Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Red Display)
by Escort Inc.
|
List Price: Our Price: $238.95 You Save: $61.04 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $159.94 (click here) Category: Car Audio or Theater See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Red Display)
Customer Review: Beware!
Summary: 1 Stars
I ordered the Passport X50 from Amazon to save the $18 shipping Escort Radar was charging. I was told by someone at Escort Radar that Amazon was an authorized reseller.
After having my detector on for ten minutes (right out of the box), it did three "SELF CAL"s, then said "SERVICE REQUIRED". I called Escort Radar and was told "If you let the car power up the unit when you start the car, the voltage can be all over the place and the unit gets confused. You must first start the car, and then use the thumbwheel to turn on the detector." It makes some sense, but if this is really the case, why don't they put those instructions in their manual? After trying this many times, the unit was "still confused", so I returned it for a replacement.
My second detector worked for maybe thirty minutes before the same thing happened. This time Escort Radar told me "if you leave it plugged into the cigarette lighter over night, this has been found to cause problems." Well my lighter power goes off when I turn off the ignition, so this doesn't apply. Escort Radar also told me that "excessive heat" has been causing them problems. Now we have had a few days of 100° heat, and I'm sure the car gets hotter parked in the sun, but the design engineers should have accounted for these conditions plus some margin when you design something that is supposed to work in a car. It gets a lot hotter in other parts of the country. There are no warnings in the manual about not using it above 90° or leaving it off in a hot car. You wouldn't design a ski that doesn't work below 35°, would you???
The most troubling part of my conversation with Escort Radar service department was they told me Amazon is not an authorized reseller, and they have no idea where they are getting the units from. Furthermore, they will not honor any warranty nor will they ever repair the unit, not even for money.
Customer Review: BOUGHT "NEW" ON AMAZON AT LOWEST PRICE
Summary: 5 Stars
I researched and compared prices only wanting to get the best for my money.
Consumer guide rated the 8500 X50 as the best in its class and I agree. I used to have an old SOLO that was cordless, but was convinced from reading reviews that the range on these new 8500's was worth the hassle of the "cord" hanging down. The LASER "POP" almost shocked me out of my seat the first time I picked it up. Little sleepy town of Allen, TX is using LASER now as well as K band and writing a LOT of Tickets on McDermott Drive daily.
The reviews by some previous buyers who had some problems "right out of the box" concerned me enough to make sure I got a "NEW" model off Amazon. Lots of horror stories, but mine was new and no problems. Just to be safe, I did start the engine and THEN plug in my detector before turning it on the first time.
I bought mine as "NEW" from a seller listed on the mfg. web site as a "non-authorized" reseller (found out while REGISTERING my new detector, but didn't have any problems because of that, or the LOW price). Mine came from "Abetterwaytobuy" and it has a high rating from Amazon buyers.
I bought another one off Amazon from another "non-authorized dealer" (per Escort, Inc.) for $268 the next day for a neighbor and she had NO PROBLEMS with hers either.
Have had no problems, but will say, when the LASER gun is used in a POP mode, you should not be the first one in the line of traffic speeding or you WILL get a ticket. It's fast and effective and chances are if you are the only one targeted and you are speeding, it's too late when you're zapped.
I agree with many other buyers who say it would be nice if the detector came with a little leather pouch as did my old SOLO, cordless. Don't leave it in your vehicle in plain sight or there is a good chance it will disappear....
Customer Review: Sensitive detection
Summary: 5 Stars
We live in a hilly area where the local police use inconspicuous vans with photo-radar. Unfortunately, they view the tickets as a revenue source, and hide the vans in locations designed to catch unsuspecting folks who unintentionally gain speed going downhill. They mail you a ticket with a photo of your smiling face through the windshield. These radar equipped vans emit a low level radar with a narrowly focused beam, very difficult to detect, until you are right in the radar, when it pops you. So far, my 8500 x50 has detected that low level pop radar. Now, I don't get very much warning... maybe a hundred or two hundred yards or so, but at 30 mph, it's enough to slow down in time. This detector has saved me double its cost in potential fines in about 6 months.
If you buy this detector, read the directions to set it up correctly the first time. Pop radar detection defaults to "off", and unless you set it up right, you won't have that protection. I drive with this in the automatic mode, and it adjusts well to city or highway environments. The auto mute function is very useful.
I hard wired my detector, which required the wiring diagram for my SUV from the shop manual to find the right colored wire to tap into, and mounted the detector above the rear view mirror with the suction cup bracket that came with the detector. My only complaint is that in cold weather, the suction cups can become inflexible and hence lose their suction. Hint to manufacturer: More powerful suction cups.
Overall, however, this radar detector does what it says, albeit at a premium price. If you can afford it, get it. If you drive in heavily patrolled areas, it will pay for itself.
Customer Review: Poor Quality and Bad Customer Service
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased the 8500 X50 (in blue) in 2006. I received the infamous "SERVICE REQUIRED" message in a year and a half. At first, I could get the message to clear by turning the unit off and back on. However, after a while, I received it constantly on a regular basis, no matter how many times I restarted the unit. When it did work for any extended periods of times (more than 5 minutes) without the service required message, I would receive plenty of false alerts. From what I understand, the unit has low-quality internals that do not hold up well to heat. This is a ridiculous design/manufacturing flaw, as the unit is supposed to be mounted on the windshield, where it may be continuously exposed to sunlight.
I contacted Escort about this issue and I just received the standard response - send the unit back and pay $60.00 for service. I wouldn't have minded this too much, except that the $60.00 service is then only warrantied for 6 months. So essentially, I'd expect to pay another $60.00 when the unit spazzes again (which in all likelihood, would be in another year or so).
The CS rep at Escort said that there was only a very small percentage of units exhibiting this problem, despite the large proportion of 1-star and 2-star ratings for this product on Amazon, citing the SERVICE REQUIRED message. I wanted an extended warranty for the service because I wasn't willing to fork up $60.00 for a repair, unless they'd back it up for at least another year. The CS rep was unhelpful and only offered me an $80.00 credit to exchange my unit for a new model.
If you are considering the Escort 8500 X50...
SAVE YOURSELF FROM THE HEADACHE AND HASSLES - BUY ANOTHER BRAND!
Customer Review: Good detector.
Summary: 5 Stars
I replaced a eight year old (original) Passport 8500 with this newer 8500 X50 model. The professional tests and reviews all seem to confirm that this unit is worth the money and compares favorably with the higher priced brand. This unit appears to be about the same weight and size as the older 8500 and can use the same power cord. I mount mine with Velcro strips on the left top corner of my car's dashboard cover, that has always worked well for me. It is easy to remove that way and is not considered a windshield view 'obstruction' by local law enforcement.
The unit I received came with an insert to the owner's manual informing me of a newer 'TSR' mode that is advertised as a "new optional boost in anti-falsing software to eliminate excessive alerts from erroneous X and K-band sources." The card mentions to call or visit the website for more info. My unit also came with a handy zippered carrying case, a nice touch if you travel a lot with rental cars. The supplied power cord is is a coiled 'Smart cord' cigarette lighter type. A suction cup windshield type mount is also included and everything fits within the carrying case.
A lot of money for a radar detector but a ticket for doing 60MPH in a 55MPH zone can run $250 here in Southern California (I got one of those years ago, the only, and last, day I forgot to plug in my Passport 8500). The increased insurance rates, for one simple ticket, can also add up to an extra $60 a year (trust me on this).
My past experience with the 'Escort Passport' line is that these are reliable devices. If anything changes, I will add on to this review. ;)
Enjoy
Ken