Stereo & Electronics - Radar Detector: Escort X50 good?

i just got it and it's huge. thinner than a V1 but longer and just as heavy or more.

how's the performance on these things? i thought with technology, things gets smaller.

Should a bought the V1, but I guess it is way to late now. Should be fine I guess.

yeah i hear ya. but damn, it's $400. i got the X50 for $250. also, i'll be moving to CA where they use POP3 and the V1 doesn't detect it yet.

i can't understand how that V1 beats all the other radar detectors for years and years and years. i would think that the major players in the business would be able to match the technology somehow.

i bought a V1

If you look around on the internet, most tests show the top 3 detectors to be the escort x50, the valentine one, and one Bell model (can't remember the model #). I've seen the bell usually comes in first, escort in 2nd, and valentine in third. Also, bell is owned by escort, making the bell model pretty much the same as the escort with a few added features.

Anyways, I've got the x50 and love it. I couldn't beat the deal I got on it, and it seems to be just as good (if not better) as the valentine from the data I've seen. I've only had mine for a couple of months, but it seems to give me a pretty good warning distance. I have yet to pass a cop (at least that I see) that didn't already have somebody pulled over (and their radar seemingly off) without getting a warning ahead of time.

If you look around on the internet, most tests show the top 3 detectors to be the escort x50, the valentine one, and one Bell model (can't remember the model #). I've seen the bell usually comes in first, escort in 2nd, and valentine in third. Also, bell is owned by escort, making the bell model pretty much the same as the escort with a few added features.

Anyways, I've got the x50 and love it. I couldn't beat the deal I got on it, and it seems to be just as good (if not better) as the valentine from the data I've seen. I've only had mine for a couple of months, but it seems to give me a pretty good warning distance. I have yet to pass a cop (at least that I see) that didn't already have somebody pulled over (and their radar seemingly off) without getting a warning ahead of time.

Yup that one is the Bell RX 65. Basically same perforance as Escort X 50
but the Bell has voice alert and a REMOTOE CONTROLL. (that's why I bought it) Here in Las Vegas NV I would not go with V1 couse it does not detect POP.

Tommy

How much better are those than say the cobra or cheaper models? Anyone had any experience with a high end cobra compared to one of those 3?

V1 is old tech now. The Escort is a better detector. I had a V1 and now I have two Escorts (one for each vehicle). They look much nicer than clunky V1s also.

How much better are those than say the cobra or cheaper models? Anyone had any experience with a high end cobra compared to one of those 3?

Check this out:
speedzones.com
radarbusters.com

don't click on those links I don't know how to add them just type them

Tommy

i love my passport :)

All I know is that here in Atlanta they have Pop, but can't legally use it because the technology produced by "MPH bee" is still extremely unreliable. The POP technology is a hoax, becuase it uses an instant on type radar burst that doesn't allow the gun to properly heat up and be with in calibration. I got this info straight from a cop, who also told me not to waste my money on any detector unless I could afford a V1. Honestly mine picks up 90 % more signals and radar hits than any other detector I have ever used. Realizing the price, I see that most would be turned off, but let me just say that I just sent my V1 back after buying it 6 years ago, and they are yet again upgrading it for free. They hold the patents on all of the radar senseing hardware, and that is why they are more expensive, and also the most capale for the job. Other companies such as Bell, and Escort have had to make ways around V1's technology, and have up until recently couldn't match the basic performance.

Anyway, there is my little speal on it... but hey I any detector is better than no. Besides the fact that you got a good one, that will give you some piece of mind...(well deserved at that)

i just got it and it's huge. thinner than a V1 but longer and just as heavy or more.

how's the performance on these things? i thought with technology, things gets smaller.

I owned the top of the line Bel. Sold it and bought a V1 and never looked back. For almost 2 years, I drove 600 mi per week from SC through Atlanta, Macon, and Americus GA. I can say I never got a ticket. The multiple bogies and directional (front and back) features are worth every penny. I know have it mounted under my rear view mirror on my Z with a special bracket. The power is coming from my rear view mirror lights. Very discreet and concealed, looks great.

i've got the passport 8500. here in atlanta it seems to do me just fine. i know its not the most up to date, but it can be sent in and upgraded. also, i saw where an adapter can be added that has 2 sensors, one for the front and rear of the car. it is supposed to scramble lasers. i dont know if it works or not tho.

I got the X50 with the blue display to match the blue guages on my 04 TL. Anyway had it a couple months now, but here are my thoughts. I have not owned/used a radar detector since I was 17 (a passport) and that was 16 years ago. I am not sure if the X50 I just got is any better than the old one. Still get all of the false alerts, and only one lidar pickup (but guys were surveying on the side of the road so could have been that), anyway, its nice, but has anything really changed in detectors in the last 16 years. The unit I have is just as big and heavy as my original passport with a fancy display and features I will never use.

people still spend outrageous amounts of money on radar detectors, and then come onto these boards and get into pissing contests trying to justify the money they spent. if i had spent $400 on a V1, would I have been happy? probably. instead, i spent $250 on a passport x50. for the features i got with it, and how reliable it is, i'm happy. i'm ok with the lack of directional buttons, i don't need all of my electronics to be idiot proof. the x50 has saved my ass countless times. i'm sure the v1 would have done just as fine of a job. it all boils down to preference.

people still spend outrageous amounts of money on radar detectors, and then come onto these boards and get into pissing contests trying to justify the money they spent. if i had spent $400 on a V1, would I have been happy? probably. instead, i spent $250 on a passport x50. for the features i got with it, and how reliable it is, i'm happy. i'm ok with the lack of directional buttons, i don't need all of my electronics to be idiot proof. the x50 has saved my ass countless times. i'm sure the v1 would have done just as fine of a job. it all boils down to preference.


There you go.
I feel about the same with my Bel Rx65

Tommy

I paid 40 bucks for a whistler !!! :jest: Ol trusty hasnt failed me yet

people still spend outrageous amounts of money on radar detectors, and then come onto these boards and get into pissing contests trying to justify the money they spent. if i had spent $400 on a V1, would I have been happy? probably. instead, i spent $250 on a passport x50. for the features i got with it, and how reliable it is, i'm happy. i'm ok with the lack of directional buttons, i don't need all of my electronics to be idiot proof. the x50 has saved my ass countless times. i'm sure the v1 would have done just as fine of a job. it all boils down to preference.
I agree, buy what suits your needs. I would not have paid $400 for the V1 if I was not doing alot of interstate travel. I can tell you the multiple bogies and directional support saved me several times. One time there were two troopers spaced about 3 miles apart. Everbody slowed down for the first one then everbody sped up. My V1 showed 1 signal up ahead and another behind me. I kept my speed down and sure enough the other trooper up ahead was pulling cars over like crazy. If I would not have had the directional and multiple counts, I would have just thought the radar detector was picking up the radar signal I just passed and would have gotten a ticket. The V1 just paid for itself right there in fees and insurance costs.

I know have it mounted under my rear view mirror on my Z with a special bracket. The power is coming from my rear view mirror lights. Very discreet and concealed, looks great.

Did you make the mount yourself or buy it? Where can I get one or can you post some pics so I can get an idea of how to make it?

Thanks....good idea on running it off the dome lights! :hail:

If I would not have had the directional and multiple counts, I would have just thought the radar detector was picking up the radar signal I just passed and would have gotten a ticket. The V1 just paid for itself right there in fees and insurance costs.

Yeah, but you can almost afford 2 X50's one on the back glass and one on the windshield for the price of a V1.. Also, if your in CA where they are using POP, the V1 takes a back seat to the X50. JMHO

Did you make the mount yourself or buy it? Where can I get one or can you post some pics so I can get an idea of how to make it?

Thanks....good idea on running it off the dome lights! :hail:
I purchased the mount from here
http://www.greatlakestrophies.com/corvette.htm
It says it is for the corvette but it works on the Camaro, I got the X-1190 F21105 $25 model. I think the $20 model would work fine also.

I will get some pics for you in the next couple of days of it installed on my Z. The wiring was a breeze, I unplugged the connector to the dome lights on the rear view mirror, stripped and exposed the wires from the supplied V1 accessory plug and simply stuffed the ground wire into the hole with the black wire and the hot into the hole with the blue wire. NO SPLICING OR SOLDERING WIRES at all. Stuffed the extra wire and fuse under the roof panel and plugged the dome light receptacle back in and works like a charm (looks professionally installed :chug: ) The wiring from the radar detector follows the same path as the wire from the dome lights as it snakes under the roof panel. Pics are worth a thousand words, PM me if you want more details. I can give you a few more tips and pics that will make it easy. Took about 30 minutes to do it all.

escort all the way

I bought the V1 for my beater Trans Am, and a blue face X50 for my SS.

V1 does detect POP. I swore that I just read it in the owners manual a few days ago.

From having them a few weeks I can easily say the V1 is better, way better IMHO. You can see how many signals you are picking up and where from. With the X50 it's just a guess.
The only thing that I like better on the X50 is the filter, my V1 goes crazy arond the grocery market.






Peace,
Craig.

BTW-

X50 $299.00
Blue Face $30.00
Hard Wire + $10.00
--------
Total = $339.00 ......plus shipping


V1 $399.00 ......plus shipping
Hard Wire~included~

[QUOTE=GRAYZ]I purchased the mount from here
http://www.greatlakestrophies.com/corvette.htm
It says it is for the corvette but it works on the Camaro, I got the X-1190 F21105 $25 model. I think the $20 model would work fine also. [QUOTE]

Does anybody know of a mount like this for the Escort X50? Seems like a cool idea. Also, any way the valentine mount could be used on my Escort?

...also, i'll be moving to CA where they use POP3 and the V1 doesn't detect it yet.
http://www.houston-imports.com/~euro/uploaded/V1_POP600x923.jpg

Does anybody know of a mount like this for the Escort X50? Seems like a cool idea. Also, any way the valentine mount could be used on my Escort?
Dont know about the escort. The lip on the mount slides into the V1, it is made specifically for the V1. However, anything is adaptable. I will see if I can get some pics for you.

does it matter where the cop is sitting with his radar?

if i get a signal (other than X), i would just slow down until i'm at least a mile away from the point where the detector stop beeping.

it's not that you see a cop all the time, and during the rare chances that you do....why play around with that chance....as if saving that extra 1 minute for that mile of slowing down is so important.....unless i've got a medical or bathroom emergency. but then the cop should understand.

simple: detector beeps....slow down. oh cop, on other side of the median.....at this point, i'm not going to speed up to 100mph and risk running into another cop.

i guess with the V1 you could, but what's 1 mile at 65mph?

And you guys what the even funniest part of this thread is??? THey are both made by the same people :D . If you look on the ad (i forget if its escort or V1) it says that they are made with the same technology. The differnece is, one has a directional and one doesn't. I have teh passport 8500 and its on the expert setup *and i love it* and it shows multiple signals. In all the comparisons i have read, the passport beat the v1. Just my .02$

-Dave

Dont know about the escort. The lip on the mount slides into the V1, it is made specifically for the V1. However, anything is adaptable. I will see if I can get some pics for you.

Pics would be great, thanks. The Escort mounts the same way, with a mount that slides into the back of it. I wonder if by some chance they are the same size...

After reading this thread some more, CRAGAR, you have both the valentine and the escort, do they mount the same? Would the mounts be interchangeable between the two?

Just wondering if anybody has an answer to my above question? Thanks.

Just wondering if anybody has an answer to my above question? Thanks.
I will get some pics for you this weekend for the V1. I have 4 kids, work, yada, yada and I have been swamped.

the x50 does tell how many signals just not where from. It's not worth 100 buck to me to know where it's coming from. My X50 usually picks them up before they're in sight anyway so who cares I just slow down. I've never gotten any falses alarms (other than X) unless I was in a parking lot.
THE X50 IS SWEEET!

the x50 does tell how many signals just not where from. It's not worth 100 buck to me to know where it's coming from. My X50 usually picks them up before they're in sight anyway so who cares I just slow down. I've never gotten any falses alarms (other than X) unless I was in a parking lot.
THE X50 IS SWEEET!exactly...and if you're doin 85mph in a parking lot....you've got more to worry about then gettin a speeding ticket.


oh and btw:

passport x50 red led $249
hard wire $25
--------------
total: ~$275

I've got the x50 and love it. I also paid under $300, making it a better value than the V1. Nevada Hwy Patrol is the biggest user of POP in the country, so that was a must. The fact that I've owned 2 other Passports helped in my decision.
I think that you can't go wrong with any of the three mentioned here(Bel, x50, V1), but from what I've read, if you try to go the cheap detector route, you are just wasting your money.
Just my .00001 after tax.
:)

damn, all this talk about radar detectors got me lookin into escorts product line. anyone have the Shifter ZR-3 Laser defense thingy? that looks pretty cool. i wouldn't blow $400 on something that just jammed laser, but i'd be all about it if it jammed radar too. i know the radar jammers are illegal tho. anyone have either of the jammer type deals?

I bought my x50 before a 1600 mile trip. It worked awesome I average 90 for the 1600 mile trip and the x50 saved me many times. I did get a $200 dollar ticket though. The officer was hiding behind a bridge and lasered me after I passed. I should have got the laser shifter. My ticket was half of the price! That's how I look at it anyway. Either pay for a detector or pay for tickets. :)

Pics would be great, thanks. The Escort mounts the same way, with a mount that slides into the back of it. I wonder if by some chance they are the same size...

After reading this thread some more, CRAGER, you have both the valentine and the escort, do they mount the same? Would the mounts be interchangeable between the two?
http://www.houston-imports.com/~euro/uploaded/DSC02980_600.jpg
No the mounts would not be able to interchange. The power chords do look the same, but not the mounts.





Peace,
Craig.

Pics would be great, thanks. The Escort mounts the same way, with a mount that slides into the back of it. I wonder if by some chance they are the same size...

After reading this thread some more, CRAGAR, you have both the valentine and the escort, do they mount the same? Would the mounts be interchangeable between the two?
Sorry about waiting so long to get back to you. I have been swamped with work and family (4 kids).
I started a new thread with some pics. Here is the thread:
http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1839022#post1839022

Let me know if you have anymore questions...

I work at a mercedes dealership in washington that is the only authorized dealer/installer in washington for the Escort SRX system (Detection and Laser Shifting) From what I've learned asking around is that we've had quite a few AMG Customers with E55's SL55's CL65's etc install them and have loved them. No complaints yet... but unfortunately the system is about $1500 :( and the laser transceivers or whatever they are need to have clear vision so they can't be mounted behind the bumper so I know this may be an issue for T/A owners who don't really have a grill like the maro's and Mercedes etc.

I work at a mercedes dealership in washington that is the only authorized dealer/installer in washington for the Escort SRX system (Detection and Laser Shifting) From what I've learned asking around is that we've had quite a few AMG Customers with E55's SL55's CL65's etc install them and have loved them. No complaints yet... but unfortunately the system is about $1500 :( and the laser transceivers or whatever they are need to have clear vision so they can't be mounted behind the bumper so I know this may be an issue for T/A owners who don't really have a grill like the maro's and Mercedes etc.
Would it be possible to mount in the empty hole below the DRL's?

One thing to think about is what happened to me. I had just bought Bell model, not top of the line but a good one, and I was on my way back to Little Rock from Dallas. I was clipping along at about 88mph when BAM!!! Radar goes crazy and in a matter of seconds Texas State Trooper pulling me over. He was sitting about fifty feet of the highway at a ninty degree angle between some trees. He was shooting perpendicular accross the highway. I don't think any radar detector would have seen that trap.
IMO, they are all a waste of money. Glad I did not spend $400.00+ on top of the cost of the fine.

Just my .02

Well laser is very very hard to detect, I agree. But when you LEARN how laser and radar detectors work you will have a different opinion then this one.

"IMO they are all a waste of money"

For now you are just 100 % wrong.

My Bel RX65 paid for its price countless times.
Tommy

Detectors have saved my ass numerous times. I have always ran an escort model of some kind. I currently have the X-50 and got a great deal on it. 225 new or some such deal. There was a group buy here about 6 mos ago on it.

Buy what you can afford. If I had the jack to blow on a 400 dollar V1 I'd have one. The passport is a great detector.

That being said, just because you have a detector does not mean you will not get caught, I keep an eye out all the time for the sneaky bastard hiding and popping people with instant on laser. I've been nailed once by that and it was because I wasn't paying attention. Such is life. If you don't want speeding tickets don't speed, that is the only way to aviod them. Luck helps too.

They help, but are not the total solution. Common sense helps a lot. If I had the money I'd have the laser shifter installed, but damn, 1500 bucks is a lot of cash for that.

Well laser is very very hard to detect, I agree. But when you LEARN how laser and radar detectors work you will have a different opinion then this one.

"IMO they are all a waste of money"

For now you are just 100 % wrong.

My Bel RX65 paid for its price countless times.
Tommy

My bel has saved me many times as well. My POINT was, no radar detector is fool proof 100% protection from getting nailed. In fact, I have driven from Arkansas to my Uncle's house in New Jersey and back twenty five times in my life(2200 miles round trip) and on all but one of those trips I had NO radar detector and have never had a ticket. What speed do you think you have to travel on the highway? 100? 120? how fast do you want to go? If you think about setting your cruise control to about 10 mph or so over and just keep your eyes open you can make really good time on your trip without risking a big ticket and/or having a wreck. Think about it. Let's say you are traveling on a highway that has a posted speed limit of 70mph. So you set your cruise control at 78-80mph. Pretty safe I think. Low risk and even if your were pulled over not a very expensive ticket. Now let's say you wanted to drive faster, for what ever reason, so you take it on up to 85-95mph which is pretty fast. Let's say you are counting on your Bel to save your butt. Ok maybe it will. Let's look at reward vs. risk. The reward is in one hour you have gone a additional ten to fifteen miles. WOW. The risk, well you tell me what a speeding ticket at 15+mph OVER the posted limit cost"? Then add that little bit of info to your insurance premium. Is it really worth it? What about the risk of a accident?

Yes, I think they are a waste of money

I think it depends on where you live too....where i live the local smokey's run straight K band even when they're driving around so it's easy as anything to pick up near a mile away on a straight road. If I go ten minutes out of my town they run instant on, and you're pretty much fucked unless you pick up his radar when he uses it on someone ahead of you, same thing applies to laser. And it is true, you have to learn how to use one correctly. If you frequent a road, you'll learn where your detector will be set off by security systems etc. and where a cop is. I love my passport and it has saved my ass several times. But like SSCoutler said, is it really worth totally relying on a detector? Hell no, you gotta use your head and think about what you're doing.

What part of NJ are you from ynkssws6? I have family in Bridgton in south Jersey. I go there often.

I had just bought Bell model, not top of the line but a good one,

He was sitting about fifty feet of the highway at a ninty degree angle between some trees. He was shooting perpendicular accross the highway.

I don't think any radar detector would have seen that trap.
IMO, they are all a waste of money. Glad I did not spend $400.00+ on top of the cost of the fine.

this is what the debate is all about. we are questioning if having a better and more expensive one would help. but you can't go by what you personally think when you only have one and say that the top of the line one would not help.

i currently have a $40, $90 and $250 radar detector. they all have at least 5-6 detection modes including laser. and all 3 have 360 degree detection.

the $40 Cobra one really sucked ass in terms of the distance of detection. but my $250 Escort X50....i can't really tell if it's much better since i haven't detected much lately.

Hey skunk50, you live in VA, how much do you have to spend on a detector to defeat the airplanes they use in your state?

I bought the v1 and used it for a little while, and it was alright. If you read about the v1, the reason it picks up x,k,ka so good is because of its super high sensitivity. Now if you live in a city like I do, driving down the street will drive you insane because of all the x, and k hits. Half the time I was gettin hit by 9 bogeys in every direction :bang: , but on the high way it was pretty good, but you encounter the same problem if you drive by any office buildings or stores placed near high ways. Another small problem was reading it at dark. Since it was so sensitive i didn't pay attention to X band, but at night those little round lights got annoying to read, because the lettering next to it doesnt glow or nething. So i had to flip on a light to see if it was an X or K. So I returned the v1 for my 400 back, went and bought a Passport 8500 X50 for 200. I can drive down the same street that with the v1 i got 9 bogeys, but with the passport, i dont even get a hit. The reason is the passport has a chip that filters out security systems, and sliding doors unless your 50 ft from it and it feels that the overwhelming x or k band is a threat. On the highway it is great. I was driving to Cedar Point and i was gettin hit from a K band. So i slowed down to the speed limit and about a mile to 2 miles, there was a cop radaring people inbetween a barrier as they drove by. What's great about the passport is that it says what band is hitting you. I have mine setup so that it shows the band and if there are multiple ones, it shows a bar per band. Upgrading both of these radars is quite different though. To upgrade a v1 you send it in and they give you a new one for free. The passport is programmable, so incase anything new comes out, you can reprogram it for free (if im not mistaken).

Both are great radars, but do some research before you go and lay 200-400 bones on a radar detector.
www.radartest.com

i just got it and it's huge. thinner than a V1 but longer and just as heavy or more.

how's the performance on these things? i thought with technology, things gets smaller.I use one in my '99 and it has saved my butt many times.

I have a brand new (2 months ago) X50 and a buddy had a 5 month old V1 and we went out and tested them. The X50 was just the same or better in most areas accept rear detection was a little better with the V1. Could have been the detector, could have been the placement in his car compared to mine. The multiple alerts are better displayed in the X50, and you can send it back for updates just like the V1. Not to mention I got my X50 for $160 less then my buddy got his V1 (cost is great!! :) ). He was a little ticked after our 4 hour test through the city and Hwy's. The X50 is now a better deal, and now that I have proven it for myself, you couldn't get me to buy a V1. I had a huge write up on every point between the two on LS2.com but It went away for some reason (this has been 2 months since I wrote it).

Also have a new 7500 that I got as payment for doing computer work for someone. Going to mount it in the Old ladies car for times when I am driving hers. Hope it is at least half as good.

I found the first review that I did on LS2. Here it is copied below!! It's long, but goes into details on my experience with the two!!

New 8500 X50 review against the holy V1
Well, I read all the reports and finally went and bought a Passport 8500 X50 radar detector to replace my 5 year old Uniden 2 weeks ago. Reviews that I have read have rated the 8500 X50 higher then the new Valentine one, but every one says that those reviews were Fixed and/or bought. So me and a buddy with a V1 went out for a test over the weekend. First off some information on the X50.

The X50 retails for $300 (or $340 for the blue face). I went with the passport since I could get it at cost which was $220. I like the fact it has a lot of different settings on it based on your preference. Most of this is just what I have tried out. Basic running functions are Highway, City, and auto. I have only used Highway and Auto. It also has the ability to Cut on and off each band individually as well as turn down the sensitivity of each band separately (which is cool if most false alarms are X band for instance). I keep it on Highway most the time since this thing false alarms 90% less then my Uniden so I don't mind it when it does (which it still rarely does [never does in auto seems like]). The voltage display is cool if you run the radio with the car off. It has about 5 different display setups to personalize the screen. This is the most I have played with. The Window mount is good, but the Valentine one is better. It also has the same RJ-11 phone connector like the valentine one has. It has a POP detector (the V1 doesn't), but other detectors set that thing off like crazy so I turned it back off (you have to turn it on, it is off by default). The new X50 is upgradeable just like the V1 as well. There are more settings, but I haven't tried them all out yet.

As far as them running side by side. This thing didn't run circles around the V1, but did run better. My buddy and I went around and compared signals (with the help of a State trooper ) while talking on the phone (not sure of what version he has, but it was bought brand new from V1 in March of this year, so I figured it was the newest software). Review, the passport X50 had a longer range with Ka and K and about the same X band range. Mine picked up first on all the test except finding a good X band to test was a little hard so we just figured it was even. The X50 falsed a little more in hwy mode then the V1 and less or pretty much not at all when placed in auto. I will admit that asking which direction the signal was coming from was nice while talking, but being able to ask before his went off was priceless!! The V1 picked up better from the rear, but not by a lot. Maybe it was because his is located center window (he took out his rear view and it is there and mine is up almost at the headliner, which is at our mirror. The Cobras mirror is lower). Or maybe it's the big sensor on the back.

So here is another Option if you don't want to pay for arrows. They are nice, and I am sure that some can't live without it, but wiether the signal is coming from the side, back or front, I slow down so I don't mind not having them. Either way you go will get you a great radar detector, just depends on how much money you want to spend. Also heard the new bell was pretty good as well, but I have not used it so I couldn't say. I guess those reports were not bought or fixed like some V1 people would like to believe!! I have no doubt that V1 will step up and improve, but I saved almost $200 and got a little better deal IMO.

BTW, I made no money off of this review!!

ALmost forgot!! The X50 will show up to 9 different bands that it is picking up and show the strength of each band!! That is a cool feature. The fact that it shows the individual strenths is awsome. I have seen 5 so far.