After testing the brand new Escort Redline 360c last month, we discovered a bunch of critical issues. Fortunately Escort has since released firmware 1.3 which helped resolve most all the problems that we saw in initial testing. Now that the detector is working properly, I headed back out to retest the Redline 360c. With the new firmware, it now behaves much better and performs very well. As a bonus, I had a chance to also test out the brand new Escort Max 3 as well.
Testing the Redline 360c 1.3
Since this is a retest from last month’s test, here’s what I wanted to find out this time:
- Do the Redline 360c arrows now flip properly when passing the source?
- Does the Redline 360c ramp up properly as you get closer to the radar gun?
- Does the Redline 360c’s rear antenna now work properly and allow for long rear detections?
- How sensitive is the Redline 360c’s front antenna compared to the Uniden R7 and V1 Gen2?
- Does the Redline 360c outperform the Max 360c?
- How does the new Max 3 perform compared to the Max 360c?
If you’d prefer watching the video of the testing, here’s the test results:
Radar Detectors:
- Escort Redline 360c (fw 1.3) $749 Retail unit
- Uniden R7 (fw 1.29) $449 Provided by Uniden
- Valentine 1 Gen2 (fw 4.1018) $499 Retail unit
- Escort Max 360c (fw 1.11) $649 Retail unit
- Escort Max 3 (fw 1.1) $399 Retail unit
All of the detectors were set up the same: X band off, K band on, Ka segmented 2/5/8, K band BSM filters on, & Ka filters off.
Radar Guns:
- Kustom Falcon HR (K Band)
- MPH Bee III (33.8)
- Stalker II (34.7)
- Decatur Genesis II (35.5)
Test Course:
The test is the same ~half mile red barn test course I’ve used for years. The red barn is ~2,550 ft from the radar car. There’s another bend in the road~1,500 ft where there’s less foliage in the way so lots of detectors will alert there.
Redline 360c 1.3 Ramp-up & Arrow Flipping:
Starting off with signal presentation, firmware 1.3 makes the Redline 360c much better. Now it progressively ramps up as you get closer to the radar gun. Plus once you pass, the arrows now flip properly as well. Here’s an example test pass on 33.8:
Heading the other direction, the same applies. Plus the rear antenna now does a good job of continuing to hold onto the signal after you pass. This is the type of behavior I’d expect from a detector with arrows. Here’s a sample rear test pass on 35.5:
K Band Front Results:
Moving on to range testing, let’s start with K band. I tested with the Falcon HR on the dash. (Its linearly polarized antenna performs the same upside down or right side up, but upside down is easier to rest on the dash.)
The Falcon HR is a lower powered radar gun (not as low as MRCD or anything), but it still blasted plenty of signal downrange and so detectors gave plenty of advanced warning, typically alerting just after the red barn.
TSR didn’t reduce range this time like it has in previous tests. I guess this time the signal was sufficiently strong and consistent around the red barn for that filter to not make a difference.
Auto Mode definitely made a difference though. It reduces detector sensitivity at lower speeds and raises it at higher speeds. I ran the course with cruise control set at 35 mph and as expected, Auto Mode reduced the Redline 360c’s range and AutoLoK reduced it further. Disabling the K Notch filter (which adds additional BSM filtering) didn’t impact range in this test.
Something else I noticed about the Redline 360c on K band is that when running it in Highway Mode, it always got overdriven at close range. When I was in the kill zone, it jumped from showing just 1 signal to showing 3. It never happened in Auto or AutoLoK. Here’s a full K band run so you can see the ramp-up as well as the overdriving issue.
In terms of range, the Max 3 performed even worse. It did fantastic in Highway mode, but when I set it to Auto mode, it performed worse than the Redline 360c set to AutoLoK. In fact, it managed to get C/Owned on both passes, only alerting once I could already see the vehicle and the radar gun was able to get my speed. Ouch… It didn’t provide any advanced warning.
Auto Mode is nice for helping reduce false alerts such as automatic door openers around town, but it looks like the filtering here is too aggressive.
Something else you’ll notice from that Highway mode run, it didn’t alert properly in the kill zone. The signal ramps down and gets really weak as I get close, then it suddenly jumps to full strength on screen, but doesn’t start screaming full tilt until I’m just about passing the radar vehicle. It’s not doing a good job of communicating the threat level. We saw something similar with the initial release of the Redline 360c and it was improved with its new firmware update. It looks like we may have the same issue here. Fortunately, Escort is now aware of this issue and they will be fixing this in an upcoming update.
K Band Rear Results:
Moving on to rear detection driving the other direction, here’s how long the detectors would hold onto the signal after passing the radar vehicle and it continued shooting towards me from behind:
Personally I don’t care about having the longest range ever from the rear, but it is nice to have. (The rear antenna’s function is primarily to give you arrows.) Unlike last time, this time the Redline 360c’s rear antenna performed in line with other detectors that also have a rear antenna. I’m glad to see its rear antenna now working properly.
The big concern here though is the fact that Auto Mode again destroys the Max 3’s performance. In Highway mode it did great, but when switching to Auto, things went downhill quick. The first time it didn’t alert until I was just about passing the radar car. The second time I got no alert whatsoever. Nothing.
(It had me wondering if the radar gun was still even on and it’s why I pulled over after the last front detection test. The gun was still on and transmitting. As I continued testing with other detectors, they all performed normally. It was just the Max 3 behaving this way…)
For the time being with firmware 1.1, I would recommend not using Auto Mode with the Max 3. Stick to Highway mode.
33.8 Front Results:
Next let’s switch to Ka and start with 33.8. To cut down on range, I once again moved the radar car forward a bit to tuck it behind a bush and reduce how much signal was traveling down range. It helped somewhat, but these are sensitive detectors and they all still did great.
The V1 Gen2, Redline 360c, and R7 all managed longer distance alerts at least once. The Max 3 and Max 360c never did. Interestingly, like with K band, the Max 3 managed slightly longer alerts than the Max 360c.
33.8 Rear Results:
From behind, the V1 Gen2 and R7 hold onto the signal better than the Redline 360c which does better than the Max 360c and Max 3.
34.7 Front Results:
Next up, let’s switch to 34.7.
The V1 Gen2, R7, and Redline 360c all turn in comparable results. Surprisingly, the Max 3 was pretty close, but the Max 360c didn’t alert until way later. I expected the Max 360c to lag behind the other arrow detectors, but I wasn’t expecting the Max 3 to beat out the Max 360c like that…
34.7 Rear Results:
Next up, here’s a look at rear detection:
The V1 Gen2 managed the longest rear detections on 34.7 and it did an excellent job here.
35.5 Front Results:
Finally, let’s look at 35.5.
The results here were extremely similar to what I saw on 34.7. The Redline 360c, V1 Gen2, and R7 all alerted right in the same spot with the Max 3 trailing behind just a smidge. The Max 360c lagged behind quite a bit further.
It can be tough to see differences in sensitivity when things are terrain limited, but it does look like the Max 3 is more sensitive than the Max 360c. I expected them to either perform similarly or, if anything, for the Max 360c to outperform the Max 3.
35.5 Rear Results:
Finishing up with 35.5 from behind, things here are more in line with what I expected.
V1 Gen2 did great from behind yet again. Its rear antenna is super sensitive. Redline 360c was just a bit behind, followed by the R7. Then the Max 360c and then the only detector without a rear antenna in this group, the Max 3.
Conclusions:
So here are the main takeaways from this test:
- Redline 360c’s arrows now work properly
- Redline 360c’s ramp-up now works much better
- Redline 360c performs in the same ballpark as the R7 and V1 Gen2
- Redline 360c outperforms the Max 360c
- Max 3 is surprisingly more sensitive than the Max 360c on Ka band
- Max 3 has some ramp-up issues that need to be addressed
- Max 3’s Auto Mode sensitivity reduction is too aggressive for use when K band is prevalent
The Redline 360c is now performing and behaving the way I would expect. It doesn’t “noticeably” outperform the R7 and V1 Gen2 the way Escort claimed, but it is in the same league. I’m much happier with its performance and behavior now with this new update.
The Max 3 is showing tremendous promise, outperforming the Max 360c. It’s got some issues with this initial release though. I’d say run it in Highway Mode for now if you have K band in your area and don’t use Auto Mode with firmware 1.1. Hopefully Escort will successfully address this and its ramp-up in a future update.
Finally, if you’d like to purchase any of these detectors, here’s the links to where you can buy the Redline 360c, Max 3, V1 Gen2, Uniden R7, or Max 360c.
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Uniden R9
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Seems I will stick with my R7. Was really hoping the new RL would be gangbusters for $750. Why spend more and get the same performance as the R7.
Author
heh, if all you want is long range performance for cheap, get an R1 for $200. 😀 The Redline 360c is going to disappoint if all you want is longer range than the R7, but it makes more sense when you consider the BSM filtering is significantly better, it’s truly RDD immune, you get Escort Live, a speed limit on the display, autolockouts, much easier updates, a better mount, better build quality, etc. For me the significantly fewer BSM’s is the biggest difference. If we look at just range though, I agree it doesn’t make sense to spend extra for the Redline 360c.
Hi Ariel – on how to configure the Redline EX, you suggested leaving K Band on for all bands and KA Band off with segmentation with KA Band Narrow 4 off. On the Redline 360C, you suggested K Band Off and segmentation with all but K Band Narrow 4 on. You also recommended KA Band Off with Band Narrow 7 and 4 on (on the EX you suggested leaving them off). Why the difference? Should I customize my RRedline EX to align with your new suggestions for the Redline 360C?
Author
Hey Mark, that’s a great question. Yeah there’s really not just one set of “right” settings so all this is really depends on your area, especially when it comes to K band segments. Turning off segment 4 is nice if you don’t have lower frequency K band in your area as a way to help reduce false alerts. Some people do need that range on though. For Ka, there’s been more and more people who’ve seen drifting Stalkers so segment 4 can be helpful. I’ve seen a segment 7 alert up here in WA so I now run it on. At the end of the day, band segmentation is a bit of an advanced feature and the best thing is to spend time paying attention to what’s in use in your area, regardless of if I have slight changes to generic standard recommendations.
Now that you have retested the units which do you prefer to run with on the day to day….
Author
Right now Redline 360c. It’s a strong performer, has the best BSM filtering out of any detector, plus a bunch of nice extra features. I think the V1 Gen2 is a close second with JBV1.
Thank you for the feedback. I am in MD and travel east coast only. I did turn on MultiRadar CD. I’ll just go with your suggestions and go from there. I appreciate your help. Love the website and posts. Very useful. As for the R7 Versus Escort, I’d have to say that Escort has much better customer service than Uniden. If being able to pick up the phone and talk to someone in support is a selling point, DG may want to factor that into his decision of the difference in range is not that great..
Before the Red Line360c came out my favorite detector was my MAX 360c. Not the longest range but it did everything else so well it made up for it. It’s the detector I want my wife to use. All she has to do is drive, now it’s the Red Line. All the same features plus better filtering and long range as good as any windshield detector out their. Thank you for your great test results.
When you did the Ka testing using the Max360c, were you using auto mode or highway mode?
Author
Auto mode doesn’t affect Ka band. Only X and K.
Hi Ariel! I’ve been anxiously awaiting this review to come out. I’m sold on the RL360C but am new to the arena and must confess…I need a little help in configuring the more advanced features that you and Mark Maldonado were discussing earlier. Where can I go to get help in this category? Thanks again! I really enjoy your videos.
~Mike
Author
Here ya go 🙂 https://www.vortexradar.com/2020/07/how-to-setup-escort-redline-360c-radar-detector/
Hey!!!! Thanks for that! 🙂
Hrm…so now you’ve got me thinking about (maybe once we’re driving again) upgrading my Max 360C. Clearly it would just pop on my Blendmount and use the same powerplug.
(Geeze, I just threw away the box for it last week, after keeping that around for 2 years…now if I’m gonna sell my Max 360C I wish I had the box still…)
With the high end detectors, NEVER get ride of the box. Threr is always a resell market for them and having the orginal box is a always a plus.
Dear Vortex,
Wanna first thank you for all the hard work you do. I know this is hard work and many man hours. Can you tell me if A mode was used on any V1 gen2 parts of the test? I saw that K band didn’t show any A mode. Did 33.8,34.7, or 35.5 use any A mode? If not what mode was used for those ka bands? Have a Great Night.
Author
I tested in l and L mode for K band. In l mode, it performs the same as A mode. I just had it alert loudly in l mode so that it behaves the same as A mode. In retrospect it would have been easier to just set it to A mode, but it would make no difference for this test. For Ka it was run in L mode, but none of the logic modes affect Ka band performance.
Should I trade in my max360 for the new redline? I got my max360 in 2015 and keep it updated via laptop. Thank you.
Author
The main benefit will be longer range. Do you find yourself needing better range?
It also has better filtering, but the Max 360 just got a filtering improvement. It’s got WiFi which is nice if you don’t want to keep updating with the laptop. It’s also got a better mount and it’s undetectable by RDD’s if that matters, but the biggest thing I think would be the longer range.
Vortex, you say in your reply to Bijo on August 18, that the Max 360 is “undetectable by RDD’s”, but so too is the Redline 360C. Or is that wrong?
Author
The Max 360 absolutely IS detectable by RDD’s. The comment is talking about the advantages of the Redline 360c over the Max 360 since Bijo was asking about upgrading to the Redline.
If I don’t get my V1Gen2 soon. it’s been a month…I may cancel my order and order the Redline 360C. Come on Mike Valentine!!! I could pack a couple thousand orders over a weekend.
Three questions: 1.) Is Escort Live completely free for lifetime? 2.) Is the defender subscription for Red Light Traffic camera and speed camera’s ? 3.) Is there a promo code for Defender subscription?
Author
1) Escort Live technically charges you every year, but they always automatically extend your subscription every year since they don’t want to lose their user base.
2) Defender Database is paid and requires a subscription for future updates.
3) If you add the 3 yr Defender Database to your cart while ordering the RL360c, use the code “RedSetGo” to get that 3 yr Defender DB for free.
Sorry, one more question, have you tested the Escort Radar Direct Wire Smartcord with the Redline? When you press the mute button, does it mute as designed. I had a strange situation once where I went from X80 NON GPS Detector to a GPS enabled Escort (I think it was the 9500) , and the mute button on the directwire smartcord would send “MARK” signal to detector (instead of Mute). If you have the cigarette lighter cord, that should be good enough to test. thanks again in advance
Author
I haven’t used the direct wire cord, only the cig. lighter one, but it should operate the same. With the Redline 360c, it lets you mute and lock signals out, as well as report them to the cloud. I’ve never seen any mark activations like that.
Are there any reasons to believe that Rev 1.4 for the RL360c changes any of the range data in the 7-15-20 performance graphs?
Author
Escort hasn’t reported any changes to sensitivity with 1.4 so I don’t expect the results to be different now.
So I have a few questions, and I hope you can answer them.
Q1: The more KA segments i turn on, does it lower the distance to detect KA band?
Q2: How do I figure out what radar frequency cops are using around my area. Do I turn on all bands and drive pass an officer to see if he’s running radar and write down the frequency?
Q3: I just bought the Uniden R7, but I kinda want the Redline 360c. Should i return it and buy the Redline instead?
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!
Author
A1: In theory, yes, but I haven’t seen that tested yet. We have noticed it makes the detector scan faster since it doesn’t waste time on unnecessary frequency ranges.
A2: Generally pay attention over time. You can also check this thread.
A3: If you find yourself wanting autolockouts, better BSM filtering, or cloud alerts, sure, but it’s your call. The R7 is a fantastic bang for the buck. This recent video goes into more detail.
Hi Ariel – with regards to how to mount the 360c (or any other detector) I read somewhere that mounting the detector higher in the center of the windshield was not correct because it may reduce its ability to pick up laser. Is that true? I always assumed you mount it high and in the center so it had an unobstructed view of the rear. I know you do not want to mount it too high where the tint on the top of the windshield might come into play.
It was suggested to mount it as low as possible with being blocked by the windshield wipers. What’s your opinion?
Author
High is better for radar, low is better for laser. Radar detectors aren’t the right tool for laser, but they’re great for radar, so mounting high is best. Mounting behind the wipers will negatively affect both radar and laser protection so I don’t know people would recommend that to you.
I have owned the 360c since they came out and recently started having issues connecting and staying connected over the car WiFi.the left display is white so it says it’s connected but doesn’t start displaying mileage until I reboot the detector. I recently purchased a blend mount bracket which forces the detector more inside the car and not against the window. Can that be causing gps connectivity issues?
Any suggestions on troubleshooting this issue? I have reset to factory once.
I order my redline 360 c and it’s coming from Chicago .
I wonder why from Chicago not from factory
West Chester OH
Author
Escort has a couple offices around the country. The Redline 360c is manufactured in the Philippines which would explain why they don’t come from the factory in OH.
Not sure if this helps BUT I recently upgraded my wifi router at home. Rather than selecting if I want to be on a 2.4GHZ network or the 5GHZ network, the router now selects the network for me. If you are connecting to a 5GHZ network it wont work. You have to be on a 2.4GHZ network. I have also had to send my unit back once already for a replacement because the bluetooth connection with my phone and the radar was no longer working right. It took a while to get the replacement but I have it now and everything seems to be working as it should. Getting through to customer support is brutal. You need to call them at 9:00amEDT in order to have a shot at speaking with anyone or requesting a call back.
Thank you for running such a wonderful website. I’ve been coming here for years and watching your YouTube videos and tests. Everything is extremely helpful and broken down in lamest terms everyone can understand. Admittedly I know more about radars than I ever intended to or perhaps need to know thanks to Vortex.
With the pleasantries out the way, back to business. Any new to report on the Redline 360c with firmware 1.4? Every time I purchase a new car I get a new radar detector. Just so happens I’m in the market again. I love my uniden r3, but that’s being relegated to the truck and the new “sports car” will get the newest. Only reason I’d consider the Redline 360c over the R7 at this point is auto gps lockout. At the same time I also appreciate the uniden pulse with a blacked out screen. This is actually huge for me. It helps the RD to disappear and becomes undistracting (is that even a word? It should be)
Performance appears to be too close to matter in real world scenarios. But I am curious if you have anything new to report with the new 1.4 firmware. I’m trying to seal the deal and between the redline 360c and R7 and it almost seems like a coin flip for me.
Thanks!
Author
1.4 seems to be pretty good. There’s still some issues that Escort is working on for 1.5, but no ETA for that release. The R7 will also get autolockouts eventually (we have beta firmware with it already), but it needs work still too.
So I have a redline 360c and would like to comment on the loud chirp noise when the radar does “STORED” function. I really wish there was a way to get rid of that tone!
Author
Oh man, agreed! It’s loud and high pitched… definitely an annoyance with Escort’s detectors.
I have a 360c Max, but have been pulled over 3 times where it never went off at all in Valhalla (Westchester) NY. do you advise I upgrade to a Redline or one of these other models. I drive a lot of miles between Ct and westchester NY and CT to Boston
Author
It sounds like you’re getting hit with laser and you need to pick up a set of laser jammers to pair with your radar detector. https://www.vortexradar.com/best-laser-jammer-reviews/
Just got my new r7,so far it is really terrific.I have always been an escort guy but after watching vortex radar on you tubeI decided to go with the r7.I will still keep my original escort red line to drive thru Virginia on my trips back and forth to Florida.
I am a new owner of an R7. I typically drive in either mountain terrain in Western North Carolina or Highway. Not really concerned about red light cameras or city radar detection.
I am though interested in BSM filtering and accurate lead warnings for Kx band in both scenarios.
Is there a recommended configuration for the R7 I should used for either driving situation?