Whistler XTR-140 Radar Detector Review

Driver Experience Test
Early this morning afternoon we took the Whistler XTR-140 out for its road test on my 85 mile test route for my “Low Priced Radar Detector Review.”
The XTR-140 retails for $79.95 and is a corded all band radar detector.
As I had a flight class scheduled at Buckeye airport at 8:00 and as the airport adds only a few miles to my normal test route, I took this time as a perfect opportunity to test out the XTR-140.
Installing the Whistler on my windshield I noticed that it had the dual blue LED periscope making the detector easier to notice during alerts. However I also observed that the main display of the detector had the same LED readout as XTR-185, one that I found very hard to read in bright sunlight.
Heading south from Wickenburg, I had an opportunity to see if the detector registered any false alerts in a sparsely populated area that is free of microwave towers and other devices that could set off a detector.
During this 25 mile leg, the XTR-140 shouted out over 11 X and K/Ka alerts that I would all suspect as being falses. As false alerts continue to be the chief complaint of radar detector owners, I enabled the detectors city mode III as we approached the Interstate. This mode disables X band, however as I passed a large truck stop in the area, I did receive a few chirps on K/Ka band that may had been false alerts.
The wind was picking up and being a student pilot, I was grounded at the airport; however I did get to practice a few pre-flight checklists with my instructor.
After a couple hours of ground school, I headed out to the downtown area of Buckeye for breakfast. Prior to passing a convenience store the XTR-140 started alerting K/Ka. A few moments later I observed a Buckeye Patrol car parked nose in.
I felt that this alert was a little better than expected, considering that the nose of the patrol car was facing away from my direction of travel.
However during this alert, the sun was very bright washing out the main display and if it wasn’t for the Blue LED lights on top of the detector I may had missed the visual display alert.
Heading back home, I did have two more encounters.
One the 101 loop the Whistler gave a K/Ka alert a few moments before I spotted an approaching Maricopa County Sheriff’s Patrol car heading the opposite side.
Then on US 60 the Whistler alerted K/Ka and within seconds, I observed an Arizona Trooper parked in the left turning lane in the median toward my direction.
In both these encounters I had seconds to react and slow down. So I feel that it is an important to mention that if you’re considering purchasing a lower priced detector to save money, you maybe spending that money you saved and more on a speeding ticket if you don’t react fast enough.
Higher ended detectors while costing more do provide much greater range and sensitivity while also providing better filtering.
Given the overall price of this detector I feel that it performed admirably, however it would not be a detector that I would count on if I was one to drive over the 10 M.P.H. posted speed limit.
Radar Roy’s Badge Rating – Two Badges

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Whistler XTR-185 Radar Detector Review

Driver Experience Test
Yesterday afternoon we took the Whistler XTR-185 out for a spin on our 85 mile test route for my “Low Priced Radar Detector Review.”
The XTR-185 retails for $139.95 and is a cordless all band radar detector. For those of you that have not been following my reviews I am not a big fan of cordless radar detectors for the mere fact that in order to conserve battery life most  turn themselves on and off in milliseconds. From experience this phasing in and out has a tendency to reduce sensitivity and range. Utilizing the power cord that comes with most  cordless radar detectors does not change the fact that the circuitry is still designed to operate in cordless mode. Therefore unless you absolutely need a cordless consider a full time 12 volt detector instead.
I installed the Whistler on my windshield, set it for highway mode and started my leg on a desolate stretch of roadway that intersects Wickenburg and I-10. Here devices that are commonly found in more urban settings such as alarms and automatic door openers are that have a tendency to active false alarms are nowhere to be found. However the XTR-185 did register over 12 X and K/Ka devices that I would consider true false alerts.
As false alerts are a chief complaint of radar detector owners, I would consider the number of false alerts somewhat excessive.
I deviated from my normal leg to the downtown area of Buckeye to get a cold drink. In town I started receiving a K/Ka alert as I started approaching an intersection. A few moments later a Buckeye patrol car intersected my path. As this was not a straight on encounter posing no threat, I feel that the response from the Whistler was adequate for a detector in its price range.
After my stop, I headed back to the Interstate to continue my normal route.
A few minutes on the Interstate, I began receiving my second K/Ka alert. Across the median I observed a Arizona Department of Public Safety Pickup stopped behind another car. Considering that the DPS vehicle was parked behind another vehicle almost 1100 feet away, I felt that the alert of the XTR-185 was lagging.
After I passed the DPS cruiser, I removed the XTR-185 and pointed it directly to the rear of the vehicle to see if there was any increase in signal as perhaps the officer was using a fixed rear facing antenna; however the intensity of the alert was less then when I approached from the front of the officer’s truck.
As we approached the more populated area of the city, I switched the detector to city mode III to block out X band alerts. The detector seemed to chatter much less, however we still encountered several short K/Ka alerts that I would consider falses.
On my last leg, the detector did alert K/Ka as we entered back into Wickenburg on US 60 and almost immediately I observed a Wickenburg patrol car approaching within 1200 feet. Again considering the terrain and traffic this short range alert gave me minimal time to react.
Considering the low price of this detector and the fact that it is cordless, I would rate the detector average in its performance to other detectors in its price range and design.
I feel that when a consumer makes the choice of “fudging” on the price of a detector to save some money, that their next choice should be purchasing a detector that is powered full time by a 12 volt source and NOT consider cordless. From experience inexpensive cordless radar detectors do not provide adequate protection from the high end speed enforcement equipment police use today.
Radar Roy’s Badge Rating – One Badges

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