jlr

I just had a Passport 9500 ci installed in my 2011 CL 600. I am also going to Mid City to buy one of the cluster interfaces. However, the installer placed the gps antenna for this unit on the lower left hand side of my windshield and hence, I receive NO gps signals there. From reading the manual, it appears as if this antenna needs to be center bottom on the front windshield to have any chance of working. Anyone else run into this issue with this radar detector in your car? Alternatively, is the rear windshield also RF inhibited, and if so, where should this gps antenna be mounted for this radar unit on this car? Thanks for the help.

Cartronics

We place it inside the front grill (it is plastic) - and it works great there. If an installer is trying to put it inside the car, never go back, that is a LAZY installer.

jlr

Can you give me an idea of where in the front grill the GPS antenna should be placed? I thought it needed a clear shot of the sky?

Cartronics

Open the hood, and look straight down. You will see the metal bumper/frame member. We place it on that frame member if you do NOT have adaptive cruise. If you do, then we place it on the steel upright behind the grill. That is a clear shot of the sky. I have a CL65 and have it placed there and it works very well.

jlr

Thanks. I do have distronic plus so I guess I need to place it where you suggested. I was hoping it would not have to be outside the car and visible. Darndest thing -- the GPS did not work for two days after the install--worked then for a 30 minutes--and has not worked since. At no time did I really move the antenna. However, getting it out of the car is a good alternative. Surprised the hood does not interfere with the GPS signal.

Cartronics

It does not interfere at all. It takes about 1 minute longer to get an initial lock (then when placed ON the hood), but once a lock is achieved, it NEVER looses it.

It will not get a lock inside the car as the CL and S Class has metal foil IR glass. You will notice your iPhone or other handheld GPS has a hard time too (it get it from the sunroof or side windows - which are not IR glass)

Your installer should know this, but most importantly should not have placed an antenna visible anywhere inside the car. It takes very little effort to hide them in rear view side mirror, rear decks, bumper covers, etc. That is simply embarrassing (to them) and our profession.

jlr

Thanks. I appreciate the help.

RadarRob

I have my GPS antenna right on my dash under my inspection sticker still going strong.Thats on my VW GTI

weinschela

My 9500ci GPS is on the rear parcel shelf behind the back seat. Works perfectly.

jlr

Upon reinstall under the air intake, the GPS antenna is now working. However, after installing a Mid City Engineering cluster interface module, I am having some other issues which may be real, or may be a function of my lack of familiarity with the 9500 and the module. I will wait to post those issues in deference to the Mid City folks giving them a chance to discuss them first to find out whether they are Escort issues or Mid City issues or not real issues at all. For those familiar with the 9500, some issues are whether I should I get an audible beep EVERY time I pass a stored (by autolearn) false alarm location; what it means when the mute button constantly flashes and a few others. For those who do choose the Mid City interface, be aware that you will lose the spinning satellite icon in the display which, to my dismay, means more than just that one has a gps signal.

Cartronics

One of many reasons we prefer the stealth mirror install. Can't see anything when the car is off - and full-time display

jlr

With a distronic plus car, how do you deal with the constant false K band alert--shutting off K band full time does not seem like a viable option for me which is why I went to the Mid City filtering module.

Cartronics

With the filter you have basically shut off K band anyhow. Only a tiny spectrum is still on. However, I have not seen an officer use K band in many years. They use KA band or Laser. I think it just makes people feel better that it is on in the display, but it is really 90% off.
They don't use K band for the very reason that people can use distronic as a defense of a bad reading, along with door openers etc.

jlr

Ok - here is what I have learned and I thank you for your continued help.

First, according to Mid City (the owner), approximately 90% of K band is left intact with its module. I cannot tell either way. If he is correct, it would make sense to keep it. If not, then I see no huge advantage to the module and some downsides as well. I now need to research just how much K band is actually used in my area (New York--East Coast) to see whether shutting it off is leaving me unprotected. Is there a website for this info?
Second, I cannot split the module to also leave the original display intact. That would have been my preference.
Third, the mute button will continue to flash on the controller (quite visibly at night) as the controller is continually picking up K band from the distronic plus, but not passing it on to the cluster. Most annoying.

As for the 9500--I really need to get rid of the two beeps that come up when I pass a stored location which has only become stored due to the auto learn function. I am reluctant to turn auto learn off for reasons I cannot articulate other than I assume default settings are there for a reason. I also find the red light camera warnings to be helpful but I also wish I had a choice to keep the visual (but not audible) warning intact for them. I understand from Escort that my only option is to have both warnings or no warnings.

All in all, I am hoping that tweaking the settings on the 9500 will resolve most of these issues and that the module does what it says. If I knew that K band was not an issue in my area, I think I would ditch the module.

Cartronics

Hopefully some users in your area chime in.
I drive extensively through Georgia, Tenn, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, SC, NC - and I can not remember the last time I heard K Band go off from an officer. It has probably been 6-8 years ago. The only thing that still runs K band that I am aware of are the automated "this is your speed" signs, and the construction signs that light up as you approach on the highway.

jlr

Ok - so, after fiddling with the Mid City Engineering cluster and the 9500CI for about a week or so, I am at a loss as to my next step.

Mid City Engineering
pros - supposed to filter out distronic plus so K band can stay on
cluster display (albeit supplying limited information)
cons - must leave in audio mode to see display
lose satellite icon so can't tell whether locked on or even working
lose any ability to display speed on display
lose real ability to use autolearn
steering wheel controls very limited

So, assuming someone has not found a more elegant and practical solution to a distronic plus car (including a different radar detector that would avoid these problems), it appears as if the choice is accept the limitations of the Mid City cluster of simply turn K band off on the 9500CI and keep all of its other functions and original display. Any opinions on this choice are most welcomed. Also, does anyone know how often the distronic plus puts out a signal? With autolearn off--it appears as if the mute button is no longer flashing all of the time (as it should and was when autolearn was on as if it is picking up distronic plus).

So--K band off vs. Mid City cluster. My location is New York. Thanks for all of the help.

Cartronics

It really is a great detector, but as we said before... we turn off K band on a Distronic+ car *as it is basically not in use by police* - and do the mirror stealth display in almost all cars - This keeps all the functionality in tact.

jlr

Thanks again for the help. I just hope I am not too exposed with the K band off. I will look into the stealth display from you as we speak.

jbondox

What a crock of crap advice from cartronics. I would never think you would spew this BS, especially with me around

First off, the only reason you are getting 1/2 the GPS signal where you placed it is due to the govt, providing many GPS satellites.

jlr for optimal, and I mean optimal performance, the drivers side hood vent (on top of the hood drivers side) you can mount the bracket that comes with the GPS antenna in the 9500ci to a tab that protrudes out, placing the antenna on it and it is 3mm from the mesh, providing a perfect location. you can then run the wires with the factory nozzle tube on the drivers side hinge, which will keep it from getting pinched. To access this location you have to open the hood, remove the basin from under the vents... takes 15-20 minutes for the inexperienced couple of torx and plastic nuts.

The mirror thing isn't that great, especially because it is hard to see in the day light...

K band is huge, as many many many police departments still use it. with the mid city interface you have a chance, turning the band off is just foolish. you will be driving unprotected, and the radar detector will become a liability because you wont have faith in it. I have tested almost every installation with the local law enforcement guys which have k, ka, and laser guns.

I am not trying to sell you anything.. just pointing out the facts. mirror is worthless, even the cluster display is worthless but the cluster display is clearer and easy to read unlike the mirror... however the speaker telling you that the threat is ahead... and your not looking down at a cluster to figure out what the detector said... or trying to read the mirror and decipher what the hell it says during the daytime...is the best

I honestly cant believe you said that... E gads

Cartronics

Whatever you say.. I am sure it is worthwhile. BTW, we have 5 guys here, all with a degree in either EE, ME, CE or robotics. Just a bunch of idiots I am sure.

jbondox

a degree is not a replacement for common sense