Reviewed: New GPS Radar Detectors

Last updated: 12/29/2009

In an event that affects interstate travelers as well as locals, Arizona recently became the first state to saturate a major transportation corridor with photo enforcement cameras, a.k.a speed cameras. Anyone driving to or from Southern California on Interstate 10 must now run a gauntlet of 18 fixed cameras along the freeway in metro Phoenix. In addition, many of the Arizona Department of Public Safety's fleet of 100 photo radar vans can be found lying in wait along the same route.

Arizona is ground zero for photo enforcement, the first in the nation to use it and headquarters for the two companies that dominate the U.S. photo enforcement market, Redflex Traffic Systems and American Traffic Solutions or ATS. It's also the first to launch a well-orchestrated campaign to spread cameras to every corner of the state.

Drivers who think they'll be safe if they join the flow of traffic past this phalanx of speed cameras are in for a surprise. Most of the fixed cameras are situated immediately after the posted limit drops from 65 mph to 55 mph. But traffic doesn't slow in response, continuing to flow at average speeds in the high 60s and low 70s.

Arizona has set these speed limits too low and most drivers know it. After conducting traffic engineering surveys--using a Kustom Signals laser gun linked to a laptop with LaserStat speed-survey software--we can prove that most sections of 65 mph-zoned Phoenix freeways should be posted at 70 or 75 mph. Those posted at 55 mph should be set at 65 or 70 mph. If they were all properly posted, 85 percent of the drivers would be in compliance, with no change in driver behavior.

The cameras photograph any vehicle traveling 10 mph or more over the limit and $180 tickets are mailed to the owner. At 20 mph-plus over the limit the charge is criminal speed, a misdemeanor with jail time possible, and the ticket costs $300 to $1,000. The cops have perp-walked some accused violators for TV news cameras to show they mean business. Former Governor Janet Napalitano said she hoped to raise $100 million the first year with the cameras.

How to deal with this electronic assault? For protection against photo radar vans, a few non-GPS radar detectors with superior K- and Ka-band sensitivity are up to the job. But only if it's an ATS photo radar unit. Blunder into one of the ubiquitous Redflex photo radar vans and only a handful of high-end radar detectors proved effective in our recent test.

The big problem is speed cameras--and red light cameras. Most of these are triggered by pavement sensors, not radar, making them undetectable by conventional radar detectors.

One solution is a radar detector with built-in GPS. These use the Global Positioning System to determine their location and compare it to an internal database of known camera sites. Approach one and they sound a warning.

But which ones offer the best all-around speed camera defense? To find out, we gathered up all of the eligible models and spent two months testing them. These included the Beltronics (BEL) Pro GX65; from Escort the Passport 9500ci and Passport 9500ix and from Cobra the XRS R9G and XRS 9950. (Also read recent tests of their successors, the XRS R10G and XRS 9960G.

Note that this group includes three different styles of detector--dash-mount, custom-installed remote and three-piece semi-remote--with prices ranging from $469.95 (BEL GX65) to $1,599 (Escort Passport 9500ci). For that reason don't look at this as a comparison test but merely as a presentation of all available GPS-enabled models, regardless of price.

After testing all five contenders, here's what we found.

Beltronics (BEL) Pro GX65

$469.95 (Click here for the complete review.)

The BEL GX65, like the Escort Passport 9500-series of radar detectors, uses the Defender database of photo enforcement locations. While generally quite accurate, the rapid proliferation of speed cameras means companies like this are trying to hit a moving target. This means the user can expect occasionally to encounter new cameras not yet recorded in the database. Still, the Defender database is updated constantly and proved far more current and accurate than the Aura database used by Cobra Electronics. (Read more...)

Unlike the Escort 9500ix and Escort 9500ci, the BEL GX65 doesn't come with free online updates for the database. Weekly updates for three years are available for $29.95. But to its credit, Beltronics (and sister company Escort) provide far more timely updates than Cobra, often following new camera installations by mere few days. Our 18-month-long GPS database test found that the Cobra Aura database not infrequently fails to discover new camera installations for as long as two years after they go on-line.

Manually adding new camera locations requires a brief sequence of button-pushing. Pressing the Mark button enters programming mode and a voice prompt asks "Mark this location?" At the same time, the message Mark? is shown on the text display.

Press Mark a second time and "Speedtrap" is heard and displayed. Although speed camera locations, strictly speaking, certainly qualify as speed traps, a little clarification can be helpful in gauging a response. Pressing the Volume/Mute cycles through four menu choices: Speedtrap, Speed camera, Redlight camera and Other. Choose one, press Mark a third time and the location is stored. The next time this location is approached, the BEL gives a voice alert: "Approaching your marked location" followed by the type, e.g., "Speed camera". On the display, distance to the location is shown as it counts down from either 500 feet or 1,000 feet, depending upon vehicle speed. At the location there's confirmation: "You've reached your marked location", with the appropriate location type shown in the display.

This alert system is intuitive to use and works well on the street, giving enough information without pestering the driver with too much data. We found 500 to about 1,000 feet of warning range to be plenty for anyone not otherwise engaged in a cellphone conversation or suffering from early Alzheimer's.

In radar-detection performance the BEL GX65 was a mirror image of the Escort Passport 9500ix, exhibiting class-leading detection range on all three radar bands. We also tested the BEL GX 65 against the most lethal type of photo radar, the German-made DRS-3 K-band unit going into service today in all Redlfex Traffic Systems radar vans. This ultra-low-powered radar proved to be very stealthy, limiting the Beltronics' range to 888 feet. That's enough warning, but we'd advise against dallying before taking action.

False alarms proved to be a non-issue with this Beltronics radar detector. In an extended highway test, over the course of several hundred miles it alerted only twice to non-police radar signals. For a high-performance radar detector, this is little short of an engineering miracle. In contrast, the comparably-priced non-GPS model used as a comparison, a Valentine One, alerted 91 times, all but seven of these false alarms. The difference was striking.

In town, the BEL GX65, like the Escorts, employs two additional strategies to limit false alarms. Sensitivity is controlled automatically and varies depending upon speed. At the slow canter typical of dense rush hour traffic it dials back sensitivity considerably. And at the fast trot common during maneuvering through parking lots, sensitivity seems to drop to almost nothing.

This behavior is best illustrated by the BEL's reaction to the ubiquitous X- and K-band automatic door openers. At highway speeds (with GPS turned off) it'll alert to these at a quarter of a mile or more. With GPS engaged, in parking lots it will stay silent until it's within a few yards of the door.

The second GPS-based strategy to cut urban falses is nuisance signal lock-out. This works the opposite of the known-location marking used to warn of speed cameras. By storing the location of a false alarm source--usually a door opener--the Beltronics GX 65 will stay silent when encountering the same radar source in the future. This ability to lock-out non-police microwave signals makes the BEL GX65 (and Escort models) vastly quieter in town than the Cobras, giving the GX65 top honors as the quietest BEL member of the GPS-enabled radar detector class.

REVIEW SUMMARY

Pro: Excellent radar sensitivity User-friendly controls Extremely resistant to false alarms Highly effective defense against speed cameras Con: Fewer features than its nearest competitor Priced uncomfortably close to the feature-laden Escort 9500ix

Cobra XRS R9G

$369.95 suggested retail (Click here for the complete review.)

The Cobra XRS R9G is a unique three-piece design: a remotely controlled windshield-mounted radar/laser antenna, a GPS module and a remote control. (The $270 Cobra XRS R7 is the same detector but without GPS.) Other remote radar detectors place the radar/laser antenna externally, in the grille area, and use a cockpit-mounted display and a wired controller.

The XRS R9G radar/laser antenna module mounts on the inside windshield, usually near the passenger-side header. The GPS module sits next to it and the two are linked with a mini-USB cable. The antenna module comes with two power cords, coiled and straight, that draw juice from the vehicle. The antenna module in turn powers the GPS.

This arrangement is more complicated than a one-piece, dash-mount detector and it exacts some compromises. Placing the antennas high on the windshield requires the power wire to be run from an under-dash 12-volt source, up the right A-pillar and across the windshield header to the units. The remote must be used for every operation and it's not the most user-friendly design we've seen. It also needs to be recharged after about ten hours of operation, which requires a special power plug with a USB connection.

The remote has a bright, full-color graphic display that's beautiful to look at but immensely distracting after dark. It also consumes a lot of battery power, and for those reasons it automatically shuts off after a brief period, leaving only a tiny LED to show that it's powered-up. If you want to check the settings or status, you'll first need to energize the display by locating the remote, scanning it to find the required button and carefully depressing it. In practice, this can be a nuisance to perform, particularly at night or while moving fast. The remote also has a very aggressive auto shut-off feature and often requires re-energizing before it 's again available for use. This all takes time and effort, at minimum posing a distraction.

We downloaded a database update from Cobra's Web site and found it to be a quick, easy process. The Cobra XRS R9G's camera database is updated far less frequently than the Defender database used by BEL and Escort, often lagging new camera installations by years.

Unfortunately, on urban freeways the Cobra frequently warns of speed cameras that don't exist, at least not on the freeway. It's usually warning of distant red light cameras on surface streets, but the effect is unsettling. Early Escort Passport 9500ix GPS radar detectors had the same tendency, later handled by limiting warnings to cameras within 1,000 feet—half that much at lower speeds—rather than the initial one-mile of range. Principally for this reason, sometimes because the coordinates of a non-existent camera were loaded into the Aura database, we've found the XRS R9G to alert when cameras don't pose a threat, leading to an element of distrust. Equally unsettling are the wide gaps in coverage; sometimes an entire city's phalanx of speed cameras is missing from the database.

The geek contingent and those with a heightened sense of curiosity will like the Cobra XRS R9G's ability to display latitude/longitude data, a menu option and one unavailable on the BEL GX65 and Escort Passport 9500ix and 9500ci.

One feature noticeably absent on the Cobra XRS R9G (and the Cobra XRS 9950, XRS 9960G and XRS R10G) is an ability to lock-out nuisance signals. Unlike with the BEL GX 65 and the Escort Passport 9500ci and 9500ix, driving past the same door openers while commuting to work every day means you'll be listening to these same alerts twice daily. It's likely that Cobra would dearly like to offer that invaluable feature, but BEL and Escort seem to have a stranglehold on the patent rights. Nor does it offer Auto Learn, Escort's unique and useful feature where the radar detector identifies and automatically locks out false signals.

Too bad, because the XRS R9G can use some assistance in limiting urban false alarms. It frequently issues K- and Ka-band false alarms in reaction to other radar detectors. It does this despite being placed in the extra-filtered City X+K mode and with IntelliMute engaged. With these extra falses added to the unneeded speed camera alerts issued by the GPS, it's considerably more talkative than its competitors.

The XRS R9G showed excellent radar-detection range, very competitive with the others. But one of the three units we tested failed to detect most of our radars and all three units suffered failures: two quit during testing and one was DOA when unpacked. We later identified the problem as a faulty remote control, apparently either a design issue or a quality control problem, but a problem regardless and one apparently unresolved during eight months of production. [A reset switch was later added to the remote and a revised owner manual instructs on how to re-energize the remote. — Ed.]

Cobra radar detectors, unlike BELs and Escorts, typically can be found at deep discounts, making the XRS R9G the second-least expensive of the bunch. Whether a discount outweighs the Cobra's weaknesses will be up to the buyer.

REVIEW SUMMARY

Pro: Superior K/Ka radar sensitivity Beautiful display Accurate GPS system Innovative design Con: Multiple pieces harder to mount and use No ability to lock-out nuisance signals Frequent false alarms Failure-prone remote

Cobra XRS 9950

$280 street price with GPS module (Click here for the complete review.)

This dash-mount Cobra uses the same electronic innards as the XRS R9G and has similar performance. (Its successor, the XRS 9960G, is identical and is the subject of a recent test.) At 1.5 inches, its display is larger than that of the XRS R9G and beautiful to observe. Visual alerts and status information are depicted in brilliant 3D graphics, making this one of the most stylish models on the market. This visual entertainment does have a downside, however. A display needs to be bright enough to be legible in sunlight and even at its dimmest setting, at night this one is like watching TV. It automatically disappears after an adjustable delay, leaving a tiny LED to verify that it's working. But this means having to press a button to energize the display any time you'd like check its status.

Unlike the BEL and Escort dash-mount radar detectors, the Cobra XRS 9950 has no integral GPS receiver. It shares the Cobra XRS R9G's GPS module, which must be mounted in the windshield area and linked to the XRS 9950 via USB cable. The 2.5-inch-square box must have an unobstructed view of the sky, which can entail some compromises in location and it also requires additional wires to be routed around the cockpit. The system works, but doesn't offer the simplicity of an integrated package.

In our first test of the Cobra XRS 9950 it was a disappointment, failing to detect X- and K-band radar, although it performed well against one of the two most commonly used Ka-band radars. We opined at the time that it was suffering from ill health, confirmed when a second unit performed very competitively in a later test. Its GPS system is very accurate although the database of fixed speed cameras and red light cameras is far from current.

One feature missing on the Cobra XRS 9950 is an ability to lock-out non-police radar signals like radar-controlled automatic door openers. The BEL GX65 and all of the Escort 9500 models (Passport 9500ci, Passport 9500i, Passport 9500ix) can do this and it gives them a huge advantage. Without this ability the Cobra will continue to false-alarm whenever it encounters door openers on a daily commute. It's also very prone to falsing in reaction to radar detectors in other cars, most often on Ka band. X-band or even K-band false alarms are less troubling, since those frequencies are shared with an abundance of non-police radar devices. But Ka band isn't and nearly all of the latest high-tech police radar use this frequency. Its routine false alarms on Ka band can lead one to disregard an alert with unfortunate consequences.

This Cobra has some compelling attributes but with its design compromises and chatty nature, the Cobra XRS 9950, while a major improvement over a non-GPS radar detector as a speedcam defense, still has some rough edges that may diminish its attractiveness to serious drivers.

REVIEW SUMMARY

Pro: Excellent K/Ka radar sensitivity Gorgeous display Accurate GPS system Con: Separate GPS module adds cockpit clutter No ability to lock-out nuisance signals Frequent false alarms

Escort Passport 9500ci

$1,599 installed (Click here for the complete review.)

Escort Passport 9500ci (Custom Installed): A built-in radar detection/laser-jamming system is tough to spot without some help, one of its key virtues.

This one is radically different than a dash-mounted model. In the trade, this class is known as the custom-installed remote radar detector. The Escort Passport 9500ci goes quite a bit further and deserves a more-descriptive label: GPS-enabled, radar detection/laser-jamming system. We'll explain all that later, but for now let's refer to it as a model that's designed to be built-in to the vehicle for ultra low-profile operation. Its radar antenna and twin front laser "shifters" (they both detect and, ah, neutralize police lasers) mount in the grille area. A third shifter mounts at the top of the rear license plate.

The system is operated by a small surface-mounted control unit; a small, high-intensity LED display shows alerts, operating mode and other vital information. For an even lower-profile installation, a multi-color LED can be mounted in the instrument cluster, replacing the display.

It uses the same electronic platform as the Escort Passport 9500i and 9500ix models and performs similarly, although its big radar antenna and twin laser detectors tend to enhance its detection range against both types of threat.

To download an updated location database you'll need to log-on to the Escort Web site and register, supplying serial number and key code and then download their Detector Tools application. Once that's installed on your hard drive you can download the revised database. The directions caution that the 9500ci must be attached to the computer and powered-up before beginning to update.

Like the BEL GX65 and its Escort sibling, the Escort Passport 9500ci hardly ever false-alarms. And like the Passport 9500ix, it has Auto Learn. Drive three times past the same spot where you get false alarms from roadside sources and it automatically stores these in memory. Next time you encounter the same signal at that location, it won't alert.

This unit doesn't compete with the others tested here and its lofty price means it'll most often be found in high-end cars. But for those shopping for the ultimate in a high performance, remote radar detection/laser-fooling system, the Escort Passport 9500ci is literally in a class by itself.

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Escort Passport 9500ix

$499.95 (Read the full Passport 9500ix review.)

We've extensively evaluated this unit's twin, the Escort Passport 9500i (red display), and came away impressed. The Escort Passport 9500ix is identical, save for its blue display, a few minor software tweaks and the addition of a USB port. We have performance-tested both and found them to be class-leading on all three radar frequencies.

But balanced overall performance is what separates the winners from the also-rans in this category. So we were equally interested in learning how well the Escort Passport 9500ix acquits itself in the role of daily driver.

After logging over five thousand miles with the Passport 9500ix, we'd have to opine that it's a pretty aimiable companion. Among its noteworthy attributes is the ability to remain silent. Like the BEL GX 65 and its Escort Passport 9500ci sibling, when the Escort Passport 9500ix sounds an alert, it's very likely to be legit. This is a highly prized virtue for any radar detector, and in light of this Escort's extreme sensitivity and expanded information-delivery capabilities, all the more remarkable.

The higher tariff for the Escort Passport 9500ix buys some worthwhile extras, AutoLearn for one. The detector evaluates each signal and remembers its location and frequency. Pass the same signal at the same location three times and the Escort automatically locks-out the source as a false alarm. (In the unlikely event that it guesses wrong, the user can countermand this action.) While manually locking-out such signals is hardly a chore, letting the radar detector handle it means less distraction for the driver, never a bad thing.

Like all of these GPS-enabled radar detectors, the Escort Passport 9500ix will display your car's speed, both continuously and also, if you wish, at the onset of an alert, letting you know if it's time to nail the brakes. There's also a range of alternate displays, including vehicle voltage.

Escort caught the GPS wave before the competition even realized the surf was up. Photo enforcement is in the U.S. to stay and it will only become more pervasive. A GPS-enabled information-delivery system like the Passport 9500ix is the right product to counter this threat and in our opinion, it arrived at exactly the right time.

REVIEW SUMMARY

Pro: Class-leading radar sensitivity Laser-defeating ability Built-in design makes it nearly invisible to prying eyes Accurate GPS system Con: Pricey

Looking for something else? Go directly to: More of the latest radar detector reviews Action Video: How Radar Works How to get maximum performance from your radar detector