What’s Nice
Constructed-In GPS
Mayday Alerts
Video High quality
Not So Nice
Dismal App Efficiency
Provides Weight to Your Radar Detector
Affiliate Disclosure: Automoblog could earn a fee if you buy the merchandise featured on this evaluate. These commissions come at no extra price to you. The Escort M2 Sprint Cam on this evaluate was provided to Automoblog by Cedar Electronics. The opinions under are my very own primarily based on my private expertise with the product.
The Escort M2 is a “radar-mounted” sprint digicam, which means it attaches to an current Escort radar detector as an adjunct versus being a standalone unit. As a follow-up to Escort’s M1 sprint digicam, the M2 is a stable improve, providing beneficial options like a built-in GPS and mayday alerts. As of this writing, the M2 sprint digicam retails for $199.95 on Escort’s web site.
Main as much as this evaluate, I spent a number of months driving across the Detroit metro with the Escort M2 Sprint Cam, finally taking it on a 700-mile journey to see household in Nebraska for Thanksgiving. More often than not, the M2 was connected to my MAX 360c (I even have a MAX 360 and had the M2 connected to that unit briefly).
We’ll begin with an outline of the options, then go into extra specifics, together with tips on how to set up the M2. We’ll cowl the Drive Smarter app and our irritating expertise with it. Close to the top, we are going to present a comparability chart between the M1 and M2 sprint cameras if you’re on the fence between the 2.
Advantages of a Sprint Digital camera
Primarily based on our expertise, there are a couple of causes to personal one. The primary is for security and safety. If you’re the sufferer of a hit-and-run, street rage, or insurance coverage fraud, a touch digicam can work to your benefit if you have to defend your self legally. Sprint cameras can even present peace of thoughts for folks with younger drivers and enterprise homeowners with fleets. The one consideration for the latter is how radar detectors are unlawful in business automobiles, so the M2 shouldn’t be your best option.
Another excuse is just for enjoyment. It’s enjoyable to seize footage on a street journey and consider it later. My spouse and I saved this footage of the Santa’s Rockin N Lights show at Werner Park close to Omaha.
Escort M2 Sprint Cam Options
Whereas driving to Omaha from Detroit, we had two cases the place one other driver minimize us off in fast-moving site visitors: as soon as in Chicago and one other in Des Moines. Fortunately, they have been shut calls and never accidents, however the Escort M2 Sprint Cam recorded each incidents.
The M2 goes into an emergency mode throughout a collision, arduous braking, or every other occasion that triggers the G-Sensor. This protects the footage individually from the M2’s default “steady loop” mode, so it’s not recorded over. An audible alert of “File Protected” will sound. Instantly after an accident, the mayday alert function sends a textual content message routinely to your emergency contact. Detailed incident experiences could be generated later for the insurance coverage claims course of.
Different key options embody full 1080P decision, a 140-degree field-of-view, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a built-in GPS. Though the M1 sprint digicam data in 1080P, it doesn’t provide Wi-Fi or GPS.
Wi-Fi functionality means the M2 can connect with the cloud to obtain automated updates and alerts. You may retailer, edit, and share any footage you seize on the street by means of the Wi-Fi connection. In the meantime, the GPS data your velocity and site, beneficial info if you end up in a state of affairs like we described above.
Escort M2 Sprint Cam Set up
The M2 comes with an extended bolt, two washers, a windshield mounting bracket, a 16GB SD card, and a USB knowledge cable to switch footage from the sprint digicam to a pc. The M2 is appropriate with the Escort Redline 360c, Redline EX, MAX 360c, MAX 360, MAX 3, the iXc, and iX. It’s additionally appropriate with all Escort laser shifters.
The video under exhibits tips on how to connect the M2 to a appropriate Escort radar detector. The M2 doesn’t include its personal energy twine. As a substitute, you’ll use your radar detector’s present energy cable to run the M2.
Set up Ideas
There are two issues to remember with regards to set up. The primary is to place the radar detector a bit of nearer towards your steering wheel than you normally would. This “left offset” will permit the Escort M2 Sprint Cam to movie from the center of your automobile.
The second is how the M2 will add weight to an already heavy radar detector, particularly if you’re working one thing just like the MAX 360c like I used to be. To make sure the very best seal, I cleaned my radar detector’s suction cup mount and a small space of the windshield inside my automotive with rubbing alcohol. This helped my MAX 360c and M2 keep “glued” to my windshield.
{Hardware} Interface
The again of the Escort M2 Sprint Cam is comparatively easy. On the backside is the micro SD card slot (already inserted earlier than buy). The facility button, which doubles because the emergency recording button, is within the center (press it twice to take a nonetheless photograph). Simply above the ability button is a recessed digicam reset button. To the appropriate are two LED standing indicator lights. The blue one blinks when the M2 is powered up, whereas the purple one blinks to point out the digicam is recording.
On the appropriate aspect of the M2 are two insertion factors: one for the USB knowledge cable and the opposite for the ability cable.
Escort M2 Sprint Cam: On The Highway
Under is a set of day and night time footage taken from a drive across the Detroit space. Total, I’m pleased with the standard of the footage.
Drive Smarter App: Crammed With Bugs
By way of Escort’s Drive Smarter app, you may make the most of the M2’s full vary of capabilities (or, in concept, anyway). Whereas related to the app, you may view a stay stream feed in real-time through the digicam’s Wi-Fi and save any footage to your telephone. You may modify completely different digicam settings and arrange your mayday alerts (i.e. emergency contact). Over-the-air updates may also come through the app.
I didn’t have one of the best luck with the Driver Smarter app, by which I imply I used to be by no means in a position to efficiently use it as soon as. I’m unsure if it was person error on my finish or if the app is simply genuinely dangerous. My automotive doesn’t have a Wi-Fi hotspot, so I ponder if that’s a part of the problem? For instance, to attach my telephone to the M2 by means of the app, I’ve to make use of a “short-term” Wi-Fi connection. However that connection fizzles out earlier than I can go in and configure the settings on the digicam. Most occasions, I solely see a “perpetual circle” on my telephone because the app hardly ever, if ever, connects to the M2.
As of this writing, person evaluations of the Driver Smarter app are fairly horrible, so it’s most likely not simply me. I just like the Escort M2 Sprint Cam however not the app. Primarily based on my expertise and after studying the evaluations of different customers, Escort has lots of work to do on the Drive Smarter app. When Escort fixes the app, it is going to be good to go in and mess around with the completely different settings for the M2.
Though Escort strongly recommends it, the Drive Smarter app shouldn’t be completely essential to make use of the M2. As soon as it has energy, the M2 will nonetheless file and save video, be it in a steady loop or individually as one other file throughout an emergency. You received’t have the ability to view something in real-time in your telephone, however you may nonetheless extract footage through the included USB knowledge cable and consider it later in your laptop.
Escort M2 Sprint Cam vs. M1 Sprint Cam
The graphic under exhibits key variations between the Escort M2 Sprint Cam and the previous-generation M1. For us, the M2 wins due to the built-in GPS, mayday alerts, and incident experiences. Nonetheless, the caveat with issues like mayday alerts is how they require the Drive Smarter app to arrange. And because the Drive Smarter app appears to be loaded with bugs, it might be tough, if not unimaginable, to entry among the M2’s prime options.
Ought to You Purchase The Escort M2 Sprint Cam?
The reply varies, relying in your vantage level. Personally, I like Escort radar detectors and personal each a MAX 360 and MAX 360c. Whereas opinions about which radar detectors are one of the best will differ, I’m largely an Escort fan. So for any person like me, the M2 is a superb addition to a radar detector I already get pleasure from. Should you like Escort merchandise or are contemplating the M2 as a present for somebody who does, then it’s most likely a protected guess.
Nonetheless, I’ve not been in a position to totally discover the M2 as a result of the Drive Smarter app is overly sophisticated and largely uncooperative. So whereas the M2 affords extra options than the M1, the actual fact I’m unable to make use of the app means I can’t benefit from these options. And in some methods, due to that, this evaluate shouldn’t be as complete as I’d have preferred. That stated, it’s most likely higher to go along with the M1, which is the similar worth because the M2 on Escort’s web site as of this writing ($199.95).
If the app labored nicely, it could be a no brainer to go along with the M2 over the M1. However as of proper now, it may be arduous to justify paying for the M2 when the accompanying app is less than par. It’s our hope Escort will get the bugs labored out so drivers can maximize their expertise with the M2 Sprint Cam.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Affiliation and the Society of Automotive Historians. He serves on the board of administrators for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Basis, is a previous president of Detroit Working Writers, and a loyal Detroit Lions fan
Escort M2 Sprint Cam
8.0/10 Our Rating
The Escort M2 is a “radar-mounted” sprint digicam, which means it attaches to an current Escort radar detector as an adjunct versus being a standalone unit. As a follow-up to Escort’s M1 sprint digicam, the M2 is a stable improve, providing beneficial options like a built-in GPS and mayday alerts.
Nonetheless, the M2’s app is crammed with bugs that hinder the general expertise with the sprint cam.
