Escort Passport Review
Are you looking for the good entry model radar detector that will detect these newer digital radar guns, so you can avoid getting an expensive speeding ticket?
Police departments around the world have been updating their old analog radar guns to these digital radar guns, which are much harder to detect.
This is because these digital guns use a lot less power and measure a cars speed based upon a 12 inch travel distance instead of a 10 or 15 car length distance of those older analog radar guns.
And this technology enables the officer to target your car as much greater distances, in some situations as far as two miles away.
Because of this the engineers over at Escort have borrowed technology developed by NASA to communicate with their equipment in deep space called digital signal processing and integrated it with their newer radar detectors.
The result is that Passport radar detector from Escort, is able to sniff out real police radar based on the DNA profile, while also filtering out all those annoying false alerts.
This enables the Escort Passport radar detector to have over 4 times the capture distance of a police radar gun!
Now here is another big benefit of Escort’s patent DSP technology.
Snuff’s Out those Adaptive Cruise Control Falses!
Many of the newer cars today come equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control, which uses the same K-band spectrum police radar uses.
Because of this many radar detectors are almost rendered useless because of the over abundance of false alerts.
Here is an example.
In January of 2014 Car and Driver Magazine reviewed the more expensive Valentine One and here is what they had to say:
“One annoyance is incessant false alarms—the Valentine’s filtering isn’t very effective. On our 22-mile loop, the V1 called out 53 threats”
Think about that for a moment, that’s over 2 false alerts per mile.
Now here is what a user from Portland Oregon had to say about the Passport in his 5-star rating.
“I’ve only had this detector for a little over a month, but so far I have been very pleased. This doesn’t false on some of the new cars like my much older passport detector was.”
Now here is what the Texas Speed Demon from the Dallas Forth Worth area had to say after rating the Passport with 5-stars.
“This M4 antenna blows the 9500ix away in my opinion – I will also say that the off axis is improved as far as the unit I’m using. “
Another feature that sets the Passport apart from all the other entry model radar detectors out there is it’s internal Bluetooth chipset that enables it to connect directly to the Escort Live Community.
This enables your detector to share real time alerts from other members of the Escort Live community and this clip shows one of them where I was alerted of a VASCAR speed trap, between Phoenix and Flagstaff in August of 2014.
And another advantage the Passport, when connected to Escort Live or detector uses the GPS capabilities for your phone.
This enables your Passport to automatically filter out known false alert locations based upon the exact location and frequency of the false alert.
And Escort Live also provides you access to the Escort defender photo enforcement database, which will provide you with alerts as you approach fixed photo radar and red light camera locations.
And updating your Passport is a snap, just download Escort Live to your computer, plug it in using a USB cable and your detector will be updated with the newest firmware and photo enforcement database.
Typical softball review. Where’s the meat and potatoes here. Fact is, the Max Deaux is nothing more than the Max1 with an integrated LIVE interface. Nothing else has changed and performance is same. Passport is 8500 with band segmentation and traditional M4 horn. RR should have disclosed that these are preproduction models and that the production units may be quite better than what he tested 6 weeks earlier. Oh, and on what planet is a Max better than a segged Redline?
Radar ROID, the units I tested were not pre-production units, they already had the units in production when I received them. And as far as a segmented Redline the typical RD user does not segment their detector, they use it as it is out of the box. Thus the Max does have better range then a non segmented Redline.
Radar Roy,
How does the range compare to the 9500IX? Also does the Escort Live work just as well at locking out false alerts as the 9500IX does?
Radar Roy,
You state in this review that the Passport is based on the M4 antennae design but in the Max2 review, you say that they are both based on the M5?
Good catch that was in error and thank you for bringing this to my attention. The Passport is on the M4 design
Roy, thanks for the review. I’m curious to know if you think this detector is on par with the 9500ix, or would it be considered in between the 8500 x50 and 9500ix? Not sure if I should go with the 9500ix or the new passport. Range is my biggest concern.
Thanks!
all three use the same antenna design, the M4 so the range performance are identical – Have a radar detector comparison chart here. Also remember to get your 10% off
Enjoy all of your reviews. My old detector is a Beltronics. I finally bought a new Passport. Getting used to it, I had my Beltronics for a while. Question: When I try to update the software and the database by using Detector Tools, when I plug in my detector to my computer, it says voltage too low, shutting down and please unplug. That was one of the features I wanted to have. any suggestions. PS: I plugged my detector into my wife’s computer, same results. I will post another comment when I have had the unit for a few months.
You need to use a camera grade USB cable. Do you still have the one that came with your Passport?
radar roy,does the whistler cr 85 pick up the new hand held digital guns like the escort passport?
yes, they should.
I have de-installed my Blinder 905quad unit from my old Cadillac cts-v and re-installed it in my new cts-v. Now I can not find my owners manual. I have searched the Internet and can’t find where I can either download it or buy one. At the present time my front two units display red and the rear units display green.
The front units are behind the grill (I placed them so the sensing units are located in the square of the mesh). The rear units positioned at the left and right of the license plate (unobstructed).
Could you assist in finding where I can find a manual that would explain the lights, and switches.
Thanks in advance.
Rex
This should do it for you. Everything is plug and play (power and ground). Just make sure the heads are clean, level, straight, and have a clear and unobstructed view forward.
Here’s a reference: