Thoughts on new Escort IQ?

Anyone's thoughts on the Escort IQ GPS/radar detector combo unit?

I am personally not a fan of these combo units.

1. They use too little internal circuitry for for each job. There is simply no way that I would ever beleive that, that thing would out preform a setup of a seperate radar detector. A seperate gps, and a seperate RLCD.

2. I'm sticking to a comment here by a very old testing friend. "If you want a radar detector, buy a radar detector, if you want a gps buy a gps. Don't go and try and buy a peice of electronics thinking it's going to do all those things great. It's the old saying of, "A jack of all trades, a master of none."


RemoteInstall-

I have to agree, in all in one units you have to accept some compromise somewhere. I can't afford that on the RD side and don't want it on my GPS side.

Individual components have always offered better performance than combo units in every electronic field, I see no difference why this would be an exception.

Thankyou Cat4 for your input your wisdom is very appriciated on this forum .


RemoteInstall-

Not sure? Has any testing been done on the unit as of yet?

Interesting concept, but I'll wait for testing to make a decision.

It does interest me to see how this device will test out. Though, I can already gander from what I know of electronics it will be no escort redline, or for that matter v1, or 9500ci.

RemoteInstall-

Testing will have to be done.

Let's start with a durability test by placing it infont of a box van tire or lake Michigan.


Remoteinstall-

Supposedly the sensitivity won't be as good as either the Redline or STi.

I think the IQ is a preview of the future of electronic countermeasure technology. We're starting to see a convergence of devices now. It was detectors with some "frills" at first -- like a voltage readout. Then they married detectors to GPS. Then they added red-light cameras and other enforcement locations. This latest device, the IQ, marries all this to real navigation.

Meanwhile, iPhone apps such as the one from Cobra and the RadarActive app have attempted to add the detector features to the near immediate reporting of enforcement points using the iPhone's built-in GPS and navigation features. And I think this is only the beginning.

I would like to see full integration of radar detectors to car manufacturers OEM navigation units. Years back I had a 2002 BMW M3 with a nav unit and added the StealthOne device to display the Valentine 1 alerts on the nav screen. It was cool, but not as cool as a fully integrated detector/gps/nav/enforcement point display and reporting. I see the IQ as the latest step in this progression.

While we will have to wait and see how the detector portion performs, I'd like to see the performance of something like the Redline or 9500ci remote integrated into the rest of the nav's or car's systems. I can't wait for the future.

I too think this technology has tons of potential. Although, they cannot slack on the detector, and jammer side of things in this equation to conserve the space. They must let it all out. If they intend to keep up with the gadgets of the past, but better what they already have. The problem is this would be costly, and I do not see american based companies or any company rather spending more money on a nicer product. I see them downsizing the chip boards and loosing quality when they integrate. The old saying goes, "Man of all trades, Master of None."


RemoteInstall-

RemoteInstall,

I hear you. That's why I'd like to see the detector manufacturers get with the car manufacturers (or at least the GPS makers like Garmin, TomTom, etc.) and have the detector, with it's full performance, integrate with the OEM systems.

The detector companies doing what they do best, and the GPS companies doing what they do best. But have them all talking to each other.


Cheers.

Yes then maybe if it was OEM insurance companies would be more liable to cover you in a theft situation as well. Which would be nice.


RemoteInstall-

Except GEICO.

Geico and AAA do NOT like us hard working motorists. Geico fights us on rds and AAA fights us on raising speed limits. Who are we going to trust?

I guess it's better to just go with mom, and pop shops to have them underwrite your policy anyhow. As it seems the major companies charge more anyhow.


Remoteinstall-