ESCORT Radar - A Brief History
Until 1978 all radar detectors utilized a direct detection technology and were commonly described as passive detectors. One exception to this was Snooper, which manufactured a detector incorporating a superheterodyne X-Band detection system along with a passive K-Band system. This detector was extremely susceptible to false alarms and was unusable in areas having high spectrum utilization, which included every major city. In 1978, Cincinnati Microwave introduced the ESCORT, which was a true X, & K-Band superheterodyne detector incorporating a varactor-tuned Gunn diode. This detector was unequivocally the best available. The ESCORT radar detector had very few false alarms and approximately 20dB or over 330% better range than all other detectors. The ESCORT radar detector was extremely successful and set the benchmark for radar detector.

In 1984 Cincinnati Microwave/ESCORT introduced the Passport radar detector. Passport was the first consumer product to utilize Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Since SMT components were roughly 1/5 the size of conventional leaded components at that time, ESCORT was able to produce the Passport radar detector in a size that was less than ¼ the size of conventional units. Operating on 9-volts, the Passport radar detector was a huge success.

Also in 1989 Cincinnati Microwave launched two revolutionary products: the batSOLO was powered by a 9-volt battery and was the first self-contained battery powered detector ever produced. The product was shipped with a disposable 9-volt lithium battery, which would provide 60 hours of operation. Alkaline batteries would provide 40-45 hours of operation. Today, the Passport Solo S2 cordless radar detector is the benchmark for portable, cordless radar detector protection.

The second technological challenge that would thin the ranks of Detector manufacturers to a considerable degree was the addition of Ka-Band Police Radar. Police radar guns began to be manufactured in the Ka frequency range in 1988. These guns were all produced to one Ka frequency. The ESCORT DSP was launched in 1989 and was the first detector to use military grade Digital Signal Processing. The product utilized a Motorola 56000 series DSP chip that alone cost more than most other radar detectors. The ESCORT DSP offered three band capability X, K, and Ka, with unprecedented sensitivity on each of the three bands.

The third technological challenge that would thin the ranks of detector manufacturers yet again was the advent of laser based distance measuring guns. In 1991 LIDAR (laser) guns were approved for speed enforcement. Laser Atlanta began shipping the first guns in late 1991. In May of 1992, ESCORT shipped the first consumer laser receiver, the Passport 1000 and 1100 stand-alone laser receivers. These were designed to “piggybacked� on top of a PASSPORT or other conventional radar detectors. The rest of the industry would follow in the summer of 1993 with integrated radar / laser detectors.

Shortly after the introduction of LIDAR, the radar gun manufacturers introduced guns at different frequencies in the superwide 2.6 GHz frequency range. This was the final straw for many of the weaker detector brands. The first integrated wide-band Ka detectors were shipped in the summer of 1993.

In the fall of 2000 ESCORT released the award-winning Passport 8500 radar detector. The Passport 8500 radar detector quickly claimed its place in the market as the best radar and laser detector available. Since January of 2000, the ESCORT product development team has created the largest radar & laser patent portfolio in existence, including an elite staff of engineers who are clearly some of the best in the industry.

In 2001, ESCORT announced a fully integrated laser defense system in its new high-end remote product, the Passport SRX. This product incorporated laser “Shifting� technology, which scrambles a targeting laser gun. Escort followed the SRX by releasing a stand-alone “shifter� called the Laser Shifter ZR3, which came to market in the spring of 2002. This product is unique in that it can be used in tandem with ANY radar detector or can be “linked� to the entire family of Passport radar detectors eliminating redundant display and alert functions.

Hailed as the most revolutionary radar/laser detector ever, in 2004 ESCORT released the Passport 8500 X50 radar detector with a new "V-Tuned" radar receiver digital signal processing unit. The new signal processing design of the Passport 8500 X50 radar detector provides extreme detection range on all police radar; conventional and "instant-on" radar, including the new POP mode radar threat, X-Band, and up to 50% more range than the original Passport 8500 on the all-important K and Ka bands.

The latest ESCORT radar detector invention, the all-new Passport 9500i radar detector, has revolutionized the radar detector category again. Its blistering performance is derived from the "World's Best" Passport 8500 X50 radar detector, which means it delivers the best protection possible against all speed measuring devices. The Passport 9500i radar detector introduces advanced GPS-powered intelligence, which makes the Passport 9500i radar detector the best performing, quietest and most user-friendly radar detector won an Editor's Choice Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in new product design and innovation, the Passport 9500i is the biggest breakthrough in radar and laser protection since the original ESCORT was launched in 1978. Another industry leading design, the Passport 9500i completely solves the last major obstacle to good radar detector design – the Passport 9500i eliminates all false radar detector alarms.

Today ESCORT continues to push the leading edge of radar detector technology.

ESCORT Radar - A Brief History
Until 1978 all radar detectors utilized a direct detection technology and were commonly described as passive detectors. One exception to this was Snooper, which manufactured a detector incorporating a superheterodyne X-Band detection system along with a passive K-Band system. This detector was extremely susceptible to false alarms and was unusable in areas having high spectrum utilization, which included every major city. In 1978, Cincinnati Microwave introduced the ESCORT, which was a true X, & K-Band superheterodyne detector incorporating a varactor-tuned Gunn diode. This detector was unequivocally the best available. The ESCORT radar detector had very few false alarms and approximately 20dB or over 330% better range than all other detectors. The ESCORT radar detector was extremely successful and set the benchmark for radar detector.

In 1984 Cincinnati Microwave/ESCORT introduced the Passport radar detector. Passport was the first consumer product to utilize Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Since SMT components were roughly 1/5 the size of conventional leaded components at that time, ESCORT was able to produce the Passport radar detector in a size that was less than ¼ the size of conventional units. Operating on 9-volts, the Passport radar detector was a huge success.

Also in 1989 Cincinnati Microwave launched two revolutionary products: the batSOLO was powered by a 9-volt battery and was the first self-contained battery powered detector ever produced. The product was shipped with a disposable 9-volt lithium battery, which would provide 60 hours of operation. Alkaline batteries would provide 40-45 hours of operation. Today, the Passport Solo S2 cordless radar detector is the benchmark for portable, cordless radar detector protection.

The second technological challenge that would thin the ranks of Detector manufacturers to a considerable degree was the addition of Ka-Band Police Radar. Police radar guns began to be manufactured in the Ka frequency range in 1988. These guns were all produced to one Ka frequency. The ESCORT DSP was launched in 1989 and was the first detector to use military grade Digital Signal Processing. The product utilized a Motorola 56000 series DSP chip that alone cost more than most other radar detectors. The ESCORT DSP offered three band capability X, K, and Ka, with unprecedented sensitivity on each of the three bands.

The third technological challenge that would thin the ranks of detector manufacturers yet again was the advent of laser based distance measuring guns. In 1991 LIDAR (laser) guns were approved for speed enforcement. Laser Atlanta began shipping the first guns in late 1991. In May of 1992, ESCORT shipped the first consumer laser receiver, the Passport 1000 and 1100 stand-alone laser receivers. These were designed to “piggybacked� on top of a PASSPORT or other conventional radar detectors. The rest of the industry would follow in the summer of 1993 with integrated radar / laser detectors.

Shortly after the introduction of LIDAR, the radar gun manufacturers introduced guns at different frequencies in the superwide 2.6 GHz frequency range. This was the final straw for many of the weaker detector brands. The first integrated wide-band Ka detectors were shipped in the summer of 1993.

In the fall of 2000 ESCORT released the award-winning Passport 8500 radar detector. The Passport 8500 radar detector quickly claimed its place in the market as the best radar and laser detector available. Since January of 2000, the ESCORT product development team has created the largest radar & laser patent portfolio in existence, including an elite staff of engineers who are clearly some of the best in the industry.

In 2001, ESCORT announced a fully integrated laser defense system in its new high-end remote product, the Passport SRX. This product incorporated laser “Shifting� technology, which scrambles a targeting laser gun. Escort followed the SRX by releasing a stand-alone “shifter� called the Laser Shifter ZR3, which came to market in the spring of 2002. This product is unique in that it can be used in tandem with ANY radar detector or can be “linked� to the entire family of Passport radar detectors eliminating redundant display and alert functions.

Hailed as the most revolutionary radar/laser detector ever, in 2004 ESCORT released the Passport 8500 X50 radar detector with a new "V-Tuned" radar receiver digital signal processing unit. The new signal processing design of the Passport 8500 X50 radar detector provides extreme detection range on all police radar; conventional and "instant-on" radar, including the new POP mode radar threat, X-Band, and up to 50% more range than the original Passport 8500 on the all-important K and Ka bands.

The latest ESCORT radar detector invention, the all-new Passport 9500i radar detector, has revolutionized the radar detector category again. Its blistering performance is derived from the "World's Best" Passport 8500 X50 radar detector, which means it delivers the best protection possible against all speed measuring devices. The Passport 9500i radar detector introduces advanced GPS-powered intelligence, which makes the Passport 9500i radar detector the best performing, quietest and most user-friendly radar detector won an Editor's Choice Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in new product design and innovation, the Passport 9500i is the biggest breakthrough in radar and laser protection since the original ESCORT was launched in 1978. Another industry leading design, the Passport 9500i completely solves the last major obstacle to good radar detector design – the Passport 9500i eliminates all false radar detector alarms.

Today ESCORT continues to push the leading edge of radar detector technology.