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Buy Radar Detectors

  • The Whistler XTR-690SE Radar Detector video

    If you want a feature-rich and reliable radar detector at a budget friendly price, the Whistler XTR690 SE may be the one for you. All of our Whistler radar detectors are available to ship from our warehouse at Buy Radar Detectors. Presented by Danny Feemster.

  • The Whistler Pro 68 SE Radar Detector video

    If you want one of the best budget radar detectors around for under $100, you may like this video overview of the Whistler Pro 68 SE. All of our Whistler radar detectors are available to ship from our warehouse at Buy Radar Detectors. Presented by Danny Feemster.

  • The Whistler Pro 78 SE Radar Detector video

    If you want one of the best budget-friendly radar detectors around for less then $200, take a look at the Whistler Pro 78 SE. All of our Whistler radar detectors are available to ship from our warehouse at Buy Radar Detectors. Presented by Danny Feemster.

  • The Cobra XRS 9970G radar detector video

    If you want a radar/laser detector with a built-in camera warning system, take a look at this video overview of the Cobra XRS 9970G. This and other Cobra radar detectors are available to ship from our warehouse at Buy Radar Detectors. Presented by Danny Feemster.

  • Beltronics Pro 500 Review

    pro_500.jpgBeltronics promised their most advanced line of Radar/LaserSafety detectors when they launched their next generation Pro Series. The Vector 940, Vector 955 and RX65 were all given a makeover to become the Pro100, Pro200, and Pro300 in the new Professional Series line. But there is one more model, billed as the top-of-the-line in this series, a full-featured radar detector with all the bells and whistles of the other models combined, plus one or two features of its own. It's the Beltronics Pro 500.

    The Pro 500 is essentially an old Beltronics GX65 re-packaged in a new rubberized shell for an easier grip and an even easier look. It looks new, yet the layout is nearly identical to the older model. The buttons are all there and in the same places. The VOL/MUTE, PWR, REW/CITY and CHG/BRT and QuickMount buttons are all exactly where they were on the GX65, and exactly where they should be on a Beltronics radar detector.

    pro_500_2.jpgAs for the display, it hasn't changed much either, although now it is "ultra-bright" instead of just "high intensity". Whether that really means anything or not is moot. The important thing is that it lights up when you need it. It's a 280 LED, alphanumeric multiple threat display with four brightness settings (one more setting than the Pro 300) plus Dark Mode, with four display options - SpeedAlert™, BarGraph, ThreatDisplay™ and TechDisplay™. The display is visible from almost any angle except the rear, so if it's on, not in dark mode and still isn't visible, turn it around because it's probably facing the wrong way.

    Aside from minor cosmetics, outside the Pro 500 looks about the same as its predecessor. Inside it's not much different. Of course it has all the standard features: full radar detection on X, K, Superwide Ka bands, instant-on (Pulse) detection and POP mode. AutoScan™, Auto Memory Retention, VG-2 Undetectability, Selectable Bands, Over 60 Digital Voice Messages, Detailed SWS™ Alerts, Vehicle Voltage Monitor, Auto and Manual Muting, and Fully Adjustable Audio Levels, all standard issue on the GX65.

    pro_500_3.jpgThere are some differences, however. The Pro 500 adds a TSR Filter to reject highway traffic sensors on X and Y bands. The GX65 had 3 City Modes and a Highway Mode to adjust filtering of false alerts. The Pro 500 improves on this concept with an Auto mode that automatically adjusts filtering based on the speed of your vehicle. How does it do this? It utilizes another major feature that was standard on the GX65 - GPS.

    The GX65 was GPS enabled, incorporated into several features, such as a Mark Location Alert Database, anti-falsing database, Speed Check, and a built-in database of all of the known locations of speed and red light cameras within the United States. The Pro 500 not only includes these features, it enhances them with the aforementioned Auto Mode for speed based sensitivity and full compatibility with Escort Live!™, Escort's data cable/power cord combination that adds another dimension to radar/laser/camera detection on its own. Escort Live! is an optional add-on for the Pro 500 as either a plug-in SmartCord or installed Direct Wire at Buy Radar Detectors.

    pro_500_4.jpgEven without the Escort Live! Real-Time Ticket Protection, the Pro 500 can still utilize its internal safety camera database, which can be updated manually between trips. Thanks to its built-in USB data port, you can connect the Pro 500 to a computer and update the built-in red light and speed camera database and other software online.

    The Pro 500 may have the heart and soul of an old GX65, but the retouches and tweaks, plus Escort Live! compatibility give it a personality and place of its own as the top-of-the-line in the new and improved Beltronics Pro Series of radar detectors.

  • Driving under the speed limit? You may want a radar detector

    Recently a Maryland woman was ticketed for not speeding on Interstate 95. The offense? She was doing 63 in a 65mph zone in the left lane.

    The officer cited her for failing to keep right while driving two miles below the speed limit. Two miles. The woman, who said she was forced to slow down because of windy conditions on the road, was stunned. She filed a complaint. The response from Maryland police? Take it to court.

    While there is no question that driving within the speed limit is certainly lawful, and the woman should not have received a ticket for following the law, the issue wasn't really about that at all. The real issue is that she was doing it in the left lane.

    Now, this is certainly a topic that can spark heated debate, and usually does. On the one hand, the left lane is considered the passing lane, while the right lane is for slower traffic. Drivers going under the speed limit are required to use the right lane and allow faster traffic to pass them on the left. There is also a minimum speed that must be maintained while driving on a highway. In Maryland, driving in the left lane is allowed as long as the driver is not blocking the flow of traffic or going 10mph under the posted speed limit. If other drivers are moving faster and want to pass, Those going slower should move to the right.

    However, there is another side to the argument as well, just as legal and valid. The passing lane is for passing slower traffic at the posted speed limit. It is not a license for speeding. Passing slower vehicles is fine, as long as you are not exceeding the limit yourself. If you exceed the speed limit to pass another vehicle, you are breaking the law. In the case of the driver in Maryand, she was only two miles per hour under the the posted speed limit while in the left lane, which is well within the 10 mile per hour margin required by Maryland to lawfully drive on the left. In other words, although she was in the passing lane, technically she was still within the law.

    By issuing the citation, the officer sent a clear message to this driver: if you're not speeding, you may get a ticket. Yes, as strange as it may sound, it seems that these days you can be penalized for breaking the law, or you can be penalized for keeping it.

    This is why it is important to know when you are being watched.

    I have been told by critics of radar detectors that these devices only encourage drivers to break the law and enable them to speed. While there are lead-footed drivers who do buy radar detectors to evade speed traps, that isn't the only reason to have one. It isn't why I have a radar detector. I have a better reason to own one. I want to know who is watching me, how they are watching, when they are watching and where they are.

    Public safety, traffic enforcement, call it what you will. It's still monitoring and surveillance, and that bothers me. Sure, we need good law enforcement to protect the public, and I have no problem with a marked patrol car on the road or at the side of it in plain view, to deter crime and provide the assurance of protection to law abiding citizens.

    But secretly scanning me with radar, lasers and infra-red cameras without my knowledge is just a little uncomfortable. It's too big brother. I want to know what they are doing and why. Radar/laser detectors and traffic camera detectors are useful because they keep me alert to such activities and help me watch who is watching me.

    Am I overreacting? Am I being too paranoid? With the prospect of using drones on our own citizens, is my concern about traffic surveillance over the top?

    Before you answer my questions, ask the woman in Maryland what she thinks. After all, she was trying to obey the law, and she still got a ticket. If she had a radar detector in her vehicle, is it possible she would have been alerted that she was being watched so she could either match the speed limit or move into the right lane in time and avoid a citation? Perhaps, perhaps not. At least she would know she was being watched.

    As a law-abiding citizen, wouldn't you want to be alerted to a potential problem before it occurs so you can take steps to correct it and stay within the law?

    This is why it is important to know when you are being watched.

  • Is the Escort Live! SmartCord compatible with older radar detectors?

    The Escort SmartCord Live! adds another dimension to newer compatible Escort radar detectors. This compatibility list, although somewhat exclusive, includes a few Beltronics models as well. The Beltronics Pro 300, Pro 500 and STi Magnum are the three models on the official list. But what about older models? After all, the Escort Passport 8500 X50 Black is essentially a tweaked version of the Passport 8500 X50, which is an update of the original Passport 8500. Likewise, the Beltronics Pro 300 is basically a redressed and updated Beltronics RX65. Wouldn't Escort Live! work with them as well?

    Not necessarily. According to Escort, older versions of these classic detectors may or may not be compatible with Escort Live! The official answer from Escort: it depends.

    The problem is, the public doesn't know what specific factors determine compatibility. Escort doesn't say. What the company does tell us is that some older Escort 8500 and Beltronics RX65 radar detectors may be compatible with Escort Live! and others may not. Compatibility is determined on a case by case basis.

    What does this mean for users of the Beltronics RX65 and the older Escort Passport 8500 X50? The solution is simple. If you own an Escort PASSPORT 8500 X50 purchased before 2008 or if you own a Beltronics RX65, please call Buy Radar Detectors Toll Free at 1-800-584-1445 Monday-Friday 8am-6pm ET to determine compatibility of your model with the Escort Live! SmartCord.

  • The Cobra iRadar S-Series unveiled!

    In a previous article we took a look at a brand new model in the Cobra iRadar system to be released in May of this year, the iRadar Atom. There is, however, another iteration of iRadar coming right on its heels, one that places the iRadar system in a different category of radar detectors altogether. It's the iRadar S-Series, and it adds another dimension to the product line. Let's take a quick look at it now.

    Cobra_iRadar_S_Series.jpgThe iRadar S200R
    The iRadar S-Series takes the entire iRadar detection concept to the next level - concealed radar detectors. The S-Series (S meaning "Stealth"?) is the first concealed series of detectors utilizing the Cobra iRadar detection system. The first model in the series, the iRadar S200R, is designed to install directly into your vehicle, under the hood, sight unseen.

    Of course, that by itself is nothing new; companies such as Beltronics, Escort and Whistler have been manufacturing internally wired, concealed radar detectors for years. Detection systems such as the Beltronics RX45, the Escort 9500ci and the Whistler Pro 3600 are all well known examples. There's nothing innovative there. Or is there?

    There is. Indeed, there is one thing that sets the new S-Series apart from the rest of them. The iRadar S200R is the first under-the-hood, concealed radar detector to use Bluetooth® technology to connect directly with your smartphone and access an Internet database to exchange information with a million other radar detectors on the road.

    Okay, let's rewind a bit. iRadar? What is it? In a nutshell, it's a web-based network that shares updates and real-time information on known speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras and other traffic alerts in your area with every driver and radar detector actively connected to it. It sounds a lot like the Escort Live! system, and it is. For details, read our article on the new iRadar Atom.

    Now back to the program. According to Cobra, the new iRadar S200R becomes completely invisible when it's installed under the hood of a vehicle. Now, to me, invisible means that it can't be seen with the naked eye, and if it is installed under the hood of a vehicle, more than likely it won't be visible, literally. However, it doesn't necessarily mean the S200R is undetectable, especially if someone is specifically trying to sense it with a radar detector detector. In fact, Cobra doesn't say that it uses any actual stealth technology at all to avoid detection, it only claims that you can't see it when installed. In other words, don't expect it to be an STi Magnum, because it isn't one. It's just hiding itself from an ocular view.

    With that in mind, it still sounds like a cool device. A concealed radar detector that connects wirelessly to your iPhone or Android smartphone, interfaces with an app and networks in real-time with a million other radar detectors on the road does take radar detection technology up a notch. Whether it lives up to the classic Cobra hype, time will tell. But it does sound cool and it's worth checking out when it arrives, which is supposed to be sometime in August, 2013. Manufacturer suggested retail price: $299.95.

    Subscribe to this blog for the arrival of the new Cobra iRadar S200R at Buy Radar Detectors!

  • Cobra to launch the iRadar Atom in May 2013

    Cobra_iRadar_ATOM.jpgAs we reported earlier, Cobra made several new product announcements for 2013 at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. One of these was the unveiling of a new addition to the Cobra iRadar series of radar detectors, the iRadar Atom. The company previewed the new device along with other entries in its new product line-up, including the soon-to-be-launched Cobra SPX Radar Detectors, due out this April.

    The Atom is based on Cobra's iRadar system, which combines a radar detector with a smartphone app to allow users to share detection alerts with one another in real time. It is essentially the same basic concept as the Escort Live! system. Both systems work by connecting a radar detector to either an iPhone or Android smartphone running a specialized app to communicate with an Internet database to report and receive data on traffic enforcement activities and threats in the area. This data is shared with other drivers also connected with the system, creating a virtual network of real-time radar and laser detection across the continent.

    Both systems do essentially the same thing, with one difference. The Escort Live! system relies on an external, modular type of connection to create an interface between the detector and the smartphone, while the iRadar integrates the wireless interface internally into the detector itself. There are advantages to each design, however when it comes to installation and portability, the iRadar has a slight edge.

    There have been a couple of iterations of the Cobra iRadar, each improving on the last. The original iRadar was launched in 2010, beating Escort to the punch by roughly a year, and was fairly well received. After Escort Live! was launched, Cobra updated their own system with the iRadar 200, which according to Cobra, became wildly popular.

    iRadar-Hardware.pngThe iRadar Atom
    Now Cobra is about to introduce its latest version, the iRadar Atom. Cobra is touting it as the smallest and most powerful radar/laser/camera detection system they have ever developed, and the most compact radar detector on the market. Cobra claims the new Atom is 35% smaller in size than their other models in the iRadar series. The first model in the series came in two versions: the iRadar 100 (iPhone) and the iRadar 105 (Android). Each was a sleek, slim device measuring 1.15 in. x 2.92 in. x 4.22 in. According to dimensions provided by Cobra, the Atom measures 1.15 in. x 2.25in. x 3.30in. If these measurements are correct, it would indeed be one of the smallest, if not the smallest working radar detectors available today.

    Of course, size may be relevant, but it is what is inside the package that really counts. So let's check the feature set.

    Detects all radar and laser guns. Check. This is the most basic function of a radar detector, is it not? How well it detects them remains to be seen, but at least, to some degree, Cobra has this one covered.

    Provides 360 degree detection. Check. Okay, wait. 360 degree detection of what? Radar, laser or both? We are assuming it's laser here, but it isn't specifically defined on Cobra's web site, so who knows. Just to be safe, we're going with laser only.

    4 City/Highway Modes. Check. These modes allow you to customize the sensitivity levels to help reduce false alerts. Another important, but standard feature that is all but expected from nearly all radar detectors worth their cost these days.

    Well, those are all really basic features. That's not much to write home about at all, as radar detectors go. But that's only a third of the entire system.

    Cobra_iRadar_App_3.1 - Tools.jpgThe Cobra iRadar App
    This brings us to the iRadar app. This is a free app that is downloaded to the second device in the system, your iPhone or Android™ smartphone. Once the app is downloaded, it connects and communicates with the iRadar detector via Bluetooth from the smartphone. Your phone becomes part of the iRadar Atom, serving as both display and control center. Cobra recently announced plans to release version 3.1, with tweaks and new features to further improve the overall iRadar experience. The feature set provided by this app enhances the basic features of the hardware and makes the iRadar Atom - and your phone - a lot more powerful.

    The iRadar app provides visual alerts from the Cobra iRadar detector itself, effectively serving as a graphic interface for your radar detector, complete with a tools menu, map view, live traffic view and a car finder function. The app adds GPS capability provided by the smartphone to monitor vehicle speed, direction and location. It even monitors vehicle battery voltage. It also displays live radar and laser alerts, information and locations of red light cameras, speed cameras and speed traps. It does this utilizing the third piece of the iRadar system, Cobra's AURA™ database.

    The AURA™ Database
    To complete the iRadar system, Cobra created the AURA™ database, a repository of speed and red light camera notifications, live police locations and other alerts reported by users connected to the network. Access to the database allows users to exchange locations of live police speed traps, speed cameras, red light cameras, and "caution" areas such as dangerous intersections with other members of the iRadar community. According to Cobra, this online iRadar Community boasts nearly one million users, generating 40,000 reports per day.

    These components don't offer much protection on their own. However, when connected together, the iRadar Atom, the app and the AURA™ database combine to become one very powerful radar detection system. All things considered, the iRadar Atom may be small, but when used as intended, it can be a potentially powerful radar/laser/red light camera detector for any driver.

    The iRadar Atom is expected to be available May 2013 at the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $199. Stay tuned to the Buy Radar Detectors blog for its official release.

  • New Cobra SPX Radar Detectors unveiled

    Cobra is an old name in the world of radar detectors. The company is well known as a manufacturer of traffic enforcement detection devices and its products are quite popular with drivers in the mainstream. At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, Cobra unveiled their latest product line-up. As an authorized Cobra dealer, we want to give you a preview of the latest and greatest coming soon from Cobra.

    The Cobra SPX Line
    Perhaps the biggest news is the revelation of a completely new series of radar detectors, the SPX Line. According to Cobra, this new line features an ultra-compact design that is smaller in size and offers greater performance. Whether the size and performance improvements are in comparison to their current XRS and Vedetta models or to those of their competitors isn't entirely clear, although the company does claim on its web site that their SPX models are "almost half the size" of those manufactured by their competitors. Not having actually seen one yet, I personally can neither confirm or deny this, but as soon as we get our hands on one, we'll do some measuring of our own.

    In addition to an ultra-compact design, Cobra promises the new SPX line will have full feature sets and double the detection range at "highly affordable pricing". Cobra also claims to be using military grade components in these devices. Really? What does that mean? A high end radar detector built to mil spec and priced on the low end? Hmmm. This may be something to watch.

    The new Cobra SPX line will launch with three models: the SPX 5300, SPX 5400 and SPX 5500, respectively. Let's take a quick look at each one.

    SPX5300_LG.pngSPX 5300 (MSRP $99.95) -
    This is the base model in the series. It features 14-Band™ Detection, which according to Cobra means that it detects 7 radar, 6 laser and 1 safety signal, including X, K, Ka Superwide, and Ku Band, VG-2, Spectre I and Spectre IV radar and LTI 20-20, Ultra Lyte, ProLaser, ProLaser III, Stalker LIDAR and Speedlaser laser signals. In other words, it detects all the standard signals that other radar detectors detect. Other standard features include Xtreme Range Superheterodyne® Technology, LaserEye™ 360-degree laser detection, POP detection, Ku band detection, auto mute, Intellimute®, Intellimute Pro®, an Ultrabright Data Display™, five-level signal strength meter, VG-2 immunity, VG-2 Alert®, Safety Alert®, city/highway modes, dim mode, Stay Set Electronic Memory (retains your settings indefinitely, even with the power disconnected), and Radar Detector Feature Trademark Detection™ (okay, I made that last one up). In short, for a base model, it has a lot of basic and a couple of not-so-basic features. Not bad for starters. Expected arrival: April, 2013.

    SPX5400_LG.pngSPX 5400 (MSRP $119.95) -
    This is the middle-of-the-road version. It has all the standard features of the SPX 5300 plus a couple of extras (with trademarks), such as Voice Alert™ and Spectre Alert™, the latter serving a particularly useful purpose to alert you to the use of Spectre I/IV+ radar detector-detectors by law enforcement officials. The SPX 5400 is also Spectre Undetectable, which, while not trademarked (yet) does offer total immunity to Spectre I radar detector-detectors, according to Cobra. So, it detects Spectre while it tries not to make a spectre of itself. For a couple of extra sawbucks, that's not a bad upgrade. We can also expect the SPX 5400 to arrive in April, but Don't Quote Me on That™.

    SPX5500_LG.pngSPX 5500 (MSRP $149.95) -
    This is the top of the SPX line. As such, it has all the features of the previously described models and adds a DigiView® data display upgrade and System Self Test for good measure. It seems that extra cost mostly goes toward the display upgrade as DigiView® is a registered trademark. Since the self test isn't trademarked at all, we will perform a little self test ourselves when it Arrives in April™ (tentatively scheduled) and find out exactly what we're getting compared to the other models.

    The unveiling of new SPX radar detectors is just one of three product announcements Cobra made at CES 2013 in January, but it's certainly a big one. Stay tuned to the Buy Radar Detectors blog for upcoming details on the other two, including the unveiling of the iRadar Atom and more generic features with fancy labels turned into Ridiculously Overbranded Trademarks™.

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