My Radar Detector Review

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 08-20-2008, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge

Good deal.....you'll like it...damn fine RD....

awesome...........thanks again for all the "real testing". I like you had a POS Cobra. I paid $200 for mine. Ended up taking it back. I tried the $320 Passport and a $250 Bel but was not impressed. I will be buying one of these for sure. I feel naked driving w/o one

**qwkgto** · 08-20-2008, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge

The 690 and Pro 78 will be equal to anything on the market in the real world.....I bought them from http://www.opticsale.com/radar-detector.html ...dont get confused on the price as you'll see an instant rebate that applies at check out example the 690 sez it is $169 but there is a $40 instant rebate when you click on it..........I had a chance to test

Cops put one of those Kband radar boxes that tell you your speed....The 78/690 picked it up at 1.5 miles out....the 330 about 1 mile out....more than enough time to slow your ass down if it had been a cop....but I appreciate the LEO's helping me out in my testing by putting their lil trailer radar doohickey out ther just for me

Leos that some funny shit sarge.never heard that one before...

**Sarge** · 08-21-2008, 05:12 AM

Well they say they are Law Enforcement Officers so I call em LEO's for short

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 08-22-2008, 06:27 PM

bump for the good review

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 09:51 AM

sarge is the pro78 the best one out of all three? if so why? could u tell me the pros and cons over the next lower model, i plan on buying one as soon as i hear from you thanks on the review, your the man!!!

**Sarge** · 08-23-2008, 09:58 AM

IMHO....Yes....the XTR690 has a few more features like a compass/battery voltage reading....and is the same antenna horn and platform as the Pro 78 so you get the same performance....both have three city modes and three additional filters...so falses are a minimum......but the problem is the XTR 690 has a LCD display and the Pro 78 has bright LED's.....in the daylight you cannot really see the XTR 690...the Pro 78 is bright and clear.....so I give the ultimate nod to the Pro 78....

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 10:05 AM

Thanks!!! i saw u had a update in the thread about a 68 model in the 78 model will you have to manually set the bands as u said in the other posts or will they set them self as in the update of the 68 model thannks for all the info again and the quick reponse!!!

**Sarge** · 08-23-2008, 10:22 AM

My suggestion for settings on the Pro 78 are like this...
POP-OFF
VG2-OFF
Filter ( not filter 1 or 2)
Leave X band on and see what you get.....if too many falses then run it in City1....once you have verified if the local yocals are not running Xband just turn X band off totally....very very small amount of Barneys even have Xband anymore....mainly New Jersey is about all that is running Xband anymore.....
I run the autodim and battery saver ON.....voice on....set the two flashers for blinking during alarm.....
You are mainly concerned with K band and Ka band....and these detectors do very well over hills/around corners and well over a mile on flat land ( more like 2-3 miles)....
Laser is excellent....if Barney shoots a car in front of you your Whistler is going to go off......I was hauling ass on I10West coming out of San Antonio yesterday and Barney was out shooting laser from on top of a bridge...then they had two wheel Leo's chasing down folks....when the bastard shot the car in front of me my alarm went off...I slowed my big ass down to 65 quick...and less than a second later it went off again ...he was shooting me

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 10:30 AM

lol thanks for the info!! im sold!!! u should be getting a commission from whistler!!

**Sarge** · 08-23-2008, 10:34 AM

LOL....no we should track down all these overpriced POS manufacturers ( Cobra) and kick their ass.....Whistler has kicked their ass....no reason to pay $400+ for a Valentine1 that stays in alert all the time....what good does that do anybody? Whistlers filters/range is outstanding and they kept it all affordable.....

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 10:43 AM

yea i know Its funny as how im in the market for one and you had this great info on one also thats funny about that i10 incident i was on i10 earlier this week headed to bama from la and a leo shot me doing at least 85 on the opposite side of road and turned around to come to get me but when u turned off he had to wait for traffic to clear then there was a hill and he couldnt see and there was a wxit at the bottom of the hill so if you put 2 and 2 together u know what i did sitting at a gas station watching him haul ass with lights and sounds on trying to catch a car thats not there :moon thats when i decided i needed a detector i just got lucky that time aslo where did u find the 78 for 140 shipped?

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 08-23-2008, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by hmorris7000

yea i know Its funny as how im in the market for one and you had this great info on one also thats funny about that i10 incident i was on i10 earlier this week headed to bama from la and a leo shot me doing at least 85 on the opposite side of road and turned around to come to get me but when u turned off he had to wait for traffic to clear then there was a hill and he couldnt see and there was a wxit at the bottom of the hill so if you put 2 and 2 together u know what i did sitting at a gas station watching him haul ass with lights and sounds on trying to catch a car thats not there :moon thats when i decided i needed a detector i just got lucky that time aslo where did u find the 78 for 140 shipped?

http://www.opticsale.com/whistler-pr...detectors.html

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 11:49 AM

thanks speed but look what I found!!!! http://www.electronics-expo.com/make.../PRO-78/1.html

and they are a authorized dealer just bought from them cheapest so far (131.88 price with shipping added) unless u go buy.com for 122 shipped but u get no warrantry because there not authorized

Look out Laber day here I come

**tonyjnjz** · 08-23-2008, 12:13 PM

do u own whistler sarge??? maybe thats how u have so much looot!!!! ......never heard of anything touching the V1 or escort 8500 or 9500 in any test anywhere...............and im not saying i dont believe u......im actually quite excited about your results......my middle priced cobra is only soso........saves me but i get a lot of false alarms......its annoying

**Sarge** · 08-23-2008, 12:16 PM

Yes buy from an authorized dealer for sure.....you want the REV C which you will get from an authorized dealer....lot of the ebay butt monkeys are selling the REV 0...REV C is light years ahead of the original rev of software....If you want to verify what REV you have just hold down the quiet/dim buttons at the same time and turn the power on at the same time....it will tell you the REV of firmware.....but like I said...if you buy from an authorized dealer you will get REV C.

**Sarge** · 08-23-2008, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by tonyjnjz

do u own whistler sarge??? maybe thats how u have so much looot!!!! ......never heard of anything touching the V1 or escort 8500 or 9500 in any test anywhere...............and im not saying i dont believe u......im actually quite excited about your results......my middle priced cobra is only soso........saves me but i get a lot of false alarms......its annoying

Nope...I own 4 Whistler detectors though

The V1 fucking alarms constantly....sheesh....who needs that shit? The Escort as you may know is having major quality issues...and at the end of the day the Whistler has more sophisticated filters to reduce false alarms to damn near squat....and probably has 80%-90% of the range of a V1 for 60% less money....I mean....OK....V1 or Escort gives me 4 miles warning....Whistler gives me 3.2 miles of warning.....OK...I can live with that

And fewer false alarms....

**hmorris7000** · 08-23-2008, 04:52 PM

UR THE MAN!!!!

**Speedy_Gonzales** · 08-23-2008, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by hmorris7000

thanks speed but look what I found!!!! http://www.electronics-expo.com/make.../PRO-78/1.html

and they are a authorized dealer just bought from them cheapest so far (131.88 price with shipping added) unless u go buy.com for 122 shipped but u get no warrantry because there not authorized

Look out Laber day here I come

No warranty from buy.com ??? hummmmm............

**spydaloc** · 08-23-2008, 06:36 PM

Hell, I gotta order me one of those soon!

**Sarge** · 08-24-2008, 04:42 AM

I think this guy reviewing these detectors arrived at the same place I did....he started out to compare the Whistler Pro 78 against the top Cobra model....and had a Valentine RD as a benchmark.....

Originally Posted by Craig Peterson

After crunching the numbers it's clear that the Pro 78 can handily dispatch its competition from Cobra and is easily
the best-performing Whistler I've tested. Its stellar showing compared to the $399 Valentine One is a testament to
the fact that for the first time, a value-priced model can just about run with the big dogs.

Full review here..
http://www.whistler-radar.com/_78_test.pdf