Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - where to purchase highend radar detector at discount?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsxr750

read these best buy reviews, specially the one from a cop that tested the unit.

Escort, Inc 9500ix - Best Buy

Quote:

Originally Posted by XwChriswX

Because you're going to trust a cop to be unbiased...

But needless to say, I will hear your argument. I'll read the reviews, brb.

Here's what I found:

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Best Buy reviews: (taken from: Escort, Inc 9500ix - Best Buy )

4.6 out of 5

91% of reviewers would recommend this product to a friend (82 out of 90)

Star rating... +/-1% variance

5 stars 73 81%

4 stars 10 11%

3 stars 1 1%

2 stars 2 2%

1 star 4 4%

I read the reviews starting with the lowest rated:

First review: 1 Star

What's great about it: GPS Function
What's not so great: Does not detect LIDAR

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I thought I was buying the best detector available, until I got a $400.00 ticket with no warnings or alerts from the 9500ix. Apparently the most common laser used by the CHP is LIDAR. You see the officers on the side of the highway looking through a telescope radar device. Apparently this product is unable to detect this type of device. The 9500ix was dead silent even though the officer said it was pointed right at me atop a highway overpass. A painful lesson learned indeed and if you need decent protection, save your money and buy a cheaper radar detector without all the BS features and hype.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: Does not detect LIDAR

This is why I went with the installed unit vs a window mount. When officers use LIDAR, they aim it at something reflective, primarily front tags. If not, the front headlights. Nowhere near the windshield. So don't expect to get any signals from that. Also if you have any form of windshield tint, that will affect your detection as it can potentially scatter the incoming laser energy just like UV.

So this review is from a bad USER.

Point, Detector

Second Review: 1 Star

What's great about it: RED LIGHT CAMERA COVERAGE
What's not so great: MAC INCOMPATIBILITY AND THE NEED TO BUY PERIPHERAL PRODUCTS

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The 9500ix is not compatible with APPLE. If you want to update the RD with Red Light Camera coverage, you'll have to find a window's computer or install emulation software. You'll also have to get a AC plug adapter for power and a usb cable. Escort has you jumping through a lot of hoops to do simple updates. Plus in doesn't work half the time.
Save YOUR money until Escort gets it act together. This is an expensive RD that only gives you a false sense of security around LASER. LASER speed traps are a very popular revenue producer for municipalities in NY and NJ. You're only a sitting duck with the 9500ix and laser.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: MAC INCOMPATIBILITY AND THE NEED TO BUY PERIPHERAL PRODUCTS

Taken from Escorts Product page for the 9500ix:

Quote:

A Mac Version of Detector Tools supports Firmware, Location Database Updates, Detector Software Updates and Defender Updates for the PASSPORT MAX, PASSPORT 9500ix and PASSPORT 9500ci. Computer must have an active Internet connection.

The Passport SC55, Passport 9500i and Passport 9500ix require an USB A to Mini USB cable (USB printer cable required for Passport 9500ci) not included with detector - before you can install location database updates and detector software updates.

https://www.escortradar.com/passport9500ix/index.php

So you don't research a product to find out what it does/does not require before purchase? Again, not a fault of the detector.

Point, Detector

Third Review:

What's great about it: Radar Detection
What's not so great: Quality - Support

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I have owned about every Escort product since the Cincinnati Microwave days.
This used to be a customer orientated company. NO LONGER.
My 9500ix is not good.
The GPS detector is very poor. It only occasionally picks up a signal and even then, the GPS will shut off on it's own. Escort will offer NO SUPPORT.
Without the GPS functionality, this is no better than a $200 unit.
I should have bought a Valentine One!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They will help their customers for a lifetime.
Escort sure has changed since Mr. Valentine left.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: Quality - Support

Perhaps the person put the detector in a bad spot where the GPS sensor might not get good signal, who knows. And that might be why Escort didn't give them any customer service because again, it was OPERATOR error. But since they don't describe where they have the unit mounted, all we have to go off of is their extensive experience...

Once more, potentially not a fault in the detector.

Point, Neither

Fourth review: 1 Star

What's great about it: Had fun testing it
What's not so great: didnt work that well for its price

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Being a police officer me and a few guys decided to test how these radars acctually work. The radars police use to catch speeders are capable of sending a signal that is "neverending" if you will. the signal starts to decline in as it goes, usually because of other cars, buildings etc. but when its placed on a moving object( a car) it sends us back how fast that car is going, instantly, and we then get to lock it in our radar, which is as fast as a mouse click.
SO for a long story short, this radar did pick up that there was a police radar out there, thats true, however it noticed ours at a dangerously clsoe range. if you have ever watched traffic for a long time, you began to visually tell who is driving fast and who isnt, and you use the radar usually after you have sceen someone speeding, you dont just sit there with it constantly running. it might be tuned but that doesnt mean we are pointing at you. this radar finds out after we point it at you, and chances are by the time you realize and hit that brake its already been locked.
keep in mind to that at least i find it fun to just drive around and stop at a light and then tune it and watch for a few seconds, meaning that my radar was only running for about a minute, lol. so its funny because yeah i can imagine that somewhere out there, where we are not even watching, this little device starst to go off for a little, and you slow down, but your probably not the one we were trying to catch. and then what makes it funny is you probably drive for say a half mile and see a police car, lol. so naturally you think that was the cop, but the funny thing is that he probably isnt even tuned anymore.
this product is a waste, it works for picking up the signals ill give it that, but it couldnt even get close to stoping myself or any other expirenced officer from locking in your speeding, and giving you a ticket. i wouldnt recomend this to anyone. if you dont want a ticket dont speed and you wont get one. save your 500 dollars and go buy a home theater system or a tv, or soemthing more useful.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

Lets just preface this response with "It's a cop" so that way it's known.

That being said, his review states that the detector didn't pick up the signal "very far". Well, what is "very far" in numerical distance? His measure might not be the same as yours being a cop, so that's nullified. And he even goes on to state that it DOES work. So he's negating his own negative opinion lol This reviewers quality speaks for itself.

Point, Detector

Fifth Review: 2 Stars

What's great about it: Not Much
What's not so great: NOT GREAT

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Bought this the other day. then found out you need additional cables for around $100.00. I drove by a cop with his radar pointing right at me and this thing didn't even make a peep. On the way home I got pulled over and the cop said I was doing 8 mph over the limit and showed me the radar gun. NOT A PEEP. it does tell me where fast food places are...

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: NOT GREAT

The reviewer says there are extra cables you need to buy (That are less than $25

). Never mentions getting them, so how do we even know his unit was actually ON?? Of course he's going to give a negative review because he got popped for his own ineptitude. The last sentence doesn't even make sense, so again, the reviewers intelligence speaks for itself.

Point, Detector

Sixth Review: 2 Stars

What's great about it: Lots of features
What's not so great: False alerts out the wazooo!

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I purchased the 9500ix hoping the false alarms would be greatly decreased given the price of the unit. After having an old cobra unit (5 yrs old) I was looking to upgrade.
Nope, went off in the exact same areas and provided the exact same coverage the old cobra unit did. Yeah I can add the location and radar type so that it never goes off again, but what if someday there's a cop there shooting the same radar???? BUSTED!
It was nice that you can download updates, but my GPS already did that for the redlight camera so it was redundant.
Overall a nice amount of features, but no reason to go out and spend $450.00 of your hard earned cash when the $150.00 model does the exact same of detecting.....and thats what we really purchase these units for anyway. Unit was returned for a full refund (Thanks Best Buy).

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: False alerts out the wazooo!

False alerts are common amongst ALL detectors, that's to be expected. But here's the bit again from the Escort Product page:

Quote:

AutoLearn: Artificial Intelligence Protection
AutoLearn uses our patented GPS technology to automatically "learn" (by exact location and frequency)
each radar signal and determines if it's a real threat.
The result is the most accurate long-range protection
in the industry and a permanent solution to false alarms.
You drive. It learns. End of story. Nothing could be easier.

You have to drive by a false source 3 times before it registers it as false. So again, inept owner.

Point, Detector

Seventh Review: 3 Stars

What's great about it: Ecxellent range
What's not so great: Compatability

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If you are planning to buy this detector and own an Apple computer...you are getting ready to pay $1.00 shy of $500 to a company that only allows Windows based computers the ability to update the unit. For some reason known only to Escort they have completely ignored Apple users. Additionally, Escort doesn't mention anywhere in their literature that Apples owners can't use the update feature...you learn after spending $499. I have tried every suggested alternative and none of them work. I've emailed, contacted Escort...the email went unanswered and when I spoke to a human the message was basically "too bad". This will be the last Escort product I buy.

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

What's not so great: Compatability

As stated above, the product Does come with MAC software, so again a USER not correctly researching a product. And even still in their review, they list the product works with "excellent range". So once more, not a fault of the Detector.

Point, Detector.

Grand Total: 7 < 4 Star reviews, Detector still scored 6 points based on actually reading the reviews. I figure you didn't read the 4 or 5 star reviews that hail it's plus' so I won't read those either.