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(More customer reviews)This is definately not a pretty radar detector. In the days of Apple design, and GPS's looking great and slim, LCD televisions, and kitchen appliances looking and functioning great; there's not a lot of excuse for poor industrial design. More on the construction in a moment.
January 8, 2010 update. The Railroad signal also works, it went off near a railroad track. The Emergency Vehicle alarm has gone off a lot lately, for police cars and Ambulances. Very nice.
The display has gotten a distinct burn in for the speed display (I'm testing Cobra's warranty repair service with this - January 23, 2010 - a brand new core unit arrived quickly, Cobra made good on the warranty, no questions asked). The display does not work at all if you leave the detector in the cold, around freezing. Once the unit warms up it finally works, but it will be an ugly orange for a long time. And see the comments about getting a bean bag mount - the suction cups do not work at all in the cold.
SOFTWARE update - Cobra now offers 64 bit for Vista and XP software. It only took them 6 months to deliver the update. Boo on Cobra for pitiful software support. They get really bad marks for their inability to support their device. Follow the install directions very carefully.
October 10, 2009 update. The Emergency Vehicle alarm finally went off. Another that made me almost jump out of my skin, the noise is a lot like a police siren. A police car was pulling somebody over with siren going. Well before I could hear the siren, the alarm went off on the screen. I had already seen the lights before the alarm went off. If a police car is equiped with a special transmitter, the Cobra will go off.
September 26, 2009 update. Laser detector finally went off. About made me jump out of my skin. The sound is kind of Star Wars, crazy buzzy sound. The goofiest icon come up, its an image of a gun with a laser sight on it. But the good news - it works. Definately works just fine. I've also had some fun with this unit, the Chicago area has a ton of construction with threatened photo radar speed enforcement. The amazing thing, if they ever turn on those radar guns that are out there right now, Chicago will make a ton of money. This unit warns for those guns a long ways in advance, and it beeps like insanity whenever I am on top of one. This thing really works.
June 2, 2009 Tech Support update. Well this is not the fastest company I have ever met. Web support via the web form is pitiful at best. Twice I entered the exact same information and never got a response over a 1 week time period. I finally used an email address (it's buried in an advertisement looking thing on the FAQ's) and got a response within two hours of their normal business hours. And I got a nasty gram from somebody telling me to relax, tech support would get back to me (after over 7 work days, I lost all hope), they did receive all three of my emails. Frankly, a really poor showing on their part. God help you if you need tech support from this company. The FAQ section for the radar detectors is just awful. Pretty well worthless.
Back to Original Review:
The really great news, this radar detector flat out works. It works well. I'm amazed at how well it works. Photo, Ka, X, and Caution Zones - saw them all, they all work just great thank you very much. Haven't seen a laser alert, emergency vehicles, or a Railroad crossing alert yet; but I'd have every reason to believe those will work when they are really there.
The good - 1/2 mile down the road, Ka chirped on, the lovely lady said Ka Alert, and two balls of signal strength. Sure enough, a 1/2 mile later down the raod, a policeman with radar pulled somebody over. Pretty darn good proof the unit can detect radar.
Unboxing - I've posted some pictures of unboxing. It's actually some pretty decent packaging and got my heart rate up just a bit. You see, I used to be addicted to radar detectors. And then Laser came along, and I lost interest, (I'd already been through X band, then get a new one that would do Ka, enough already). Well that whole world has settled down now.
What is in the box? This funky looking radar detector with a big honking screen on the back end of it. And this really hideous half arm, half wart hanging off the side of the body; the GPS receiver. A coiled power cord. A goofy looking female mini-USB to male USB cable. A really crummy cheap window suction cup mount. A chunk of velcro. And an instruction book bag.
The installation. Ouch. The first step, you have to register the GPS and update the database. If you use the wrong model number to register the GPS you'll be ripped off your lifetime Aura database updates. Make sure you use the XRS 9960G model number - not the number on the radar detector. And you have to input the serial number off the little dinky GPS receiver. Once registered, you then have to download and install a little piece of software that will live on your computer forever - it's called RDA GPSL-55 (you got me how they came up with that gorgeous name). Then you are supposed to plug in the USB cable and the GPS receiver. Now if you have Vista, the website says you are on your own. With XP they give you step by step instructions. Well, the best deal, if you have Vista or XP 64 Bit - don't even bother. The software / driver will not work at all, nothing, nada. So you have to find a 32 bit machine to do this update. My Aspire One netbook did the job. Then you have to remove the GPS when you start up the RDA GPSL-55 software, and you have to enter the GPS serial number. Once all that craziness is done, you might get lucky and the GPS will update with it's brand spanking new database. Mine finally did after three tries.
So software set up - just not cool at all. Forget 64 Bit operating systems. And forget about any kind of real live software support on the Cobra website; it just doesn't exist at all.
So now that the little reciever is updated, I installed this in the car. Cobra needs to take a lesson from Garmin, or the GPS industry, about car mounts for devices. They shipped the cheapest piece of garbage to hang this on your windshield. The metal is nothing to bend. The suction cups are exactly that, suction cups that are very hard to push on or remove. So, bottom line this thing looks like garbage hanging from the windshield.
The power cord is way too short. I had to stretch is a long ways to work in my Buick Rendezvous (I know a radar magnet) - if those suction cups ever let go, this unit is flying to the back of the bus quickly. The Mercedes was a little better.
There's one other critical design flaw. The socket for the GPS receiver is a standard mini-USB connector; cheap and not exactly super secure. Definately not an automotive type connection. The power socket is right beside that GPS socket. The GPS almost covers up the power socket, and when you stretch the power cord, it stresses the GPS connection. First time around, the GPS wasn't seated right because the power cord pulled it out.
Now the good stuff. Power this up, and you are greeted by one of the nicest female voices I've heard on an electronic device in a long time. And then you get to look at the display. Well Cobra could have spent maybe five more dollars on this display. It is super low res, the icons are really goofy looking and super clunky. For some unknown reason, they love how much electricity the unit is getting, there's this huge battery in the default display that tells you 14.7V, or whatever is going in. I would haver rather seen the speed displayed.
Customization through the menus is not super intuitive, there's only 4 buttons to work with. They don't always do exactly what I thought they should, a minor annoyance.
Now on to the testing. About 1/4 mile from a camera monitored intersection, the displayed turned to a camera with a green donut, and the Cobra lady said Photo Alert. A bit closer, and an arrow appeared at the top. Closer and the donut got larger and yellow. Closer still, the donut turned red, by that time I was pretty much at the edge of the intersection. This was pretty cool. Worked every single time.
I found a policeman staked out on a road, doubled back and got the Ka alert mentioned at the top of the review. Given the two level signal strength, it wasn't a false alarm. And the fact that he pulled somebody over, well it was real.
The Caution zones is kind of interesting. It's apparently areas where a lot of accidents have been reported. Sure enough, Caution came on with an exclamation point in the middle of the donut, and Cobra lady told me Caution Alert. The color change was exactly like the Camera alert. The two that came up were in front of a school at a very busy intersection. And the second was in front of a hospital.
False alarms. It did a pretty darn good job rejecting them. O'Hare airport is notorious for heavy duty false alarms everywhere. I got X and Kz alarms, but all were only one ball signal strength. The other great thing this unit does, once the alarm is set, you get the voice plus a tone. Then you get tone. And if the signal doesn't get stronger, the tone gets quieter; but the X or Ka radar gun icon stays lit up. It's a really great way to work.
Multiple alarms - got a caution and an X band alarm at once. The Caution stayed huge and the X band radar showed up on the screen. So both were there to see.
Highway driving. Well this is a bit strange and will take some getting used to. Those Caution and Photo alarms are all based on GPS coordinates data. When you travel along a highway, sometimes you will pass near one of those areas. Well you have to look closely at the icon for the direction the arrow is pointing. If it's...Read more›
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Cobra XRS 9960G Voice Alert 15-Band Radar/Laser Detector with 1.5-Inch Full-Color Display, GPS Locator, and Red Light/Speed FeaturesThe XRS 9960G provides total protection and peace of mind with Super-Xtreme Range Superheterodyne Technology, detecting all 15 radar/laser bands with its super-fast lock-on detection circuitry. The unit provides extra detection range and the best possible advance warning to even the fastest of POP mode radar guns. It comes with a GPS Locator and Lifetime Subscription to AURA Database to alert you to verified Speed and Red Light Camera locations, dangerous intersections, and reported Speed Trap locations for entire United States and Canada. Other features include Cobra exclusive full-color ExtremeBright DataGrafix II Display, an 8-point electronic compass, Voice Alert, car battery voltage display/low car battery warning and much more.
System Ready Prompt Notifies the user that the radar detector has correctly completed a self-test and is ready.
Spectre I Undetectable Provides complete immunity to Spectre I radar detector-detectors.
Car Battery Voltage Display/Low Car Battery Warning Provides approximate voltage of your car's battery and also alerts user whenever car battery voltage falls below 11.9 volts.
IntelliView Picture-in-picture shows radar/laser alerts simultaneously with GPS locator based alerts.
15-Band Detection Detects 7 radar, 6 laser and 2 safety signals. Radar signals include X Band, K Band, Ka Superwide, Ku Band, VG-2, Spectre I and Spectre IV+. Laser signals include LTI 20-20, Ultra Lyte, ProLaser, ProLaser III, Stalker LIDAR and Speedlaser. Safety signals include Safety Alert and Strobe Alert.
Spectre Alert I/IV+ Alerts user when they are under surveillance of Spectre I/IV+ radar detector-detectors.
Frequency Display Mode Super-fast CPU determines the frequency of the Ka radar and laser gun frequencies in nano seconds.
IntelliMute Pro Relative speed sensing auto shutdown feature will render your detector undetectable by currently available radar detector-detectors.
AURA Camera & Driving Database (included) GPS-based technology warns the driver of fixed speed and red light cameras, speed traps and dangerous intersections across North America. The AURA database is updated daily and provides the industry's most complete and accurate coverage and reliability. GPS Locator and Lifetime subscription included.
IntelliScope This Patent-Pending Techonology provides information about the direction of Location Based Alerts relative to your moving vehicle using Global Positioning System.
Programmable Up to 1,000 Location Alerts Add up to 1,000 location-based alerts of your choice.
VG-2 Undetectable Provides complete immunity to VG-2 radar detector-detectors.
S-XRS Maximum Performance Technology New and improved Super-Xtreme Range Superheterodyne (S-XRS) detection technology, with its super-fast radar lock-on detection circuitry, provides maximum detection range and best possible advance warning to even the fastest of POP mode radar guns.
Full Color ExtremeBright DataGrafix II Display 1.5" OLED display provides enhanced data display in easy-to-read vivid colors. Also allows user to select from 5 different color schemes to match dash illumination (Full Color, Blue, Orange, Green and Red).
POP Mode Radar Gun Detection Detects the latest POP Mode Radar Gun (Super-fast Instant-On Mode)
Ku Band Detection Detects Ku Band Radar Gun currently being used in Europe. Be prepared for future introduction in the U.S.
LaserEye Provides 360-degree detection of laser signals.
Voice Alert Warns driver with specific voice annunciation of the signal being detected.
VG-2 Alert Alerts the user when they are under surveillance of VG-2 radar detector-detectors.
Strobe Alert A Cobra exclusive, works with tens of thousands of emergency vehicles currently equipped with traffic light controlling strobe emitters. Provides advance warning of the presence and/or approach of emergency vehicles.
Safety Alert Warns drivers of the presence and/or approaching emergency vehicles, railroad crossing, and road hazard locations equipped with Cobra's exclusive Safety Alert transmitters.
Auto Mute Automatically mutes the alert tone for enhanced driver convenience.
IntelliMute Relative-speed-sensing Auto Mute system that virtually elminates false alerts.
IntelliShield False Signal Rejection 3-Level City Mode offers the best false signal rejection in both urban and rural areas.
Digital Signal Strength Meter Provides the driver with relative proximity to the target using 5-level digital signal strength meter.
SmartPower Automatically shuts off power to the unit when ignition is turned off.
City/Highway Modes Allows the user to select operating mode, reducing the frequency of falsing in densely polulated urban areas.
Dim Mode Allows the user to dim the radar detector display enhancing night driving visibility.
EasySet Programming Menu User-friendly mode selection/setting with visual guidance.
Stay Set Electronic Memory Electronically remembers radar detector settings for an indefinite period of time even with the power removed.
Digital Speedometer Provides accurate, current vehicle speed using Global Positioning System.
Latitude/Longitude Information Provides accurate latitude/longitude information using Global Positioning System.
8-Point GPS Compass Provides accurate, 8-point directional reading using Global Positioning System.
8-Point Electronic Compass Automatically provides an accurate electronic direction heading.
What's in the Box XRS 9955 Detector Unit; RDA GPSL55 GPS Locator and Lifetime Subscription to AURA Database for Verified Speed and Red Light Camera locations, dangerous intersections, and reported Speed Trap locations for entire United States and Canada; Mini-USB to USB Type-A Adapter Cable for database updates; Coiled 12V DC Power Cord; Windshield Mounting Bracket with suction cups; Instruction manual
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