Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Radar/Lidar detectors
1206 messages, Last post on Dec 28, 2008 at 5:16 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
Replying to: izaclown1 (Apr 11, 2008 4:07 am) You mean 1 to 2 years, right.  20-years would almost bring us to where all this stuff started! No, the problem is definitely not "normal," even as the detectors "age." Although some will fall out-of-tune and suffer from various other "typical" small electrical problems due to their harsh use environment, it's still definitely NOT something that should be happening. Something is certainly wrong. My 3+ year-old x50 still functions as well as the day I bought it, and there are many in the speed-detection countermeasures community who own detectors that are far older, again, with no such problems. Something's definitely not Kosher. You can do a little trouble-shooting, yourself ---> First, perform a "hard reset" of the unit. With the unit switched off via the rotary dial, press down on all three of the buttons on the detector's body, and while you're doing so, use the dial to power-up the unit. ( Note that after you perform such a "reset," you will need to go back through the unit's "Preferences" to re-tailor the unit to your end-user enabled settings, as this reset will take the unit back to factory-default settings. ) See if this doesn't take care of the problem, outright. If that doesn't put a halt to such problems, let's try troubleshooting the detector-car axis. First, will your detector false in the same manner in another vehicle? If not, then it's obvious that it's something to do with your car - have you changed vehicles recently? did you recently add new accessories (i.e. aftermarket nav/GPS screen or entertainment system/components)? Also, if the detector is not falsing in other vehicles, you should try enabling the voltmeter function on the x50. See if, for some reason, the detector is pulling either insufficient or too much voltage. With the x50, anything less than about 10V of input or more than 14V could elicit such falsing issues (typically more common on the over-volt scenario [actually, laser-falsing with over-volt is a known problem with the x50], with unpredictable shut-downs more likely on the < 10V input scenario). Since the voltmeter function can be enabled while the detector is actively in-use, you should be able to keep an eye on things as you drive. See if provoking the accelerator will cause such voltage spikes. Remember, though, that this isn't necessarily your vehicle's output voltage - this is what the detector "sees" on its line. If your 12V accessory socket is dirty, or if the wiring leading to it is faulty, then the detector may see less than vehicle voltage - don't immediately jump to the conclusion that your charging system is at-fault, but instead, work the problem backwards, from the detector. If under-voltage is an issue, try taking remedial steps with the socket and/or wiring leading to it, first, or bypass the entire issue by hardwiring (which itself should be undertaken, then, only after you make sure that the vehicle's charging system is good-to-go, as it would be illogical to pursue such a bypass if a dirty socket or faulty wiring leading to it are not your sole problems). And even before you pursue the socket/wiring issue, you should, as logic dictates from "working backwards from the detector," check to see if your SmartCord could be at-fault. Since you have two detectors, you can try interchanging their SmartCords to see if it somehow solves the issue. And also along this line of logic, if your detector continues to false after you've transferred them to another test vehicle, you should also see if the issue can't be traced to the SmartCord(s). If you have a friend who has a non-faulty x50 (or any Bel/Escort detector that utilizes the RJ11 fitting power cords), you can try a cross-change, to see if you can isolate the issue. Failing these, it would likely be best for you to send the detector(s) in to Escort for a fix. Also, there are some cars that are just "electrically noisy." Late-model Subarus, for example, are notorious for this - the Escort detectors often false when in these vehicles, and our sub-community have pursued such concerns to great depth: http://www.radardetector.net/viewtopic.php?t=26821&highlight=armscrafter1 Hopefully, you'll be able to read that without having to sign-up. I stopped "lurking" on the RD.net hobbyist community about a year ago, and until then, no registration was necessary to simply read/lurk. As you can see, there are various means you can undertake to try to solve this problem. But honestly, start with the easy stuff, first. Best of luck!
|
|
|
Replying to: lgtwrx (Apr 11, 2008 5:29 am) |
|
|
Replying to: lgtwrx (Apr 11, 2008 5:29 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: izaclown1 (Apr 13, 2008 12:49 pm) Keep an eye on it - sometimes, the hard reset only "cures" things temporarily - alternatively, some detectors (totally random, production-line variances) just seem to require periodic resets in order to perform their best. If it can't get out of "SELF CAL" mode (i.e. it gets stuck there) or displays the "SERV REQ" messages, send it in. Honestly, my x50 is now more than 4 years old, and still works just as well as the day I bought it - and this is even considering the fact that it's been a 24/7 "live-in-car" detector, always exposed to the elements. I definitely got lucky. Hope this does the trick for ya! And hey, don't worry about your fingers! Mine are not exactly slender and delicate, either! 
|
|
| I just bought a Beltronics STI Driver. I'd rather not attract attention to myself and I pass through Virginia every so often. I have it mounted low on the windshield but it's all the way over on the driver's side so that it's a little more concealed. Does anyone have an idea of how this affects the performance of the detector? Thanks. | |
|
|
|
Replying to: cd1220 (Dec 26, 2008 1:19 pm) The STI is an excellent RD, immune to all of the radar detector detectors, good choice if you travel through areas where RD's are illegal. Let me know if you have any more questions, if I can't answer them the guys over on radardetector.net can! |
|
|
Replying to: cd1220 (Dec 26, 2008 1:19 pm) With the current crop of Bel detectors, LIDAR reception is not its strong-point, and while mounting low should help optimize "sure hit" reporting, the value of such an alert is already debatable (particularly with any noticeable corrective/remedial driving input on your part likely to be very noticeable to the enforcer, looking through the scope of his LIDAR device)....best-odds, thus, would still likely have you mounting the detector either high, or, better yet, mid-windshield (however, this is unacceptable in VA, as it would put the detector too-easy into the enforcer's line-of-sight, from outside-vehicle observations). Low-mounting may allow you to bury the detector out-of-sight of the enforcer, when he/she is in-vehicle, to your periphery, but you need to make sure that the detector clears both your hoodline as well as any intrusions, such as a hood-scoop or the windshield wipers. Even then, the detector is likely to rest in plain sight, on the dash, to any enforcer who might be walking up to your vehicle..... Typically, a "high and tight" setup, against the headliner and the tint band (if you have one on your vehicle) will not only keep the detector out of the visual range of an enforcer sitting on your six (i.e. right up against your rear bumper, executing a stop), but also will put it out of their view as they approach the vehicle for your interview. There are several different methods to help accomplish such mounting (and hardwiring, which will fully conceal the wiring run), and thread such as this are a start: http://www.speedtraphunter.net/speeding-tickets-traffic-citations/984-windshield- -mount-illegal-california.html Also, I'd also recommend that you install a hidden - but easily accessed, without overt movements in-cabin which may telegraph your intent (as well as un-necessarily raise the threat level of your roadside traffic stop!!!) - "kill switch," to surely cut-power to your detector, to insure that you have an intrusion-free interview. Finally, remember, a detector is only a tool, and just because the detector itself is fully cloaked with respect to VG2 and Spectre RDDs does not mean that your driving practices may not, themselves, tip-off the enforcer as to the fact that you have a detector in-vehicle. As anyone will tell you, I'm a fan of VEIL, and also highly respect its creator, [b]The VEIL Guy[/b], for his "tactical thinking" approach to speed-detection countermeasures. This is what he had to say, in his review of the Bel STi-Driver: [quote] realize really astute officers will likely still be able to determine detector usage when your vehicle is targeted by their radar gun if you quickly decelerate (the normal response to an alert) which can be done visually - either by an abrupt drop of your vehicle's front-end under heavy breaking, a rapid decrease in speed readings on the radar gun, or from the rear by observing brake lights or by audio - listening to the rapid decrease in the RADAR's Doppler tone at point of trigger pull. At any rate, be prepared with a good explanation as to how you "visually spotted" the officer at the same time he/she pulled the trigger...[/quote] So think about how you're using your detector - and just perhaps, carry with you an el-cheapo Cobra that you scored off FleaBay (and remember to carry the power cord with you, too), to nicely hand-over to your friendly enforcer, if you actually get pulled-over. 
|
|
|
Replying to: lgtwrx (Dec 28, 2008 8:49 am) I try to drive in the right hand lanes and not be as obvious as other detector users. The first thing a trooper looks for is break lights or front ends dropping. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: lgtwrx (Dec 28, 2008 8:49 am) |
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Radar/Lidar detectors
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
