Whistler XTR-140 Laser/Radar Detector with Exclusive Twin Alert Periscopes
by Whistler
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List Price: Our Price: $42.53 You Save: $37.42 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Car Audio or Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Whistler XTR-140 Laser/Radar Detector with Exclusive Twin Alert Periscopes
Customer Review: Awesome price/functionality ratio
Summary: 5 Stars
Would have given a 4.5 if available. This is my second detector after someone stole my Sensoro magic-eye and a recent close shave with a california cop. Been pretty comfortable with this for around half a year now - 3 instances where the detector smartly alerted me about a standing cop with a radar gun - Ka band.
Pros:
1. Detects any gun presence about a half mile in advance, normally enough time to ease off the gas. If you are just above (SpeedLimit + CopToleranceInYourState) this WILL help!!
Warning: do NOT for one moment assume that if you are 20-25 mph above the posted speed limit on a highway, you can escape a radar-gun using a sub-500$ detector. Tip: If you do not mind using your handbrake a bit, use it gently to slow down SAFEly - my toyota does not do a tell-tale, guilty lurch forward with handbrake in addition to brake lights.
2. Just [...] bucks to avoid 200-300$ speeding tickets and insurance issues renders this a no-brainer.
3. Sound is not needed and can be turned off - even in daylight the blue lights have warned me enough without deafening me. The sound setting can be made pretty shrill if you tend to lose focus (for cops) on highways !
Cons:
1. Does not remember any audio or mode settings - simple circuitry can achieve this. But then over 6 months, I hv realized that unless in a busy city the default highway mode H is enough in all high/freeways - else you can use the middle city filters C1 with 2 clicks on starting car or on hearing a false-positive alert.
2. I am not sure if the Lidar detector even works, I have experienced the L band going on a couple of times.. But false positives, maybe, as I have not seen any cop anywhere nearby.
3. A lot of places in CA nowadays, I have seen cops with blue Lidar guns (don't remember the exact model, but those ones are really accurate and have held up in traffic courts. Am not sure how relevant this and other primarily-radar detectors will remain, in the next years.
Customer Review: Saved me from 3 possible speeding tickets
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this one based on the reviews here. I used it for my LA <-> Mammoth trip 2 weeks ago. To my surprise, this radar detector actually works! I was able to slow down immediately after I heard the signal then safely passed all these cops waiting on the side of the road or half-covered with bushes with the radar guns.
Although it detected those radar guns, but the distances are different. The average distance is about half mile. I think it's depended on where the cop pointed the radar gun at.
Besides the price and it actually works, there are still rooms for improvements.
1. LED lights are ANNOYING! Just like many reviews here, those LED lights are too bright for day and night. I think it'll work well if you are a blind person. So I covered up the LED lights and the front LED screen with black electrical tape (only leaving 1 LED gap at the bottom in case I cannot see thru the tape) Although I cannot see anything during daylight, the front screen LEDs are bright enough to shine thru the electrical tape at night.
2. Volume is too loud. Even I set it to the lowest dial, but still. Especially if you are getting those false signals in the city. Luckily, I always switch to City II mode. In this mode, it disabled the X-band mode that I don't need it anymore. Based on the research I found online, 98%+ of cops in CA are using K/Ka bands now. You can safely ignore the X-band signals
3. No save function. Every time I start the engine and turn on the radar detector, it resets back to the default settings. I just have to remember to switch to City II mode before I hit the road.
Also, one little good thing about the windshield mount that I didn't see it in other reviews is there is a release button on the side of the detector. You can press that button to release it from the windshield mount and still leave the mount attached to the windshield. This is good if you want to take it off and hide it in glove box without dismount the whole thing.
Customer Review: OK for the money, but Ka warning is simple, have to get use to it
Summary: 3 Stars
I have purchased this item not long ago (have and aging Whistler 1660), after trying other brands, such as Cobra. I cannot afford much yet I wanted something reliable. Cobra was not satisfactory at all, sometimes it worked just great, sometimes it was given me a Ka alert on the freeway when the police was 100-200 yeards away. With that I have returned the Cobra and purchased the Whistler XTR-140 from Amazon.com (for 37 dollars). Still I have been testing the device but already I can tell that it is okay, yet the most important Ka alert/warning is such that you can easily miss it. The Ka/K signal flashes and give a low sound for warning (once or twice) and that is all. So your ears really need to be trained to make sure you will react for this short alert, becasue the cop is going to be there in 2-3 second usually (also depends on your speed). I was expecting the Ka alert to be like my old one and other devices, such that as I get closer to the Ka police car and the signal gets stronger, the Ka alert would sound lauder and lauder. On the contrary, as I explained, I only get one, max. two, low sound alerts and flashing ka/k light. That is all. On the x and especially k alerts, it gets lauder as I get closer to the object, which I first though, was the police car. Later I learned, when ka/k flashes, that is the police ka alert. So here is my story and I am planning to return it to Amazon as I would like and expected that the driver will be alerted lauder and lauder as get nearer to the ka object. Bottom line is, if you can train your ears to be able to react on a low sound/tone alert, than it is OK to purchase, but if you want gradual warning, than do not buy this product. Also, remember the road noise as well as sould of the radio/CD player. I am still more pleased with my old Whistler 1660 that is more sensetive, yet give gradual voice and tone alerts.Customer Review: Amazed!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was very nervous buying a $40 dollar radar detector but after countless hours on the web looking at reviews, videos, and comments I'm very happy I choose this detector. I wanted a detector that worked but I didnt want to spend 100s of dollars. I dont fully depend on this thing even though it saved me twice now(its been about 3 days since i bought it!) but i use it as a tool to beaware of my speed when cops are near. I actually have the xtr-150 but its the same thing. I got it at radio shack for the same price. Here are some pros and cons
Pros:
-Looks great, its black and it blends with my dash. I didnt want silver
-Two blue lights. I have two 12inch subs and I needed a detector that would have lights to get my attention. These things are great! Its gets my attention easily at night and when its sunny they still do their job
-Simple use. There is pretty much no settings to it, I just plug it up and go and has worked great!
-It works! I bought it about 3 days ago and it saved me twice! The detector goes off an easy 200 to 300 yards from the radar. Plenty of time to slow down if your doing a good 10 over. Anything more will be risky and probably a ticket.
-Mounting- Again my subs shake my car like crazy and I needed a great mount, suction cups are amazing and work perfectly.
-Power cord- Nice and long(not coiled) You can pretty much mount it anywhere on your dash and it will reach!
Cons:
-For the price there is not really any cons, it does its job for a $40 RD and I love it!
I gave it a 5 star because its a PERFECT under 50 dollar RD. Dont depend on it 100% but its a great tool and just all around amazing and simple to use. It works great for what I need it for and nothing more! Get it, you wont be dissapionted!
Customer Review: Whistler XTR 140
Summary: 5 Stars
Radar/Laser detector works just fine. Detected K-band when followed through school zone. It's nice to know when they are tapping that radar button! Surprised me when it picked up a Sheriff deputy sitting in a parking lot with many cruisers parked. I never knew they were watching before this. Haven't had a highway trip yet, but you get what you pay for. This is just a tool to help you scan as you drive and call out the one's you thought weren't there or didn't already see. From one week of use, it has become evident that law enforcement cruisers don't usually have the radar on. They wait until they have you in their sights and then flick the radar on. Just don't let the detector lull you into a false sense of security and never pay attention with your own eyes, but you'll figure that out on your own anyway. I usually leave the "H" or highway setting on and just hit the quiet button so it picks most everything up in the city, even the useless radar picked up from automatic doors at certain stores. This way it remains sensitive and it just uses lights for warning. Overall, I can't complain, it was only $36 and it seems to be fairly sensitive. The best part was the Super Saver shipping and receiving it sooner than I expected for free. The only downside was the plug wouldn't stay in my cigarette lighter. the internal fuse (the silver tip on the plug) was too long and the spring pushed the plug out. I just hick rigged it and wedged something else on the side of the plug to make it stay. If you have dedicated utility sockets in your car, and not just a cigarette lighter, you should be fine. Just get an external 12v utility socket (the ones that let you plug in more than one device) and it should work if you only have one socket. Bluemall screwed up my order so I wouldn't use them to get this part.