Customer Reviews

Escort Inc. Solo Cordless Radar/Laser/Safety Detector

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a loyal customer of Escort back when it was Cincinnati Microwave and they know their radar detectors. It's hard to compare it to other brands because I simply haven't owned one...but seeing friends' radar detectors and the dangling cords and constant chirping that sounded the same, I feel like my detector was of better quality.

The Solo has changed a little, but it still offers accurate detection of photo-radar units (well in advance, too) and the Ka bands are dead-on. Frankly, I haven't ever picked up a laser detection signal and I don't know how much they're in use anymore...photo-radar is all the rage in my locality. The X bands will pick up false alerts from security alarms (usually from automatic doors at stores), but I'd rather have a few false alarms that quiet down automatically than to miss the one time Smokey has his gun trained on my car.

I like the ability to easily mute the sound and dim the signal lights, so as to be extra stealth in the dark. But let's face it...most cops know if you have a radar detector if you get pulled over. However, with this little Solo cordless, I've positioned it at the top of my window and someone standing outside the driver's side window cannot see it (SUV's might be different, but it depends on the thickness of your car's siding around the window.) And dangling cords are a dead giveaway and can easily be seen from behind--I'll take AA batteries any day. The unit is easy to mount and detach, too.

Personally, I have not experienced any problems with the suction-cup bracket that attaches the unit to the window--hasn't slipped or moved once and the angle is easily adjustable. But all things the same, I'd prefer a bracket that clips on the visor (like the one Solo used to have.) However it's attached, I know for a fact that this thing has saved me from some well-disguised speed traps and every photo-radar operation I've passed. If anyone has a laser experience with this unit, I'm interested in reading about it. Overall, a great investment if you have a heavy right foot, so long as you understand that no radar detector is 100% perfect. And, of course, you don't speed...which I never do.

I've owned several products from Escort, including the cordless Solo. Let me assure you, there is nothing wrong with the hardware. The bracket "latches" into place, thus locking the detector to the windshield bracket. Multiple slots in the bracket allow for different angles or slopes of windshields. Once the suction cups are secured to the windshield, the detector can be slid on and off the bracket without removing the suction cups, thus making it simple to remove out of site. I would suggest that if you buy this, or any other detector, please read the instructions - it makes sense once you understand it.

The Solo 5110 cordless radar detector has been in both my cars for about 6 months now. You can program this thing to suit your tastes in the areas of volume, automute, 4 brightness settings, 5 radar sensitivity settings, start-up mode. It's easy to take down and hide from prying eyes. It has a front mounted on-off volume control which is rare to find these days and very easy to use. Great windshield mount, easy to use. If you so choose you can run it using an optional power cord. This unit all but never falses, that's very nice. Well written owners manual. I had to send the unit in once for a problem and not only did they fix the problem but they included an extra set of batteries, an extra windshield mount and they replaced a cosmetic item all at no charge. One week turnaround also. The only downside to this detector is it's Ka band detection which for me is acceptable in an urban environment. When driving on the highway where Ka can sneak up on you I would use the cord option because the unit's sensitivity is increased slightly with it.

If your driving is primarily urban or suburban I would strongly recommend this detector. It's user friendly, easy to hide and almost never falses. If you mainly drive the highways I'd get an Escort 8500 or at least use the Solo with the cord for the added range.

I am very dissapointed with this product. I have owned and used it daily for about 10 months. It will detect K band radar only when you are within 400 feet of the gun. It is virtually useless in detecting Ka band unless you're within 50 feet of the gun. It also falsely detects Ka band very frequently especially on sunny days when it has been sitting on the dashboard for 15 minutes. The laser detector also goes off quite often. The X band detector went off so often in business areas (even with the x band sensitivity set to poor in city mode) that I disabled it.

Escort advertises the following on their website:

"Long-range warning for all radar signals: including "instant-on" X-band, K-band, and SuperWide Ka-band. Patented Digital Signal
Processing provides long-range warning distances, without increased false alarms."

I guess their definition of "long range" is a few hundred feet.

So save your money and don't waste it on this product.

This detector is awesome. It has saved me hundreds of dollars in tickets, hardly ever false alarms, and always gives me more than enough warning, of upcoming radar. And the portability is pricelesss.

While the detection features work well, the -hardware- (I use the term loosely) used to mount the contraption to your windshield is poorly designed. The design flaw is a failure to account for the earth's pesky gravity feature. The mechanism uses an L-shaped bracket. The lower end slips into the top of the detector and upper end has suction cups that attached to the windshield. The lower end depends upon an upward force (unobtainable by normal methods) to hold slits in the bracket against bars on the bottom of the housing. It would work much better if the bars were on the top, then gravity would be your friend. This results in the eventual inability to mount the damnable contraption. However, the electronics work very well.

My first detector was a Bel 890, i enjoyed its ditgal voice message, free the drive from have to look at the detector. I only bought this one because it was a cordless and thinking it would make driving in VA or DC easier. Little did i know that a cordless has far less detection range. The difference in the range with or without the optional cord is like night and day. So i had to purchase the optional coiled power cord. I would recommend anyone who wants a detector with the cord out of sight to by a normal detector with straight power cord or direct connection cord and not this cordless detector. To say nothing of many the false alarms this one has. I have since bought a Bel 985 and highly recommend you do the same.