Customer Reviews

Escort RedLine Ultimate Performance Dual-Antenna Radar Detector (Black)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I did a lot of research on the internet and watched every detector video I could find on utube. I narrowed the choice down to the escort 9500ix and the redline. I was impressed with the gps capability of the 9500ix that can use gps location to eliminate false detections. However, I also wanted the extended detection range of the redline unit. I bought them both and tried them for 2 weeks. My driving consists of 100 miles a day, of which 6 of those miles are city miles. Within a couple of days, the 9500ix had most of the false detections screend and muted for the city driving, which amounted to apx 4 false detections. However, it could not match the detection range of the redline on the highway. The redline was picking up pop signals 8 miles out, and did just as well in detecting from the front or rear. One friday evening I was clocked 4 times by radar, and once by laser on a 75 miles trip. I got my first audible alert for laser before I could actually see the sideways parked car off the road a mile ahead with a gun aiming out the window. I immediately braked and had no problem. I was also picking up instant on / off being used on cars miles before I saw them. A trooper was coming up behind me with his radar on, and again it detected him well before we saw each other. I keep this unit mounted low to the dash to make sure I have the best chance of picking up laser which is a tight beam aimed at your front tag or headlight. I guess you really get what you pay for. I have owned 4 units over the years and this one is awesome. It also works fine with false detections in the city. I can switch it to auto/no x, and 99% of the false signals are filtered out. For the remaining 1%, I just press the mute button on the power cord that plugs in on my console. I would rather do a quick mute, and keep the unit on highway mode for max range. I also like the way you can run with all the warning lights out and use the warning light on the power cord next to the mute / volume adjust button on the plug in.

I could not wait to evaluate this new Escort Radar Detector. The reviews from independent companies are way to harsh. This is one fantastic radar detector. The reviews said that this detector goes off every chance it gets weather it is real or not. I travel Interstate 70 and then North on Interstate 75. I pass by many of those "K" Band traffic checkers that set my other detector off erroroneously. This detector was owner programmed for all bands being on and the brand new feature TSR Signal Ranking Software turned on. Default is turned off so you have to make a adjustment. This detector was amazing quiet on my 1 hour trip. On my way home, I traveled Route 41 and again no unusual false alarms. The cop in North Hampton can now be picked up way before he has you. I am extremely pleased. If you want a quality detector at a great price, free shipping and no sales tax, purchase it here at Amazon.com. I had it in two days and it performs unlike any other Escort product I have ever owned. Excellent job Escort on this one.

Length:: 7:06 Mins

I tested and reviewed the Escort Redline radar detector during an 8000 mile cross country trip with the unit installed in a passenger car, on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and a commercial grade motorhome. The attached video is a recap of many of the speed traps that I encountered along with my review of the radar detector.

Without question, the Redline is the best performing long range radar detector that I've ever tested....

I've owned this unit for 10 months, and traveled some 50,000 miles with this on board. My previous experience with radar detectors was the lesser-brands, so this was a big jump in performance. The unit is fully programmable, so the first thing to do is disable X band which is used in very few places in the United States. The unit comes with Escort's TSR software, which filters out K-band speed sensors along some roadways. I tried this out and it works quite well. The best part about the Redline is range. I drive mostly in the open desert, and I have (so far) measured detection up to 6 miles. It has exceptional off-axis detection, easily picks up signals from 90 degree angles up to (my experience) a half mile.

Range is one thing, but its high sensitivity also gives you "around the corner" and "over the hill" detection. On a recent trip through California, I was traveling on a curved rural road. The unit alerted to radar, but some 5 seconds before getting a visual on the highway patrol car sitting around a big curve, hidden by an embankment. This is hands down the most sensitive detector on the market today. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for interstate travel.

I just had the chance to really break in the device this past weekend on our trip to San Diego from Las Vegas and back. I drive 80 miles daily to work and back home, but I don't see too many officers because of how early I leave. And to be quite honest, I wasn't sure it was a smart "investment". As I had alluded to, I had a chance this past weekend to really see it in action. Anybody that has driven the I-15 between Vegas and CA knows there are quite a few Highway Patrol vehicles out, but those numbers have seemingly increased. In a 1.5 hours time, we saw, no joke, five cruisers. This past weekend the Redline consistently warned us at about 2 statute mi out. On one occasion we received a 3 mi warning. However, I'm not exactly sure if that range was from that particular cruiser or if I received the 2 mi warning from the cruiser in front of it and then the warning just continued to the second cruiser...appearing that I received the 3 mi range. In any case, it warned me far in advance for both of them in that case.... I guess what I'm saying is this detector works and it works very well.
I have completely turned off the X-Band sensor and TSR is on. Now the only "false" alerts I receive in town are from a couple of stores with the K sensor door openers (CVS and Walgreens have always given me issues). But this has really decreased with the TSR on and running in Auto.
My wife wasn't really happy with me putting down $-4-5-0 for this detector (really good price through a 10% off link...I can let you know about it if you like), but that changed quickly after she saw how well it was working this past weekend. Believe it or not, she was bragging about it with the family more than I was. Lol.
To end this long review, I will say that this device even allowed my 6 year old son and I to have father-son time when the wife and girls were asleep for an hour or two. We turned the detection into a game: Who can spot the Police Car first. My wife was surprised when after she woke up, my son was saying, "Uh oh, Daddy! Ka Band...that has to be a police!" Lol. I hope this long and drawn out review helps at least one person "pull the trigger". It took me a long time and a lot of reading reviews and articles before I decided to spend this amount of money for this particular detector. I'm very happy that I did.

The Escort Redline is the new long range champ for portable radar detectors. It has mind blowing detection ability. On flat, open roads (deserts mostly) I've seen 11 mile alerts. However, where the Redline really shines is its over hills and around corners detection ability. If you spend any time driving twisty canyon and mountain roads like I do, the Redline is your best and only option in a portable detector ... nothing else comes close.

Being as sensitive as it is, the Redline is not for everyone. It has minimal filtering, so it is also one of the more "chatty" detectors around. It will alert to every door opener for miles around. If you want quiet, consider the 9500ix which uses GPS to lock out falses, but if you want maximum range, the Redline is the best.

I must update this review once more. I have since owned two if these. My first seemed to be a defective or weak model, as it performed poorly and subsequently I gave it a very bad review. My second model was the exact opposite. It is one of the strongest performing detectors that I own. It would only be right to update this accordingly.

The Redline has the longest range of any windshield mounted detector for CONSTANT ON and (slower) INSTANT ON radar. The Redline feels like a tank when held in your hand. However, it seems that my first unit had issues. Furthermore, there are reports of users having their Redline (or STi Driver) go "blind" to a certain band just out of the blue. This has been attributed to poor soldering jobs, and these are occurring more than just as an isolated incident or five. If this is a widespread problem or just one bad batch I cannot say.

The Redline has exceptional performance on all frequencies within the Ka-band, including 33.8 GHz (MPH Industries radar), 34.7 GHz (Stalker radar), and 35.5 GHz (Kustom radar). For constant on and instant on, alerts well over five miles on flat in open land are not uncommon. K-band is also impressive and like any detector, it does well on X. It's Ka-band performance is similar to that of the current Valentine 1. Depending on the individual encounter, one may have the advantage over the other. Where as the V1 sometimes struggles on 35.5 Ka, the Redline excels. It seems the current (firmware 3.892) V1 does substantially better on K-band than the Redline. The Redline is also undetectable to any radar detector detector. It is the only windshield mounted unit that is truly invisible (the V1 is not) [the Bel STi Driver and Magnum are the same internals as the Redline but just in a Bel case].

Also, the Redline's off axis detection is superior to any other detector on the market by a landslide, including the V1. If you are constantly faced with off axis radar traps or speed cameras, then the Redline is likely the ideal unit for you. Also, the Redline is MUCH quieter than the V1 in regards to false alerts. However, it is nowhere near as quiet as the GPS driven Escort 9500ix. The Redline's small screen is also very glossy, and in sunlight, it can cause a glare that makes it difficult to read. This issue is furthered by the mounting hardware, which is used on all other Escort models. While this mounting hardware generally works great, the Redline is significantly larger and heavier than other models, which causes it to 'bounce' at times. Sometimes, when it bounces it can even appear as if the detector is alerting due to the glare. This quickly gets annoying and should have been considered. A better mount needs to be standard, such as the optional SuperMount, which works very well with the Redline. The Redline also has a bottom lip on it which will make it difficult to read the screen when hardwiring it higher up (which is the correct way to use a radar detector). This can get annoying as well.

The Valentine 1 has significantly better laser detection, and the Redline has sat quite through quite a few laser passes. However, no detector will give you any type of good laser protection. For that you need a jammer. If you turn on the TSR to reduce filtering, you will have a few second delay with K-band. That is enough to get you a ticket. The newest Valentine 1 has the same TSR feature which does the exact same thing. However, if you live in an area with traffic signal monitors (K-band 'drones'), TSR is a blessing.

The 'ramp-up' of the Redline is terrible. A ramp-up is how progressive the signal strength increases. Ideally, if you are approaching a stationary target you want the signal to progressively get stronger until you are at the target and then slowly and progressively ramp-down as you move away from it. The Redline's ramp-up is more sporadic than I would like to see, as one second you could have a two-bar warning, and the next a full strength signal, but still be over two miles away from the target. Before you get to the target, it may fluctuate back down to two or three bars and then jump to a full sinal multiple times. This poor and inconsistent ramp-up makes it difficult to accurately estimate the target distance and make you incorrectly think you have arrived at the source of the signal when you actually have not. The ramp-down usually goes from full strength, to virtually nothing or nothing (as both of its two horns are in the front). A firmware update could also fix this.

The biggest issue I have with the Redline is that it is perhaps the most capable horn design ever made, but its firmware is still lacking and is almost primitive compared to the firmware used on the Bel STiR+ (which is a remote mounted unit with the same horn as the Redline). As it stands now, the Redline is one of the slowest detectors on the market today, and consequently, it lacks the ability to detect many types of burst radar. Its reaction speed is slower than virtually any other higher end detector. The Redline does NOT detect POP, regardless of settings. It sits quiet through POP tests (see YouTube for verification). In fact, turning the POP setting on will actually DECREASE the warning distances on all frequencies except 33.8 GHz Ka (where as the POP setting on the V1 does not result in nearly as much of a range reduction and actually improves K-band sensitivity and reactivity). On the Redline, the POP feature is really useless and it will just false all day. Turning POP detection on causes the Redline to false more than the Valentine 1, except it goes from silent to a full alert while SCREAMING "POP ALERT!!!", which causes an immediate reaction to reduce speed that is not necessary and potentially dangerous. The hardware has the ability to detect both K and Ka-band POP reliably but the firmware does not allow it to do this. It also really struggles with quick instant-on radar, especially guns such as the Stalker ATR and Stalker Dual in 'HOLD', or burst mode. It fails outright to alert to K and Ka band quick trigger radar. IO, QT, and POP present some limitations that no detector can overcome without situational awareness (ex: driving with a rabbit), but ultimately, the Redline fails to detect these signals, where as the V1 detects them reliably (as does Escort's own STiR+). This seems to have to do with the filter that the Redline uses to reduce false alerts, as a signal must have multiple 'passes' before it sounds an audible and visual alert. However, this cannot be disabled. Escort's own Beltronics STiR+ uses the same internals as the Redline but different firmware. It's performance on burst signals is as good, and possibly better, than the V1. Escort has the capability to detect these burst signals, but they will not do it on the Redline. I imagine this is because they are unwilling to increase the false alerts that could come with the quicker reactivity.

Ultimately, the Redline is the best for constant on and slower instant on detection. It gives ridiculous long range on off axis signals and the 'photo-cops'. However, its lack of capability to detect burst signals keeps it from being the best detector ever made. Quick trigger is getting more-and-more common, and if a detector cannot detect it, then you are not completely protected. Even more frustrating is that Escort currently has the software to detect these signals, yet they refuse to incorporate it on the Redline. If you want a detector that detects burst radar, you are going to have to look at the V1 or Bel STiR+, as the Redline is currently a poor choice. While false alerts can get annoying, it is nowhere near annoying as watching a $500 detector sit silent while having your speed locked at point-blank range by quick trigger radar.

The range on my second Redline is amazing. However, until Escort revises the Redline's firmware, it will remain a unit I own to test but not to drive solely with as I do not trust it against quick trigger, which is a common encounter at where I live. When Escort fixes the one issue that is easier for the to fix then making a PBJ, then the Redline will be the ultimate detector. But until they actually do this, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it given the price.

I have owned many detectors over the years including both the Valentine One, Solo S2 and Passport 9500i. The redline is by far the best of the lot. The range over hills and around corners is better than anything out there. I waited till after I had a few thousand miles of use to review the redline.

If your in a rural area or do highway driving this is the detector to buy.

It's display is very adjustable, the volume goes much higher than the other detectors I have owned and the range is simply incredible. The auto-mute feature is awesome as well, gives you a few initial alerts and then reduces the volume (you can turn this off) but I think its a huge plus. You can also shut off the 3 LED alert lights which are pretty bright and given the volume this unit puts out make them not that important. The display brightness adjusts automatically or you can set it to a level that suits you. The thing I didn't like on the valentine was that it was a light show at night that can be seen by anyone around you. On the highway you can pick up radar miles ahead of time. Around corners and hills it still provides warning in plenty of time to slow down without having to slam on the brakes.

I would suggest getting the direct wire cord and mounting it up high right under the tinted part of the windshield running the cord behind the trim along the roof pillars then tucking it in along the headliner to where you mount it. That way no wires running up your dash and dangling around and its barely visible when the car is parked. You can run this unit through Virginia without any problem at all. Its stealth and although its at a premium price its the best performing unit you can buy.

The only bad thing about it is the standard coil cord that it comes with it. Its bulky and puts a lot of torque on the detector prying it off the windshield. They should for the price include the direct wire cord or at the very least a straight wire cord. I bought the direct wire cord off Amazon for eight bucks so not a big deal but should be included.

I bought this radar detector for my husband because I knew it was something he wanted. When I saw the price on it I couldn't believe I was going to spend that much, but my husband is on the road all the time and he said it is absolutely amazing. He'll be driving down the freeway and the radar detector will make a beep and he'll look around and not see anything wondering if it made a mistake. Sure enough a couple miles down the road he will see a trooper. The range is fantastic!

I've been very impressed with the performance of this detector. I typically drive on rural roads and open highways. It does give some false alarms but I learn where those false alerts are and mute them. I need the most sensitive radar detector possible since most State Police in Maine use ka instant-on radar. This detector is able to detect from enough distance that I get an alert when someone else gets hit by instant-on way ahead of me. Maine has signs on the side of I95 that put out a k band radar signal so unfortunately I do have to turn k band off while driving on I95 in Maine even though there are a few police officers still using k band, though it is quite rare. I also have an Escort 9500ix which has gps so all the false k band frequencies are locked out, but it's not quite as sensitive as the Redline. I was a radar operator in the U.S military so I have a very good understanding of radar, it's capabilities, and it's weakness. I always drive as far to the right as possible since the cosine effect will give a lower reading at more of an angle. Being vigilant will also help a great deal in preventing tickets.