Home > Consumer Reviews > Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Blue Display)

First of all I got this product for [...]$ and then a few days later Amazon lowered it to [...], I was quick to ship mine back and order it for cheaper...thanks amazon for that :D
The good:
1) Very accurate. Everytime it goes off I have enough time to slow down. I borrowed V-1 from my friend and installed it together. Believe it or not V-1 does not go off sometimes (K and Ka bands)
2) Intellient muting: The unit mutes automatically after a few beeps and however loud I keep my music I can still hear this beeping!
3) 360 degree range: I have seen cops arrive on all directions after this thing goes off. It has a 360 degree range.
4) Consumes lesser battery power than V-1 does.

Recommendations:
1) Install it as high as you can in your car.
2) Keep all the window glasses of your car clean.
3) Turn the volume to High. (The default is standard)
Myth and reality:
Do not expect it to go off on slopes, if you are on a rising slope I suggest you slow down because it will be too late when you get hit.
I really wish they they had the arrow feature of V-1 built into it, but for half the price of V-1 I don't mind :)

Cons:
Do NOT blame this device if you get ticketed because you were speeding up a slope or on curvy roads, or you got pulled over by cops who didn't have their radars turned on. This device will help only monitor your speed and warn you of potential threats, it doesn't make you invincible!
POP is not turned on by default and is listed as a con by amazon, but it's just a two step process to enable it.

Overall it's a great toy to have. I got the blue display because it matches well with my blue dashboard display of my Civic 06.

Overview: Having been accustomed to the Beltronics line of radar detectors with voice alerts, it was a bit frustrating to get used to the Escort Passport 8500 x50's lack of voice alerts. However, it was not too hard to get used to the different tones on the x50 when using the Expert display mode as a set of "training wheels." The performance of the 8500 x50 is top notch in K and Ka band sensitivity. It offers POP detection for K and Ka band radar, along with superior Laser detection. It was one of the few detectors that could detect laser aimed at the front license plate (the other detector was the venerable but formidable Valentine 1). The Escort Passport 8500 x50 is essentially the same as the Passport 8500, except the x50 offers POP detection and a firmware upgrade. The latest firmware revision of the Passport 8500 x50 as of this review is 6.10. The upcoming Escort Passport 9500i shows great promise in being an even better detector.

Installation: The power cord system is straightforward. It uses a standard RJ-11 telephone jack. The smart cord systems with the LED and remote mute button require a 4-wire RJ-11 connection, while a standard direct-wire would only utilize the 2 center leads in the RJ-11 jack: red (+12V) and green (GND). The Escort Passport 8500 x50 uses the standard Escort mounts such as the windshield suction cup bracket or the visor clip. A note of caution when buying a visor clip: The clip is inferior compared to the older Beltronics visor/windshield combination mounts. The Escort clip will NOT allow you to adjust the radar detector, but instead it follows the slope of the visor.

Pros: The Expert display mode allows simultaneous displaying of up to 8 radar signals total, in all 3 bands. For example, if you are receiving 2 X-band signals, 1 K band signal, and 1 Ka band signal, the display will show X K Ka followed by bars of different heights signifying the signal quantity and strength. It is similar to the Valentine 1 bogey counter, except the x50 uses a much more advanced and intuitive layout. The K, Ka, and Laser sensitivity is almost on-par with the Valentine 1 in real-world tests as well as tests published online by various communities. The filtering algorithms in the x50 are exceptional, but it will still report strong signals from door sensors, highway signs, and other "false alerts."

Cons: The lack of voice alerts makes it cumbersome to use. I had to frequently look at the display to see what it was detecting until I got somewhat accustomed to the different tones. The loud tone setting is very annoying (max X and K band signals sound like missile lock tones that do not get automuted), so I recommend keeping it on standard tones (will get automuted over time). The visor/windshield mounting system is something left to be desired. I wish Escort used Beltronics' mounting systems when the two firms merged, rather than force-feed the Escort mounting system onto all future Beltronics models (the RX-65 and Vector 995i all use the Escort mounts).

Summary: With newer detectors over the horizon, such as the Passport 9500i, the prices will begin to drop for the 8500 x50 so it may be a great time to upgrade your older detector for one of the best on the market.

1). Multiple radar detection in the form of signal labels and individual bar graphs, as well as signal prioritization. Basically if it detects 3 X-band door sensors and a Ka instant-on, you will hear the Ka alert rather than the 3 X-band door sensors, but the Expert display will show all 4 signals and 4 bar graphs.

2). The 8500 x50 is more aesthetically pleasing with more display brightness settings and programmable default controls. You can set the x50 so that it starts off at a certain brightness setting, as well as tweak the default display mode.

3). The 8500 x50 can be automuted so that the detector doesn't require manual muting to ignore the audible alert.

4). Individual band control. You can turn POP detection, X, K, Ka, and Laser on or off individually depending on what systems are used in your area.

5). High X, K, Ka, and Laser sensitivity. It may not be the absolute king of the hill based on EMI chamber sensitivity tests, but it is close enough to the V1 that the price and extra features of the 8500 x50 make the Escort Passport 8500 x50 a significantly better buy without compromising radar detection performance.

6). The upcoming Passport 9500i will most likely blow the 8500 x50 out of the water, but at almost twice the price.

I bought this radar detector unit one year back. It worked fine for first few months as it picked up LASER, POP, and Ka bands properly. However, after 6 months, it started displaying a message: "Self Calibrating" and finally displayed: "Service Required." After that this unit was unreliable. I passed several cop cars with LASER gun pointed on the highway. This unit never alerted me (POP is turned on). After several of such incidents, I returned the unit for servicing. The unit came back with a note saying that they replaced antenna and updated the software.

Be sure to send the unit back if it displays "Service Required" message. If you ignore it, like I did, you might be travelling with a dummy unit.

Be sure to get extended warranty. These units does seem to have quality problems. Considering $300 I paid, I am giving it a ** rating because of the quality problems.

I had used the RMR - C450 radar detector and jammer for about a year. That product was way over hyped and had very poor detection range. On the advise of a good friend I sold the RMR and bought the 8500 X50. I never realized how bad that RMR was until I started using this unit. I have picked up police radar close to two miles from me AND have picked up radar over a small hill well before I topped it. Another great thing is that the false alarms are few and far inbetween. The only issues I have with this unit are that POP detection is not turned on by default, the programming innerface is not real easy, and that POP false alarms do happen (maybe this is why it's turned off by default).

I've owned the original 8500 for a few years now. It has consistently proved its value on many highway drives. The current X50 update is simply an improvement on what was already a great radar detector, with a blue LED option. Save yourself the extra money and get a red display, it is the same in every other way to the blue display unit.

Basic, automatic mode is great. Turn it on, scroll to Auto and leave it. This will allow the unit to work in City and Highway mode automatically. It works. Simple.

I've moved to the advanced display so I can track multiple signals. The LED display is clear and gives lots of information at a glace. The next level provides signal frequency, but that's too much and unnecessary for me. Between the audio alerts and the letter and bar display, I've got a good idea what I'm receiving, and, from where. Without an arrow.

Generally, heat is the worst thing for ALL radar detectors. That means not leaving the any unit out in the sun when parked. It is also a good idea to avoid spikes of electricity by not having it plugged in when starting the motor, and using the power/volume wheel to turn it on and off. Remember, excessive heat is BAD for your radar detector.