good questions - first, commenting on behalf of corporate parent, we officially do not share/preview any new product development plan(s) or pasrts thereof (as you can certainly appreciate market reactions, engineering challenges and other unsung opportunities!).
w.r.t. a passport 9500ci and (ZR4) shifters, my suggestion would be to simply (and easily) disable shifting in the user preferences if desired or required, unless i am misunderstanding your question. please let me know if this makes sense.
thanks again.
I understand about disabling the shifters, I was asking if they might offer a remote detector with GPS at a lower price point without the shifters. I have a need myself for 2 more but cannot justify spending the extra 800 or so dollars for shifters I will not use. I am sure you could boost ci sales if you offered it with the shifters optional.
As I have posted here: 9500ci vs Valentineone , I truly believe that the Escort 9500ci Remote-Mount is redefining the standard of "raw sensitivity."
However - and this is in spite of the fact that I've always been an adoring fan of Escort products - I think that it is only fair to say that this such a comparison, between the 9500ci and the V1, is just not quite fair, and that it is, in the end, apples-to-oranges.
The not inconsiderable price-gap aside, there is a fundamental difference in the way these products, simply, "are," and I think it is this very real and concrete concern that is the true one, here.
The 9500ci is an external-to-cabin, remote, mounted unit.
The V1, on the other hand, is an in-cabin stand-alone.
The latter is, no matter how it's cut, somewhat "handicapped" in terms of its detection capability simply by its placement.
The former, its price and relative difficulty of installation nonwithstanding, isn't something that, short of even DRASTIC modifications by the end user (and believe me, I'm a self-wrenching auto-enthusiast, and short of messing with the ECU tune with anything more than a few little tweaks, I'm more than happy, and capable, of pretty much hacking up anything and everything), is going to be able to, at a moments' notice, taken off the windshield of one vehicle, and be used in another. Heck, even packing it into a suitcase or carry-on would be nearly impossible, for the business traveler - even if I were to shorten all the cable runs, rig a quick-disconnect 12V accessory plug for the in-vehicle control-module portions, and simply running the jammer head wires through the fender -to- A-pillar gap and the trunk pass-through.
To me, until Valentine Research comes forward with their own remote-mounted unit, I think that the only fair comparison to be made between their product, the V1, and the Escort offerings, would be with either their 9500i, or 9500ix in-vehicle, stand-alone detectors.
Don't get me wrong - I can and do appreciate these videos, which, I think, demonstrate on an academic level what is currently "state of the art" in terms of speed-detection countermeasures devices and their capabilities.
I love these videos.
It's just that I'd rather not have everyone think that it's a "versus" scenario.
To me, that's not being fair, either to Valentine Research, or to Escort.
-----
As for brother category4's concern, as well as that of SCGT's mention::
As a fellow end-consumer, I agree.
As a true top-flight product that is, furthermore, billed as a "custom" solution, I think that Escort/Bel should step forward to offer more options, in terms of configuring these products.
I would like to see more options, in terms of how the products are offered, to the end-consumer.
While I can understand that the two branches of the parent company would like to maintain their product's separate and unique nature, I also well see things from the perspective of my fellow hobbyists and enthusiasts. Not only is the not-insignificant cost of the ZR4 an issue for those who simply do not wish to use this appendage of the 9500ci, but to many, the lack of GPS-enabled capabilities for the STi-R is a turn-off as well.
Yet, certainly, I can see that perhaps in offering the 9500ci without the ZR4 would cut into Escort's profit margins (or would it - given that some people would then, even, buy more than one 9500ci?) and the possibility of having the STi-R too-in-common with its sister may cause come cannibalization of sales?
Hard to say, and I guess that, as a consumer, myself, I tend to only see one side of the equation.
Also, category4 and SCGT, my brothers, I do believe that there is an advantage to having both the ZR4 heads, as well as the LI's, on-vehicle at the same time.
While I am currently very cautious about recommending running BOTH setups AT THE SAME TIME, due to potential cross-talk issues, I truly see value in both:
(1) Retaining the use of the ZR4, using the "Receive Only" mode, in order to maximize early-detection. The ZR4 is an *amazing* laser detector, and in so much as my Grandmaster used to say "it's just better to not be there for the punch/kick," I totally agree. I'd rather not have to run into the police LIDAR, having to rely on the protective capabilities of my jammer and other countermeasures - I'd rather just have shut-down-to-appropriate-speed *before* even entering the trap, and to a big extent, the ZR4 can be a great help in this respect.
(2) Having a viable backup. When and if the LIs ever fail to complete their boot-up self-check, you can simply switch to the ZR4, and still have some level of protection.
Certainly, this may be more, or less, acceptable to each individual vehicle owner/hobbyist, based not only on the dollar-amount they'd have to invest, but also, to an even greater extent, the amount of mounting space that's available for them to use (as more heads will, no matter how small they are, simply demand more real-estate), as well as the aesthetic compromise (and further planning that's necessary, if visually concealing the heads is of utmost need, for whatever reason) that comes with having additional heads.
As I have posted here: 9500ci vs Valentineone , I truly believe that the Escort 9500ci Remote-Mount is redefining the standard of "raw sensitivity."
However - and this is in spite of the fact that I've always been an adoring fan of Escort products - I think that it is only fair to say that this such a comparison, between the 9500ci and the V1, is just not quite fair, and that it is, in the end, apples-to-oranges.
The not inconsiderable price-gap aside, there is a fundamental difference in the way these products, simply, "are," and I think it is this very real and concrete concern that is the true one, here.
The 9500ci is an external-to-cabin, remote, mounted unit.
The V1, on the other hand, is an in-cabin stand-alone.
The latter is, no matter how it's cut, somewhat "handicapped" in terms of its detection capability simply by its placement.
The former, its price and relative difficulty of installation nonwithstanding, isn't something that, short of even DRASTIC modifications by the end user (and believe me, I'm a self-wrenching auto-enthusiast, and short of messing with the ECU tune with anything more than a few little tweaks, I'm more than happy, and capable, of pretty much hacking up anything and everything), is going to be able to, at a moments' notice, taken off the windshield of one vehicle, and be used in another. Heck, even packing it into a suitcase or carry-on would be nearly impossible, for the business traveler - even if I were to shorten all the cable runs, rig a quick-disconnect 12V accessory plug for the in-vehicle control-module portions, and simply running the jammer head wires through the fender -to- A-pillar gap and the trunk pass-through.
To me, until Valentine Research comes forward with their own remote-mounted unit, I think that the only fair comparison to be made between their product, the V1, and the Escort offerings, would be with either their 9500i, or 9500ix in-vehicle, stand-alone detectors.
Don't get me wrong - I can and do appreciate these videos, which, I think, demonstrate on an academic level what is currently "state of the art" in terms of speed-detection countermeasures devices and their capabilities.
I love these videos.
It's just that I'd rather not have everyone think that it's a "versus" scenario.
To me, that's not being fair, either to Valentine Research, or to Escort.
-----
As for brother category4's concern, as well as that of SCGT's mention::
As a fellow end-consumer, I agree.
As a true top-flight product that is, furthermore, billed as a "custom" solution, I think that Escort/Bel should step forward to offer more options, in terms of configuring these products.
I would like to see more options, in terms of how the products are offered, to the end-consumer.
While I can understand that the two branches of the parent company would like to maintain their product's separate and unique nature, I also well see things from the perspective of my fellow hobbyists and enthusiasts. Not only is the not-insignificant cost of the ZR4 an issue for those who simply do not wish to use this appendage of the 9500ci, but to many, the lack of GPS-enabled capabilities for the STi-R is a turn-off as well.
Yet, certainly, I can see that perhaps in offering the 9500ci without the ZR4 would cut into Escort's profit margins (or would it - given that some people would then, even, buy more than one 9500ci?) and the possibility of having the STi-R too-in-common with its sister may cause come cannibalization of sales?
Hard to say, and I guess that, as a consumer, myself, I tend to only see one side of the equation.
Also, category4 and SCGT, my brothers, I do believe that there is an advantage to having both the ZR4 heads, as well as the LI's, on-vehicle at the same time.
While I am currently very cautious about recommending running BOTH setups AT THE SAME TIME, due to potential cross-talk issues, I truly see value in both:
(1) Retaining the use of the ZR4, using the "Receive Only" mode, in order to maximize early-detection. The ZR4 is an *amazing* laser detector, and in so much as my Grandmaster used to say "it's just better to not be there for the punch/kick," I totally agree. I'd rather not have to run into the police LIDAR, having to rely on the protective capabilities of my jammer and other countermeasures - I'd rather just have shut-down-to-appropriate-speed *before* even entering the trap, and to a big extent, the ZR4 can be a great help in this respect.
(2) Having a viable backup. When and if the LIs ever fail to complete their boot-up self-check, you can simply switch to the ZR4, and still have some level of protection.
Certainly, this may be more, or less, acceptable to each individual vehicle owner/hobbyist, based not only on the dollar-amount they'd have to invest, but also, to an even greater extent, the amount of mounting space that's available for them to use (as more heads will, no matter how small they are, simply demand more real-estate), as well as the aesthetic compromise (and further planning that's necessary, if visually concealing the heads is of utmost need, for whatever reason) that comes with having additional heads.
If I came off as this is 9500ci vs V1, that's not how I intended it. The 9500ci should be better since it's 4 times the cost! My point was that if instant on radar is a threat in your area to ci or sti-r might be your only defense in situations such as I encountered. My belief is that only a remote mounted detector would have alerted to this scenario.
While the remote mounted detectors are considerably more they may just be well worth it if you encounter these scenarios even semi frequently. One speeding ticket can cost you thousands for the 3 years it remains on your record.
My hope in mentioning that Ecsort or Bel make these remote detectors available ala carte so to speak is so that enthusiasts such as ourselves can pick the exact features and units we need for ultimate systems without having to pay for features we don't need or having to do without features we want. In economic times such as we are facing now it might also improve sales of a detector (9500ci) that might not sell due to it's high price or boost sales of the STI-r because a lot of people in urban areas fear insalling such a sensative detector without GPS to tame the false alerts.
It just seems to me there is a void there between the STI-r and the 9500ci that can be filled rather quickly by Escort. If you want a remote mounted unit with GPS you have to pay $500 more for the ci. I know that i would love 2 more remote detectors but can't justify the extra expense for the shifters that I don't want.
Just my 2 cents worth to the Bel and Escort guys so that they get feedback that may help them in marketing decisions.
If I came off as this is 9500ci vs V1, that's not how I intended it.
No worries there, I definitely did not see it as such.
And I must apologize, too, for I certainly did not intend my post to be read in that way. Again, imprecise language and my ESL.
Quote:
The 9500ci should be better since it's 4 times the cost! My point was that if instant on radar is a threat in your area to ci or sti-r might be your only defense in situations such as I encountered. My belief is that only a remote mounted detector would have alerted to this scenario.
While the remote mounted detectors are considerably more they may just be well worth it if you encounter these scenarios even semi frequently. One speeding ticket can cost you thousands for the 3 years it remains on your record.
I totally agree.
Indeed, that's how I see the "investment" of speed-detection countermeasures, too. To me, it's not just the ticket that's the concern, but rather, both the immediate as well as subsequent, long-term, ancillary costs (of which the latter is cumulative, in the worst sort of way!).
I also very much believe as you do, that, for someone with a higher risk-profile, a true leading-edge device, that's as ultimately sensitive as it can possibly be, based on current technology, is one's *only* hope of "beating I/O." Hopefully, that extra sensitivity, paired with good driving practices (a rabbit, at appropriate distance and speed, up-road), will work to effect the save.
Quote:
My hope in mentioning that Ecsort or Bel make these remote detectors available ala carte so to speak is so that enthusiasts such as ourselves can pick the exact features and units we need for ultimate systems without having to pay for features we don't need or having to do without features we want. In economic times such as we are facing now it might also improve sales of a detector (9500ci) that might not sell due to it's high price or boost sales of the STI-r because a lot of people in urban areas fear insalling such a sensative detector without GPS to tame the false alerts.
It just seems to me there is a void there between the STI-r and the 9500ci that can be filled rather quickly by Escort. If you want a remote mounted unit with GPS you have to pay $500 more for the ci. I know that i would love 2 more remote detectors but can't justify the extra expense for the shifters that I don't want.
Just my 2 cents worth to the Bel and Escort guys so that they get feedback that may help them in marketing decisions.
I again totally and completely agree - to such an extent that I find that I have nothing more to add! Well said!
Wow where have I been at welcome on board Escort and Bel. I currently own a 9500CI, Bel STI-R, STI Driver, and Bel 985. I own other brands as well. Hats off on the M3 Platform! Now I am anxiously waiting for a dash mount model that has the raw sensitivity of the CI/STI R
Again, imprecise language and my ESL. 
Linear Mode
