is heavily patrolled, but my $300 Escort is useless to me during that time. I'd be really po'd if I spent $450 and had the same problem.

Secondly, where is the GPS antenna located? I also have a BMW (740iL) and it has an IR coating on the windshield. There's a window in the coating low on the windshield and centered where I mount my X50. But the area directly above the X50 is coated. I know from experience with another GPS system I have that the signals will not pass through the coating. I would think a similar problem would be encountered by those folks who mount their detectors very high on the windshield. The roof of the car may block the GPS antenna, so location of the antenna would be critical. (EDIT: After more reading here, it appears high mounting is not an issue.)

Another concern about anything which calculates speed by GPS is whether or not that data is stored for any amount of time. If so, the very tool you buy to help you avoid tickets could end up "testifying" against you. I'll be very interested to see how much access the software gives you to data.

**lordhamster** · 02-17-2007, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by M_Six

Good review. But I have two concerns. One, has Escort solved the laser falsing around airports? I sold my older 8500 because it falsed so much I though it was dying. I bought the X50 and it falses as well. It stays in nearly constant laser alert mode for about a mile before and after I pass a local airport. It does the same thing anywhere within a mile of the airport in Indianapolis. That area is heavily patrolled, but my $300 Escort is useless to me during that time. I'd be really po'd if I spent $450 and had the same problem.

Secondly, where is the GPS antenna located? I also have a BMW (740iL) and it has an IR coating on the windshield. There's a window in the coating low on the windshield and centered where I mount my X50. But the area directly above the X50 is coated. I know from experience with another GPS system I have that the signals will not pass through the coating. I would think a similar problem would be encountered by those folks who mount their detectors very high on the windshield. The roof of the car may block the GPS antenna, so location of the antenna would be critical. (EDIT: After more reading here, it appears high mounting is not an issue.)

Another concern about anything which calculates speed by GPS is whether or not that data is stored for any amount of time. If so, the very tool you buy to help you avoid tickets could end up "testifying" against you. I'll be very interested to see how much access the software gives you to data.

Given the limited amount of memory on the detector, I'd be very surprised if it stored speed or average speed records.
That being said, I've never heard of anyone's GPS navigation system being subpoenaed for such records.

**M_Six** · 02-17-2007, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by lordhamster

Given the limited amount of memory on the detector, I'd be very surprised if it stored speed or average speed records.
That being said, I've never heard of anyone's GPS navigation system being subpoenaed for such records.

Not yet, but black boxes are becoming the norm in cars and car rental agencies have been known to use GPS data to charge renters extra for speeding. My point is, if you are involved in an accident, whether it's your fault or not, any evidence the police find will most likely be used against you. Better to know ahead of time where such evidence may be acquired.

**nascar** · 02-17-2007, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by M_Six

Good review. But I have two concerns. One, has Escort solved the laser falsing around airports? I sold my older 8500 because it falsed so much I though it was dying. I bought the X50 and it falses as well. It stays in nearly constant laser alert mode for about a mile before and after I pass a local airport. It does the same thing anywhere within a mile of the airport in Indianapolis. That area is heavily patrolled, but my $300 Escort is useless to me during that time. I'd be really po'd if I spent $450 and had the same problem.

Newark International is not close but not all that far from me. I have had the same Laser experience there as you. So I am curios as well. I will try to get over there this week to see what happens. I know I will be in the area next Friday for sure.

Originally Posted by M_Six

Secondly, where is the GPS antenna located? I also have a BMW (740iL) and it has an IR coating on the windshield. There's a window in the coating low on the windshield and centered where I mount my X50. But the area directly above the X50 is coated. I know from experience with another GPS system I have that the signals will not pass through the coating. I would think a similar problem would be encountered by those folks who mount their detectors very high on the windshield. The roof of the car may block the GPS antenna, so location of the antenna would be critical. (EDIT: After more reading here, it appears high mounting is not an issue.)

The 9500i uses the new GPS chip set; SiRF III. I am not sure how it will work in your car but it is the best at quickly acquiring and it has never dropped out on me yet.

**statusquo** · 02-18-2007, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by M_Six

Another concern about anything which calculates speed by GPS is whether or not that data is stored for any amount of time. If so, the very tool you buy to help you avoid tickets could end up "testifying" against you. I'll be very interested to see how much access the software gives you to data.

If you own a late model car, the car's computer already does that and is far more accessible for legal purposes.

I wouldn't worry about the detector being used to store data against you, imo.

**M_Six** · 02-18-2007, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by statusquo

If you own a late model car, the car's computer already does that and is far more accessible for legal purposes.

I wouldn't worry about the detector being used to store data against you, imo.

I mentioned that. The whole black box issue is going to change the auto insurance industry. As soon as black boxes become the norm and the data becomes accessible by the insurance industry, you'll start seeing claims denied for speeding infractions regardless of who's at fault in the accident. "Sorry, you were doing 60 in a 55 just prior to the accident. Claim denied." I can hear them now.

And I agree with you, the danger from the detector is probably slim to none. Still, I'd like to know exactly what data, if any, gets stored. And if the GPS device itself is trackable. Knowledge is good.

**piconut** · 02-22-2007, 11:12 AM

Has anyone found a place to upload/share GPS marked locations exported out of the Passport 9500i so that when traveling to another city, we know when to be more careful of our driving habits?

I checked the Passport_9500i Yahoo group, but that group is so new that no one has shared any uploaded waypoints yet. It seems like there should be some place that we can share our data.