Whistler Radar Detectors Category:

Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector – Best Cheap Radar Detector

by Craig on August 9, 2011

Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector is a really affordable detector, perfect for first-timers who are looking for a simple, yet efficient detector.

Whistler XTR-695 Laser and Radar Detector

In appearance, the XTR 695 is a radical departure from past Whistlers. Other than some unobtrusive white labels, the device is coated entirely in matte-black. The payoff is minimal windshield glare; I found this a huge advantage to avoid unwanted attention.

The Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector comes bundled with voice alerts, auto mute, digital compass, selectable band defeat, multiple city-mode settings, multiple Filter modes to further reduce urban false alarms, and many others.

My favourite feature however, is the Ka Radar Signal IDentification (Ka RSID for short). What Ka RSID does is identify the likely sources of bonafide police radar on the very wide Ka band, numerically by displaying the nominal operating frequency of the received radar if it is determined to be within the parameters of the manufacturer.

Subsequently, the Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector has several modes of dimming, so you can essentially tell the detector to turn off all lights until it gets a signal. Other features include several background colors for the LCD text display when in alert mode. This enables the user to assign a distinct color to X, K and Ka band, plus laser.

K-Band and KA-Band Performances were very good. On several accounts, the Whistler XTR-695 managed to pick up an oncoming petrol car approximately a mile away, which gives more than enough time to slow down.

I turned off the X-Band to reduce false alerts. During that time, this detector stays silent and out of sight until I need it to be to avoid unnecessary distractions.

The only down-side I found was that it is extremely hard to see the screen under the sun in day time. This however, isn’t a serious problem since a voice will alert you to the band, and the periscope LEDs flash faster with the strength of the signal.

On the road Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector also showed good resistance to false alarms, and although it’s not as resistant as the BEL Vector 955, it’s fairly close.

In short, a great radar detector with plenty of easy to use features.

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The Whistler XTR-140 radar detector

by Craig on September 6, 2009

The Whistler XTR-140 radar detector is probably one of the cheapest radar detectors on the market. The detector is coated in black to minimize glare, and features a bright icon display.

Whistler XTR-140

I was really doubtful about the performance of a $40 detector, but after a few recent road trips, I am say that this is a well functioning product. Despite not having exceptional filtering ability for false signals, it can still give you enough X/K/Ka warning for you to slow down in time. The XTR-140 features 3 city modes, which allows you to adjust your tolerance false alerts as well.

Despite not having as many features as my ESCORT and BEL, Whistler XTR-140 comes complete with total band protection, total 360° perimeter protection, and patented VG-2 cloaking technology to prevent detection from the traffic police.

The new Dual LED Alert Periscope provides an additional attention getting visual alert. Two extra LED’s flash on and off when the unit detects a signal, which I thought was a really great innovation, because you can easily see them even when your radio drowns out the audible signals, or when the primary letter warning lights is difficult to see in bright sunlight. This alert can be programmed to flash for all alarms, remain on, or completely turned off.

I also like the ‘Quiet Mode and Auto Quiet’ feature of this detector. Quiet Mode cancels audio during an alert (which usually lasts for 20 seconds), whereas Auto Quiet reduces the selected audio level to level 1 to approximately 5 seconds after a radar or safety radar signal is detected. The greatest thing is that even in this mode, VG-2 or laser alerts are not affected.

In conclusion, the Whistler XTR-140 might not have the features of the top of the line detectors (coiled power cord, voice alert, false signals filtering, etc), it does, however, have at its core the basic detection ability a driver needs.

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