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| Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Red Display) |  | Brand: Escort
Category: CE
List Price: $299.95
Buy New: $242.00
as of 9/3/2010 10:36 PDT details
You Save: $57.95 (19%)
New (24) Used (8) from $180.00
Seller: WestBiz
Rating:  183 reviews
Format: CD
Color: red
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Operating System: N/A
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 6 x 2 x 3
nv: Detection Area: 360°
Dimensions: 1.25" Height x 2.85" Width x 5.32" Depth
Display Type: High-Intensity Red Display
Frequency Band: X-band 10.25 GHz ± 25 MHz
Input Voltage Range: 12 V DC
Laser Wavelength: 0"
Manufacturer: Escort, Inc
Manufacturer Part Number: 8500X50RD
Manufacturer Website Address: http://www.escortradar.com
Marketing Information: Hailed as the most revolutionary radar/laser detec
Operating Mode: Highway
MPN: 8500X50RED
Model: Passport 8500 X50
UPC: 737795085027
EAN: 0037795085028
ASIN: B00028D778
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Sophisticated long-range radar and laser detector reads all police, conventional, and "instant-on" radar | | • | Digital signal processing provides maximum range while minimizing false alarms | | • | Identifies up to 8 radar signals simultaneously | | • | Reprogrammable microprocessor can detect new radar and laser threats | | • | Red matrix display with 280 LEDs; 1-year limited warranty |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Radar detector manufacturers are constantly playing a game of catch-up with new technologies designed to nab the lead-footed. "Pop" radar is a relatively new instant-on technology that may make a whole generation of radar detectors obsolete. These radar guns operate at low frequency until they are switched on to determine a driver's speed with lightning-fast accuracy. This leaves a radar detector little opportunity to scan and detect the radar signal. Pop radar may sound ominous, but a new crop of radar detectors--including the Escort Passport 8500 X50--offer Pop radar detection. Escort claims that the 8500 X50 is the most powerful and advanced radar detector ever, with the supreme sensitivity required to detect low-frequency Pop radar. Design
Mounting the 8500 in our test vehicle was easy and straightforward. A small suction cup bracket slides into the unit's release mechanism and easily attaches to the windshield with light pressure. The unit is housed in a sturdy plastic case that's low profile and compact--although it is larger and heavier than Escort's wireless offering, the Solo S2. The rear of the unit is dominated by a receiver window and there's a rear-facing laser detector window designed to detect laser signals emanating from behind the vehicle. 
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) provides maximum range, with minimum false alarms. | The Escort 8500 has a suprisingly simple control layout. Two buttons on the top of the unit control sensitivity settings and display brightness. They also double as selection buttons when the unit is in programming mode. The left side of the unit sports a volume dial. A mute button is positioned on the front panel next to the large, horizontal LCD display which, during normal use, graphs the intensity of the radar and laser signals the unit detects. Power is supplied by an included Escort SmartCord, which plugs into a cigarette-lighter power socket. The SmartCord features an alert LED, as well as a built-in mute button-- two handy additions. Features
The 8500 can detect all of the radar bands currently in use in North America for speed detection, including the X, K and Ka bands. The unit also features detection diodes for laser detection, but for the most powerful protection from laser detection, Escort offers the ZR3 laser jamming system, which is plug-and-play compatible with the 8500. The feature that separates the 8500 from other Escort radar detectors, as well as the entire previous generation of radar detector technologies, is its Pop radar detection capabilities. Pop radar guns, while still relatively rare in police departments, are used to identify speeding vehicles in traffic. They provide little warning as the radar signal idles at a low frequency until it transmits an extremely short, high-frequency burst to "Pop" a target. The 8500 is equipped with a highly sensitive receiving system and a digital signal processor designed to pick up Pop signals from a safe distance. Pop detection is not enabled by default in the 8500, however; users must turn it on in the settings menu. Escort probably chose to disable Pop detection by default because its increased sensitivity also increases false alerts. However, first-time radar detector users might be in for a surprise if they neglect to turn it on. 
The Passport 8500 X50 provides 3 types of warning displays to choose from. | Audio alerts are the most important feature of any radar detector, and the 8500 doesn't disappoint in this department. Warning tones get progressively louder as a threat approaches, and users can set the unit to deliver warnings at preprogrammed volume levels. Each radar band--including Pop radar--has a distinct tone, making it easy to quickly discern threats. The 8500's "AutoMute" feature automatically lowers the volume level of an alert after a period of time. False alarms are one of the major annoyances of radar detector use. In our tests, the 8500 was surprisingly adept at minimizing false alarms from home garage door systems, as well as home and commercial security systems that commonly operate on X-band radar. The unit's city sensitivity setting decreases sensitivity to X-band sources, while the highway setting does not. We found the unit's powerful "AutoSensitivity" mode the most accurate, however, as it dynamically filtered all types of radar signals and identified which sources were a legitimate threat. We got a few false alarms, but for the most part, annoying chirps from bogus X-band sources were uncommon. The 8500 has nine built-in customizable settings. In the settings mode, the LCD acts as a menu system that lets users control display brightness, automatic mute, audio tones, and power-on modes. There are also settings for disabling detection of selected bands. We liked the expert mode settings, which allow a user to get a constant picture of the intensity of all the radar bands in the area. The SpecDisplay, which is a feature exclusive to the 8500, displays the actual numeric frequency of the radar signal being received. For those living in states that prohibit use of a radar detector, the 8500 does include VG-2 radar detector detector protection, which is designed to both alert the driver and shut down the unit's oscillator. On the Road
We used the 8500 on a 20-mile stretch of busy interstate and were impressed with the low number of false alarms we received. Again, this remarkable level of accuracy is due to the unit's AutoSensitivity feature. While we encountered no police radar, other controlled tests of the 8500's performance have put the reliable range of detection at 2 miles for all bands. Meanwhile, Pop mode tests place the reliable detection range between 500 and 1000 feet. Pros
- Well-designed controls and display features
- AutoSensitivity feature greatly reduces false alarms
- Highly accurate with massive detection range
Cons
- Pop detection not enabled by default
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 183
 Extremely Accurate and Simple to use. Pricey - but... January 31, 2005
J. Chatwani (Chicago, IL)
209 out of 224 found this review helpful
Before I actually begin, one thing should be perfectly clear - you're looking at this radar because you understand accuracy is not only important, it is critical when looking for a radar detector. If you look at my other reviews, you'll notice that I've given 5 stars to those products as well - you'll also notice I haven't done many reviews in the past, that's because I only really write reviews for items that I think deserve it. As for the rest, well, I don't keep the product if it doesn't meet the 5 star requirement! So trust me when I say this radar is the best you can buy under $500.
Accuracy:
I've always been a little skeptical about using radar detectors, everyone knows they won't prevent tickets every single time. But, if it can save you a couple tickets it's already paid for itself. I live in Chicago, and frequently drive to neighboring states for work and to visit family. Because of this, I knew that I would have to buy a solid detector that was effective if I was constantly on the road. I made the right choice. Driving on the expressways in the midwest is simple for me now knowing I am using the 8500 x50. It has alerted me much in advance if a cop was gunning and I've always had time to slow down and pass the cop at the posted speed limit. The three main alerts, K, KA, and X are pretty much always on target - and with minimal false readings, it stays quiet when it needs to.
Ease of Use:
One of the best aspects of this radar is how easy it is to use. Right out of the package, it's ready to go. However, if you're a little more technical and always need things a certain way, you can configure it with a number of different settings to fit your style. One of the downfalls is that I wish the x50 would have a better volume control - I feel that it doesn't go loud enough, especially when I'm listening to music in my car. To make up for it, I've moved the x50 from the center of the winshield to more to the left, so it is in my field of vision while I drive to allow me to see the display at all times out of the corner of my eye. In addition, the Escort SmartCord works well with it's auto mute button on the adaptor itself.
Value:
Hands down, the x50 takes the gold as the number one radar on the market. You're probably thinking to yourself, $340 for a radar detector is a lot of money. And you know.. you're absolutely right. But.. if you save yourself two speeding tickets, the x50 has paid for itself (not to mention the pain of having to go to court and traffic school). If this radar was over $400, it would still be worth it considering what you may be saving yourself from. I got the x50 with the blue display because it was from the Sharper Image, and that's all they had. If you want to save yourself $40 by going with the red display, I say do it and save some cash.
The Bottom Line:
If you want to make a solid investment, get the 8500 x50 and don't waste your money with a $100 or $200 radar that isn't accurate - doing that will cost you the price of your ticket plus a radar detector that would be better off being used for a paper weight. Although Bel and the Valentine One are solid detectors, they don't match up to the stats that the x50 has - see it for yourself at www.radartest.com.
Works. Looks cool. Prevents tickets. What else do you need to know? July 19, 2006
beam me up Scotty (High up in the mountains)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
I was going 75 in a 40, up a hilly highway last night, to get by a logging truck before a long stretch with no passing zones. There was some downhill traffic, but no cop-like vehicles I could see. But Mr. Escort blinked his lights (the one on the power supply as well as the blue LEDs) and sounded his chirp (which is loud enough for me!) and I buried the brake pedal to get my bimmer down to the legal speed. Then the signal went dead. None of the downhill vehicles was the fuzz, so my first thought was "dangit, that false alarm is going to get me stuck behind this truck for five miles!" but then I saw Mr. Smokey in the trees just off the road, using pop-radar in his unmarked car. He had just clocked the downhill cars, that's where I got my signal.
"BUzzzzzz!" Mr Escort said again when the copper clocked me, and I'll bet HE thought "a BMW going 40? He knew I was here." But once the cop was out of view,I zoomed by the truck , and thanked the Escort Co. for the 50th time this year. I have not gotten a SINGLE ticket since I installed mine, and many, if not most, would have been unavoidable without it.
If you drive a lot, and you don't like being passed by grandmas, BUY THIS DETECTOR. Don't quibble about the price, it will save you three times the $ in the first year. I never owned any other, so I can't say if it's better than a V1 or a Cobra, but I do know I am VERY glad I bought mine.
Go for it!! - compared with Valentine One June 1, 2006
Sugavaneswaran Malligarjunan (Dallas, Texas)
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
First of all I got this product for [...]$ and then a few days later Amazon lowered it to [...], I was quick to ship mine back and order it for cheaper...thanks amazon for that :D
The good:
1) Very accurate. Everytime it goes off I have enough time to slow down. I borrowed V-1 from my friend and installed it together. Believe it or not V-1 does not go off sometimes (K and Ka bands)
2) Intellient muting: The unit mutes automatically after a few beeps and however loud I keep my music I can still hear this beeping!
3) 360 degree range: I have seen cops arrive on all directions after this thing goes off. It has a 360 degree range.
4) Consumes lesser battery power than V-1 does.
Recommendations:
1) Install it as high as you can in your car.
2) Keep all the window glasses of your car clean.
3) Turn the volume to High. (The default is standard)
Myth and reality:
Do not expect it to go off on slopes, if you are on a rising slope I suggest you slow down because it will be too late when you get hit.
I really wish they they had the arrow feature of V-1 built into it, but for half the price of V-1 I don't mind :)
Cons:
Do NOT blame this device if you get ticketed because you were speeding up a slope or on curvy roads, or you got pulled over by cops who didn't have their radars turned on. This device will help only monitor your speed and warn you of potential threats, it doesn't make you invincible!
POP is not turned on by default and is listed as a con by amazon, but it's just a two step process to enable it.
Overall it's a great toy to have. I got the blue display because it matches well with my blue dashboard display of my Civic 06.
Worth Every Penny October 4, 2006
H. A. Harris (San Diego, CA USA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
I've owned the original 8500 for a few years now. It has consistently proved its value on many highway drives. The current X50 update is simply an improvement on what was already a great radar detector, with a blue LED option. Save yourself the extra money and get a red display, it is the same in every other way to the blue display unit.
Basic, automatic mode is great. Turn it on, scroll to Auto and leave it. This will allow the unit to work in City and Highway mode automatically. It works. Simple.
I've moved to the advanced display so I can track multiple signals. The LED display is clear and gives lots of information at a glace. The next level provides signal frequency, but that's too much and unnecessary for me. Between the audio alerts and the letter and bar display, I've got a good idea what I'm receiving, and, from where. Without an arrow.
Generally, heat is the worst thing for ALL radar detectors. That means not leaving the any unit out in the sun when parked. It is also a good idea to avoid spikes of electricity by not having it plugged in when starting the motor, and using the power/volume wheel to turn it on and off. Remember, excessive heat is BAD for your radar detector.
Excellent Product September 10, 2005
Eric J. Green (texas, usa)
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
I had used the RMR - C450 radar detector and jammer for about a year. That product was way over hyped and had very poor detection range. On the advise of a good friend I sold the RMR and bought the 8500 X50. I never realized how bad that RMR was until I started using this unit. I have picked up police radar close to two miles from me AND have picked up radar over a small hill well before I topped it. Another great thing is that the false alarms are few and far inbetween. The only issues I have with this unit are that POP detection is not turned on by default, the programming innerface is not real easy, and that POP false alarms do happen (maybe this is why it's turned off by default).
Showing reviews 1-5 of 183
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