Cobra, never a company to let you down when you need that special kind of radar that they provide (the ticket avoiding kind), has introduced the US's first GPS-locator equipped radar detector, the XRS R9G -- just like they
said they would. What does a radar detector need GPS for? Well, this one holds a database of speed and red-light cameras, warning you when you're approaching so you can ease off the gas pedal, save a few lives, and not get yourself a nasty, nasty ticket. "Across the country, the number of speed and red light cameras is growing exponentially," says Tony Mirabelli, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Cobra, adding, "Now drivers can stay alert no matter where they travel." The company plans to further augment the detector's capabilities with alerts for "black spots" (high accident zones), as well as school and construction alerts. The XRS R9G is available now, retailing for $449.95.
posted September 18th 2007 2:25PM
The first? Are you sure? What about the Escort 9500i? It was released early this year and the nice lady always tells me, "GPS signal acquired."
Hey, don't be too harsh on Engadget.
They are just a bunch of techie-wannabes, and this isn't a news media.
Exactly I have had my Excort 9500i for months now. Bought it @ BestBuy right when it came out and it does tall his but it's an Escort, so it actually works. I kept it side by side on my dash for a week next to my Cobra and it pwned its face off picking up cops twice as far away as the Cobra could. Screw the cobra and get the Escort, and Engadget, please get your facts straight. kthx bye
Yeah, not only that, but I think that Joshua doesn't understand radar and radar detection technology (or the difference between the two):
"when you need that special kind of radar that they provide (the ticket avoiding kind)"
Cobra does not provide radar, it provides radar detection....or at least it tries to.
That is all. Good day.
I completely agree with what has been said about Escort vs. Cobra, but I think the difference to which this article is pointing relates to the ability to share the speedtrap/light camera/school zone data.
With the Escort, don't you have to manually mark the problem areas? By the looks of one of the modules, this device can connect to a computer ... again, I think so you can upload/download a much larger database of cameras/lights.
Just a matter of time until Passport adds this function.
The Escort has a USB port for this function.
Honestly, once your detector gets a ping, you're allready caught for the most part.
I have a $150 Cobra and it's gotten my ass out of only two tickets (totalling a bit over $150 when you factor in court costs etc.), and escort wouldn't have gotten me out of more tickets, since i havn't been in the postition to get a ticket other than those two times.
An Escort or Valentine may detect first, and thats fine, but the only way that will help you is if you're detecting reflected radar from a car infront of you, and not bieng tracked by a cop (because i don't care who you are or how much dough you dropped on a detector, if a cop tracks you, and you're going 1mph over, if that cop is in a bad mood your ass is grass)
The only effective way to "beat" radar is a radar jammer/scrambler, legal to own, and have in your car, but not to operate in your car without a HAM liscance (atleast in NJ). The problem is, you can get caught using a jammer/scrambler, it causes a dead reading on a gun, meaning the cop knows you're going at some speed, and his gun is showing - - - (nada).
Cops HATE jammers/scramblers, because the only reaosn you'd have one is because you speed enough that the cost of the tickets you might/would get is offset by the device, so they will fuxx you up the arse in the end anyways.
But... back on topic...
it may not be the first with GPS, but afik it's the most consumer friendly (in the wallet dept.) any escort thats worth it's weight is probably over $350 to begin with, add in GPS and it's got to be over the $500 price tag the cobra has.
It's a good idea, i like cobra because they work, it may be 1.034599ms slower, but it's cheaper, and if I had the money to drop on a 'good' radar detector i would have to concider just paying for the damn ticket to begin with.
The problems i see here are the quality of the GPS (will it link quickly? will it stay linked?) and does it have laser detection.
tbh, i think it would be smart to allow updates to GPS db, allowing people to add in locations where cops hang out often, as good as my memory is, a warning would be nice to have before i have to remember what bilboard the cop is probably behind.
Anyway: Comparing a cobra and an escort is like comparing a corvette and a laborghini, both go fast, both are good looking, both get you from A to B in the end, so what if the lambo could do it faster, in the end you're only supposed to go 65 on Route 80 regardless of what car you're in.
No cross-post on Autoblog?
The Escort 9500 has been out for few months now and has GPS.
Yeah, escort wins.
-Taylor
I think the title is a mistake. It's not the first to have GPS (as commented above, the Escort 9500 is), but it's the first in the US to have speed and red light camera databases. The Escort only allows the user to mark locations - but no downloadable database.
Like John said, it isn't the first. Escort came out with the 9500i some time ago.
I'm pretty sure Uniden had one before Escort.
I've had this Uniden for about two years now- it has GPS.
http://www.uniden.com/products/productdetail.cfm?product=GPSRD
$449.95 for a Cobra seems a bit steep. As mentioned above, the 9500i from Escort also has GPS (albeit without the built in speed camera database) and can be had for the same price. Given the choice, I'd go with Escort. They consistently outperform Cobra's.
does this mean that cobra has also successfully made a working radar detector, or will i only get to store locations of false alerts?
lol...no don't get your hopes up it is still not going to tell you if there is a cop around, only if your next to a grocery store. lol
Cobra's are generally considered the worst radar detectors. If all they did was add GPS to one of their detectors the performance still isn't going to be very good. Now if they completely redesigned it for better performance this may be a decent detector, but I doubt they did that.
Stick with Escort, Bel, or Valentine for the top of the line detectors (I think you can any of these companies best detectors for what this cobra costs). Some whistler's are also decent if you're looking to get something less expensive.
i think i have to agree with you, back when i worked @ best buy and we carrie a line of escorts and cobras...i always heard well....not the most flattering reviews over the 5 years i was there.
Am I the only one who finds it questionable that one would need a warning of red-light camera detectors...you shouldn't be running the lights to begin with, camera or no camera...
The unfortunate reality is that, in order for RLCs to be financially effective, they PURPOSELY reduce the time that yellow remains active, so that they can catch more people. It's not about safety, nor about people running red lights... but just about making money by changing the "standard" yellow light duration so that more people get tickets. In such a situation, it's great to see such warnings... so that you can prepare for a short-yellow.
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1844.asp
http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/studies/
Bottom line is that RLCs are actually MORE dangerous and have nothing to do with safety - a properly set-up intersection traffic light is much safer. Of course, you can't make money on that!
Interiged, but not interested. I live in the middle of nowhere. It takes 20 minutes of driving through corn fields to get anywhere. I know it could be worse, but this thing is not neccisary where I live. Now if it had something to warn you about deer or other large mammals, then I'd might drop $500 for it. 'til then, I'll stick to the old fashion way of driving.
what about the valentine ?
Valentine is still riding his arrow gimmick into the ground, GPS be damned.
@John Laur
I'd have to guess that you've never owned or used a Valentine. If you had, then you know that it's anything but a gimmick. Situational awareness can be a huge factor in determining whether or not you get hit with a speeding ticket, and the signal counter & direction indicators of the V1 provides it in spades.
I gave away a perfectly usable 9500 because the info that the V1 provides is so much more useful to avoiding both fixed and moving speed traps than a other radar detectors that are little more than SWR meters for microwaves.
Spiffy, now those cops have gps coordinates on you when you arent supposed to have the dang thing to begin with. WHEEEE!
Detectors are only illegal in Virginia, and a couple of Canadian Provinces, (Ontario at the least...).
What a waste of money, almost. What will the users do when EVERY streetcorner has a speed-detection device--speed up only on straightaways? Also, this does nothing to stop police officers who (still) use pacing to catch offenders. What I think it may do, however, is stop certain people from speeding through red lights which will save lives.
Not only is this NOT the first GPS-equipped RD, it is also (by Cobra nature) a piece of guano. 500$ for a RD with "12 bands"? LOL, there are not "12" bands of radar used by law enforcement. They clearly over-market their products with nonsense things to make their products seem superior for those not in the know.
There are three main "bands" of radar - X, K, and Ka. If you live in Europe, you may also experience Ku band usage (so MAYBE four). Laser is not a "radar band", it is part of the infrared light spectrum, but they market it as a band. Then you have the totally underused SWS and other "safety" radar signals that are hardly ever used and serve no purpose for most people's RD needs (anti-LEO).
Not only that, the Cobras are notorious for leaking their signals and setting off better, WORKING radar detectors. Please, don't even think about buying this and go with the 9500i if you REALLY want GPS in a WORKING radar detector.
I personally use the Valentine 1, which I think is the best on the market for raw detection range but any of the top 3 are FAR better than ANY Cobra (Beltronics, Escort, Valentine 1, and even Whistlers).
Seriously, if you are EVER debating a radar detector, learn before you buy: www.radardetector.net. This article is really terrible and should be edited/removed.
escort 9500i.
escort already had one before this even came out so this is not the first but it is kewl
To me both GPS detectors are pretty lame. The Escort doesn't have speed/light camera support and the cobra is... well... a cobra... I'll wait until Valentine or Escort come up with a version that has the features and the quality necessary to make them interesting.
Come on guys... PLEASE research the press releases you get before just forwarding them on to the blog. Don't be reflectors of what the companies want us to all think... look into it and find the truth.
I'll be damned if I can't remember the name of the OTHER other GPS radar detector. came out in 2002 I think actually. Though it didn't know the light locations andwhatnot, it did use it to store the locations that went off every time you went past it, and after a while it would mark it as a location with a false alarm and not go off anymore. I think it was some company called Love...hellifikno
V1 FTW. I've hardly driven anywhere without a V1 on my windshield for the past 7 or 8 years. After using a few of the high-end (at the time) Escorts, I simply can't understand why you would use a detector that can't tell you where the signal is coming from. It can be a matter of being stuck behind a highway patrol unit for an hour or two on a long roadtrip, when you get a radar signal and slow down.. only to have him catch up with you. With the V1 you can maintain your pace, or pick it up a bit so as to stay out of visual range.
Programmable bands are also awesome, though I understand the Escorts have this now.
I've heard that the V1 looks "old fashioned", but each indicator serves a distinct purpose. It works just as it should. I think the Escort dot-matrix displays look like 1985 technology, where the V1 indicator lights are exactly what you need, no more, no less, and much easier to read at a glance.
Also, V1s hold their value. I sold a 5 year old one for $386 on eBay. Yup, 5 years of V1 use for only $14.
That situation seems rare to me. I've used a V1 for a while and don't think the arrows are anything more than a minor feature. Sure, if you want to go as fast as possible as much as possible it may be helpful, but I don't think many people take it to that extreme.
And as far as selling yours for $386....someone got ripped off. Either they would have to send it in and pay to get it updated which they would be better off just buying the latest one, or you already got it updated and it really cost you more than $14 then.
Although, being able to send a V1 in to get the latest updates no matter how old it is can be a very nice feature depending on how much it costs.
I think Valentine will upgrade any unit, but it costs $220 or something. Not worth it. I haven't looked in years, but I've never seen a V1 of any vintage go for less than $350. Selling on eBay and buying a new one seems to always be the way to go.. but I will admit, I think I got more than average for it. Mine was even the older version with the separate 1/2cm chunk on the bottom with the round laser eye... v1.7 I think. They got thicker when they added laser, then a few years later slimmed the package back up to the original form factor, with laser included.
@milrtime83
I don't think the situation that Reid Conti is rare at all for people that drive between urban centers.
I use my V1 in precisely the way RC described when driving from L.A. to Las Vegas or the Bay Area. If the signal is coming from behind, I'll make every effort to stay well ahead of the officer. If it's in front, I'll maintain my distance and let someone else blow by at high speed and get pulled over, that way the officer is suitably distracted when I pass them.
Yes, it's very Darwinian, but if they had a V1, they would've know that they were closing in on the threat.
"Hey," with huge sarcasm, "Engadget gets teh rong. Escort is teh first! Techie, wannabe!" but where's the classic, "OMG! I can't believe they stole the form factor from the iPod/iPhone!"
Where did Cobra obtain the data for these cameras? www.photoenforced.com?
Is this unit immune from radar detector detectors (RDD's)? If not, then you may want to reconsider. There are places where cops will know if you have a radar detector active (before physically seeing it) and will cite you for it.
So RD's can't just detect radar and laser, they also need to be immune to RDD's, as well. That's how you know you have a good RD. It's a feature that should be implemented into every RD on the market, but unfortunately is not.
The only one I know of that can do this is the Beltronics STi.
But apart from this feature, I think the Valentine One is the best RD out there.
Couldn't you save a TON of money and just OBEY the speed limit?
As the comedian Gallagher once said "if you are that much in a hurry, leave the damn house 5 minutes earlier"
I don't know about your area, but in NJ/NY and CA, 5-10 over the speed limit is the norm around town, and on the highway, it's 10-15 over. That's just to follow traffic. Granted, if everyone is moving at that speed, there's little chance of getting caught, but a radar detector is very useful in lessening that chance. my radar detector has saved my ass a bunch of times.
All Cobra's are crap crap crap crap crap.
For a decent detector at a killer price, get a Whistler Pro-78, which can be acquired for about $130. If you want something even better, get a Bel, Escort, or especially a Valentine One.