Escort Earphone?

[SilberPfeil]

Anyone ever used the earphone jack sold by Escort?

Link: https://www.escortradar.com/store/earphone.html

I'm trying to decide between the Marc Parnes Visual Alert or an earphone in my helmet. I'm not interested in an LED in my helmet and I don't want an earphone in each ear, or a loud speaker not located in my helmet.

I always wear a pair of custom earplugs, so I'd probably be sacrificing somewhat with the earphone. I'd only be using this for longer trips, so effectiveness and comfort are the primary goals. Simplicity and a clean solution (reduced wiring, batteries, etc) is preferred.

I guess another option is a custom made single earphone. The Escort earphone is $10, so I might just try that option first.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Highrider]

I think you may like the Marc Parnes unit better, it's self contained - once it's installed, with no other hookups to worry about. I have had mine for 3 years and it does the job for me. I have mine permanently mounted in the center of the dash below my Escort. I feel it is as effecive as an audio signal and if you want to dim it at night you can adjust it with the volume control.
I have used the HARD display for a year before I installed the MP unit, the HARD display worked well but I had issues dealing with batteries on long trips.

 

[John Anthony]

Not sure if this was a consequence of using one of Marc's units or just luck of the draw, but I had to have the audio circuitry replaced on my Escort. You need to crank the volume up pretty high to get the visual alert to work.

John

 

[SilberPfeil]

I really like the simplicity of the Parnes unit, but ...

I'm adding the RD to my bike because of an award I picked up on route 50 south/east of Grand Junction CO last summer. And at the time, I was definitely in sightseeing mode. The road was straight with small elevation changes, so it was relatively safe to be looking around. In this scenario, I probably wouldn't have seen the LED's light up.

Side note, while he was writing up my award, I watched his buddy stop another scofflaw, and while gearing up to leave, I saw my officer pull over yet another. Big time trap! When he got me, his SUV was parked behind some bushes off the road and he was peeking his radar gun around the corner of the bushes. Definitely just a revenue collection operation.

Fortunately, the points didn't get applied to my OH license.

 

[Shuey]

I'm looking at the same need having just received my Detector.

Somewhere awhile ago on another thread I read about the Mix-It2, which provides a box with a set of ports to plug in the Escort sound, GPS, whatever (I think it has 4 ports) AND my custom earplugs. It'd be bike powered with no batteries to fool with, is in stereo and provide amplification if needed.

http://www.mixitproducts.com/index.html

Is anyone using this set-up?

 

[SilberPfeil]

Now I'm thinking about how hard it would be to add one very slim internal speaker to the inside of my Nolan N103, with a jack located on the bottom of the left side of the helmet. The cable to the RD would plug vertically into the bottom of the helmet.

I'd still be able to wear my custom earplugs. Anyone tried this? The thing I worry about is if the RD can drive the speaker loudly enough that I can hear it with earplugs.

I think it's time tear into the insides of my Nolan.

 

[azlife4me]

I use the Marc Parnes Visual Alert and it works great. I like it.

 

[treemuncher]

Now I'm thinking about how hard it would be to add one very slim internal speaker to the inside of my Nolan N103, with a jack located on the bottom of the left side of the helmet. The cable to the RD would plug vertically into the bottom of the helmet.

I'd still be able to wear my custom earplugs. Anyone tried this? The thing I worry about is if the RD can drive the speaker loudly enough that I can hear it with earplugs.

I think it's time tear into the insides of my Nolan.

Many years ago (somewhere in the early 80's) I cannibalized a Mattel Electronic Football game (circa late 70's) that had a flat metal wafer speaker. That speaker was installed in my old Shoei helmet. The radar detector was an old Fox Superheterodyne that fit on the dash of the clubman fairing on my RD400. That set up saved me a ton of money throughout the 80's.

Anyway, you should still be able to find those wafer metal speakers at Radio Shack or cannibalize some electronics. Maybe a cell phone or a kids game?

For anyone thinking about hooking your Escort to your Autocom system, BE SURE TO USE AN ISOLATOR. Otherwise, you WILL blow out the radar detector from the back feed. Please don't ask me how I know this.:censored

 

[Shuey]

OK, my end solution (as yet to be assembled) because I absolutely did NOT want give up custom earplugs AND I want an audible signal . . . AmpliRider.

I'll mount it, plug my Garmin AND Escort into it, then plug my earplugs into it and voila - hopefully 100% satisfaction and all needs met. I got the one with the volume control separate so I can mount it in an easy to get to place with my left hand.

Got the AmpliRider from Electric-Avenues.com for $60.00 (includes shipping)

Shuey

 

[kieth]

be aware, the output jack of the escort is a mono 3.5mm plug, you need a cord that adapts that to a stereo input for the amplirider.......Kieth

 

[wjbertrand]

I found I was missing the visual alerts in bright daylight and have opted for audio alerts since. I had a Radar Screamer (very effective) for a long time and it worked well. The upside is that it was so loud, there was no way to miss it and all of your riding buddies could benefit from it as well. On the downside it was so loud that everyone could hear it on the sidewalks, adjacent cars, and cops. It also tended to make it very difficult to impossible to determine what band radar was being detected. I never got a ticket using it, more than I can say for the visual approach.

These days, since I have a StarCom unit, I just plumb the radar output into that as #1 priority, if the detector goes off, it overrides my music and I can hear the voice (9500ix) and differentiate the different audio sounds for each band alert. This has been the best solution and the alerts are discrete - only I hear them.

 

[Shuey]

be aware, the output jack of the escort is a mono 3.5mm plug, you need a cord that adapts that to a stereo input for the amplirider.......Kieth

It has a mono input for the radar - no problem there.

Shuey