CES Day II

The Consumer Electronics Show is amazing and there is NO WAY one could ever check out all cool electronic gadgets in four days. Heck, after two, I am totally worn out, so tonight’s post will be short…
A national motorcycle magazine has asked me to write a review on speed counter measure products for “baggers”. I saw this as an opportunity to get my Harley Ultra Classic Sreamin Eagle outfitted with all the new toys, so we took it to the show and last night installed many of the new gadgets. This morning we started our day with a photo shoot of the bike and the new equipment.
In the coming weeks I’ll be riding my Harley around Arizona testing all the new toys out, and hope to have this new review done shortly after that.
Today I had an opportunity to meet with Mike Batton, a long time engineer at the Whistler group and a user on radardetector.net. Mike gave me his low down on the new XTR-690 and their Pro 78 that is coming out, saying that both of these new detectors are Whistlers first entry into the high range and sensitivity category, and they expect them both to perform as well as the higher end Escorts and Bels.
Mike then told me that they had won a “CES Innovation Award” this year for their solar powered XTR185, congratulations!
The RMR crew was on their toes again today, according to some attendees, issuing several “Radar Roy” alerts when I was in the area of their booth. I am disappointed that neither Mike or Raul were seen any where near their warez, because I was hoping to have another special meeting with either of them again this year.
Tomorrow we have one more trip to make to return some items and bid farewell to some good friends in the industry till next year

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CES Day One

Over the past several weeks I was given the opportunity to test drive the new Escort 9500I radar detector from Escort. Part of the agreement I had with Escort, along with several other items that I am often given to try out, was not to disclose any information about their new unit until 10:00 AM PST today (the opening at CES).
So as the doors opened at 10:00 am, I was uploading my review of the 9500i and the upload finished at 10:01.
After the upload, I made a beeline to the Bel and  Escort booth. There I met with Escort and we discussed my test drive of the 9500i. Overall I was very impressed with the 9500i and again, it will be my top pick for the 2007 detector line.
As to answer many of the user questions on radardetector net regarding many of their questions:
Laser Sensitivity: In preliminary tests with laser, the 9500i was in par with the Bel RX65 and Escort 8500 in laser detection. So I would rate the laser performance as good.
Stealth Capabilities: No, the Escort 9500i was not designed to have the stealth capabilities as the STi in defeating the Spectre. However the 9500i is VG-2 proof.
TrueLock Feature: My experience with the TrueLock feature in locking out false alarm locations is that the radius of the area that is marked as a false alert location is very small. Even if an officer was running radar on the same exact radar frequency as the device that was marked as a false alert location, I would suspect that the strength of the officers gun would give ample warning outside the radius of the marked location.
USB Port: Initially the USB port will allow the user to store and update marked locations of speed traps into their computer and will also allow users to share their information. Escort says that they also plan on offering “marked locations” to users so they can download a larger database. This USB port can also be used to do diagnostic testing and updating the firmware, however they will not commit to a time frame when this feature will be activated.
Sensitivity and Range: I didn’t have the time and resources to do a full scale range and sensitivity report on the 9500i, however I was able to compare it to the SR7 and the STi in real driving situations. The 9500i alerted further away then my SR7 and approximately the same range as my STi in Ka alerts. On K alerts all three were about equal. We will be doing the new tests in March with the 9500i and other detectors.
Availability: Initially I was given a target date around March, but my experience is to add another month after the first announced target date so that the manufacture can address last minute issues. Also another tester of the 9500i that I spent time with today, also suggested some other features that Escort could add to refine the final production model. So my best gut tells me that I would expect that the first production units will be coming out late April or early May, but again, that is my estimate, not theirs.
Cobra Electronics
Next stop was Cobra to see their new remote mounted  XRS R7 and XRS  R9G.
The first thing that struck me was two of the letters and the number they used in the naming one of these new remote detectors, SR 7, sounds familiar?
Also I was taken back by the ooohs and aahs that a couple of 12 volt installers were making about the units ease of install.
First off my opinion of their remote is that it really isn’t a remote mounted piece at all. The combo radar/laser antenna is designed to be mounted in the passenger compartment, on the top of the windshield, in the area between the rear view mirror and the passenger sun visor, or behind the mirror if room allows.
The display unit is wireless, and can be mounted to the dash area. The user would charge the display unit using either a remote charger or the USB port when it is connected to a computer.
The remote mounted radar/laser antenna can detect radar/laser forward and rear
Cobra told me that the user could also program false alert locations into their unit and would also allow the user to mark their own enforcement areas into the GPS as the 9500i.
I was also told that at this time no testing by any outside reviewers have been done with their new unit (including Car and Driver)
Whistler Group
Stop three was the Whistler group to see their new line up that includes their new dash mounted high performance XTR690 and the Pro 78.
Whistler told us that the XTR690 and Pro 78 are equal in performance, but that the XTR690 would include a compass. They also said that both units would be similar in performance as the higher priced Bel and Escort products.
Both units were very sleek in design, however when I pulled out my camera, I was told that no photos were allowed at this time of their showcased products.
Rocky Mountain Radar
What would a CES show be without visiting the hucksters at RMR and saying hello.
However as I did my preliminary intel on their booth several times prior to making my grand entry, I noticed that both Mike and Raul were both M.I.A.
A few minutes prior to making my rounds at RMR, RacerX (a member of the radardetector.net forum) was perusing their wares. On the east side of their display I began checking out their display and I didn’t notice any new items from their radar/laser jammer arsenal that they were planning on marketing.
As I circled around to the northend, Debbie Petty saw me and stepped next to a new RMR employee “That’s the guy that is offering that $50,000 reward on our products” and as I turned her stepping back to warn the other RMR employees working the booth that were standing next to RacerX. Debbie then pointed to me and said “That’s Radar Roy, that asshole”.
Speed Measurement Laboratories
Carl Fors and I then met up for dinner after the show. Carl was also one of the select few that tested the 9500i prior to CES and we both compared our notes and overall we both agreed that the new Escort unit was a revolutionary new unit and that its performance was excellent.
Carl did say that he was planning on making some major changes to the date and testing procedures at this years test and that he would be sending out a notice soon.
Carl also told me of some new police equipment that he knows is being tested.
During the Boston National Chief of Police Association show, MPH had a protype of a Ku gun they were “tossing around” and he also heard rumors of a new laser gun that is under final development from another manufacture that he could not give any details on, but felt that it was a winner for the police side of the industry.

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Escort 9500i Radar Detector

The Detector of the Future is Here!
In late December, visitors to industry leading RadarDetector.net were asked to describe their visions of what radar detectors would be like in the future.
Some of the most common responses from detector enthusiasts included:
More sensitive Laser Sensor
Easier programming
GPS to detect False Alerts
Frequency counter
Auto mute
USB dataport
All these points would make ideal improvements the majority of users would love to see.  As fate would have it, almost at that moment, I received one of the first Escort 9500i radar detectors.  After giving this new Escort a complete testing and evaluation, we were delighted to find it had all the “future” features people were asking for in our poll.
Escort’s new GPS powered Escort 9500i radar detector provides permanent relief from false alarms, including automatic door openers, motion sensors, and other radar based sensors.  At the same time, it allows the user to program and/or download safety camera and speed trap locations directly into the unit.
The features of the Escort 9500ix include:
• TrueLock feature that permanently eliminates false alerts by location and frequency
• Autosensitivity Mode provides real-time radar performance based on vehicle speed, plus Highway and City settings
• SpeedAlert feature provides an instant view of your vehicle speed during an alert
• Mark Location feature allows you to instantly “mark” known speed traps, cameras and other places of interest
• Voice announcements provide instant audible feedback for easier programming
• Auto Volume feature automatically increases the alert volume in noisy conditions such as a loud radio or road noise
• Easy to use Preferences allows you to customize up to nine features
• Ultra Bright Alphanumeric display with 280 LEDs
• Expert Meter tracks and displays up to eight radar signals simultaneously
• Spec Display provides actual numeric frequency for any radar signal
• Selectable radar and laser bands (on/off) allow you to customize which bands are being monitored (X band, K band. Ka band. Ku band, Laser, POP, SWS)
• Allows you to backup your Truelock data and other software related functions
Driving Impressions:
The first thing any seasoned radar detector owner wants to do is drive to all the local “false alert” hot spots in their neighborhood.  That immediately reveals one of the weak spots for any detector.
My first stop was a local CVS Pharmacy that has a pair of automatic door openers at the entrance. As I approached the store, my Escort SR7 remote radar detector was at full alert in K band, but the new 9500i was completely silent.  My first thought was of disappointment, thinking this particular 9500i was a bad unit.
But then I remembered the manual mentioning the 9500i’s autosensitivity mode.  This lets the detector adjust its sensitivity (city/highway) based upon your speed. As I was creeping along at only 15 m.p.h., the detector lowered the sensitivity to city driving. I switched the detector from automode to highway, and the 9500i was at full alert.
To program a false alert location, you press the mute button three times on either the detector or the smart cord. Pressing the button the first time mutes the audio of the detector. Press it a second time and the display reads “lockout?” Pressing it a third time makes the display indicate the location is “stored”.
Next stop was a Shell Mini Mart located a few miles away.  Since a highway passed directly in front of this location, I figured I could test the autosensitivity mode at both highway speed and low speed.
I switched the detector back to automode and drove past the Shell station at 55 m.p.h. Both my SR7 and the 9500i alerted at approximately the same time on K band.
Making a U-Turn, I drove past the same location again, but at 25 m.p.h.  Again my SR7 was at full alert and the 9500i was silent until I was directly across from the entryway.
I pressed the mute button on the 9500i and the detector went silent and the GPS location was stored.
I made one more pass by the Shell Station at 55 m.p.h.  The 9500i remained silent, while the SR7 was at full alert.
With a Little Help From Police
Being a  weekend evening, the local police department, sheriff’s office and highway patrol were all involved in a D.U.I. traffic saturation patrol.  That meant there was a lot of opportunity to test the range and sensitivity of the 9500i.
The range and sensitivity of the 9500i was stellar as it gave plenty of warning more than a mile away, even with the approach having a number of curves and hills.
At the last radar “fishing hole,” I coaxed an officer friend of mine to park across the street from the Shell Gas Station.  He parked in a car dealer’s parking lot to run his Falcon K band hand held. My interest was to confirm that the 9500i would alert to another radar source at this location, after earlier marking the location as a false alert.
I approached the officer’s location at normal highway speed.  At over a mile away the 9500i began alerting to the officers K band radar gun and the signal strength graph increased as I approached.  The 9500i was at full alert on the officer’s radar gun as I passed, even though I had previously marked the spot as a false alert location.
The Paradise Valley Police Department in Arizona was the first agency in the nation to deploy automated traffic safety cameras back in 1987.  Since then, other agencies in the area have seen the profitability of these devices and followed suit with installation of their own photo radar and red light enforcement camera programs.
The following afternoon, I headed to Scottsdale and the Phoenix area to mark off several of the safety camera locations and see how the 9500i alerted.
The City of Scottsdale installed a number of speed enforcement cameras on the 101 Loop that were operational for a nine month evaluation period.  During this period, the City of Scottsdale projected their efforts generated an additional one million dollars in revenue. At this time, the cameras are still operational, however they are not issuing any citations until the evaluation is complete and the city council votes to maintain the program.
These speed enforcement cameras are also unique in that they do not use radar or laser to measure a vehicle’s speed.  Instead, they use sensors embedded in the pavement. This makes these cameras totally undetectable to all other radar and laser detectors.
As I approached each of the six camera locations on the 101 freeway, I pressed the mark button on the 9500i.  At this point the 9500i displayed “Mark?”.  Press the mark button again and you’re prompted to assign it a label as either being a Speed Trap, Camera or Other location.  Then by pressing the mark button a third time, the GPS coordinates are stored in the 9500i’s memory.   Since these were all camera locations, I marked them off as camera locations.
After marking all the 101’s camera locations, we went back to see how the 9500i alerted. Traveling at a speed of 55, the 9500i alerted with a voice prompt one mile away.  Then the unit’s display counted down the distance in feet until I reached the camera.
When I slowed down to a speed less then 50 mph in the approach to camera locations, the 9500i reduced its notification automatically to a half mile away.
Next we marked several school zones and other known high enforcement areas as “speed traps.”  Again, at each of these marked locations, the 9500i sensed our speed and adjusted the distance of the location accordingly.
Review of Other Features
AutoVolume Feature
One new and very cool addition to the 9500i is the AutoVolume feature that automatically increases the alert volume level when the ambient noise in the vehicle (or on motorcycle) is too loud because of music, wind noise or perhaps even a nagging back seat driver.
The AutoVolume feature was very handy when I did my test drive with the 9500i installed on my Harley Davidson Ultra Classic. In highway cruising  the 9500i could easily be heard above the roar of my Sreamin Eagle exhaust and when I slowed down for city driving, the detector lowered the volume accordingly. I also was pleased to find that the 9500i interfaced with the HARD Escort system from Legal Speeding when giving radar and laser alerts. However, I was a bit disappointed to also discover that the HARD would not alert when the 9500i gave warning of marked speed trap or camera locations.
USB Port – Interface Software
Another Industry first is that the 9500i is the only radar detector that has a USB data port that will allow you to back up and store marked and true locked locations to your computer and to allow you to merge data with other users.
Audible Alert and Voice Prompts
The 9500i has both audible voice and tone alerts.  The audible warning for radar or laser will start with a tone followed by a voice alert of the band.  Meanwhile, the display indicates your vehicle’s present speed.  The detector display will then indicate the strength of the radar signal, and a few seconds later, automute. Each of the four radar bands (X, K, Ka, Ku and POP) and laser have their [...]

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Cobra XRS R9G Remote Mounted Radar Detector

I am very excited about this years Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that kicks off next Monday, January 8th, in Las Vegas.
Earlier this week, a Whistler insider leaked information about their new XTR690 radar detector and not to be out done, today Cobra gave a sneak peak at their newest detector, the Cobra XRS R9G 12- band remote radar detector with GPS capabilities for tracking known traffic enforcement cameras and speed enforcement zones.
CES has awarded Cobra a 2007 Innovations award for this new detector.
Product release photos from Cobra Electronics show one radar detector antenna that also appears to have a smoked lens to the front where I would suspect their laser sensor, a GPS antenna, the main console that I expect would be dash mounted and the various electrical connectors for power and connectivity.
Suggested retail for the XRS R9G is $449.00 and Cobra expects to have them available in mid March.
I’m excited that the Cobra is including the GPS technology into this detector and I suspect that there will be other manufactures that will also be announcing similar GPS radar detector devices at the CES show.
However, based other users history with Cobra radar detectors on http://www.radardetector.net/ and my own experience with the Cobra line, I have my reservations on how this new detector will actually perform on the street, especially as they are using that same “12 band detector” ploy that they use in marketing their other lower end units.
Doors open at 10:00 am PST and I’ll be making a beeline to Escort/Bel, then to Whistler, and then off to Cobra.
Look for a VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT on by blog around early afternoon, during the first day of the show and other updates from CES!

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