Now I'm a believer. Truelock doesn't work...

[GoHawks63]

I've been a supporter of this detector, but I just had an experience that has changed my mind.

Tonight I'm driving towards a K band source that I had previously locked out. The door openers at a local Walgreens.

As I'm heading towards the source, I see that my local police department has set up one of those stationary radar units. As I pass this drone, I notice that my 9500i is silent, but I have the spinning satellite icon, but looking in my rear view mirror, and I notice it's flashing my speed, but the detector remained silent.

"That's not right", I think to myself.

I immediately unlock the source.

Now I wonder if it's possible that the radar unit and the door opener are the same frequency. I put the 9500i in SPEC mode and pull up to the doors at the Walgreens.

24.124 is what flashes on the 9500i.

I then start heading towards the radar unit which is very near. As I approach, the display changes from a constant 24.124 warning, to 24.154.

Frequencies ARE NOT THE SAME.

I then go back to the Walgreens and as the 9500i again displays a 24.124 warning, I lock out the signal. Now I then drive the route again.

As I head towards the Walgreens, the 9500i is silent with the spinning icon.

I turn towards the radar unit. The icon is still spinning.

I approach the radar unit. Still silent, icon still spinning.

Radar unit indicates in bright red flashing numbers that I'm driving above the PSL, but the 9500i is still silent with the spinning icon. I get a sinking feeling.

As I'm just about to pass the radar unit, I unlock the signal, and the 9500i immediately screams out a K band warning at 24.151. Obviously a different frequency than the door openers.

Sooo this tells me the following.

My 9500i is locking more than just the locked out frequency. It leads me to believe that it's locking out the whole band.

My experience is contrary to Escorts demo on it's website. If an LEO was shooting K band radar in that vicinity, I would not get a warning.


So I will be calling Escort in the morning. I am past the 30 day trial period, but I obviously have a unit that does not work as advertised. Unless they have a fix for it, I don't want it anymore.

The main selling point of this detector is the Truelock/GPS features, and if they don't work, I don't think the 9500i is worth the $200 premium over the X50.

The auto dimming is OK, as well as the speed display, but again, not worth the premium considering that it has similar if not identical detection ranges as the X50.

The problem is that when my wife bought me this unit as a gift, we sold her old 6800 in a garage sale, and I gave her my old school 8500.

We just took a trip from the Chicago 'burbs to Toronto, Canada and back taking my our Land Cruiser which is my wife's daily driver and where the 8500 currently lives. During my U.S. driving, the 8500 performed very well, saving me a couple of times.

So, if they have a fix, fine. I'll play along. If they don't, I'm stuck having to get another detector. I guess I could consider a V1, but I HATE falsing detectors (Passport has spoiled me) and I don't know if I could live with that. I could get an X50. My Acura RL has blue gauge and interior lighting, so I might be inclined to get the blue X50 for uniformity.

Or I could go with a Bel.

Thoughts?

[KnightHawk]

The 9500i locks out other sources with the same or close frequencies as we have been reporting before. This is minor as long as you lock out sources in areas that are not of good use for traffic radar. I wouldn't worry about it and make sure you change your settings to A mode with automute enabled to deal with the false alert.

[Arashi666]

oh and BTW the premium over an X50 is 150............ around 100 if its a Blue X50 :wink:

[GoHawks63]

The 9500i locks out other sources with the same or close frequencies as we have been reporting before. This is minor as long as you lock out sources in areas that are not of good use for traffic radar. I wouldn't worry about it and make sure you change your settings to A mode with automute enabled to deal with the false alert.

In that scenario though, is that was an LEO, I would of been compromised. If the difference was 124/128, I could understand, but this was 124/154. Too much of a difference in my opinion.

[statusquo]

Now is the time for Escort to step up and give the owner's a update via USB to tighten the range to the Trulock up.

Maybe +/- .010 would be better? Seems yours is more than +/- .025 which is way too much.

[thestaton]

if anything you can sell it on eBay and get your money back. or you could return it if you are in the 30 day window.

I HIGHLY recommend you give a Bel STi a shot. I've had every high end radar detector and I'm in love with the STi.

If I had to rate my favorites...

1. STI
2. V1
3. 8500 or x50
4. 9500i
5. RX-65

best o luck.

[GoHawks63]

They're exchanging it, although the initial conversation didn't start off on the right foot.

I'm giving you an extremely condensed version.

I called tech support and pretty much explained the situation as mentioned above.

She then told me that those radar units aren't calibrated and you'll hardly if ever get a warning from those.

WTF??? (was what I was thinking)

I explained that yes I did get a warning ONLY AFTER I unlocked the previously locked signal. (This took several attempts for her to get it)

She then said, "Well that's not what you originally said". :?

She then offered to exchange the unit. When I asked if there have been any revisions, she did mention that there has been an update from the early units, but she couldn't or wouldn't be more specific than that. Mine was purchased around February 22.

They then transferred me over to sales. Since they won't send me a replacement until they receive the old one, I have to purchase one, and then they'll credit me for the other one if I don't want to go without a detector.

The sales associate was much more apologetic. When I asked her if this new one was a different revision, she stated that they're constantly updating the components, but couldn't be more specific than that.

So we'll see.

[jwardell]

The fact that it picked up the sign and reported its frequency shows that it was separately detecting it and it was NOT one of the signs that is "out of tune." They should not have presented that argument.

Thank you for giving us this accurate report. I hope when you get the new one you can put it through the same test. Perhaps you can take video of it too.

This issue is clearly just software. Escort needs to fix it immediately. I don't know how anyone can recommend the 9500 until they do.

[Yokhannan]

This is exactly why I've decided to run my 9500i in "Highway" at all times, and NEVER use the lockout system.

In essence I've just removed 99% of the "cool factor" of the 9500i -- but cool features + ticket != Kool !!

Frankly, I am ashamed of this RD and it was a 100% directly result of my buying a V1 within the same week I bought the 9500i.

I will continue to run the 9500i in areas I can be SURE I am not going to get nailed by a LEO, but when it comes to "trusting" this RD.... no way. Not Yet.

[ES13Raven]

I have spoken to an Escort engineer about this, and the higher-ups at Escort do know about this problem.

They are working on a solution, but for now I do not suggest locking out any signals in areas you could possibly be over the PSL.

The best thing 9500i owners can do is call / email and report this issue.