Radar Detector Review of the Escort Passport 9500i

[RadarReviews_Net]

My review of the 9500I:

I had an original 8500 (not x50) and it served me well I also sent it in to get upgraded for my other car, loved the unit.

In April decided to upgrade to the 9500i, so I had one of the first models and it had a few issues with ramp up and k sensitivity. True lock was always fine for me because I only need to lock out a few places for my ride to work and KA is only used in my town anyway.

I returned my 9500i for a new one (herd about the improvements) and the k band seems to be much improved.

I love it. No false alerts and when it goes off I know to slow down on the 1st beep. It has saved me many times...

GPS, True Lock is fine, it’s not magic you need to use your brain when using it. The 9500i allows you to lock out 30MHz wide blocks of false radar sources. When properly used, the 9500i's GPS based True lock technology can be very effective at locking out unwanted door opener signals on your dally commute. The 9500i remembers signals for a few seconds after you lock out the location so make sure you use expert mode to see how many alerts you are getting in your lock out area.
In areas where police X band isn't used, lock out X band falsies the first time you encounter them. As far as K band door opener falsies, wait until you drive the location a few times and then lock them out if the signal always seems to be the same.
Since the technology is GPS based, for K band it is a good idea to lock out the K band door opener false when you are as close as possible to the door opener along your driving route. In this way you will be pretty well centered on the location of the false K band source.

Sensitivity is good, yes it’s not a V1 but that’s the point. I have had over 15 saves and a few of them were over 1mi in KA and K around turns. I had a KA going full on then nothing, full on than nothing about 1/4mi later around a turn there was an off axis LEO I/O everyone who passed.

Ramp up sucks compared to the beyond perfect x50. This is a quiet detector with superior filtering so you will/should slow on the 1st beep because it only goes off when there is a threat. Who wants all that noise when the object is to slow sown as soon as it goes off anyway. I love not having to explain "there is no Leo just an automatic door" and how radar works and why it goes off when there is no LEO around.

Features are the biggest advantage of the 9500I and the one item no company can touch:

Variable-Speed sensitivity the sensitivity is actually adjusted according to your speed. If you’re driving in city traffic the unit will automatically go into city mode than when your driving at higher speeds it will go t highway mode.

GPS-Powered Truelock™ Filter. You can lock out those annoying falsies you go by everyday and not have to explain to people in your car why your RD is going off and there are no cops around

Mark Location Features for speed traps & cameras. Good for those traps set up on your no so frequently driven rides.

Speed Alert™ shows your current speed. Actually shows your current speed when the 9500I picks up radar or you can choose to leave it on all the time.

Voice Alerts. No need to take your eyes off the road, it tells you what band it’s detecting and what mode you are setting it too.

Auto Volume Control. Cool fetcher for those business trips with clients in your car that you don’t want to annoy. Doesn’t work well for me, not loud enough.

User-Selectable Preferences, spec mode, expert mode and standard. You can see multiple threats or the actual frequency you’re being hit by.

5 Levels of Brightness Control & auto bright. Very cool no need to worry about not seeing the display during the day and no worry that the cop behind you sees the blaring red display.

Completely immune to the VG-2 "detector-detector"

Mute, Auto Mute & Smart Mute. Another Cool fetcher for those business trips with clients in your car that you don’t want to annoy.

Built-in Earphone Jack. You can also use this for out side amplification.

Safety Warning System. This is a truly awesome fetcher if it was available everywhere.

USB data port hopefully in the future we will be able to update and adjust things like the speed sensitivity with this.

Over all I am satisfied with the 9500I and would recommend it to any intelligent RD user.

I just did a 1300mi round trip from CT to NC and the 9500I only went off 6 times 4 were LEO's the others were falsies

[CJR238]

first of all the 9500i is a great detector all around, plus it is quiet, some people love to hear the detector go off all the time to think its working, I would rather it go off knowing there is a real threat.

Escort has been tweaking the 9500i's firmware over the past several months since it is their flagship model. The 9500i now has virtually identical performance as the V1.

The nicest thing which I enjoy about the 9500i, aside from its superb Ka sensitivity considering the fact that Ka band radar guns emit a much narrower radar beam and that most Ka band radar guns are very low power radar guns which makes them very hard to detect, is its amazing quietness when driving through towns or through cities and suburbs. Thus, virtually every alert is real unless I am passing by an obviously false radar source such as a pharmacy with microwave door openers which are clearly visible to me. This is a key point. Knowing that over 9 times out of 10 a 9500i alert is real means that you will pay attention to the alert and slow down if necessary. You can't say the same about a V1 used in small towns or in the suburbs, let alone a large city.

The 9500i, however, is the first radar detector to match the V1 in Ka band sensitivity while providing an amazingly quiet ride through towns, suburbs and cities.

The 9500i is really is a totally different breed of radar detector which has finally come into its own.

Just changed my 9500I setting to Expert mode the outher day and to my great surprise the audible voice said "Multiple frequencies detected"! Not only will it show how many bands in expert mode but the 9500I will verbally tell you if the 9500I is receiving multiple radar alerts at the same time.

Saved my butt... It was a K band sign and a LEO was running K band just passed the sign around a bend in the road.

Sneaky LEO's.

I will never change it from Expert mode again.

Also had a lock out point that got a new K band signal while the icon was spinning and the 9500 said "Multiple frequencies detected". I will do some more tests with Expert Mode on lock out points to see if this is the best setting to use all the time.


Another encounter I had: In expert mode my 9500I got a KA band alert where it usually blocks out K band and again I got "Multiple frequencies detected". Apparently the 9500I when receiving a New/different alert in Expert mode at a previously locked out point it will bypass the lock out and alert of all current signals it is receiving.

If you can deal with the visually small read out in Expert Mode and react on the 1st beep I feel it’s the best mode to use all the time on the 9500I.

The KA was a Local LEO and the K was the false I previously locked out.

My whole town is KA, So I have the best area to use TrueLock ("No Risk").

I’m starting to think this is the Jack Of All Trades detector!!! Not the most sensitivity and not the best ramp up but pretty darn awesome all around...

I was thinking of getting a V1 as well for highway but with the performance im getting out of my 9500I I don’t think I will. I highly recommend the 9500I to any RD user that is willing to put in the time to get to know the 9500I.

-RIP

[CJR238]

Anyone else own a 9500I, and have any impressions?

[peachtreecity]

About 1-2 weeks ago I got my updated 9500i back and all I have to say is WOW! I am using my updated firmware 9500i over my V1. To all the V1 people out there, yes I do miss the arrows when I use the 9500i, however with the new ramp up and improved sensitivity along with minimal false alerts I absolutely love this thing and use it preferentially. I have noticed greatly increased sensitivity on K-band, better sensitivity on Ka band (possibly my imagination) and a much more predictible ramp up (kind of reminds me of the original Passport). The auto volume also works better and the alert is now at least as loud as the V1. Anybody who is holding back on updating the firmware on their 9500i, you need to do it!

[KaPro]

Couldn't agree more. The 9500 is a top shelf unit. Oh, and being a V1 owner (in a prior life) I can say that you do get used to NOT having the arrows.

[RadarReviews_Net]

I am purchasing the passport 9500i later today from best buy, do you know if they are selling the upgraded firmware.... or is there away to tell on the box or the unit if it has the upgraded firmware?

[CJR238]

You want 4007 or higher (some 3807 are ok) the problem is that number is on the detector and not on the box.
You should be fine im sure because the Christmas rush moved all the old ones.

Congratulations, the 9500I is one of the best RD ever made in MHO. It takes quite some time to get use to, especially how quiet it is and how it actively monitors threats. It’s as if it knows the difference between a real threat and not.
All the other features are a tone of fun to experiment with as well.

good luck!

[RadarReviews_Net]

Originally Posted by RIP-9500I

You want 4007 or higher (some 3807 are ok) the problem is that number is on the detector and not on the box.
You should be fine im sure because the Christmas rush moved all the old ones.

Congratulations, the 9500I is one of the best RD ever made in MHO. It takes quite some time to get use to, especially how quiet it is and how it actively monitors threats. It’s as if it knows the difference between a real threat and not.
All the other features are a tone of fun to experiment with as well.

good luck!

would this be the last four digits on the serial number?

[CJR238]

It’s usually the last four separate groupe of #s. in this case 9999

[CJR238]

New 9500ci/ZR4 Jammer.

I figured I would also post here, I hope someone can get there hands on one of these bad boys soon. Im shure someone will test it to see how good/bad it is and how compatible it is with the 9500I.

The Passport 9500ci Radar Detector is for hidden operation and provides GPS to reduce false alerts, RDD invisibility to escape police radar detector detectors, ZR4 laser shifting to detect and jam all laser guns, and superb radar detection, all in a compact package.

The Passport 9500ci radar detector can be used by drivers throughout Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Asia. The Beltronics STi-R remote radar detector is manufactured in North America. Here is why the 9500ci radar detector is one of the two best hidden radar detector in the world:

1) 2 front antennas to increase signal sensitivity while minimizing false alerts;

2) Can be programmed for desired Ka radar frequency used anywhere around the world;

3) 100% invisible to all Radar Detector Detectors - VG2, VG4, Spectre II, Spectre III, and Stalcar RDD;

4) Radar Detection of Ka police radar and Instant on at 10 mile distance;

5) Superb at detecting over-the-hill, hidden police radar speed traps;

6) Superb voice alerts on radar, laser and safety warnings (SWS), plus audio alerts;

7) Compact, watertight package for installation behind the grille, front bumper or rear bumper;

Fewest false radar alerts of any remote radar detector;

9) Easy to program for city X, X off, K, Ka Superwide, police laser, POP3 radar;

10) Can also program for Euro Ka Narrowband police photo radar on or off

11) GPS modules included to isolate false radar traps and real radar traps and remebers both types

12) Includes the new ZR4 Laser Shifters - 3 laser jammers to defeat any laser gun aimed at you

If you don't want a radar detector on the dash or up in the windshield, yet need superb detection and absolute invisibility to police radar detector detectors, the Pasport 9500ci Radar Detector is for you. Voice alerts and brilliant BLUE LED display warn the driver in the cockpit to X, K, Ka radar, police laser, instant-on radar and POP3 radar. The Passport 9500ci can also be programmed for any Ka radar frequency in the world. The Escort 9500ci is superb for detecting hidden, "over-the-hill" Ka police radar traps before they can detect your speed. No other radar detector offers 100% invisibility to Spectre II, Spectre III, VG2, VG4 and Stalcar radar detector detectors. Professional drivers and drivers in Canada, Europe, Australia, Virginia and Asia will definitely need the 9500ci radar detector.

Remote mounted with cockpit voice alerts.

MAJOR FEATURES
NEW Dual LNA (low noise amplifier) receivers provide the longest possible warning against all radar threats, and reduces false alerts to minimum
NEW TotalShield RF Technology is 100% invisible to all police RDD in Virginia, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Europe, Asia; Police can no longer determine if you have a radar detector in your vehicle - yes the 9500ci is that good
Detects Standard Radar Bands: Ka Superwide, POP3, L, K and X
NEW Euro K radar, Euro Ka Narrowband photo radar, POP 3 and Laser detection
High and low voltage warning is given any time the vehicle’s voltage drops below 10.5 volts, or goes above 16.5 volts.
Easy-to-use Programming lets you customize up to 7 features and all radar bands with on/off features.
NEW Turtle Clamps allow the radar and laser modules to be easily installed into your vehicle using few, if any, drill holes
Modular Plug and Play telephone jack connections with color coded cables
NEW GPS TrueLock is used to intelligently reduce unwanted false alarms using ADAPTIVE SIGNAL PROCESSING (ASP) to learn the radar signal for real speed trap threats or false radar alerts
NEW Ultra-bright BLUE text-display provides easy to read information from any angle.
Tech Display provides actual numeric radar frequency for any radar signal.
Passport 9500ci intelligently monitors your vehicle speed to provide max radar sensitivity, while slow vehicle speeds automatically decrease X and K band detection sensitivity to minimize false alerts
NEW ZR4 Laser Shifters improved to detect and jam all laser guns including Stealth laser guns using double pulse frequency
VOICE Alerts on radar, laser and up to 64 Safety Warning System messages