Escort Passport 9500ix Preview
Escort has been pretty busy lately producing some new and exciting products including the ultra-premium Escort Passport 9500ci remote installed radar detector.I have learned that Escort will soon be announcing the addition of yet another new revolutionary radar detector (to their already extensive line) called the Escort Passport 9500ix.
Unlike the Escort Passport 9500i, the Escort Passport 9500ix supports a greater memory capacity (more in line with the Passport 9500ci) and has firmware revisions that allows the radar detector to also alert to many red light camera and fixed camera locations (out of the box) that are, unfortunately, beginning to blossom in this country.
If there isn't one in your city/state yet, you'll probably not have to wait too long, as cash strapped budgets and corporate profiteering are the primary drivers of this most offensive Orwellian form of "traffic" control.
The Escort Passport 9500ix uses the same Trinity database that the Passport 9500ci utilizes.
For those not willing (or able) to invest in a $1600 radar/laser/detector/jammer combination (Escort Passport 9500ci) in one shot, Escort has created an alternative entry/growth path—in a windshield-mount-based solution retailing for $499 ($50 more the the Escort Passport 9500i).
For those interested in building a similar system to the Escort Passport 9500ci, but in stages, the Escort Passport 9500ix can later be easily combined with the Cincinnati Microwave Laser Shifter ZR4 which would approximate the all-in-one Passport 9500ci remote radar detector in feature-set.
Of course, the Escort Passport 9500ix is built upon the existing radar reception platform as the Escort Passport 9500i and not the newer (and arguably the most sophisticated radar receiver yet built) and undetectable Passport 9500ci (and Beltronics STi-R) remote installed radar detectors.
Considering the capability of the Passport 9500ci, the Passport 9500ix, in my opinion, is what the Passport 9500i should have been all along: a very capable radar detector and redlight camera and fixed camera detector. This new radar detector brings much of the capability of the 9500ci to a windshield-mount version.
Like the Passport 9500i, the Passport 9500ix incorporates advanced GPS filtering capabilities to not only quiet the radar detector around town by sensing vehicle speed—and automatically dialing back its sensitivity when going slow—but also audio-mute fixed known false locations automatically, just as the Escort Passport 9500ci does.
We would not be surprised to see that Escort provides an "upgrade" path to a Passport 9500ix for existing owners of its predecessor Passport 9500i, for a nominal amount.
Based upon my real-world driving experiences with the Passport 9500ci, the Passport 9500ix promises to quickly establish itself as the most sophisticated windshield mount radar detector, yet produced.
Escort is projecting that the Passport 9500ix will be released sometime in July. We expect to be putting some serious miles on one of the first Passport 9500ix models in the very near future and will report our real-world findings.
Trustworthy Purchasing Source(s):
Related reading: 9500i Upgrade Path to the 9500ix
Veil Guy