How to Set Up & Configure Your Escort Max 360c Radar Detector

Escort Max 360c radar detectorThe Escort Max 360c radar detector (buy a Max 360c here) comes with a whole bunch of different features and settings that let you customize it the way you want. Let’s go over all the different settings, explain what everything means, and help you pick the best settings so you can best program your Escort Max 360c radar detector.

Now there’s two ways to program your Max 360c. You can change settings through your detector or through your phone via Escort Live, but some detectors are only available in the detector or only in the app. Personally I find it easier to change things via the app so I’ll run through the settings in the order that the app shows them.

For more information about the Max 360c’s settings, direct from Escort, you can read over the Max 360c Quick Reference Guide.

Max 360c Video Setup Guide

If you’d like to watch a video about the Max 360c settings and see the impact of the different settings in action, here’s the video version of this tutorial:

Max 360C Settings

General Settings

Sensitivity

Adjust the sensitivity of the detector for higher sensitivity and better performance or reduced sensitivity for fewer false alerts.

  • Highway: Full sensitivity on all bands at all times
  • Auto: Reduced sensitivity on X and K bands when traveling at low speeds for fewer false alerts around town and full performance when driving on the highway
  • AutoNoX: Same as Auto mode, but with X band disabled altogether
  • AutoLoK: Even further reduction of K band sensitivity than Auto mode

Brightness

Adjust the display brightness.

Auto is recommended so that the display automatically gets brighter during the day and darker at night.

You can manually set the brightness levels with Minimum, Medium, and Maximum.

Dark disables the display altogether, including when an alert is detected..

Pilot

Enables or disables the Knight Rider-like scanning bar at the top of the display.

Personally I find the scanning bar a little distracting so I like disabling it and having bigger text and more room on screen for relevant information.

Meter Mode

Choose how radar alerts are presented on screen when they are detected.

  • Standard: Display both the band and the signal strength of the primary signal.
  • Standard FR1: Display both the band and the front and rear antenna signal strength of the primary signal, as well as how many signals total are being detected. (See the image above for an example where there is 1 Ka signal ahead.)
  • Standard FR2: Similar to FR1, except you can see front and rear signal strength for multiple signals.
  • Spec FR1: Same as Standard FR1, except you also see the frequency of the primary signal.
  • Spec FR2: Same as Standard FR2, except you also see the frequency of the primary signal.
  • Expert FR: Display information about up to 4 signals simultaneously including both the band and the front and rear signal strength.
  • Simple: When a signal is being detected, it displays “Caution” when traveling below the cruise alert limit or “Slow Down” when traveling above the cruise alert limit.

Arrow Mode

Configure how the arrows work, especially when detecting multiple signals simultaneously.

  • Single: Point towards the primary threat.
  • Multiple: Point towards multiple threats, blinking towards the primary threat.
  • Band: Point towards multiple threats, blinking towards the primary threat, and use different colored arrows for different bands. X = green, K = blue, Ka / Laser = red

Auto Mute

Automatically reduce the volume of your detector after a few seconds so that it gets your attention initially and then quiets down after that. You choose how loud or quiet the auto muted volume is or you can disable auto mute altogether and always have it alert at full volume.

Auto Tones

Choose the sounds you hear when an alert is present.

  • Standard: Traditional Escort alert tones
  • Standard+: Traditional Escort alert tones with a double-beep when an additional new signal shows up during an alert
  • Mild: Detector alerts sound like a doorbell chime

ZR3 Mode

Configure laser jammer (shifter) integration with your radar detector. Adjust whether you want your jammers to jam (shift) laser, detect only, or disable them altogether. You can also set the automatic shut-off time where it jams for X seconds and then automatically disarms. I recommend setting it to “Shift 4 Seconds.” Set to Off if not using an Escort laser jammer.

Voice

Choose whether you’d like the detector to announce the band such as “K band,” “Ka band,” or “Laser” during an alert. Disable if you only want to hear the beeps.

Auto Power

If your radar detector is plugged into a power source that always gets power, including when your car is off, this feature allows the detector to automatically power off after a period of time so that it doesn’t drain your vehicle’s battery.

Units

Choose if you want English units (MPH) or Metric units (KM/H).

GPS Filter

Enable GPS-based features and filtering capabilities.

Auto Learn

Auto Learn allows the detector to automatically learn, memorize, and filter out stationary false alerts that you pass repeatedly such as false alerts from speed signs and door openers in shopping centers and grocery stores.

Disable if you want to only lock signals out manually by triple pressing the mute button when in the presence of an X or K band false alert.

Cruise Alert

Low speed muting. When traveling below this speed, your detector will give a short double-beep when detecting an alert and then go silent, keeping the detector extra quiet around town.

Note: When connected to Escort Live, the cruise alert threshold will be replaced with the current speed limit of the road you’re on, information provided via the app.

Over Speed Alert

Alert you if you’re traveling over a preset speed, a handy feature to help you monitor your speed.

Language

Choose the English or Spanish language.

Display Color

Choose your preferred display color to match your vehicle.

Blue, green, red, and amber are available.

Speed on Display

Display your speed on the detector’s screen.

If disabled, it will display your vehicle’s voltage instead.

User Mode

Novice mode allows for only basic customization of the detector such as changing the display color or changing between MPH and KM/H. Radar and laser settings are all set to factory defaults.

Advanced mode allows for full customization of all of the detectors features.

Band Settings

Laser

Enable detection of police laser. Laser alerts are automatically reported to the cloud via Escort Live.

POP

Enable detection of 67 ms Ka band POP radar.This is a specific type of radar designed specifically to allow police officers to monitor a vehicle’s speed while being too fast for a radar detector to alert. However, it’s not something you’ll see in use, it’s not legal to issue tickets, and enabling POP detection on your radar detector only decreases performance to normal radar and increases the number of false alerts you’ll see to POP.

Disabling POP is recommended.

Ka Band

Enable detection of all of Ka band.

Scans for 33.400 – 36.000 GHz.

Note: If you want to enable Ka band segmentation, set Ka Band to Off.

K Band

Enable detection of all of all the K Band frequencies in use the US (with the exception of Redflex).

Scans for 24.050 – 24.250 GHz.

If you’d like to scan below 24.050, disable K Band to enable K Band Segmentation and then make sure K band segment 4 is enabled.

X Band

Enable detection of X band.

X band is actively in use only in OH, NJ, and in a few rural places around the country.

Learn which radar bands are in use in your area.

TSR

Traffic Sensor Rejection. If you have traffic sensors in your area, when you drive down the highway you will see regular K band falses every half a mile or mile or so. These are different from blind spot falses. If you encounter traffic sensor falses, enable TSR to filter out these false alerts.

TSR filters out any brief bursts of radar (ie. traffic sensor radar bursts) which does reduce performance on K band. Enable this if you encounter traffic sensor falses but disable otherwise.

K Band Segmentation

K Band Segmentation is intended for international drivers outside of the US. It allows you to selectively choose which ranges of frequencies on K band that the Max 360c will alert to.

If you live in AZ where the Redflex photo radar SUV’s are in use, you’ll want to use K band segmentation to access segment 4 which is off by default.

To enable K Band segmentation, disable K Band first and then the Max 360c will pay attention to the segments.

  • K Band Narrow 1: 24.050 – 24.110 GHz
  • K Band Narrow 2: 24.110 – 24.175 GHz
  • K Band Narrow 3: 24.175 – 24.250 GHz
  • K Band Narrow 4: 23.950 – 24.050 GHz

Ka Band Segmentation

Ka Band Segmentation on the Max 360c is a little different than how Escort typically does band segmentation. In this case it’s intended for international drivers, not for use in the US. With the Max series detectors, BS does not impact performance or what frequencies it scans for. It only affects which frequencies the detectors alerts to. You’ll also notice that the default segments are not 2/5/8 like we’d normally use in the US, but rather 3/4/5/8 which is more appropriate for drivers abroad.

To enable Ka Band Segmentation, disable Ka Band first and then the Max 360c will pay attention to the Ka band segments.

  • Ka Band Narrow 1: 33.400 – 33.700 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 2: 33.700 – 33.900 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 3: 33.900 – 34.200 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 4: 34.200 – 34.600 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 5: 34.600 – 34.800 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 6: 34.800 – 35.160 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 7: 35.160 – 35.400 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 8: 35.400 – 35.600 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 9: 35.600 – 35.840 GHz
  • Ka Band Narrow 10: 35.840 – 36.000 GHz

MultaRadar CD

The MultaRadar CD is a low powered photo radar gun used primarily in Canada, including Alberta and Quebec. It’s also used in NYC, Maryland, & Washington D.C. If the MRCD is used in your area, turn this setting on. Otherwise leave it off to avoid the unnecessary false alerts.

Note 1: If you don’t see this setting in your detector, be sure to update to the latest firmware version. It was added in firmware 1.12.

Note 2: The Max 360c does not support MRCT detection like the Max 360c International. The MRCT is used in NYC, Chicago, and Dallas. The 360c falses a lot more to MRCT so Escort left it out and instead relies on the GPS-based Defender Database to alert you to MRCT photo cameras.

Marker Settings

Red Light Cameras

Alert you to redlight cameras ahead.

Speed Cameras

Alert you to speed cameras ahead.

Speed Traps

Alert you to known speed traps ahead where police like to commonly hang out.

Other

Alert you to other types of important alerts ahead.

Red Lt Speed Cams

Alert you to redlight cameras that are also speed cameras.

Air Patrol

Alert you to areas where police often run aircraft enforcement.

Device Settings

Radar Settings

Adjust all the radar detector settings we covered here.

Bluetooth Settings

Adjust Bluetooth settings if you’re having issues with your detector connecting to your phone via Bluetooth.

Wi-Fi Settings

Configure the Wi-Fi hotspot and password that your Max 360c will use to connect.

Devices

Connect to your Max 360c if it doesn’t automatically connect or connect to a different Escort radar detector instead.

Settings in the Max 360c

Here’s a few additional important settings that are only available through the detector, not through the app.

K Notch

This helps provide additional filtering against Honda/Acura BSM falses around 24.198’ish GHz. Enabling K Notch will filter out any weak K band signals between 24.190 – 24.210, allowing only very strong signals to punch through. It’s an effective way to help filter out many false alerts that may otherwise cause the detector to alert, but it will reduce range against legitimate signals in this range too.

Clear Locations

Delete different types of stored locations. Press the Mute button to confirm.

  • Marked: Clear all of your manually marked alerts.
  • Lockouts: Clear out all of your GPS lockouts.
  • Defender: Clear all of the Defender database alerts including redlight camera and speed camera alerts.
  • Format: Clear out all of the above.

Wi-Fi

Enable or disable Wi-Fi functionality.

Off: When Wi-FI is disconnected, the speed limit on the detector’s screen will match the display color.

On: When Wi-Fi is connected, the speed limit on the detector’s screen will be white.

Max 360c connected via Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

Enable or disable Bluetooth functionality.

Auto Update

Choose if you want the Max 360c to automatically update the Defender (RLC/speedcam) database or Firmware/Software when connected via Wi-Fi.

Perform Update

Update the Defender database (RLC/speedcams) or update to the latest software/firmware. Press the Mute button to confirm.

Max 360c Recommended Best Settings

Finally, since always wants to know what the best settings are for the Max 360c, here’s a list of recommended settings to start with. This is a mix of general recommendations plus my own personal preferences. Feel free to customize this further to change the color of the display, use metric units if you need, change the low speed threshold, adjust the auto mute volume level, and modify anything else that best suits you.

General Settings

  • Sensitivity: Auto
  • Brightness: Auto
  • Pilot: Full Word
  • Meter Mode: Spec FR2
  • Arrow Mode: Band
  • Auto Mute: Med
  • Auto Tones: Standard+
  • ZR3 Mode: Shift 4 Seconds
  • Voice: Off
  • Auto Power: Four Hours
  • Units: English
  • GPS Filter: On
  • Auto Learn: On
  • Cruise Alert: 35 MPH
  • Over Speed Alert: Off
  • Language: English
  • Display Color: Red
  • Speed on Display: On
  • User Mode: Advanced
  • K Notch: On

Band Settings

  • Laser: On
  • POP: Off
  • Ka Band: On
  • K Band: On
  • X Band: Off (On if you drive in OH or NJ)
  • TSR: Off (On if you encounter regular K band falses on the highway)
  • MultaRadar CD: Off (On in Alberta, Quebec, NYC, Maryland, & Washington D.C)

K and Ka segments won’t matter since we’ll be scanning everything with K On and Ka On.

Note: If you drive in AZ, turn K Band Off and turn K Band Segments 1, 2, 3, & 4 On.

Marker Settings

  • Red Light Cameras: On
  • Speed Cameras: On
  • Speed Traps: On
  • Other: On
  • Red Lt Speed Cams: On
  • Air Patrol: On

A big thank you to @Kasher1979 for his help with this article and creating the app screenshots! 🙂

Finally, if you need to purchase the detector, click here to buy the Max 360c.

This website contains affiliate links and I sometimes make commissions on purchases. All opinions are my own. I don’t do paid or sponsored reviews.

Click here to read my affiliate disclosure.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.vortexradar.com/2017/11/how-to-set-up-configure-escort-max-360c-radar-detector/

44 comments

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  1. What’s up V.
    Excellent content as always ?
    I’ve been a sub a little over year. Just received for the 1st time a plug & play Max 360c. Ultimately my goal is an ALP ?but, was wondering in your opinion what is the best band setting for this detector here in Cali, Los Angeles ?Though I live in the valley. ? Thx

    1. X and K off, Ka and Laser on, colors and everything else up to you. 🙂

  2. I ride a motorcycle. I need a detector/iPhone app combination that will communicate a radar alert to my helmet speakers. Can the 360c /El App send an audio signal to my bluetooth Sena system? Is it easy to set up that way?

    Thanks

    1. You can either plug into the headphone jack on the side of the detector or you can have Escort Live on your phone duplicate the detector’s sounds and output that audio through your headset.

      1. I have the same equipment you are using but I haven’t been able to figure out how to “have Escort Live on your phone duplicate the detector’s sounds and output that audio through your headset.” Could you provide some instructions on how to do this please?

        1. It’s an option in the app’s alert settings. Go to Alert Settings, Radar Detector Tones, and choose Tone with Voice.

  3. Hello. I have having an issue connecting m Max 360C to my iPhone X via Bluetooth.

    Are there any known Issues and if so a work around?

    1. Make sure you’re running the latest software on your 360c (use Detector Tools Pro to update with your computer if needed). Otherwise you should natively see the detector in the Escort Live app listed under devices.

  4. Hi,

    This is my second week using my Max 360c, everything was great until two days ago I noticed that the speed limit it’s not showing up anymore on my radar.

    I’m using the Android app and the speed limit work and my subscription will expire on 7/28/2019, so everything looks good there.

    Does anyone know what’s going on or how to reset it?

    Diego

    1. It only shows up on certain roads, typically major roads. Not every road is in their database. So long as you’re actively connected via the app, it will display the speed limit when it knows it.

    • Wes on September 8, 2018 at 5:17 am
    • Reply

    I have had my 360c for about 4 weeks now. When I first got it I was able to connect to my cars WiFi once. I have tried other networks like my iPad and it connects fine. What am I missing, my car is 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with at&t WiFi. Is there any logs on the 360 that might tell me why it’s not able to join the WiFi in my Jeep? Escort live works good and I am able to Bluetooth to the escort.

    • Wes on September 8, 2018 at 5:18 am
    • Reply

    I have had my 360c for about 4 weeks now. When I first got it I was able to connect to my cars WiFi once. I have tried other networks like my iPad and it connects fine. What am I missing, my car is 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with at&t WiFi. Is there any logs on the 360 that might tell me why it’s not able to join the WiFi in my Jeep? Escort live works good and I am able to Bluetooth to the escort with my iPhoneX.

    1. I have found you must use 2G and if your wifi connection changes to 5G and not back to 2G it will cause problems. If the 2G source (say home or vehicle) change make sure you have connected the RD to it.

      The 360c requires a 2G connection. I recently changed my phone to 5G and use it for my RD connection in the car and forget about this myself. Also my dash cam uses wifi to connect to my phone so it interferes with the RD if I have gone to 5G to improve transfer speed,

  5. First time configuring the MAX 360 C – only option I am working on is the Wi-Fi and have yet to locate any place to get me started.
    Any help would be appreciated
    Thanks guys.

  6. Good afternoon,
    I’m here in Florida should I run all ka band segmentations. Also I currently have k fully turned off on my ix. I haven’t seen any issues with that as yet. What are your thoughts

    1. Are you asking about the Max360c or iX? Segmentation improves performance on the iX, but not the 360c.

      As far as which Ka segments you can turn off, 2/5/8 is good for Florida. https://www.rdforum.org/index.php?threads/58040/

      Turning off K band is risky since police use it all over the state. https://www.rdforum.org/rdfgs/v1/read/state.php However, it’ll obviously quiet down your radar detector considerably…

  7. you provide a great service to the driving public.

  8. Is there any way to lengthen the Preferences timeout setting in the RD? I sometimes pause to think (really I do!) abut a change and the timeout jumps out of preferences before I am ready. I seem to recall this is not an optional setting?

    1. That would be nice, but no, it’s just adjustable.

  9. I’d love to know how to hardwire one of these detectors in my Tesla Model 3.

    1. Try using a Blendmount. Hardwire to rearview mirror parts come with. I’ve done it in all my vehicles and they work great.
      RP

    2. Hey Joel, see [PART 3] of my post for all the info. I just installed mine:

      https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/electra-interior-exterior-power-lighting-upgrades-accessory-mods.163084/

  10. Vortex. First a big thanks for your knowledge and efforts in the radar detector world.
    Having recently purchased the 360c, I leave the “knight rider” scanning bar enabled. The reason, is that should the detector have a lock out (which we are all hopeful that this has been fixed) my thought is this scanning bar would most likely freeze as well and I would instantly know there is an issue. Do you have thoughts on this?

  11. 360c
    1) How do you adjust volume
    2) How do you have voice alerts come through vehicle speakers

    1. Use the volume buttons on top of the detector. To have the voice alerts come through your vehicle speakers, you’ll need to have the app duplicate the radar detector’s alerts and play them through your vehicle speakers. Check out the Escort Live app to customize the duplicated radar sounds.

  12. Thanks. I wasn’t pressing the volume control buttons firmly enough. I can’t locate the duplicated radar sound in the app settings. Could you please give me a bit more information?

    BTW – I really enjoy your YouTube channel

  13. Vortex, Thanks so much for being my radar electronics Guru! I have been trying to set up my new Max 360c and have been having trouble trying to figure out how to get it to power up and connect to my MacBook Pro (inside my house not connected to the car), TO DOWNLOAD THE LATEST UPDATES. It doesn’t seen as if it can be done. All I get is a LOW VOLTAGE – POWERING OFF WARNING, PLEASE DISCONNECT. Can this be done without being connected to the lighter in my car? Please advise. Thanks so much for all you do!

    1. You don’t need to power the detector on at home to update it. Just use a USB cable to plug it into your laptop. You can also update over WiFi instead of through the computer if you like too.

  14. Thanks Vortex. It turns out that out of the box, the unit was never powered down. The unit must be powered down first, or else it is trying to turn on the unit when connected to the computer via USB cord, which triggers the low voltage fault message (as it is a 12-Volt unit). Connected to car, powered down, then it was able to complete a download. Thanks again!

  15. Hey I have a question about the radar I have it but it dont make a noise alert when I pass thro school zone radar that show you speed . Can you help activate so it can alert me mac360c

    1. Does the signal show up on screen still? It may have gotten locked out (which is a good thing) using the autolearn feature. The detector will automatically start filtering out known sources of non-police radar. There’s also some speed signs that operate differently than police radar guns so the detector will filter those out too.

  16. It show the screen the signal show like gray with one k

    1. Right, that’s the autolearn feature where it learns stationary sources of non-police radar to help filter out false alerts on your regular commute. If you want to get alerted to the speed sign, when you pass the signal next time, tap the mute button several times to unlock the alert and the detector will false alert again every time you go by.

  17. Do you need to have the escort live app to receive speed camera alerts I don’t need it for red camera alerts it tells me without the live app? I have them max 360c thank you

    1. The alerts are also built into the detector without the app and you can update your detector periodically as new speed cams and redlight cameras go up or are taken down.

    • Rob on December 13, 2019 at 7:47 am
    • Reply

    Just upgraded from the 9500ix to the Max 360C a couple weeks ago and love it. I’ve set it to K, Ka, & Laser ON. My Defender iPhone app tells me many of the false alerts I’m getting are from Strelka Radar that has all 4 arrows lighting up in red. Have you heard of this? Any suggestions on how to filter these?
    Thanks

  18. Why does my 360 keep turning on and off

  19. I live in Washington State in the Puyallup area can you please let me know what is the best way to set the 360C up as I continually get false alarms when I turn my car on within the first few minutes.

  20. Try pushing the learn button. You might just be in a spot where false alarms are coming in. If you set it to learn that might stop them from going off. Also, I should note that the GPS must be connected before it will recognize where you are thus recognize that you have prelearned alarms that it shouldn’t sound. I’ve run into this. If I don’t have a god signal then everything will set it off.

  21. I’ve had my Max 360c for a couple of years now, and it has worked very well until recently. I purchased a new Defender subscription and installed it, along with a firmware update. That’s when the problem started. For some reason, the “Speed Limit” indicator displays metric (KM/H) versus MPH – for instance, it shows 113MPH when in a 70 MPH zone or 56 while in a 35 MPH zone. As such, I don’t get any overspeed alerts. I’ve tried resetting the unit and reloading the updates, but the problem won’t go away. Any idea of what the problem is?

    1. Yeah it’s a bug with Escort Live. Check out my latest video for more info.

  22. Yep. What you describe in you video is exactly what I’m seeing. You’d think that Escort would be all over this.

  23. How to make my radar detector come on automatically when I start my truck?

  24. Can I disable the radar detection but keep device on so that the dash cam still works while driving through “radar illegal” states?

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