just purchased an escort 8500 x50

[TomOC01]

hey everyone, i'm new to this site, and i just purchased an escort 8500 x50 two days ago. I have 2 questions...
1) what are the optimum settings for my radar (i live in southern california)

and

2) Twice i have driven by cops, with no signal at all. I drove by a cop parked on the side of the road with his lights on cleaning up stuff off the side of the freeway, and a motorcycle cop driving by on a local canyon road. Were their radars possibly just off? I know my radar works because i get X and K band signals when driving by stores and stuff with automatic doors. Also i drove by a parked cop on the side of the road and got a weak K signal, and i dont know if it was from the store to my right or the cop on my left.

Thanks all!

[Darrenf]

Yes, their radar was off.

[ki1022]

Yes, their radar was off. Also, keep in mind many police use I/O (instant-on) radar which means it is in "standby" mode until they activate it. Most of the time you are screwed if you get nailed by I/O. Your best way to beat it is by detecting radar scatter as the police target other drivers in front of you. Of course this doesn't work it you are the only one on the road...

[Tydog07]

I think I got a laser false on the highway this weekend, I didn't see any cops anywhere and I was going 80 in a 70, reason enough around here to get pulled over, what causes laser false's?

[mfs165]

hey everyone, i'm new to this site, and i just purchased an escort 8500 x50 two days ago. I have 2 questions...
1) what are the optimum settings for my radar (i live in southern california)

and

2) Twice i have driven by cops, with no signal at all. I drove by a cop parked on the side of the road with his lights on cleaning up stuff off the side of the freeway, and a motorcycle cop driving by on a local canyon road. Were their radars possibly just off? I know my radar works because i get X and K band signals when driving by stores and stuff with automatic doors. Also i drove by a parked cop on the side of the road and got a weak K signal, and i dont know if it was from the store to my right or the cop on my left.

Thanks all!

In SoCal more LEO's do not have radar than those that do. Usually a CHP cleaning up the aftermath of a crash on the freeway will not have his/her radar on. If you'r getting K and X falses you're RD is most likely ok. The best settings for your X50 in SoCal is the factory defaults EXCEPT turn X band off. X band is not used here for speed enforcement. On the freeway the CHP uses Ka and LIDAR. Some local LEO's still use K. In my area, many local LEO's are moving to LIDAR also. Keep in mind that the X50 is not a COP detector. It detects radar and LIDAR. The X50 is a good unit and very good bang for your buck. ENJOY!!!

[ki1022]

I think I got a laser false on the highway this weekend, I didn't see any cops anywhere and I was going 80 in a 70, reason enough around here to get pulled over, what causes laser false's?

I have an X50 and have yet to experience a laser false alert. I've heard that intense direct sunlight and some vehicle proximity sensors can cause laser falses, but that's mostly on the V1. I did a quick search on false laser alerts on the 8500 and it seems like a lot of people experienced laser falses on their units under hard acceleration or anything else that causes a voltage drop in the vehicle electrical system.

Either that or your LEO had a good hiding spot and you didn't see him?

Edit:

here's a good thread on the forum to check out...

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...er-alerts.html

[Tydog07]

Ok, thank you, I won't worry too much about it.

[MarshVegas]

I think I got a laser false on the highway this weekend, I didn't see any cops anywhere and I was going 80 in a 70, reason enough around here to get pulled over, what causes laser false's?

Cadillac taillights, I have an intersection close to where i live sometimes sets my x-50 off ,also idiot's with nothing better to do with their laser testers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-nMK66ukMQ