Truelock gets me again!

[djrams80]

Well, in light of all of the above, it should be obvious why Escort decided to make Truelock an automatic function on their new 9500ci since me and a lot of other people were "over thinking" and incorrectly using the 9500i's Truelock by driving right up to door openers.

I have not manually locked out anything on my 9500ci. I have let the autolock feature do all the work. This feature seems to work perfectly.

[mswlogo]

What the heck is the autolockout feature?

I agree with the tone of these threads, you really have to be dedicated using the software etc. rechecking etc. that you have a valid bunch of lockouts. This requires WAY too much work for me. It can be done right but I think you have to go to the level that MEM-TEK describes to make it work right.

It could be MUCH more automated like I said in other posts. Could be all done with in detector to create a "confidence" level for each lock out. By putting it in lockout capture mode and collect data for days and only keep the consistent positions and frequencies.

This could be done with smarter external software. Or semi manually with the current software.

[CJR238]

Initially I would pull up to a shopping center, lock out the location, and then drive through the shopping center to be sure that the 9500i saw all of the door openers by driving really close to all of the door openers. Unfortunately this method automatically caused my 9500i to set the lockout radius to a huge 1/2 mile radius, and the really strong signals from the door openers caused the 9500i to lock out frequency chunks which it shouldn't have. I also did some thinking about any problems with the notion of driving right up to door openers before locking them out. I realized (especially after The Professor mentioned that there was some data for each lockout location which he wasn't sure about) that the 9500i must also be storing information about what size of lockout radius to use based on the intensity of the locked out falses,

I remember when a few people first suggested driving right up to the false to create a more accurate location. Sure the GPS location was more accurate, and sure it could help avoid locking out of other falses but in most cases, if not all cases, its not necessary.

I too found that if the signal when initiated is more than 1/2 the full visual alert, the lock out radius is made to be up to ~1/2mi depending on how long it holds on to the false. Also if the false is very strong and overflows into another 30MHz block (ghosting) it can/will lock out more 30mhz blocks.
If you noticed in Escorts manual for the 9500ci it states a 1/2mi lock out radius. I guess they figured they should let people know the max lock out radius.

I only drive right into the shopping center and lock out and pass by all the falses if I want the hole shopping center quiet. Yes the lock out radius will be bigger but so is the area i want quiet.

and that driving up to the door openers potentially could be overloading the 9500i's antenna so that it was incorrectly locking out some additional frequency chunks.

Absolutely agree. As we all know "Ghosting", or an over flow of radar can make Escort and even the V1 think there is more signals than what there actually is. This causes more than the 1 30MHz block to be locked out.

Th

anks to The Professor's software, I also discovered that the 9500i seems to temporarily store info about the locations of weak X or K signals detected fairly close by each locked out location. If the 9500i sees these same weak signals on subsequent occasions, then the 9500i automatically adds these weak signals to the lockout list, usually with their own independent GPS location relative to the the GPS location of the fairly nearby door openers which I had locked out. From what I can tell, the 9500i does subsequently "learn" about each locked out location. Thus it doesn't seem to be at all necessary to "get close" to the door openers in order to be "sure" that the 9500i is seeing all of the door openers which you want to lock out. The 9500i seems to handle this stuff automatically after a few subsequent passes by the locked out location.
Well, in light of all of the above, it should be obvious why Escort decided to make Truelock an automatic function on their new 9500ci since me and a lot of other people were "over thinking" and incorrectly using the 9500i's Truelock by driving right up to door openers.

None of my 3 9500I's added lock out points, weak or storing, unless I did it my self or the 9500I was recording signals.
TrueLock is much simpler than what Escort makes us believe. All TrueLock is doing when you hit the mute button 3 times is make a lock out of 1/10 to 1/2mi depending on strength of false and how many is sees.

The only time it’s a good option to drive up to the falses is to lock out a whole shopping center with many falses because you frequently shop there. Or if you only want to lock out 1 false within multiples using some of my TrueLock tricks.

[CJR238]

What the heck is the autolockout feature?

Could be all done with in detector to create a "confidence" level for each lock out. By putting it in lockout capture mode and collect data for days and only keep the consistent positions and frequencies.

This could be done with smarter external software. Or semi manually with the current software.

That’s what auto lockout is in the 9500ci, it captures all the falses and only keeps the consistent ones.

[mswlogo]

That’s what auto lockout is in the 9500ci, it captures all the falses and only keeps the consistent ones.

You mean they actually figured out how to do right and introduced a new product 3-4 times the price. I didn't realize the ci had this feature.

There is no reason the 9500i couldn't do this (even if assisted) from PC software.

I notice they already offer database updates as of june 1st. What what about us beta testers that helped fund the the 9500ci?

I feel like we've been screwed, big time.

[CJR238]

You mean they actually figured out how to do right and introduced a new product 3-4 times the price. I didn't realize the ci had this feature.

There is no reason the 9500i couldn't do this (even if assisted) from PC software.

I notice they already offer database updates as of june 1st. What what about us beta testers that helped fund the the 9500ci?

I feel like we've been screwed, big time.

Tel me about it, Escort should send me a Free 9500ci. Now that the software for the 9500I should be available the end of summer who knows what Escort might enable us to do.

[RadarKid]

before you all go and hang me for being "inexperienced" locking **** out - first realize that I drive this route EVERY DAY two times a day MON - FRI and often on SAT/SUN.
Its taken a few times going by the center from the road to lock out the auto door sensors which are at several different stores (Stop & Shop, Bennys, etc. etc etc) running both X and K band.

It's been silent for a while now...and its one of the handful of locations that I EXPECT to be blocked everytime I pass since its such a known false area, and always look at the detector to see if its blocking it. This night, it alerted to a weak X band signal, at the exact same location that it always started at, and I couldnt see a cop in sight until I passed her.

Regardless, it was a mistake....

I did however get the same type of signal today in another area, that normally is locked out passing a HOME DEPOT. Its also Kband. As I passed the location, the detector alerted once or twice to a weak Kband. I assumed there must be a cop nearbye also, and therefore resisted the temptation to lock again. As I approached a stop sign, tucked back about 400ft I saw a LEO sitting and watching. Unfortunately, what scares me is at this point I was now in DIRECT view of the front of the LEO (and passed where the Home Depot alerts can ever reach from experience), and the K band alert while directly in front of him went to a spinning signal letting me know it was blocking a signal. I was beyond where the Home Depot false has ever reached (past the back of the building), and theres no other falses in that neighborhood.

I'm 99% sure it locked out the LEO. Very frustrating. I really wish I'd pulled up to the officer and asked flat out, "are you using Kband right now?"

It pissed me off all day at work realizing that I could've stopped and asked to be sure.
I doubt they'd have had a problem telling me if I explained why I was asking.
But anyway...its made me 2nd guess using the TrueLock. Perhaps I'll just unlock everything and stick to Auto mode with Pop off.

[CJR238]

Perhaps I'll just unlock everything and stick to Auto mode with Pop off.

I'm assuming you unlocked the area that had the LEO you locked out?

Maybe its the LEO you locked out before.

As all of us have said before you need to way your threat risk scenario for each time you lock out. If its in a parking lot who cares, but if its a place you regularly speed, and there is a false, and LEO's sit there, don't lock it out if your concerned.
I know i have said this before but, read my 9500I thread and make a threat assessment for each of your lock out areas according to my "threat/risk scenarios" if you follow this everything will just be fine.

There is no need to just totally give up on TrueLock, use it wisely and you will be fine. Or like you said Auto mode will do just fine, plus you can still lock out the shopping centers and high traffic areas you couldn't speed in anyway.

[RadarKid]

I'm assuming you unlocked the area that had the LEO you locked out?

Maybe its the LEO you locked out before.

As all of us have said before you need to way your threat risk scenario for each time you lock out. If its in a parking lot who cares, but if its a place you regularly speed, and there is a false, and LEO's sit there, don't lock it out if your concerned.
I know i have said this before but, read my 9500I thread and make a threat assessment for each of your lock out areas according to my "threat/risk scenarios" if you follow this everything will just be fine.

There is no need to just totally give up on TrueLock, use it wisely and you will be fine. Or like you said Auto mode will do just fine, plus you can still lock out the shopping centers and high traffic areas you couldn't speed in anyway.

yea, I know...its just disappointing when it seemed to blantantly obvious it was blocking out the LEO

[MEM-TEK]

before you all go and hang me for being "inexperienced" locking **** out...

Nobody is trying to hang ya. I enjoyed reading your post since I have "been there." Believe it or not, I too did the exact same thing which you describe. You should have heard the cuss words coming out of my mouth when I saw the patrol car which I had just merrily locked out! I can get fired up cussing anything and everything just as good as any sailor. I even cuss in different languages too on occasion. I am normally quite reserved, but when I do get my gander up, my cussing episodes can be quite a show!