Escort Passport SR1 User manual

1
Introduction 2-3
• Congratulations 2
• IMPORTANT WARNING 2
• Quick Reference Guide 3
Controls and Features 4-7
• Power and volume control 4
• Power-on indication 4
• AutoMute 4
• Mute 4
• Auto / Highway / City Switch 4
• Display Brightness 5
• Audible Alerts 5
• Signal Strength Meter 6
• ExpertMeter 6-7
Table of Contents
EZ Programming 8-12
• How to use EZ Programming 8
• Example of Programming 8
• Overview of Programming 9
• Details of Programming 10-12
Technical Details 13-19
• Specifications 13
• Interpreting Alerts 14-15
• How Radar Works 16
• How Laser Works 17
• How Safety Radar Works 18-19
Service 20-24
• Troubleshooting 20-21
• Service 22
• Warranty 23
• Accessories 24

2
Congratulations and Important Warning
Congratulations
Your new Passport SR1 is the most
advanced remote radar detector available.
Passport SR1 includes full X, K, and
SuperWide Ka radar capability, front and
rear laser detection, Digital Signal Process-
ingforsuperiorrangeandfalsingrejection,
our patented Mute and AutoMute, audible
and visual band alerts, and all the perfor-
mance you’d expect from Escort.
In addition, the new Passport SR1 in-
troduces a new level of revolutionary per-
formance and innovative features.
• Breakthrough 8-sensor long-range
laser detection circuitry
• New 4-bit A/D converter for im-
proved radar detection range
• Advanced EZ Programming lets you
instantly set 10 features
• New AutoSensitivity™mode, plus
Highway and City settings
• Ultra-bright Hewlett-Packard Matrix
Display with 280 LEDs
• New ExpertMeter™tracks and dis-
plays up to 8 radar signals
• Detects all Safety Radar signals
Ifyou’veusedaradardetectorbefore,
a review of the Quick Reference Guide on
page 3, and the EZ Programming informa-
tion on pages 8 and 9 will briefly explain
the new features.
Ifthisisyourfirstdetector,pleaseread
the manual in detail to get the most out of
Passport’s performance and features.
Please drive safely.
IMPORTANT INSTALLATION WARNING
Your new Passport must be installed
by a professional. Car Audio special-
ists and many car dealers can install
Passport for you.
AttemptingtoinstallPassportSR1with-
out expertise in automotive electronic
installations can cause personal injury
during the installation, or can damage
your Passport or your vehicle. If your
vehicle is damaged during installation,
itssafetysystemsmaybecompromised,
which could cause personal injury or
property damage.

3
Power/Volume Control
RotatethethumbwheeltoturnPassport
on and set the volume.
AutoMute
Passport’s patented AutoMute auto-
matically reduces the volume level of
theaudioalert.Pg 4.Ifyouprefer,you
can turn AutoMute off. Pg 8
Matrix Display
Passport’sdisplaywillshow “Highway”,
“Auto,”or“City”asitspower-onindica-
tion.Pg6.Ifyouprefer,youcanchoose
other power-on indications. Pg 8-10
Duringanalert,thedisplaywillindi-
cate radar band, and a precise bar
graph of signal strength. Pg 6
You can program Passport for the
ExpertMeter, which displays up to 8
radar signals at once. Pg 6-7
The display can also show Safety
Radar text messages. Pg 18-19
Quick Reference Guide
City Button
Switches between AutoSensitivity,
City,andHighwaysettings.Ingeneral,
we recommend the Auto mode. Pg 4
Mute Button
Brieflypressthisbutton tosilencethe
audio for a specific alert. (The audio
will alert you to the next encounter.)
Pg 4
EZ Programming
Passportis ready to go–justturn it on.
But you can also easily change 10
features for your preferences. Press
both buttons to enter the Program
Mode, then easily Review or Change
your settings. Pg 8-12

4
Power and volume control
To turn Passport on and adjust the alert
tone volume level, rotate the thumbwheel
on Passport's Display/Controller. Turn the
control to the left to increase the audio
volume.WhenyouturnPassporton,itgoes
through a sequence of alerts.
If you prefer, you may program your
Passport for a shorter power-on sequence.
SeetheEZ Programmingsection fordetails.
Power-on indication
After Passport's start-up sequence is com-
plete, the matrix display will show “High-
way”, “City”, or “Auto” to show which
operation mode is selected.
If you prefer, you can select alternate
power-on displays. See the EZ Program-
ming section for details.
AutoMute
Your Passport has our patented AutoMute
feature. After Passport alerts you to a radar
encounter at the full volume, it automati-
cally mutes the volume to a lower level.
This keeps you informed without the an-
noyance of a continuous full-volume alert.
If you prefer, you can turn the
AutoMute feature off. See the EZ Program-
ming section for details.
Controls and Features
Mute
The Mute Button, located on Passport’s
front panel, allows you to totally silence
the audio alert during a radar encounter.
Tomutetheaudioforasinglespecific
signal,briefly press the MuteButton.After
that radar encounter has passed, the mute
will automatically reset and the audio will
alert you to the next encounter.
Auto / Highway / City Switch
TheCitybuttonselectsPassport’ssensitiv-
ity mode. We recommend the “Auto”
(AutoSensitivity) mode for most driving.
Passport’s new AutoSensitivity mode
provides long-range warning, with mini-
mumfalse alarms. Inthismode, Passport’s
internal computer continuously analyzes
all incoming signals and intelligently ad-
justs the sensitivity circuits.
Youcanalsoselectconventional“High-
way” and “City” modes. When driving in
urban areas where annoying X-band intru-
sionalarmsanddooropenersarecommon,
CityModecanbeengagedtolowerX-band
sensitivity and reduce X-band alerts. Full
sensitivityismaintainedonallotherbands.
You can customize Passport’s City Mode
sensitivity. See the EZ Programming sec-
tion for details.

5
Controls and Features
Audible Alerts
For Radar signals:
Passport uses a Geiger-counter-like
sound to indicate the signal strength and
type of radar signal being encountered.
When you encounter radar, a distinct
AudibleAlertwillsoundandoccurfasteras
thesignalgetsstronger.Whenthesignalis
very strong, the Audible Alerts will blend
into a solid tone. This allows you to judge
the distance from the signal source with-
out taking your eyes from the road.
Each band has a distinct tone for easy
identification.X-band=beeptone,K-band
= raspy brap tone, Ka-band = double-brap
tone.
For Laser signals:
SinceLasersignalsareapossiblethreat
nomatterhowweak,Passportalertsyouto
all laser signals with a full laser alert.
For Safety signals:
If you have turned on the SWS and
Safety Alert detection in Passport’s pro-
gramming, Passport will alert you to these
signals with a double-beep tone, and a
corresponding text message. A complete
listing of the text messages is on page 19.
Ifyou haven’t programmed yourPass-
porttodecodethesafetysignals(seepages
8,12,19),itwillstilldisplaythemasstrong
K-band radar signals.
Display Brightness
Passport’s display brightness is automati-
cally adjusted to suit ambient lighting con-
ditions in your car. (The light sensor is
located between the City button and the
Mute button, so the display may dim mo-
mentarilywhenyoublockthesensorwhen
pressing these buttons.)
If you prefer, you can program your
Passport for a fixed brightness level (Maxi-
mum,Medium,Minimum,orDark).Seethe
EZ Programming section for details.
Dark Mode
IfyousetPassporttoitsDarkModewithits
EZ Programming, Passport changes to a
veryinconspicuouspower-onindication:a
very dim “AD”, “HD”, or “CD”. (In this
display, the A, H, or C indicates Auto,
Highway,orCity,andtheDindicatesDark.)
When Passport is in the Dark Mode,
thedisplaywillnotshowvisualalertswhen
Passport detects signals. Only the audible
alert will tell you of detected signals.
See the EZ Programming section for
more details.

6
Controls and Indicators
Signal Strength Meter
Passport’s new matrix display consists of
280 individual LED’s, to provide an intui-
tive ultra-bright display of signal strength
and text messages.
When Passport detects radar, it dis-
plays the band of the radar (X, K, or Ka),
and a precise bar graph of signal strength.
When Passport detects laser from the
front, the display will show “LASER F.”
When Passport detects laser from the rear,
the display will show “LASER R.”
ExpertMeter
Passport’s new ExpertMeter option is
an advanced display for experienced
detector users. Please use Passport for a
few weeks to get familiar with its other
features before using ExpertMeter.
To use the ExpertMeter instead of
the bar graph signal strength meter,
you must select ExpertMeter in Pass-
port’s EZ Programming (see pg 8 -12).
Passport’s standard signal strength
meter only displays information about a
single radar signal. If there are multiple
signalspresent,Passport’sinternalcomputer
determines which is the most important
threat to show on the bar graph meter.

7
Controls and Indicators
KA|| K||X||||
Here ExpertMeter shows 1 strong K-band
signal,and3 X-band signals,2 strong and
1 weak.
KA|| K|| X||||
Here ExpertMeter shows 1 weak Ka-band
signal, and 3 weak X-band signals.
KA|| K|| X||||
On very weak signals, there will not be a
vertical line at all. This shows a very weak
X-band signal.
ExpertMeter Details
The band designators (X, K, Ka) will
stay on the display for a few seconds after
thesignalhaspassed.Thisallowsyoutosee
what the unit detected, even on very brief
signals.
However, the vertical lines represent-
ing individual signals continuouslychange
(several times a second) to give you a con-
tinuous instantaneous view of all radar sig-
nals present.
Note: even long-time detector users
will require a significant time to get
familiar with this new level of infor-
mation about detected signals.
However, Passport’s ExpertMeter si-
multaneouslytracksupto8radarsignals.It
shows you detailed information on up to 2
Ka-band, 2 K-band, and 4 X-band signals.
ExpertMeter can help you spot a
change in your normal driving environ-
ment;forexample,atrafficradarunitbeing
operated in an area where there are nor-
mally other signals present.
The ExpertMeter is actually a minia-
turespectrumanalyzer.Itshowswhatband
eachsignalis, its relative frequency within
the band, and its signal strength.
KA|| K|| X||||
AboveistheExpertMeterDisplayifPassport
was detecting 2 strong Ka-band, 2 strong
K-band, and 4 strong X-band signals.
As you can see, there are vertical lines
aftereachbanddesignator.Eachlineshows
asignalbeingdetected.Theheightofeach
line shows the relative signal strength of
that signal. The position of the line shows
the relative frequency of the signal within
the band.
NOTE: If you use ExpertMeter, the
brief signal shown in the power-on se-
quence when you turn on your Passport
will also be in ExpertMeter: an “X” with a
single vertical line.
A few more examples will help you
better see how the ExpertMeter works.

8
How to customize Passport with EZ Programming
Thereare10user-selectableoptionssoyou
can customize your Passport for your own
preferences.Thebuttonsthatarenormally
used for CITY and MUTE are used to enter
the Program Mode, to REVIEW your cur-
rentprogramsettings,andtoCHANGEany
settings as desired. Pages 10-12 explain
each option in more detail.
How to use EZ Programming
To enter Program Mode, press both
buttonsandholdfor2seconds.(Passport
willbeeptwiceanddisplay“Program”. Bright-
ness is at maximum during programming.)
ThenpresstheREVIEWbuttontoreview
the current settings. (You can either tap
the button to change from item to item, or
hold the button to scroll through the items.)
Press the CHANGE button to change
anysetting.(Youcaneithertapthebutton
tochangefromsettingtosetting,orholdthe
button to scroll through all the options.)
ToleavetheProgramMode,simplywait
8 seconds without pressing any button.
(The unit will display “Complete”, beep 4
times, and return to normal operation.)
(To quickly return to all of the factory
defaults, press and hold the City and Mute
buttons while turning on the unit.)
An example
For example, here’s how you would turn
Passport’s AutoMute feature off.
1Enter the Program Mode by holding
bothbuttonsdownfor2seconds.Passport
will beep twice and display “Program”.
2Then hold the REVIEW button down.
Passport will scroll through the categories,
starting with Display (“Disp”),
then Pilot Light (“Pilot”),
then Power-on sequence (“PwrOn”),
then Signal strength meter (“Meter”),
then AutoMute (“aMute”).
3ReleasetheREVIEWbuttonwhenPass-
port shows the AutoMute item. Since the
factory setting is for AutoMute to be on,
Passport will display “aMute ON”.
(If you accidentally don’t release the
Review button in time, and Passport goes to
the next category, hold the Review button
down again, and after Passport scrolls
through all categories, it will begin again at
the top of the list.)
4Press the CHANGE button to change
from “aMute ON”to “aMute OFF”
5TocompletetheProgramming,simply
wait 8 seconds without pressing any but-
ton.Passportwilldisplay “Complete”,beep
4 times, and return to normal operation.
1
2
3
4

9
Overview of EZ Programming Options
Disp STD
Disp VERT
Pilot HWY
Pilot H
Pilot H.>
Pilot +
Pilot +.>
Pilot +>
PwrOn STD
PwrOn FST
Meter STD
Meter EXP
aMute ON
aMute OFF
Tone STD
Tone LOUD
City STD
City LoX
City NoX
Brt AUTO
Brt MIN
Brt MED
Brt MAX
Brt DARK
sws OFF
sws ON
sa OFF
sa ON
Press the REVIEW button
to go from one category
to the next
DISPLAY
PILOT LIGHT
(Power-on indication)
POWER-ON SEQUENCE
SIGNAL STRENGTH METER
AUTOMUTE
AUDIOTONES
CITY MODE SENSITIVITY
BRIGHTNESS
SAFETYWARNING SYSTEM
SAFETYALERT
HH
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
These are Passport’s factory settings
Press the CHANGE button
to change your setting
within a category
(Standard display)
(Vertical display)
(full word: Highway or Auto or City)
(letter: Hor Aor C)
(letter, with scanning dot)
(symbol: +or .or –)
(symbol, with scanning dot)
(scanning symbol)
(standard power-on sequence)
(fast power-on sequence)
(standard signal strength meter)
(ExpertMeter)
(AutoMute on)
(AutoMute off)
(Standard tones)
(Loud tones)
(Standard City mode sensitivity)
(Low X-band sensitivity in City Mode)
(No X-band sensitivity in City Mode)
(Brightness adjusts automatically)
(Minimum brightness)
(Medium brightness)
(Maximum brightness)
(Dark Mode)
(Safety Warning System detection off)
(Safety Warning System detection on)
(Safety Alert detection off)
(Safety Alert detection on)

10
Details of EZ Programming Options
Display
Disp STD (display standard)
This is the standard setting for use when
Passport’s Display is mounted horizon-
tally.
AUTO
DispVERT (display vertical)
This setting is used when Passport’s
Display is mounted vertically,for example
mounted to the side of a center console.
In this setting,Passport’s Display reads
vertically,as this example shows.
A
U
T
O
Pilot Light (power-on indication)
Note: when you are using the Dark Mode,
the display will only show HD, AD, or CD,
(Highway-Dark, Auto-Dark, or City-Dark).
PilotHWY (full description)
In this setting,Passport will display
"Highway," "City," or "Auto" as its power-
on indication.(factory default)
Pilot H (letter)
In this setting,Passport will display "H"
for Highway,"C" for City,and "A" forAuto.
Pilot H.> (Letter with scanning dot)
In this setting, Passport will display "H"
for Highway, "C" for City, and "A" for
Auto. Also, a single dot will continuously
scroll across the display.
Pilot+ (symbol)
In this setting, Passport will display "+" for
Highway, "." for Auto, and "-" for City.
Pilot+.> (symbol with scanning dot)
In this setting, Passport will display "+" for
Highway,"."forAuto,and "-"for City.Also,
a single dot will continuously scroll across
the display.
Pilot+> (scanning symbol)
In this setting, Passport will display "+" for
Highway,"." for Auto,and"-" for City.Each
will continuously scroll across the display.

11
Details of EZ Programming Options
Signal Strength Meter
MeterSTD (standard meter)
Themeterdisplaystheband,andbargraph
showing signal strength. (factory default)
MeterEXP (ExpertMeter)
The meter simultaneously tracks up to 2
Ka-band, 2 K-band, and 4 X-band signals.
Note: See more details on pages 6-7.
AutoMute
aMute ON (AutoMute on)
In this setting, Passport’s audio alerts will
initially be at the volume you set, but after
a few seconds, Passport will automatically
reduce the volume level, to keep you in-
formed,butnotannoyed.(factorydefault)
aMuteOFF (AutoMute off)
With AutoMute off, Passport’s audio alerts
will remain at the volume you set for the
duration of the radar encounter.
Audio Tones
Tone STD (Standard tones)
Thissettingusesmorepleasingtones.(fac-
tory default)
ToneLOUD (Loud tones)
Thissettingusestonesthataremorepierc-
ing, and easier to hear in a louder vehicle.
Power-on Sequence
PwrOnSTD (standard)
In this setting, each time you turn on Pass-
port, it will display "Passport", "SR-1”,
“LASER", "Ka-band", "K-band", "X-band",
followed by a brief X-band alert. It then
confirmsconnectionsto the front and rear
receivers, and will display “Rear OK”, and
“Front OK.” (factory default)
NOTE:
If there is a problem with the rear receiver
orwiringaftertheinitialstart-upsequence,
Passport will briefly display “Rear N/A”,
butwillcontinue to operate with the front
receiver.
Ifthereisaproblemwiththefrontreceiver
orwiringaftertheinitialstart-upsequence,
Passport will display “FrontN/A”, and will
thencontinuetodisplay“Check”,“Receiver”,
“Wiring”. Passport will not operate in this
condition.
PwrOnFST (fast power-on)
This setting shortens Passport’s start up
sequence by eliminating the words "Pass-
port","SR-1”,“LASER","Ka-band","K-band",
"X-band",fromthestart-upsequenceabove.

12
Details of EZ Programming Options
Brightness
Brt AUTO (Auto)
Display brightness automatically adjusted
to suit the ambient lighting in your car.
Brt MIN (Minimum)
Sets display to minimum brightness.
Brt MED (Medium)
Sets display to medium brightness.
Brt MAX (Maximum)
Sets display to maximum brightness.
Brt DARK (Dark)
In this setting,Passport will only display a
very dimAD,HD,or CD for the power-on
indication,and will not show any visual
alerts when signals are detected.
Safety Warning System
sws OFF (safety warning system
detection off) (factory default)
sws ON (safety warning system
detection on)
Safety Alert
sa OFF (safety alert detection off)
(factory default)
sa ON (safety alert detection on)
City Mode Sensitivity
City STD (Standard)
In this setting, when you put Passport in
the City mode, X-band sensitivity is signifi-
cantlyreduced,toreduceannoyancefrom
X-band intrusion alarms and motion sen-
sors. (factory default)
City LoX (Low X-band sensitivity)
In this setting, when you put Passport in
the City mode, X-band sensitivity is re-
ducedmorethanthestandardsetting.This
will reduce X-band alarms from other
sourceseven further, but also significantly
reduces range to X-band traffic radar.
City NoX (No X-band sensitivity)
In this setting, when you put Passport in
theCitymode,Passportwillnotrespondto
anyX-bandsignals.WARNING:Onlychoose
this setting if you are absolutely certain
that there are no X-band traffic radar units
where you drive.

13
Specifications
Features and Specifications
Operating Bands
• X-band 10.525 GHz ±25 MHz
• K-band 24.150 GHz ±100 MHz
• Ka-band 34.700 GHz ±1300 MHz
• Laser 900nm, 33 MHz bandwidth
Radar Receiver / Detector Type
• Superheterodyne, GaAs FET VCO
• Scanning Frequency Discriminator
• Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
• 4-bit high-resolution A-to-D converter
Laser Detection
• Quantum Limited Video Receiver
• 8 Laser Sensor Diodes (4F, 4R)
Display Type
• HP AlGaAs 280 LED Matrix/Text
• Bar Graph or ExpertMeter™
• Automatic brightness control
Power Requirement
• 12VDC, Negative Ground
Programmable Features
• Display (Horizontal or Vertical)
• Power-On Indication
• Power-On Sequence
• Signal Strength Meter
• AutoMute
• Audio Tones
• City Mode Sensitivity
• Display Brightness
• Safety Warning System Alerts
• Safety Pilot Alerts
Sensitivity Control
• AutoSensitivity™, Highway, and City
Dimensions
Display/Controller 4.2 x 1.4 x .55 inches
Receiver unit 5.4 x 3.7 x 1.05 inches
Rear Laser unit 6.0 x 1.0 x .65 inches
Patented Technology
Passport is covered by one or more of the
followingEscortInc.USpatents.Additional
patents may be listed inside the product.
5,668,554 5,559,508 5,365,055 5,347,120
5,305,007 5,206,500 5,164,729 5,134,406
5,111,207 5,079,553 5,049,885 5,049,884
4,954,828 4,952,937 4,896,855 4,887,753
4,862,175 4,750,215 4,686,499 4,631,542
4,613,989 4,604,529 4,583,057 4,581,769
4,313,216 D314,178 D313,365 D310,167
D308,837 D296,771 D288,418 D253,752

14
Although Passport has a comprehensive
warning system and this handbook is as
complete as we can make it, only expe-
rience will teach you what to expect
fromyourPassportandhowtointerpret
what it “tells” you. The radar alerts you
receive are affected by the specific type
Alert
Passport begins to sound slowly, then the rate
of alerts increases until the alert becomes a
solid tone. The Signal Meter ramps accordingly.
Passport emits short alerts for a few seconds
and then falls silent only to briefly alert and
fall silent again.
Passport suddenly sounds a continuous tone
for the appropriate band received. All
segments in the Signal Strength Meter are lit.
A brief laser alert.
Passport receives weak signals. These signals
may be a little stronger as you pass large,
roadside objects. The signals increase in
frequency.
Passport alerts slowly for awhile and then
abruptly jumps to a strong alert.
Explanation
You are approaching a continuous radar
source aimed in your direction.
An instant-on radar source is being used ahead
of you and out of your view.
An instant-on radar source or laser source is
being used nearby. This kind of alert requires
immediate attention!
Laser is being used in the area. Because laser is
inherently difficult to detect, any laser alert
may indicate a source very close by.
A moving patrol car with continuous radar is
overtaking you from behind. Because these
signals are reflected (reflections are increased
by large objects), they may or may not
eventually melt into a solid point even when
the patrol car is directly behind you.
You are approaching a radar unit concealed by
a hill or an obstructed curve.
Interpreting Alerts
ofradarbeingused,thetypeoftransmis-
sion (continuous or instant-on) and the
location of the radar source.
The following examples will give
you an introduction to understanding
Passport’s warning system for radar, la-
ser and safety alerts.

15
Alert
Passport alerts intermittently. Rate and
strength of alerts may be consistent or vary
wildly.
Passport alerts intermittently. Rate and
strength of signal increases with each alert.
Passport gives an X-band alert intermittently.
Explanation
A patrol car is travelling in front of you with a
radar source aimed forward. Because signals
are sometimes reflected off of large objects
and sometimes not, the alerts may seem
inconsistent.
A patrol car is approaching from the other
direction, “sampling” traffic with instant-on
radar. Such alerts should be taken seriously.
You are driving through an area populated
with radar motion sensors (door openers,
burglar alarms, etc.) Since these transmitters
are usually contained inside buildings or aimed
toward OR away from you, they are typically
not as strong or lasting as a real radar
encounter.
CAUTION: Since the characteristics of these
alerts may be similar to some of the preceding
examples, overconfidence in an unfamiliar
area can be dangerous. Likewise, if an alert in
a commonly travelled area is suddenly stronger
or on a different band than usual, speed radar
may be set up nearby.
Interpreting Alerts

16
How Radar Works
Trafficradar,whichconsistsofmicrowaves,
travels in straight lines and is easily re-
flectedbyobjectssuchascars,trucks,even
guardrails and overpasses. Radar works by
directing its microwave beam down the
road.Asyourvehicletravelsintorange,the
microwavebeambouncesoffyourcar,and
theradar antenna looksfor the reflections.
Using the Doppler Principle, the radar
equipment then calculates your speed by
comparing the frequency of the reflection
of your car to the original frequency of the
beam sent out.
Traffic radar has limitations, the most
significant of these being that it typically
can monitor only one target at a time. If
thereismorethanonevehiclewithinrange,
it is up to the radar operator to decide
which target is producing the strongest
reflection. Since the strength of the reflec-
tion is affected by both the size of the
vehicle and its proximity to the antenna, it
is difficult for the radar operator to deter-
mineifthesignalisfromasportscarnearby
or a semi-truck several hundred feet away.
How Radar Works
Radarrangealsodependsonthepower
of the radar equipment itself. The strength
of the radar unit’s beam diminishes with
distance.Thefarthertheradarhastotravel,
the less energy it has for speed detection.
Because intrusion alarms and motion sen-
sors often operate on the same frequency
as X-Band radar, your Passport will occa-
sionally receive non-police radar signals.
SincetheseX-Bandtransmittersareusually
contained inside of buildings or aimed to-
ward the ground, they will generally pro-
duce much weaker readings than will a
trueradarencounter.Asyoubecomefamil-
iarwiththesourcesofthesepseudoalarms
in your daily driving, they will serve as
confirmationthatyourPassport’sradarde-
tection abilities are fully operational.

17
How Laser Works
There are limitations to LIDAR equip-
ment. LIDAR is much more sensitive to
weather conditions than RADAR, and a
LIDAR gun’s range will be decreased by
anything affecting visibility such as rain,
fog,orsmoke.ALIDARguncannotoperate
through glass and it must be stationary in
order to get an accurate reading. Because
LIDARmusthaveaclear lineof sightand is
subjecttocosineerror(aninaccuracywhich
increasesastheanglebetweenthegunand
the vehicle increases) police typically use
LIDAR equipment parallel to the road or
fromanoverpass.LIDARcanbeuseddayor
night.
How Laser (Lidar) Works
Laser speed detection is actually LIDAR
(LightDetectionAndRanging).LIDARguns
project a beam of invisible infrared light.
The signal is a series of very short infrared
lightenergypulseswhichmoveinastraight
line,reflectingoffyourcarandreturningto
the gun. LIDAR uses these light pulses to
measurethedistancetoa vehicle. Speed is
then calculated by measuring how quickly
thesepulsesarereflectedgiventheknown
speed of light.
LIDAR(orlaser)isanewertechnology
and is not as widespread as conventional
radar, therefore, you may not encounter
laser on a daily basis. And unlike radar
detection, laser detection is not prone to
“false” alarms. Because LIDAR transmits a
much narrower beam than does radar, it is
much more accurate in its ability to distin-
guish between targets and is also more
difficulttodetect.ASARESULT,EVENTHE
BRIEFEST LASER ALERT SHOULD BE
TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

18
How Safety Radar Works
Note: some of the safety messages
have been condensed, so each message
canbedisplayedon oneortwoscreenson
Passport’s eight character display.
Since Safety radar technology is rela-
tively new and the number of transmitters
inoperationisnotyetwidespread,youwill
not receive Safety signals on a daily basis
and should not be surprised to encounter
emergencyvehicles, road hazards andrail-
road crossings that are unequipped with
these transmitters and, therefore, fail to
provide a signal. As Safety transmitters
become more prevalent (the number of
operating transmitters is growing every
day), these Safety radar signals will be-
come more common.
Formoreinformationanddetailsabout
SWS safety radar, visit their web site at
www.swslc.com.
How Safety Radar Works
There are two separate Safety Radar sys-
tems in limited use today: Safety Alert, and
Safety Warning System (SWS). Both sys-
tems use modified K-band radar signals.
From the factory, your Passport is
programmed with safety radar decoding
OFF. If Safety Radar is used in your area,
your Passport will display these signals as
K-bandradarsignalsinsteadofsafetyradar
unless you use the EZ Programming to
turn Passport’s safety radar decoding ON.
The Safety Alert safety radar system
has three possible alerts:
• Safety Vehicle
• Road Hazard
• Train Nearby
The SWS safety radar system has 64
possiblemessages(60currentlyallocated).
The SWS messages your Passport can dis-
play are listed on the facing page.

19
SWS Safety Radar Text Messages
WorkZone
Road
Bridge
WorkCrew
WorkCrew
Detour
Truck
MustExit
Rtlane
CntrLane
LeftLane
Future
Police
Train
Low
BridgeUp
Bridge
RockSlid
School
Road
Sharp
Croswalk
Deer
Blind or
SteepUse
Accident
PoorRoad
Loading
DontPass
Dangrous
Emergncy
Future
Weather
Blowing
Blowing
Snow
use
w/servic
Open
Closed
Speed
Enforced
Exit
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
TunRadio
ExitRght
ExitLeft
use
Moving
Pursuit
Vehicle
Vehicle
Closed
Closed
Highway
Utility
Detour
Closed
Closed
Closed
use
Overpass
Wt Limit
Area
Zone
Narrows
Curve
Crossing
Deaf Kid
LowGear
Surface
SchooBus
Intrsect
Vehicle
use
HighWind
Severe
HeavyFog
Flooding
BridgIce
RoadIce
Dust
Sand
Blinding
Future
RestArea
RestArea
24hrFuel
Insp Stn
Insp Stn
Reduced
Speed
HazMatls
Expect
10 Min
20 Min
30 Min
1 Hour
Traffic
Pay Toll
Trucks
Trucks
Future
EmergVeh
Police
Oversize
SloMovng
SWS Text Messages
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64

20
Problem
Passport beeps briefly at the same
locationeveryday,but noradarsource
is in sight.
Passport does not seem sensitive to
radar or laser.
Passportdidnotalertwhenapolicecar
was in view.
PassportdidnotprovideaSafetysignal
while within range of an emergency
vehicle.
Passport’s audible alerts are less loud
after the first few alerts.
Passport’spower-onsequencereoccurs
while you are driving.
Your14-yearoldsonhaschangedall10
of the EZ Programming options.
Passport will not turn on.
Passport’s Display feels warm.
Troubleshooting
Solution
• AnX-bandmotionsensororintrusionalarmislocatedwithin
range of your route. With time, you will learn predictable
patterns of these signals.
• Passport may be in City Mode.
• VASCAR, (Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder) a
stopwatch method of speed detection, may be in use.
• Officer may not have radar or laser unit turned on.
• Safety transmitters may not be commonly used in your area.
• Passport is in AutoMute Mode. See page 4 for details.
• A loose power connection can cause Passport to be briefly
disconnected, and will retrigger the power-on sequence.
• Youcanreturnalloftheprogrammingoptionstothefactory
defaultsby holdingdown theCity andMute buttonswhile you
turn Passport on.
• Check that volume control is ON.
• Check that vehicle ignition is ON.
• Check all connections.
• It is normal for Passport to feel warm.