Uniden R9: Long Range Test Results

Today and I went out to the red barn test course to see how the upcoming Uniden R9 fares against other custom installed (CI) detectors. I was mainly just wanting to confirm that it can perform on par with other high end detectors since even there’s a lot of important things to compare between them, obviously the range has to be good too. I gotta say that overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the R9 did.

It’s just one test on one course with one set of detectors, but it’s good to start getting some data points.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/06/uniden-r9-long-range-test-results/

Improved Audio Quality on the Uniden R3, R4, & R8

Uniden has released new firmware versions for three different radar detectors to improve their audio quality. The new detectors and firmware versions include:

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/05/improved-audio-quality-on-the-uniden-r3-r4-r8/

Escort Radar Detectors: Unified Firmware Update Overview

This week Escort is rolling out a comprehensive firmware update for a wide range of their radar detectors. These updates bring about some significant enhancements including improved performance, reduced false alerts, and some important bug fixes, creating a more trustworthy user experience.

Escort radar logo

Here are the detectors being updated and their new firmware versions:

All of these detectors are getting essentially the same updates so we’ll cover them all together.

Note: The Redline Ci 360c had many of these improvements in its previous firmware and so this new update only adds the remaining changes. For more information about any specific detector, check out the full release notes / discussions linked above.

Redline Ci 360c display on dash
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/05/escort-radar-detectors-unified-firmware-update-overview/

Escort Max 360 Mk II Introduced

Escort has just released the successor to the original Max 360 ($499) and it’s called the Max 360 Mk II ($599). It’s essentially a Max 360c Mk II ($699), just without the WiFi, and it improves upon the original Max 360 by offering longer range, better blind spot monitoring (BSM) filtering, improved photo radar detection, and a refreshed case design.

Escort Max 360 Mk II

It costs $100 more than the outgoing Max 360 it replaces, but it’s a mostly welcome upgrade over the original thanks to the performance improvements stemming from its updated Blackfin digital signal processing (DSP) architecture.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/03/escort-max-360-mkii-introduced/

Uniden R4 & R8 Get Bluetooth Capability

Great news for Uniden R4 and Uniden R8 radar detector owners! Bluetooth capability has finally been activated on these detectors thanks to new firmware updates, adding more convenience and functionality.

Let’s discuss how the Bluetooth functionality works, the features it adds, the current Android-only compatibility, and the only compatible app, Highway Radar. We’ll also touch on the additional features added in this firmware update. Lastly, you’ll find links for grabbing the firmware, purchasing the detectors, downloading Highway Radar, and joining the Radar Detector Forum (RDF) community for more information and discussion.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/03/uniden-r4-r8-bluetooth/

Escort MaxCam 360c firmware 1.8

Escort has just released firmware 1.8 for the MaxCam 360c which fixes a power-related bug and improves the arrow behavior. Read the official release notes here.

Escort MaxCam 360c

Purchase your Escort MaxCam 360c here.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/02/escort-maxcam-360c-fw-18/

Blackvue Announces New Dashcams at CES 2023

This week at CES 2023, Blackvue has released a number of new dashcams and as a long time Blackvue owner, I’m pretty excited to see some of these changes. While I’m not at CES this year due to a family vacation, I wanted to share my initial thoughts and reactions about their upcoming new models. 🙂

Update, Jan 17th: This article has been updated with some details and specifics from Blackvue about all of the dashcams.

Blackvue New Products at CES 2023

Be sure to first read Blackvue’s official press release to learn all the official information from their announcement.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2023/01/blackvue-announces-new-dashcams-ces-2023/

2022 Holiday Giveaway

Time for my end of the year holiday giveaway! This year we’ve got over $7,000 in prizes including a bunch of radar detectors, dash cameras, and accessories.

Vortex Radar’s 2022 Holiday Giveaway

All winners will be randomly chosen after January 1st, 2023. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

A big thank you to all the companies sponsoring this giveaway and helping make all this possible. 👍

Good luck and Happy New Year!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2022/12/2022-holiday-giveaway/

Valentine 1 Gen2: December 2022 Upgrade, FW 4.1030

Valentine has just released the December 2022 upgrade for the Valentine 1 Gen2. Firmware update 4.1030 includes two small, but welcome bug fixes.

Valentine 1 Gen2

You can download the free update now using V1connection for Android or iOS.

Purchase a V1 Gen2 here.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2022/12/v1gen2-dec-2022-upgrade-41030/

Uniden R8 Firmware 1.25

Uniden posted firmware 1.25 for the Uniden R8 this morning on their website. This is the latest firmware that’s already been shipping on brand new detectors and now we can all update to it. The new firmware that adds Bluetooth is still not yet released.

Uniden R8

Downloads:

Purchase the Uniden R8 here.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2022/11/uniden-r8-firmware-125/

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