i want to know how to turn on the feature of the Safety Camera Database. i updated it and everything but every time i drive by a red light wit a camera above it my radar detector doesn't beep. can someone tell me how to fix that? and also how can i tell how far away the cop is when my radar beeps? and what does ka, x and k bound mean?!?!?

The ka,x and k are different types of radar police use.
Most radar detectors will beep at a faster rate the closer the cop is to you. You will just have to figure the distance out by trial and error. Also most cops will switch off their radar until your in sight of them, then turn it on to catch you before you can react. Most times if you can hit the brakes and slow down before detector stops beeping your ok. Its when it stops beeping that they lock in your speed on their radar.
Most red light camera's use a sensor loop wire in the pavement for detection. Most radar detectors don't pick up this signal.
Check with the best radar to familiar with that reacts for several weeks until you can use to quickly and how important is.

Im looking at getting one, my best friend loves the v1 but the escort is supposedly the best, i would like to hear from owners that have either of them.

I just picked up the escort 9500ix 3days ago, upgraded from a cobra i had for 6 years, i gotta say this thing is nuts!! you dont have to do anything, it will take all those annoying false alerts and after you've past the same location that keeps setting normal detectors off day after day, after you pass those locations 3 times it will AUTOMATICALLY mark those locations and not alert you UNLESS theres really a cop there!! updates via the web, speed traps and red light camera alerts ,auto volume with its tiny mic so jam to that music and it sets itself to full volume so u can hear it and quieter when less noise in vehicle, it is ultra sensative and from all the reviews i checked before purchasing this expensive piece of equipment has ALL been true and accurate, say goodbye to anoying fasle alerts and best of all THOSE ANNOYING tickets!
My friend has the valentine1 and side by side similar in preformance but all in all the escort blows away anything to date! I HIGHLY recommend this detector and once you get one, youll no why! ;) email me with anymore questns!