Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector – Best Cheap Radar Detector
2009
Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector is a really affordable detector, perfect for first-timers who are looking for a simple, yet efficient detector.
The Whistler XTR-140 radar detector
In appearance, the XTR 695 is a radical departure from past Whistlers. Other than some unobtrusive white labels, the device is coated entirely in matte-black. The payoff is minimal windshield glare; I found this a huge advantage to avoid unwanted attention.
The Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector comes bundled with voice alerts, auto mute, digital compass, selectable band defeat, multiple city-mode settings, multiple Filter modes to further reduce urban false alarms, and many others.
My favourite feature however, is the Ka Radar Signal IDentification (Ka RSID for short). What Ka RSID does is identify the likely sources of bonafide police radar on the very wide Ka band, numerically by displaying the nominal operating frequency of the received radar if it is determined to be within the parameters of the manufacturer.
Subsequently, the Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector has several modes of dimming, so you can essentially tell the detector to turn off all lights until it gets a signal. Other features include several background colors for the LCD text display when in alert mode. This enables the user to assign a distinct color to X, K and Ka band, plus laser.
K-Band and KA-Band Performances were very good. On several accounts, the Whistler XTR-695 managed to pick up an oncoming petrol car approximately a mile away, which gives more than enough time to slow down.
I turned off the X-Band to reduce false alerts. During that time, this detector stays silent and out of sight until I need it to be to avoid unnecessary distractions.
The only down-side I found was that it is extremely hard to see the screen under the sun in day time. This however, isn’t a serious problem since a voice will alert you to the band, and the periscope LEDs flash faster with the strength of the signal.
On the road Whistler XTR-695 Radar Detector also showed good resistance to false alarms, and although it’s not as resistant as the BEL Vector 955, it’s fairly close.
In short, a great radar detector with plenty of easy to use features.
Further information:
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