Escort Passport 9500i
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Radar detector goes high-tech...the GPS-enabled Escort Passport 9500i! Escort Passport 9500i Overview Veil Guy's Escort Passport 9500i Video Review Real advancements in high-end radar detectors have come slowly over the years. Valentine Research has made steady improvements to the venerable V1 over its 15-year history but has essentially stayed true to the original V1 design of '92. Escort has updated their top-of-line Passport 8500 with the X50 version (some prefer the original Escort Passport 8500 to the X50). Beltronics continues to have great success with their BEL RX-65 Pro and has recently developed the first and only production radar detector (STi Driver) that is not detectable by the latest incarnations of Stalcar/SPECTRE radar detector detectors (RDDs). Each of these top-flight radar detectors are stellar performers and I feel confident driving with any of them mounted on my windshield. ...But as good as these radar detectors are, they have essentially remained unchanged since the inception of the first Escort and Passport radar detectors back in the 80s (those were the days). Escort, though, is determined to change this landscape with their innovative new Escort Passport 9500i and redefine what we think a high-end radar detector can and should be. The Escort Passport 9500i detector is destined to change the paradigm of radar detector operation with the ingenious incorporation of GPS technology. With GPS, the Escort Passport 9500i provides its owner with four novel capabilities:
Pre-production Passport 9500i units are governed to 127mph...hope the production 9500i models aren't. |
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One of the configurable options or "preferences" of the Escort Passport 9500i is the ability to display in real-time the current speed of the vehicle. Speed is updated every second and I have found the 9500i to be more accurate than the speedometer (due to Plus 0 sizing of the Bimmer's tires). When placed in clear view, I found that I could use the Escort Passport 9500i as a "poor man's" HUD, enabling me to be much more conscious of my speed without having to look down at my instrument cluster and taking my eyes off the road in the process - a nice safety feature. No more, "I really wasn't going that fast, officer!" UPDATE: As of 3/26/07 our production 9500i is no longer restricted in its top-speed readings of 127mph, we are happy to report. We briefly flirted with 130mph this afternoon before running out of road...Thanks, Escort, for addressing this one. The Escort Passport 9500i allows its owner to quickly & permanently mute out known locations of stationery sources of falses (primarily X & K door openers). This makes the morning and evening commutes much more pleasant and quiet - without handicapping its performance with City mode. The other novel capability of the Escort Passport 9500i is the identification of points of interest, namely non-RADAR speedtraps and redlight camera locations. In Pennsylvania, only state troopers are allowed to operate police radar (k-band) in stationery mode. Therefore most local traffic enforcement departments utilize some form of VASCAR, most of which are stationery. Since these speedtraps are electronically timed, a conventional radar detector would be of little value as no radar is employed. Futhermore, redlight cameras are beginning to appear in the Philadelphia area and I have no idea where they are really located. The Escort Passport 9500i allows its owner to accurately mark/identify these locations, a very nice feature indeed. As the Passport 9500i is this is the first radar detector that we have encountered which utilizes a USB port, the potential for preloading a regional or nationwide database of stationery radar drones, speed signs, EZ Pass lanes, automated photo radar, photo lidar traps, and redlight cameras (as well as Gatso and Multanova for our European friends) is promising. Very very cool. The Escort Passport 9500i's GPS capability also enables another feature which we found nice. Speed sensitive radar sensitivity. The AutoScan feature of the Escort Passport 8500 X50, Beltronics RX-65 Pro, and BEL STi Driver gives way to an AutoSensitivity mode of the 9500i. At city driving speeds, the Escort Passport 9500i will automatically descrease its sensitivity to X and K-band sources (Ka-band is unaffected). As speeds increase so does the sensitivity of the 9500i. No more having to manually change sensitivity from Highway to City and vice-versa. The Escort Passport 9500i has borrowed features from the Beltronics RX-65 Pro - namely selectable Ku reception ability, SWS support, and voice supplement (female). Like the Bel STi Driver, the push buttons are illuminated and the detector can be set to auto dim its display for all variety of lighting conditions. The Escort Passport 9500i comes with a built-in USB interface allowing direct hook-up to your personal computer or laptop. When I connected the 9500i to my PC, Windows XP correctly identified the device as a 9500i but without the 9500i software drivers, I wasn't able to do anything with it. My understanding is that Escort will release the software [and data] (perhaps as an paid option or on a subscription basis) later in the year. I can't wait! [ok...ok, I'm a geek] 9500i Driving Impressions After living with the Escort Passport 9500i for a little more than two weeks and about 500 hundred miles, I am finding that this detector is living up to its promised innovativion. 
What we were able to avoid with the Escort Passport 9500i. The operation of the Escort Passport 9500i feels very much like an Escort Passport 8500 series: Ka-band reception appears on par with the top four (Escort Passport 8500 X50, BEL STi Driver, Beltronics RX-65 Pro, Valentine V1). X & K-band reception performance and signal ramp seems to lag quite a bit behind a production Escort Passport 8500 X50 (even on highway mode) and will most likely improve when the finalized production version is released in March, 2006 (only a very small number of these pre-production Passport 9500i models were produced). UPDATE: As of 3/24/07 our production 9500i appears to still need some sorting out on X/K reception particularly from the low-mid level to full signal strength ramp-up. We will continue to put it through its paces on the open road for our up-and-coming Ultimate Radar Detector Review 2007. As with the Escort Passport 8500 X50, the Escort Passport 9500i's X-band reception appears to suffer a bit when Ka reception is enabled (relevant to New Jersey drivers). Laser performance should be at least on par with an Escort Passport 8500 X50, which is very good. Volume is louder and fuller than the Escort Passport 8500 X50 and can be set to increase or decrease based upon ambient conditions. The radar alert tones more closely approximate the Valentine 1: beep for X-band, Ku-band, brap for K-band, and brap-brap for Ka-band. Manual muting takes place at a quick push of the cigarette lighter power adaptor's button, a real convenience as compared to having to lean forward to push the button manually on the Valentine 1. Automuting can be set as well to automatically decrease the alert volume after the initial warning. I am pleased to see the angled face-plate of the Escort Passport 8500 X50 giveway to a flat-faced version ala the RX-65 Pro which means this detector is equally suited to both right-hand and left-hand driving arrangements. Brightness levels and readability in tough lighting are excellent. Furthermore, the Passport 9500i can be easily configured to report in metric meters and kph in addition to English feet and mph. All of the Passport 9500i buttons are illuminated like the Beltronics STi Driver, however since they are all located on the top of the detector housing, their utility is somewhat diminished - a nice touch, though. Speaking of the chassis, the Passport 9500i casing is similar in material to the Escort Passport 8500 series but is black instead of gray and its physical dimensions approximate the 8500 series as well. On initial power-up and after sitting powered off for a while, the detector takes up to 30 seconds to establish the location of the overhead satellites (indicated by a rotating satellite icon on the display). When powered off for brief amounts of time, the detector re-establishes contact immediately. On one morning of extremely dense cloud cover (the kind the encompasses the entire state), the Passport 9500i lost connection six times in the course of the first ten minutes of driving but ultimately was able to maintain subsequent communication to the GPS system. Like all GPS devices, the Passport 9500i requires a clear line of site to the sky above and will lose connection to the satellites when driving through tunnels and parking garages. Fortunately, the Passport 9500i quickly re-establishes GPS communication once the view above becomes unobstructed. Permanently muting a known radar-false source is very easy to perform. During the encounter, simply press the mute button either on the detector or more easily on the light adapter several times following voice confirmation. Permanently unmuting is performed in exactly the same manner during the muted encounter (indicated by a rotating satellite icon on the front display). This kind of muting is very effective at quieting door openers and motion sensors located adjacent to the road at shopping centers and strip malls, but I often found that I had to mute the same location twice when facing a speed sign or radar drone pointed directly down the highway lanes when approaching from the opposite direction on the return trip. Although the manual recommends driving with the default setting of [A]utoSensitivity, I actually preferred to drive in [H]ighway mode with permanent muting of falses along my routine driving routes. That way I get the best of both worlds, maximum radar sensitivity coupled with even more quietness than [C]ity driving! When driving in areas outside of my normal range, I would change the sensitivity of the Passport 9500i to [A]utoSensitivity - as I would not mute out false locations encountered along these routes. This advanced filtering mode only capable with GPS technology makes for a much more pleasant (quiet) ride. |
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Marking of special locations of interests, such as stationery VASCAR traps is only slightly more involving - as the means to do so can only be accomplished by pressing the {Mark} button that resides on the top of the detector. You'll just have to get used to its location as it won't be readable from typical mounting locations. Unmarking can easily be accomplished by repeating the procedure when geographically at the marked location. 
The toughest speedtrap. Police laser from behind! NJ motorists never know what hits 'em!
You can be sure we marked this location in the Passport 9500i's memory. When approaching a marked location, the 9500i will make an announcement, the display will indicate the type of location (oftentimes SPDTRAP) and then the detector will count down in hundreds of feet from about 4500 feet initially until you actually reach the GPSed marked location. Once past the location, the Passport 9500i will count up to several thousand feet past the location. Way cool. I can't wait for a national database to be released! WOW! This is true innovation! 
The Passport 9500i now provides plenty of advanced warning to this potential pitfall. Features I'd like added to the 9500i Several "improvements" I would love to see in the final production version are mostly ergonomic in nature:
Conclusion If you thought that arrows were the be all and end all of radar detection, think again... Imagine going on a long driving trip across the country armed with a detector that will alert you to the locations of all currently operating automated traffic enforcement traps along your route. Hey, that's even better than real time traffic reports! The retail cost of $449 USD puts the 9500i in the realm of the most expensive windshield-mount radar detectors - equal to the cost of the stealth Beltronics STi Driver and $50 more than the mighty Valentine 1. There's no doubt, however, that the Escort Passport 9500i will join the ranks of the other ultra premium radar detectors (Escort Passport 8500 X50, BEL RX-65 Pro, Beltronics STi Driver, and Valentine V1) - that list has now grown to five. Given the novel capabilities of the Escort Passport 9500i; the promise of accurately identifying all sorts of traffic enforcement threats present and future; and the potential for future enhancements (via USB interface), this is money well spent. UPDATE: As of 1/31/08 in a recent test (conducted by Craig Peterson, author of the new book Driver's Guide to Police Radar) of the Escort 9500i versus the newest Spectre RDDs, the Spectre Mk. IV and Spectre Mk. IV +, the 9500i proved to be very hard to detect and while not technically a complete stealth radar detector, like the Beltronics STi Driver, Beltronics STi-R, and Passport 9500ci it very close, indeed. Could the 9500i become the perfect radar detector? Quite possibly. Over the past several years, traffic enforcement has become particularly furtive with the spread of police laser, automated photo radar speed traps, high-tech red light and speed-on-green cameras - to name a few. Its wonderful to see that Escort is developing innovative high-tech solutions to these growing threats to the motoring public. Kudos to the guys and gals of Escort! Happy and safe motoring! The Veil Guy Purchase with Confidence at these Trustworthy Purchasing Sources for:Buy Radar Detectors Related Reading: Passport 9500i to Passport 9500ix Upgrade PathBeltronics STi Driver Review Valentine One Review & Tribute How to Avoid Speeding Tickets with your Radar Detector The Ultimate Radar Detector Review The Ultimate Laser Detector Review Summary Radar Detectors Buyers Guide Additional Realworld 9500i Experiences/Reading: Escort 9500i vs. Spectre IV, Spectre IV +9500i Performance Update AutoSensitivity mode beats a Tylenol 750 miles put on a production model in one weekend A Closer Examination of AutoScan versus Highway Mode Latest News: Beyond viewing this site, you can continue keep-up with the latest info about our continuing long-term comparisons of the top performing models and our real-world driving experiences (frequently updated) by visiting the VeilGuy blog. Be sure to opt-into our mailing list, so you don't miss any of the action! The Premier Online Resource for Serious DriversTo become an even more informed driver, please join the friendly online community SpeedTrapHunter.Net. A friendly and mature group dedicated to the informed discussion of all forms of speed trap and traffic enforcement technology and their tactics throughout the world and how to mitigate through education and driving tools including radar detectors. GPS detectors, Veil, laser jammers, as well as to how you can properly respond to a traffic citations and speeding tickets. On SpeedTrapHunter.net, you'll have direct access to some of the luminaries in our industry, all in one place, for the very first time in history! SpeedTrapHunter.net is about education and not manipulation and persuation. You can't afford to not be a part of the dynamic and growing group of informed driving enthuisiasts! Join today, it's free! |
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