Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Radar detector manufacturers have always promised the ultimate in traffic ticket protections, but for years they delivered something less than adequate when comparing the final product to the advertised claims.
Some of this is still evident, even with this fine model, such as the claim to have increased response time to "instant on" photo-radar by 200%. This is supposed to be a good thing and make you feel more protected, and in a sense you are, but the mere fact that instant on radar is so quick that if you are the targeted vehicle and you are speeding, you are done. It happens so fast that a 1000% increase would not help you in that scenario.
But, every millisecond counts!
This unit does not have voice alerts (Low importance for me) or a built in compass (a fading feature that I like).
Fast driving, tech savvy drivers like me have always used our radar detectors as a tool in our speed driving kit. I don't rely on it exclusively, but I do learn the road and where I will here a beep and where I don't. I try to drive so that the radar signal I am intercepting is being aimed at a car in front of me so that I can take time to react because if they are aiming at me, it is a slim chance that I can react fast enough to help.
Twenty years ago these devices were very expensive, promised the world and delivered a lot of useless noise. With this model of Passport, I believe these units have evolved into a useful tool for everyday driving and interstate speeding.
I've been testing this unit out on the highways on New England and had great results. The most important feature is the lack of false alarms. Before I bought this unit my old radar detector gave me so many false alarms I simply grew used to the sound of it chirping. Now, when I hear a noise, I know it is most likely something I need to react to.
The range is terrific and actually does a nice job of giving you a little warning before you reach the speed trap. Pay attention to this unit because it gives out a lot of information that you can use.
Features I like:
·Using the multi-source expert mode, it can monitor more than one signal at a time: A lot of traffic lights up here are so seldom used that they incorporate a X-band radar unit to know when a car is waiting at a red light. I have driven over a one lane bridge recently that had a sensor on both sides and a speed trapping state trooper hidden in the brush waiting to catch me. This unit alerted me to each signal, along with the relative strength as expressed in a strength meter. This was very nice, I felt like I was in total control, knowing how many sources were transmitting and allowing me to figure out what to do. Your readout will show all of the alerts at once, each with its own strength bar.
·You can set it up to tell you the numerical frequency of the transmission. This is very nice for you hard core tech heads out there. I'd like to see this feature exploited further and have it learn the unique signatures of different devices and report them (imagine a warning: state trooper, same one as yesterday!). It is also a way of seeing different sources, though different than the multi-source expert mode described above.
·You can set it up to monitor your system voltage and give you a constantly updating readout, unless an alert is triggered and then you wont see it again until all radar sources are gone. Wow, I can't tell you how impressed I am with this feature. To sum it up in one word, troubleshooting. It's just as good as hooking up a fluke to your electrical system and monitoring it while driving. In a couple of drives you can evaluate your battery, alternator and electrical system, all the while monitoring for radar traps. Who thinks of this stuff!
·You can have the display do some cool scanning type graphics. All tech type people like to impress their under funded, low knowledge friends and girlfriends with this graphic trick that makes your radar detector look more like the eye piece for a Xylon warrior from the old Battlestar Galactica (by your command....) It gives you a comfortable feeling that the airwaves are being scanned, and the device is functional. This is a good thing, since you will rarely hear from it.
. This unit is very customizable and can be programmed easy. You can read the official reviews to get the details, but I will tell you that it is very easy.
Also, forget what you thought about radar detectors of the past. This unit is actually heavy and reflects the amount of circuitry and detection equipment that was installed.
Never forget that radar detectors are a tool for you to use. They gather information about your surroundings. They are not fool proof and cannot be relied upon exclusively. I've spent several hundreds of dollars on detectors over the years, but this is the one I have been looking for.
By the way: Do not buy a radar jammer. They simply do not work. I've owned them, I've used them, I've thrown them out the window.
Another note: The price you see here on Amazon is a good one. You will be hard pressed to find it any cheaper and many places cannot even get them. I would not trust the refurb units you see on [other websites], but even those are going to be within [range]of this unit.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Escort Inc. Passport 8500 Radar Detector
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