If I was running this detector, I would have gotten a speeding ticket. These hills were enough to block the signal enough to the point that the detector didn’t even alert until I crested the top of the hill, after the radar gun had already acquired my speed.Īgainst a constant on radar source ( the easiest type of radar to detect), the SPX 7800BT fell flat on its face and failed to provide any advanced warning. Instead of curves, this time we have some slight hills. With this detector, I’d have to slam on the brakes immediately when it goes off in order to avoid a ticket. The Cobra SPX7800BT that I tested (a feature packed higher end Cobra radar detector that originally retailed for $259, so we’re talking a higher end unit here, not even the super cheapy ones) alerted only just before I reached the kill zone. However, that’s plenty of time to slow down by the time you reach the “‘kill zone” (the spot where the radar gun has a visual on the target vehicle and is first able to acquire its speed). There are some curves and trees here between the radar gun and radar detectors and even the top of the line radar detectors are only able to provide about a third of a mile of advanced warning.
For example, take a look at this test below. However, when the terrain gets even slightly more difficult, that’s when things start to fall apart. flat terrain, no trees, no curves, no hills, and nothing to block the radar signal, Cobra radar detectors can indeed provide some advanced warning and help you slow down in time to avoid a speeding ticket. What we find is that in ideal situations, ie. Starting with the most important attribute, radar detection performance. Let’s look at a few key aspects of Cobra’s radar detectors and learn a little more about them. They’re the hidden gems of the budget radar detector world. You’re not going to find a better detector at this price point. They offer less performance, but will still do a reasonable job of keeping you protected while filtering out many annoying false alerts without breaking the bank. It offers the performance and filtering (but not all the features) of detectors that cost hundreds of dollars more and hits that sweet spot of being a good performing yet still moderately priced radar detector.įor even more affordable options, buy the Uniden DFR5or the Uniden DFR3. Generally my top pick for an inexpensive radar detector is the Uniden DFR6. Inexpensive and affordable radar detectors are always super popular, so before we dive into the world of Cobra, here’s my picks for the very best affordable radar detectors. Cobra tries to make up for it with misleading marketing about being able to detect over 9,000 (non-existent) bands and whatnot. Yes they’re inexpensive and of course they’re not going to have the features and performance of a $400 radar detector, but the performance is often unacceptably poor as you’ll see in a moment, the false alert filtering is mediocre, and they even “leak” radar in a way that causes problems and false alerts for other radar detector users nearby.Ĭobra radar detectors don’t offer adequate protection for the user running them and also they don’t play well with others nearby as well. Spoiler: Cobra makes some pretty terrible radar detectors.
However, are they any good? Are they worth the money? and perhaps most importantly, will a Cobra radar detector help protect you from speeding tickets? You can easily find them in the $50 range or so on Amazon. Cobra makes many affordable radar detectors.
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