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I've had my current 8500 for 3-4 years now and the thing is driving me nuts with random laser false alarms. I've seen where others have experienced similar issues and before I purchase a 9500ix, I'd like to know it doesn't the same problem. Does the 9500ix use the same cheap electrolytic capacitor that the 8500 did?
Nether have issues unless they are broken. My ix detects laser every time and almost never falses.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti-thesis
The detector may has never been dropped or hit in any way. If it is "broken" it is due to the manufacturing build and isolated to my particular unit. The following is from another board...
A friend of mine asked me to take a look at his Passport 8500 radar detector. After about 3 years of use it started to give him false laser warnings. It also appears to be a common problem for many aging 8500s.
The problem itself is as old as the electronic world: lousy power filtering. Escort uses cheap capacitors that tend to degrade over time. The problem is accelerated because radar detectors are exposed to direct sunlight and high temperatures. Cheap electrolytic capacitors just dry out and cannot effectively filter the noise on the power line. The noise reaches the laser sensor module, it gets amplified and triggers alerts.
Fixing is relatively easy: open the device, unsolder the cover shield that screens the laser detector circuit, and replace the faulty capacitor. You can use anything that matches or, even better, exceeds the capacitance of the faulty capacitor. When you're done, let Escort know that using quality capacitors in their $300 device wouldn't hurt their profits much, but will surely improve customer confidence. It should also be mentioned that the total price of all components that make the guts of the 8500 is at most $50.
That's allot of unnecessary gibberish, who's going to replace a capacitor them selves??? Like everything else in the world no matter the quality eventually you will have issues. I have a 7 year old 8500 that never falsed laser. So if the part is so cheep, and they all fail why didn't mine?Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti-thesis
Logically the 9500 sires laser should be better than the passed models, and I never had a problem with all 3 of my 9500's.
X2 No issues here.Quote:
Originally Posted by CJR238Nether have issues unless they are broken. My ix detects laser every time and almost never falses.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti-thesis
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anti-thesis
:bs:
Aside from the possibility of tiny gaps developing along the mating edges of the 8500's laser circuitry RF shield and the mainboard, does anybody recall the capacitor scandal which finally made the news in 2004? Pretty much any electronic devices produced from 2001 to 2005 could have defective capacitors in them. Do a Google search on "defective capacitors" and the first half dozen links will tell you all about the problem and how it came to be.
I have both an 8500 X 50 and a 9500ix hardwired in two seperate cars and neither is giving me a problem with false laser signals.
History of my 5 recent Escort RDs
9500ix: No problem
8500x50: No problem
3rd 8500: Moderate laser false problem initially then it drove me absolutely insane
2nd 8500: Intermittent laser false problem went worse to unbearable
1st 8500: Minor false laser problem developed after 1.5 yrs then proceeded to get worse to the point of near full time falsing.
8500 X50 gives me no laser issues here. so far mounted high I've gotten near 100% direct-hit notification and no false laser alerts even though I drive a car using IR adaptive cruise.