Several years ago I posted a warning here on our blog warning of the dangers of purchasing a radar detector from unauthorized retailers such those advertising on Ebay/Amazon or even Overstock.com.

A few days ago a user named Carlos found my warning after purchasing two defective radar detectors from Overstock; here is his story along with a chat transcript he had with Overstock.com’s sales team:

Carlo’s  Account on How He Got Screwed By Overstock.com!

I purchased a Escort 8500 X50 w/ the blue display in 5/08 for $277.40.  I couldn’t purchase the extended warranty because I was unaware that overstock.com was on the unauthorized reseller list.  Had I known that I would probably not have purchased it and it was my fault for not researching more.

I went to radarbusters.com several times to look at Radar Roy’s  reviews on radar detectors but was only researching which radar detector would be best for me and the best bang for the buck.  So I the radar detector worked fine for a while.  Then I started getting the infamous “service required” on my radar. Sometimes it would give the error repeatedly on my 45 minute commute to work.  Sometimes it would never error.

I lived with it for a while but finally decided to call Escort to see about getting it fixed.  They told me I would have to pay $60 for repair since I didn’t purchase from one of their authorized sellers.  I never sent it in and low and behold my radar fails me and I get a speeding ticket.  The radar was on but failed to alarm.

I reset the radar as soon as the cop kindly gave me $115 speeding ticket and it alarmed immediately.  So now the radar has cost me $277.40 + $115 = $392.40.  I decide to purchase a new radar.  And again make the mistake of buying from Overstock.

I guess the good prices makes me stupid.  Fool me once shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me!!  I purchased a Bel Pro RX65 $227.94 on 5/09!!  Great price right?  Poor product!  Horrible detection range for one of what you consider the best on the market. The alarm ramp level was horrible.  Would go from a weak signal to a very strong signal.  Nowhere in between!!  Would even stay alarming way after I would pass a cop!  I sent this one in for repair and it is somewhat better but not what I expected.  So this one cost me $227.90 + $60 repair = $287.60.  That’s a total of $680 for both.  I just did a quote on the radarbusters.com website for both the Escort and Bel radars and got a grand total of $624.94 shipped!!  I have lived and now have learned.  I will never purchase from an unauthorized reseller again.

I just recently had my girl friend purchase a Bel 955 from Radarbusters.  I told her cheaper isn’t always better from Overstock.  Anyways that’s my story.

I contacted Overstock through an online help chat and this is what they had to say.  I have edited some of my personal information but feel free to share this.  I hope some of what I typed on the chat doesn’t seem childish to you but I really wanted to nag and give this rep hell!!  Please respond and let me know what you think.

Chat Conversation With OverStock.com

Chat Information Welcome to Overstock.com Live Chat, you will be joined with a chat representative as quickly as possible.

Chat Information Welcome to Overstock.com Customer Service, you are now chatting with Junior.

Overstock,com:  Thanks for visiting Overstock.com, this is Junior, how can I help you?

Customer: Hello

Customer:  I have purchased two radar detectors over the past two years and recently read an article that units purchased from Over-Stock are re-manufactured units. Is this true?

Overstock.com:  I would be glad to help you with the information which you are looking for.

Customer:  thank you

Overstock.com: That’s not true.

Customer:  Why are Escort Radar and Beltronic Radar detectors on the un-authorized resellers list on both of their websites?

Customer:  Buying from Overstock.com voids the one year warranty that should come with a brand new radar detector.

Overstock.com: We have some items which is stated as ‘Refurbished or Reconditioned Products’.

Overstock.com: We note these products on our site with an icon and the words Refurbished or Reconditioned.

Customer:  I understand that

Overstock.com: Customers return products for many reasons.

Overstock.com: A customer may change his or her mind, not like the product, or have difficulty operating it. Whether it is returned a month later or only the very next day, such an item must be identified as refurbished or reconditioned to be resold.

Overstock.com: Every product targeted for refurbishing or reconditioning must pass a thorough examination.

Overstock.com: After repairing any defect and sanitizing when necessary, the product is repackaged either by the original manufacturer or a reputable professional outside firm may perform the refurbishing, or reconditioning, returning the products to like-new or almost new condition.

Overstock.com:  So if it’s not refurbished why is this important?

Customer: Is It Worth It? BUYER BEWARE! Please be aware of the following risks if you purchase Escort products from an unauthorized reseller: Possible exclusion of Escort warranty due to: * Purchase of stolen merchandise * Inability to validate the original purchase date and ownership with the original sales receipt AND the transfer of ownership with any subsequent bill of sale * Item shipped to you may be counterfeit, forged, or refurbished goods * Item may ship with serial numbers removed or modified * Item may appear new but contain internal water damage or damage from improper use * Item may never ship – contact with the seller may be difficult or impossible * Price may be inflated, incorrect, or changed after you place your order * Inferior product may be substituted for the advertised Escort product

Overstock.com: Would you mind holding for 2-5 minutes while I check on this for you?

Customer: no problem.. I appreciate your help

Overstock.com: Thanks for staying online.

Overstock.com: I apologize for the delay.

Customer:  no problem

Overstock.com: Do you still have the order number?

Customer:  yes let me get it for you

Customer:  ########

Customer: and

Customer: ########

Overstock.com:  Thanks let me check it one by one.

Customer: sounds good

Overstock.com: For security purposes, can you please verify your complete name and the billing address on the account?

Customer:  #############

Customer:  #############

Overstock.com:  Is the order number ######## regarding ‘Escort Passport 8500 X50 Blue Radar Detector’?

Customer:  that’s it

Overstock.com:  I see that ‘Escort Passport 8500 X50 Blue Radar Detector’ is a brand new.

Overstock.com:  Not a refurbished one.

Customer:  The only reason I am asking is because I feel that the two radars I have bought have been unsatisfactory for the amount of $ spent on a piece of equipment that is manufactured from reputable manufacturers. And after doing some research it seems that these are refurbished items and their performance is consistent with this

Customer:  You webpage should state that you are an unauthorized reseller and that the 1 year mfg warranty is void.

Overstock.com:  Carlos, I have checked and I see that the item is not a refurbished one.

Customer: Can you please explain why you are on the unauthorized reseller list then?

Employee admitting that the Escort and Beltronics radar detectors that they sold were NOT NEW UNITS and only had a 30 day warranty and that if the customer purchased their “Planinum Protection Plan” for their one year warranty, their total price was $10.00 more for a used unit, then a new factory unit with the same warranty from an authorized dealer!

Overstock.com:  We note refurbished items on our site with an icon and the words Refurbished or Reconditioned.

Customer:  I understand that. I see that ICON on most of your Apple products. So I am aware of the ICON

Customer:  I just feel it is unfair to purchase a NEW item and that the mfg 1 yr warranty is void since overstock is an authorized reseller

Customer:  It’s like you going to buy a new car.. Drive it off the lot and break and the dealership tell you.. Sorry your warranty is void.. You didn’t ask so we didn’t tell you.

Customer:  Dimensions: 2.8 in. W x 1.2 in. H x 5.3 in. D Warranty: 30 Day – Overstock

Customer:  come on

Overstock.com: Carlos, I understand your point here. However, as per the information I see the unit that you have ordered is a new one and not refurbished. We deal in liquidation business due to this nature of business we are not considered as authorized dealers by the manufacturer. Hence most warranties offered by the manufacturer would not be valid. That is the reason why we offer warranty from our side and when available customers can purchase additional warranty as well.

Overstock.com: I’m sorry if this was missed while placing the order.

Overstock.com: Please let me know if you have any other questions for me?

Customer:  Don’t you think voiding the mfg warranty information on the purchasing page would be beneficial to the consumer?

Overstock.com:  Yes, I agree on that. That’s the reason why we list the warranty that is offered on an item on the product description page.

Customer:  you also list the mfg website which says their radars are backed by a one year waranty

Overstock.com:  It’s just for customer’s information. I’m sorry if that mislead. The warranty that would be honored would be the one listed on on our site.

Overstock.com: Do you have any other questions for me?

Customer:  Since you have agreed that the information can be and is misleading what is the possibility of at least returning my most recent purchase for a full refund

Overstock.com:  We would be unable to accept the return for a full refund as it is past the return time frame. You can return it for a partial refund. The refund amount would be decided by the certified technicians at the warehouse once the inspection is done.

Overstock.com:  Shall I proceed with the return on the latest order?

Customer:  I would like this to go through a manager for a full refund since your website is misleading and you have acknowledged that

Overstock.com:  I’m sorry; I did not acknowledge that the information provided was misleading.

Overstock.com:  Let me check on the refund again.

Customer:  thank you

Customer:  I am trying to be reasonable

Customer:  Asking for a refund on the least expensive and most recent

Overstock.com:  Thank you for holding.

Overstock.com:  I have checked on the refund and see that the order # ####### was placed on 05-30-2009. We would be unable to accept the return for a full refund on this due to the reason that it is way past the return timeframe.

Customer:  have you addressed this with a manager

Overstock.com:  Yes, I have check on this with my supervisor. If you wish to keep the item we can help you with a $25 credit either as in-store or back to your card.

Overstock.com: This is the best we can offer at the moment. Else, you can return the item for a refund.

Customer:  $50?

Overstock.com:  I’ll remain available for another minute or two if you need further assistance.

Customer:  full refund?

Overstock.com:  We have two options for you.

Customer:  I’ll do the return for a full refund as you mentioned

Overstock.com:  First if you wish to keep the item, I can help you with a $40 credit. Second, you can return the item for a refund.

Customer:  Full refund or partial?

Overstock.com:  I’m sorry, I never informed about a full refund anywhere. I was referring to a partial refund only.

Customer:  I’m trying to work with you

Customer:  ok

Customer:  how about a $50 refund. That’s $25 x 2 for the two purchases. I’ll agree to that

Overstock.com:  I’m sorry $40 is the maximum we can issue.

Overstock.com:  The other order is almost a year old.

Customer:  yup

Customer:  that’s the yr I lost on the voided warranty..

Customer:  for repair it is $60

Customer:  x2

Customer:  =$120

Customer:  giving me 1/3 of what you took away

Overstock.com: Okay, I’ll go ahead and issue $50 credit on the order # #######.

Customer:  thank you.. is there a confirmation #?

Overstock.com:  Once the refund is issued it should show up on your account within 3 – 5 business days.

Overstock.com:  Yes, I’ll help you with the reference number for this chat.

Customer:  ok

Overstock.com:  Here is the reference # ####-#####.

Overstock.com:  You can use the same if you have any questions related to the credit.

Customer: ok

Customer:  thank you for your patience

Overstock.com: Just so you know that we would be unable to accept the return on the radars once the credit is issued.

Overstock.com:  You’re welcome.

Overstock.com:  Do you have any other questions for me?

Customer:  I thought you said the radar was way past the reurn date?

Overstock.com:  Yes, that’s right.

Customer:  You just said once the refund is credited I couldn’t return it

Overstock.com:  I’m sorry, I meant to say that it cannot be returned for a partial refund as well.

Overstock.com:  Is there anything else I can help you with?

Customer:  ok

Customer:  that’s it thanks

Overstock.com:  Thanks for visiting Overstock.com. Your feedback is important.

Yesterday Automobile Magazine published a review of the Escort 9500i (really a Escort 9500ix) and the Cobra XRS 9955 radar detectors. While reading it I was SHOCKED on several of the things that the author said about the units, his review and his findings. First off here is the link to the review:

http://budurl.com/9epv

The review opens up with a photo of the an Escort 9500ix and the Cobra XRS 9955 side by side on the windshield and then in his opening copy writes, “After living with each unit successively for several weeks”

Therefore this photo and his opening suggests to me that he did this test with both radar detectors this three week period with them side by side. There is no way that you can perform a radar detector test like this, especially one being a Cobra, one of the “leakiest” radar detectors ever made!

Radar detectors emit RFI (radio interference). The radar detectors would react to this RFI in either of two ways; reduce the sensitivity of the radar detector as attempts to filter out the source of the RFI, or the detector would see the RFI and report it as a false alert.

Then if you click on the photo you will see that the detector he tested was infact an Escort 9500ix and not an Escort 9500i.

Then if you read further in the article you will see that he obtained the unit on Amazon for “just over $400.00”

Well number one, the 9500ix has a blue display and not a red display and secondly the MSP from ALL AUTHORIZED ESCORT DEALERS is $499.95

Therefore the detector that was tested was NOT NEW or purchased from an authorized Escort dealer.

On my blog and on RadarDetector.net I have published several articles documenting unauthorized dealers selling used and/or refurbished units as new. Based upon the writer of this review, I can only assume that he fell victim to a “Slezebay” dealer.

Then the review says “No one, short of a government agency, has the resources to thoroughly evaluate all the detectors on the market.. “I guess he didn’t learn in journalism school to never paint yourself in a corner by never saying never”

If he took the time and did his research before he published his review he would has found our forum www.RadarDetector.net and/or my blog www.RadarRoy.com.

Today we have over 531,298 members which over 11,000 are active radar detector enthusiasts! Together we have published over 44,577 posts reviewing virtually every radar detector ever made starting from the “Fuzzbuster” to the “Cheap Ass Radar Detectors” to the newer GPS enabled units.

This review is so poorly thought-out that I’m troubled that such a prestigious magazine as Automobile allows it to be published on their forum.

What do you think? If you agree or disagree with me I’d love to hear from you and would ask that you do the following:

Comment to this posting

Go to the article on Automobile Magazine website and make your comments

Over the past several years Escort and Beltronics has set the standard in the speed counter measurement industry as the folks to beat and I can honestly say that no other company or individual comes close!

I first took notice of their commitment to excellence over four years ago when Beltronics became committed in developing the first radar detector that was completely immune to all radar detector detector devices.

Not only were they committed in being the first (and still only) company that could defeat the unbeatable Spectre RDD, but they also set the standard in having the best performing radar detector in the industry.

This venture ended up being the most costly development project ever in the speed counter measurement industry where they recruited and highered the best microwave engineers in the industry and developed and perfected the Bel STi and the STi-R stealth radar detectors when many others in the industry said could never be done.

This commitment to excellence has followed through with their development and patent of the first intelligent GPS radar detectors ever made, the Escort 9500ix, the Escort 9500ci and the Bel GX-65.
During this year’s CES show I meet up with Everett Morrs of Beltronics to discuss their product line and their commitment to the consumer in providing the best radar detectors available today;

Part One – Beltronics Interview:

Part Two – Beltronics Interview

This weekend I received a final production model of the Bel RX65 radar detector and immediately installed it in my truck for my preliminary review.

This is an awesome unit! Not only can the detector detect X, K, Ka and Ku band (after activation) but is also a GPS unit equipped with the Trinity fixed traffic camera database for the USA and Canada.

The GPS will alert you to fixed photo radar and red light cameras that you are approaching.

I logged over 100 miles with the unit and were so impressed with its performance produced the following video.

I’ll be using the GX65 as my daily driver over the next few weeks and will follow-up with a more detailed video about the detectors performance next month….

Bel STi R Driver Experience Review

Last week we had our first opportunity putting the Bel STI-r through its paces during a 1200 mile road trip through Arizona, Nevada and California in our 2005 Columbia Freightliner.

During this trip we also had the dash mounted STi installed in the cab, affixed to the sun visor approximately four feet higher than the remote mounted antenna mounted in the front grill.

Both units were programmed to the Highway sensitivity setting with X band on.

As we were leaving Wickenburg, we passed by the K band speed trailer that we have been using for our “Under $200.00 Radar Detector Review”. Both STi units alerted simultaneously approximately 3500 feet away which triple the range that we experienced with most of the detectors costing less than $200.00 in our review.

On Interstate 17 heading toward Flagstaff, the remote STi alerted Ka band with a few short chrips, while the visor mounted STi detector remained silent. Most experienced radar detector owners will recognize such an alert as an indication that instant on radar maybe in use, so we slowed down and kept an eye out for Smoky.

After traveling another quarter mile both STi units alerted Ka with a few short chirps as we cleared an embankment in the median.

The next half mile both detectors remained silent and I was starting to feel that the prior alerts may have been false alerts. However just as I was starting to accelerate both STi units went full alert Ka as I eyeballed a southbound Arizona Highway Patrol unit heading my direction.

Entering Flagstaff, we experienced a few X band alerts from what we expect were automatic door openers. However I feel that these X band false alerts were far less then we would experience with a lower end detector that didn’t have the filtering capabilities of the STi.

Just west of Flagstaff, the STi-r display alerted us to a connection problem with our remote mounted antenna. I pulled into a truck stop in Belmont, raised the hood and found that the connector plug on the cable extension became disconnected. We reconnected the antenna, fueled up and headed west toward Kingman.

Just east of Williams the remote STi unit alerted to constant on Ka band a few moments prior to the visor mounted unit. A mile further west after both detectors displays were at full alert we observed another Arizona DPS unit parked in the median facing our direction.

We continued west on I-40 and just outside of Kingman the display again alerted us to a wiring problem with our remote antenna.

Once in Kingman we found that the connection plug had again loosened. This time however we wrapped the connector plug with electrical tape to prevent this mishap from occurring again. From Kingman we headed north on SR 93 to Hoover Dam.

Just south of the Dam both the STi units alerted simultaneously to a constant on K band signal. A mile further down the road, we observed a Federal Bureau of Reclamation patrol car parked in fifteen mile an hour speed zone.

We called it a night after arriving in Las Vegas; however we continued our road trip later in the week traveling an additional 900 miles through Nevada, California and Arizona.

During the entire trip the STI-r’s long range performance was stellar; giving us advanced warning of impending threats while remaining stealth to all radar detector detectors and to the eye!

I found the STi Remote was very easy to program for advanced functions such as band select and expert mode. One of the new programmable features found in the STi-Remote is the segmentation of the Ka band into 10 portions allowing the user to select the Ka band frequencies for scanning.

I also found that the remote powered external speaker was more than ample in providing audible alerts that could be heard over the roar of the turbocharged diesel engine, the chatter on the CB radio, and over the full volume of the trucks stereo.

With my experience as a certified commercial vehicle enforcement officer and as a certified police radar instructor for over twenty years, coupled with my ten years of experience in the speed counter measure industry I can say without doubt that the STI-r is the ONLY CHOICE that professional owner operator has if they want their radar detector to be stealth to the eye and to all law enforcement detection equipment.

Radar Roy’s Rating – Five Badges

Installing the Ultimate “Bird Dog” for Truckers

Title 49 Section 329.71 of the Federal Motor Carrier regulations prohibits radar detectors in all commercial vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds. Even with this ban the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that over 40 percent of tractors regularly use radar detectors.

Till recently truckers using radar detectors in their big rigs have been taking a big chance of having their “bird dogs” detected by the police and getting a large fine.

In 2004 Stealth Micro Systems introduced the Spectre RDD (Radar Detector Detector) that was able to sniff out all radar detectors that were sold. Numerous state commercial vehicle enforcement units though out the USA purchased these Spectre units through federal and private grants. As example the Texas Department of Public Safety purchased over 245 Spectre units though a federal grant for boarder security.

In 2006 Beltronics introduced the STI, first “stealth” radar detector that was able to defeat the Spectre. However as the STI was designed as a dash mounted radar detector, truckers had to come up with ingenious ways to hide the detector from the sharp eyes of law enforcement.

Beltronics is now in the process of releasing their newest radar detector the STIr. The STIr is the first remote mounted radar detector that is not only invisible to the eye, but also invisible to all the RDD’s in use today.

Having the honor as being one of the first in the speed counter measure industry to review this detector prior to its release, I seized the opportunity and installed it in my 2005 Columbia Freightliner.

I first installed the antenna in grill area of the truck. The STIr’s antenna doubles as both a radar antenna and a laser sensor. As laser is a narrow light beam, it is important to mount the antenna facing forward and level without any obstructions.

I cut out a small section of screen in the bottom grill area of the Freightliner and mounted the STIr’s antenna.

I then ran the antenna wire into the cab area through the driver’s door floorboard area, up the side floorboard, up to the overhead storage compartments.

Here I installed the main interface and plugged in the external speaker, the LED display and the main controller.

I then mounted the external speaker and the LED display in the driver’s upper storage area and mounted the controller switch right above my CB radio in the upper center consol.

After all of the detector’s modules were installed, I then connected the interface and the external powered speaker to my trucks power supply.

As I have installed countless radar detectors in the past, I had found earlier install manuals from Beltronics sometimes cryptic and sometimes hard to understand. However the manual provided with the STIr was easy to read and understand and made the install a breeze. The total time for the install was approximately 60 minutes.

With the LED display and the external powered speaker being in the upper driver’s storage area, the main display was totally stealth to prying eyes. However I could easily see the display from my driver’s position behind the wheel when it activated and with the external mounted speaker’s deafening alert beeps I could easily hear it over the roar of the engine even with the XM radio cranked up to full volume.

Next week we will be taking the STIr through its paces during an extended road trip though the southwest and I will follow up with both a performance and driver experience report.

Beltronics STIr Install SUV

Several weeks I was honored as being one of the first to review the new Beltronics STI-r radar detector.

The STI-r is the first remote mounted detector that is not only capable to be invisible to the eye but also invisible to all the radar detector detector units such as the Spectre III and IV. This ability is an important feature where radar detectors are illegal such as in Virginia, Washington DC, in all commercial vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds and in various provinces in Canada.

We first installed the STI-r into a 2007 Toyota Sequoia.

As the STI-r antenna serves as both the radar detector and laser antenna it is important to mount the antenna in a fashion that the front laser sensors are not blocked and to be positioned in the front grill area where officers commonly target their laser guns.

We choose to use heavy duty double sided 3M automotive double sided tape that is available through NAPA and not the supplied antenna mount, so we wouldn’t need to drill into the front bumper area. We mounted the antenna below the front bumper in the bottom grill.

We then ran the antenna cable through the engine compartment, through the firewall to the rear dash. We removed the Toyota’s car radio utilizing a special screwdriver that allowed the radio to slide out, and installed the main interface under dash.

We then plugged the front antenna, display module, controller module and external speaker into the interface.

We mounted the external powered speaker under the dash and ran mounted the small LED display above the steering column just below the Toyota’s instrument panel and mounted the control module below the steering column on the right lower dash.

I really appreciated the two part LED and controller and their small size, as I was allowed to mount the LED display closer to the main instrument panel. The LED display also has a photo sensor installed to the front that allows it to automatically adjust for brightness.

Both the control module and the LED display has double sided tape applied to them, so it is basically peal and stick, making for an easy install of these two parts.

The STI-r also includes an in dash bezel and a single in dash LED light display for those who really want to go to the next step in making their unit stealth to the eye.

The final step in our install was to run the power cables from the speaker and the interface to the controller and power up.

I’ve installed countless remote mounted radar detectors but I have to admit, I found the STI-r one of the easiest as their documentation was easy to read and understand. The total install time took 90 minutes with the biggest challenge finding a location where I could run the antenna cable through the firewall utilizing an existing cable run.

We will be running the STI-r through its paces this weekend in the Toyota and then we will be re-installing it in a Freightliner tractor for an extended road trip through Nevada next week and we will provide an update on our road test when we return.

Las Vegas to Los Angles

You could see it in all the contestants faces; relief, sadness, anticipation. The week long Fireball run was about to end.

For me the rally was a great opportunity to meet and know 150 people that I had never met before. Sure there were blow-ups; one sponsor threw a tantrum after the judges discounted his team’s bonus points and one team was caught cheating as one member at a checkpoint was emailing the photo to the other driver at check in. But all in all, during the rally the majority of the contestants played fair and had a great time.

This morning we lined up at the Henderson resort and the mayor joined us in our morning driver briefing. Then we were provided our sealed envelope containing the clues for the day with the mayor waving the green flag we were off to Hollywood.

As Las Vegas is a vacation Mecca, every day is rush hour so I had laid out plans to use surface roads to bypass the congested highway traffic. The only problem was that I didn’t plan for road construction and road closures and found this to be a fatal error, as we were one of the last cars out of Sin City.

After finally getting on the Interstate I opened our sealed envelope for our clues:

Clue one: Have your photo taken with the Mad Greek in Baker California.

Clue two: Proceed to the Route 66 museum in Barstow California and purchase a gift that will be donated to a children’s hospital

Clue three: Go the original “Casa Del Taco.” This chain of restaurants now has over 490 locations and is only second to Taco Bell in Mexican food flair. Here we would be given your next clue after you ordered at the drive through.

Driving this area of I-15 before, I recognized the Mad Greek as a Greek Restaurant in Baker Ca, just off the Interstate. I then used my iPhone to obtain the address of the Route 66 museum and programmed it into the GPS.

As we were going to be driving through one of the most congested areas in the US on our way to the finish line, I wanted to be sure that our detector of choice for this day would have the ability to filter out most of the false alerts but still have superior range and sensitivity against the CHP deadly K and Ka radar guns.

So as I rummaged through my extensive  arsenal of radar detectors that morning I had only one choice the Escort 8500 X50

Since first being introduced in 2005, the 8500 x50 has proven itself to be the best moderately priced and dependable radar detector ever made.

Alert One – Ka
South of Vegas at mp 65 on I-15 our 8500 gave its first warning of the day. Approximately a mile later in the south bound shoulder, we observed a Nevada Highway Patrol unit on the side of the road with another car.

Alert Two – Ka
At MP 8 on I-15 our 8500 alerted 33.7 Ka, just as we slowed down and crested a hill, a northbound NHP passed at high speed.

Just shortly after this encounter, we received a text message that the Black BMW (the same BMW that was stopped in Oklahoma twice and was not using a detector) had been pulled over on I-15 after finishing up their Del Taco stop and was cited for going 105.

At MP 1, we pulled off the Highway and went to a “Terrible Herbs” gas station to buy a California newspaper for our state sign photo. The clerk told us that they didn’t sell any California papers and the next station was fifteen miles down the road.

I went out to the parking lot looking in the trash bins by the pumps and found a Barstow newspaper. As we pulled onto the highway, the California welcome sign was on our right and we snapped our photo.

Alert Three – K band
As we continued on our leg to Baker on I-15 our 8500 alerted 24.1 K band. After coasting down to the speed limit, we spotted a CHP unit parked in the median facing our direction.

Twenty miles later, we pulled off the interstate into the small desert community of Baker and located the Mad Greek Restaurant. We had a bystander photograph us standing in front and we then took a short ten minute break.

Just prior to turning onto the highway in Baker, we noticed a two man CHP patrol car exit from the interstate I followed them to a gas station. Again working with the magic of my badge, I convinced the two reluctant CHP officers to pose for our trooper scooper photo.

Alert Four – K band
At mp 254 on I-15 our 8500 alerted 24.1. As we were driving on a flat desert highway we  allowed the car to coast down to speed limit and two miles later we spotted a CHP on the west bound shoulder with a pick-up,

At 12:45 PST we arrived at the Route 66 Museum and between Bob and me we purchased over $200.00 worth of stuffed animals and books to give to a sick child in the hospital. We then proceeded to the original Taco Bel restaurant drive through and ordered some cold drinks. Here the clerk told us that we had to go back to the location of the museum to find the Chamber office to obtain our next clue.

We arrived at the Barstow Chamber and I was provided with another sealed envelope with bonus point cards. I selected the following:

Bonus One: Drive backwards to Calico and take a photo of their cemetery
Bonus Two: Find the Banana Museum and take a photo
Bonus Three: Take a photo of Sammy’s Star
We headed back north twenty miles to the ghost town of Calico and located the Ghost Town of Calico and took a photo of the cemetery.

Utilizing my iPhone, we located an address for the Banana Museum in Hesperia California, programmed it into our GPS and headed back south on I-15.

Alert Five – Ka band
At mp 119 on I-15 our 8500 alerted 34.6 and we slowed down spotting a CHP on the side of the road with another pick-up truck a mile south.

Arriving in Hesperia we located the Banana Museum just as another Fireballer was pulling out from the parking lot. Bob got out and we quickly snapped a photo and we were back on the road headed for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

As we entered the greater LA area, traffic was very congested so we backed off and drove with the flow of traffic. Our GPS was programmed for Hollywood and Vine and after passing a few small accidents with disabled vehicles on the highway, we finally turned off to the LA surface streets.

Arriving at the Walk of Fame, I found a tour guide selling flyers, handed him a ten and asked where “Sammy’s” photo was. He pointed a block down so I ran with iPhone in hand, snapped my own photo and headed back to our illegally parked car.

Our finish line was several blocks away at the Sofitel Resort. We maneuvered around traffic and fifteen minutes later crossed, placing twentieth for the day!

With the stress of the race lifted the other contestants loosened up and we began discussing our 3500 mile plus journey across nine states.

Batman and Robin also complemented the Escort 8500 X50 that we provided to them for the race, saying that the only time that they had gotten pulled over was by a trooper wanted to take a photo of the Bat Mobile for his son.

The Black BMW team related that the next time they ran a rally like this, that they were going to first look me up, so we could outfit their car commenting “What ever you guys sell must work and it has to be allot cheaper then three speeding tickets.”

In the coming days or weeks, after decompressing, I am will follow-up my seven day experience to discuss some valuable lessons Bob and I learned during this incredible experience.

Albuquerque to Henderson

This weekend kicks off the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival and as we were leaving the hotel we saw dozens of balloons already in today’s morning sky. Breakfast and starting line was at Saint Pius High School on Coors Blvd and Saint Joseph’s way. The morning school schedule was arranged to allow the students time to come out to see cars and crew.

The official count of entries for this years rally was at seventy five the evening of the pre-race. However eight cars, including my sponsored TransCon Ambulance dropped out from the starting line because of mechanical difficulties. Starting this morning leg we had forty eight cars left in the rally.

After we pulled into the parking lot, a group of students escorted us to their cafeteria where they served us a hot scrambled egg and bacon breakfast. After eating we came out to the lot just as the students were being released from their classes.

Once they laid eyes on the Bat Mobile, students twenty deep circled. Neil the owner and driver of the Bat Mobile fired up the rear jet engine (a large propane burner) and a four foot blue and yellow flame blew out of the rear. Neil then loaded up the rocket launcher and shot a projectile across the parking lot. All the students applauded and cheered.

The Albuquerque police department began mobilizing for their escort of our group while the Arch Bishop led the drivers and crew in prayer. The mayor of Albuquerque then gave a short speech and then started the race by waving the green flag.

The Albuquerque police had shut down northbound traffic on Coors Blvd. and all west bound traffic on I-40 (during morning rush hour) and we had clear sailing to the outskirts of town.

Being from Arizona I was very familiar with today’s route and even had a pretty good idea what today’s challenges laid ahead. At the New Mexico and Arizona state line I knew of several Indian souvenir shops that included the Chief Sitting Bull’s store and the Tee Pee Cigar store. I had commented to Bob and to the Blinder Xtreme team the evening before that I would expected one clue would be to find the chief and have a seat next to him.

I also figured that about lunch time we would be pulling into Winslow Arizona and commented that we would be standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona eating lunch.

As I was the designated driver for today’s leg, Bob as my navigator had the privilege to open the sealed envelope with today’s clues;

Clue One: find the big tee pee, put on a head dress and strip down to your skivvies and sit Indian style in front of the doorway.

Clue Two’s clue was on a prerecorded CD. Bob stuck the CD into his player and the Eagles song “Take It Easy” began playing.

We made a beeline for the state line while other Fireballers were trying to obtain clues on their laptops before they got out of range of the Albuquerque cell network.

I had hoped to do a comparison test of the 9500i during this trip; however my only Escort 9500i radar detector was sitting on the dash of the TransCon Ambulance that had broken down outside of Orlando.

Also over the past several days, other Fireballers that were using some of those “cheaper brands” were impressed with our arsenal of the high end units and begged us to borrow them as over one third of the group during yesterday’s run were pulled over and cited.

So today our arsenal was whittled down to our old trusty Bel STi and the Cobra remote. We plugged in the STi hoping that we wouldn’t have another 33.8 encounter as we had the evening earlier, pledging that we would send the unit in after our return for the firmware upgrade.

It wasn’t far outside of Albuquerque when we received our first hit on 24.1 K band. A half mile later we observed a white Sheriff’s car east bound on I-40 moving in our direction.

At mp 48 on I-40 we received our first laser hit during the rally when the Blinder laser jammer and the STi went full alert as we approached an overpass. We slowed down and looked over, under and around the overpass and never saw a trooper, false alert?

At 11:40 MST we arrived at the Arizona New Mexico border pulled off the exit and drove to the Tee Pee Cigar store. Bob stripped down to his under ware, put on his cowboy boots and head dress and sat at the front door for his picture.

We then drove next door and picked up the Navaho Times published in Window Rock Arizona and took off for the Arizona welcome sign on the highway.

After snapping the welcome sign we headed for the corner in Winslow Arizona.

A few minutes after arriving into my home state, we received a text message that an Arizona DPS officer was sitting in the median at mp 305 running 35.5 Ka. At mp 307 the Bel STi gave a short alert of 35.5 and then again as we neared mp 306. The detector then remained silent as we approached, giving us a good indication that the trooper was using radar in instant on mode.

We entered Winslow at and I drove to the corner of 2nd and Kinsley and located the Fireball Staff tent. Before we could receive our stamp, we were told that someone from our car had to sing the tune that put Winslow on the map. I started signing and a member of the Winslow Chamber asked me to stop because if anyone heard me, they would take the town off the map, she then gave us our sticker.

We had a quick lunch and were then handed an envelope containing the location of the finish line of today’s leg, the MonteLago Resort in Henderson Nevada.

The evening prior my daughter Erin called me saying that she had broken her leg and was in the emergency room. She expected to be released later that night, but the doctor told her she would have to remain in bed until she could be looked at by a specialist on Monday. She now lives in Flagstaff, so I thought that I would quickly stop in for a visit.

Also while in Flagstaff I figured that we could stop by the DPS Northern Command Center to get our trooper scooper photo.

Just after leaving Winslow, at mp 130 our Beltronics STi alerted to 34.1 and a short time later observed a white Sheriff’s Office vehicle parked in the median. Then at mp 148 we received our second 34.1 and a mile later observed an Arizona Trooper parked in the median.

After arriving in Flagstaff we got on Old Route 66 and drove to the Arizona DPS center. A few minutes after arriving we spotted a trooper. I badged him requesting a photo and he obliged.

We then drove to the west end of Flagstaff to my daughter’s townhouse and paid a visit. She was glad to see us and we spent a few precious minutes relating the events of the past several days.

Heading back onto the freeway and Bob and I began discussing plans on how we could make up lost time, as now we were at the rear of the pack. As we were going to cross into Nevada at Boulder Dam, I knew that there were no stores in the area of the dam to purchase a Nevada newspaper for our state sign assignment. I called Bill, a friend of mine in Kingman and asked him to call around the area to find a store that sold any Nevada newspapers. He called back in a few minutes relating that the Flying J Truck Stop in Kingman had a pile of Nevada newspapers. I asked if he could call back and ask the clerk to put one on hold for me, as I knew that any Fireballer ahead would take the entire stack.

We had clear sailing on I-40 leaving Flagstaff. We did get a text message after leaving the town limits that there was a DPS trooper at mp 65, but we figured that he would be long gone before we closed the 100 mile gap. However at mp 66 the STi alerted 35.4 and there at mp 65 we spotted the officer.

We flew into the Flying J for our newspaper and surprised the clerk when we gave her a five dollar tip as we had the last Nevada newspaper left in the store.

At this point in the today’s run I commented to Bob that my legs were beginning to cramp from sitting behind the wheel the last five hours and asked if he would drive the remainder of the trip. He jumped behind the wheel and I took over navigation.

I knew the location of the report from prior trips into Vegas, but I was interested in seeing what our GPS would estimate our arrival time at based upon our location. I was surprised to see that my recently updated Garmin was giving a route on the Boulder Highway as the fastest route as I knew a much faster one using Lake Mead Hwy.

Traffic was unusually light crossing the Bolder Dam and we stopped at the Nevada welcoming sign to take our state sign photo.

Bob and I had made up some valuable time while on 93 from Kingman and we had passed a third of the group up prior to our arrival at the Dam. I knew that these Fireballers didn’t think of getting their newspaper in Kingman so they would be forgoing today’s state sign bonus points. However this would give them an opportunity to catch up with us.

Sure enough as we drove into Boulder City we saw five Fireballers behind us. I commented to Bob if our GPS showed Bolder Highway as the route to the resort, I would suspect that theirs did too. So we tried to figure out a plan to ditch them so they would take the longer route.

We attempted several times to slow down to allow them to pass, but they knew I was from the area and we suspected that they wanted follow behind.

As we approached the Boulder Highway exit, Bob sped up and began merging into the turning lane. All the Fireballers behind us followed suit. Then at the last second, Bob turned left back onto the highway, while the remaining group remained on the exit.

We continued on to Lake Mead Highway and turned off to head to the resort.

We pulled into the resort seeing that at least half of the other contestants had been us on today’s leg. However family first, my daughter was glad that I took a few precious minutes away from this rally to spend it with her.

Tomorrow is track day number two, and then we are off to Hollywood!

Oklahoma City to Albuquerque

This morning after packing up the 540i “The Veil Guy” and I headed to the memorial site of the Farley Federal Building to pay our respects to the victims and the families of the Oklahoma City bombing. We parked just outside the memorial entrance and took time to read many of the hand held inscriptions that mourners have taped on the front fence, along with flowers and other tokens of respect.

We then drove back to yesterday’s finish line at Brick Yard Stadium, which today also served as the starting point. Lined up in front of the Fireballer vehicles were numerous motorcycle officers from the Oklahoma City Police Department and two local area news station remote trucks that were performing live interviews with other contestants.

After lining up our car, Bob and I walked up to the motorcycle officers and introduced ourselves. Being a retired officer and a Harley enthusiast myself, we quickly began swapping war stories. Mounted on each officer’s bike was the new Stalker 2 hand held radar gun. The officers also told me that they also use the Stalker laser guns, but because of the portability and small size of the Stalker 2, that this was their main weapon of choice.

The officers also confided with us to be careful heading into Elk City, as they heard that the Oklahoma State Patrol was setting up a large welcoming reception for us.

Oklahoma City’s Mayor gave led a morning prayer for the safe passage of the Fireballers, waved the green flag and we were off.

The motor officers provided a rolling escort for us to the on ramp of I-40, right smack into morning rush hour traffic.

Bob was the designated driver for this leg while I was the designated navigator. The detector selection today included the Bel STi and an Escort 8500 X50.

Once on the Highway I opened our sealed FedEx envelope for today’s clues.

Clue One: Get your lunch from the legendary “Big Texan” in Amarillo. Here you’ll need to kiss a cow, swim from Laredo to Amarillo, then convince Bobbie Lee to stamp your route book.

Clue Two: Built by the Swiss in 1966, it rises to 10,000 feet above Albuquerque and spans over 2.7 miles – it is the longest of it’s kind built anywhere in the world. Here we would be handed the location of the finish line.

Rules for this run were that we could not enter the town of Albuquerque prior to 5:00 pm (the start of rush hour)

Clue two was easy as I’ve been to Albuquerque many times before and immediately recognized this clue as being the Sandia Tramway. I fired up my iPhone for clue two and found Big Texan restaurant in Amarillo on Google.

After traveling about 30 minutes, we started receiving a solid hit of 35.5 on both the Bel STi and the Escort 8500 X50. About a mile later we saw three Oklahoma State Trooper cars setting up in the west bound lane.

One mile later we passed another trooper who was hidden, parked behind a bridge embankment. Our welcoming reception was forming….

An hour later, as we started entering into Elk City, both the Beltronics STi and the Escort 8500 indicated a 34.7 Ka alert, a half mile later we saw an Oklahoma Trooper parked in the median facing our direction. Then a few seconds later, the detectors began alarming 34.7 Ka. A mile further we observed an unmarked Dodge Charger parked in the median.

A mile after the Charger we then started receiving 34.7 alerts on both detectors and about a minute later we saw our third trooper in Elk City parked in the median.

Leon from team Blinder Xtreme then called us and said that an unmarked Crown Vic had just pulled out from ticketing another Fireballer and was ahead of us turning into the median. Just as we were getting the details, both detectors alerted again, this time to a 35.5 and we saw the Crown Vic ahead.

Leon also related that he had spotted a east bound trooper about three miles ahead of us that was not running radar and a silver Sheriff’s car running K band four miles ahead.

A couple of minutes later both detectors alerted 24.1 K band and then we observed an approaching Trooper eastbound on the horizon. A mile after this encounter the detectors lit up 24.7 and we saw the silver Sheriff’s car parked in the median.

Text messages were flying back and forth between Fireballers; five cars stopped at mp 109, Black BMW stopped at mp 38, white Audi stopped at mp 37. Bob and I thought at this point it was wise to pull off and get some gas and a cold soda. As we exited the interstate, we observed a white marked pick-up truck hidden on the side of the overpass.

After pulling into the station, the white marked pick-up pulled in behind us. We struck up a conversation as I peaked inside the car, I observed  a VASCAR unit on the transmission hump. I commented “You’re still using those old VASCAR units” and the officer replied “We use everything we can.” The pick-up left and we headed back to the den of Troopers.

We were receiving text messages that the black BMW that was ticketed in Elk City was closing the gap behind us, a few minutes later we received another message that they were again pulled over at mp 89.

As we approached mp 51, we saw the flashing overhead lights of a trooper. Passing, we saw that they had the blue vet with “We brake for Ka” sticker on the side of the road with a trooper.

At mp 50 we received a K alert at 24.7 and as we crested a hill, we spotted another trooper parked in the median facing our direction.

At 10:20 am, Bob and I crossed back into Texas and we found a new welcoming committee was forming. We were using a white Audi that ahead of us for our “rabbit.” At mp 165 the Escort and Beltronics unit alarmed 34.7 and almost immediately we saw a black and white Texas DPS trooper car pull out from behind a row of trees and giving chase to the Audi.

Team Blinder Xtreme called us again telling us that the Texas troopers had the Bentley and the SRT pulled over three miles ahead of us.

As we approached mp 0 in Texas both detectors alerted 34.7 and just ahead we saw a Texas trooper with a black car parked behind traffic cones.

Our first project after arriving into New Mexico was to find a New Mexico trooper for our photograph and a New Mexico newspaper for our state sign photograph.

Five miles into New Mexico we saw a trooper off the side of the road with a disabled motorist. We pulled safety off the road, parking a safe distance away from the officer and stepped out of our car showing my badge. I first asked if we could be of any assistance to him or the motorist and he thanked us saying that everything was under control. I then asked if he would allow me to photograph him and his patrol car, he gave he related that this was fine. Bob stood next to the officer and we got our shot.

We traveled another 25 miles until we came across our first gas station. We gassed up and got our New Mexico newspaper and headed back to the state line for our sign shot and then headed west for Albuquerque.

At mp 357 the detectors made their first alert in New Mexico on 24.1 K band. A mile ahead we observed a silver unmarked patrol car in the median.

As we entered the town limits of Albuquerque the Escort 8500 X50 alerted 38.8 while the Bel STi remained silent. Behind us was the Blinder Xtreme team using a STi and a Valentine One and reported a 38.8 alert.

A few seconds later we noticed an east bound Albuquerque Police Department vehicle.

A few months ago the Beltronics had a software revision that addressed this 33.8 issue when earlier models would sometimes block out alerts on 33.8 frequency based upon the threshold, filtering the alert as a false alert. The unit that we were using in our car did not have the 33.8 software revision, the Blinder Xtreme team had.

Being familiar with the layout of Albuquerque, we drove to the area of the Sandia Tram via county roads that were outside of the city limits. We then parked a few miles away from the check in location at 4:30 pm.

At 4:55 we drove to the lift area and took our photograph with the lift person and provided the location of the finish line, the Albuquerque Art Museum.

We snaked our way through rush hour traffic south on I-25 then west on I-40 to our exit and then processed to the finish line.

Today we ranked 14 out of the 65 cars running today’s leg, finishing 15th in overall points and 3rd in class.