Cobra 9700 - Did I get a bad one?

**usmaak** · 09-27-2005, 09:03 PM

Hi,

I just got a Cobra 9700 this past weekend. When it is running, I can always hear light static coming out of the speakers. When text is scrolling across the screen, the static gets louder and slightly more high pitched.

This is the first radar detector I've had that hasn't been a walmart special.

Did I get a bad one, or is this just the way that they are?

**compu44** · 09-28-2005, 01:17 AM

Doesn't sound normal to me. Try it in a different car and see what happens. I seem to recall something like this happening on a Cobra 9870 that had a bad ground in the vehicle.

**brick** · 09-28-2005, 06:18 AM

I have had exactly this problem. I bought one and noticed a whine that was related to engine speed. I'm glad it was the detector because for a while I thought it was something wrong with my engine. Anyway, I gave it to my girlfriend and it hasn't done it in her car. It must be an electrical issue.

**usmaak** · 09-28-2005, 06:19 AM

Originally Posted by compu44

Doesn't sound normal to me. Try it in a different car and see what happens. I seem to recall something like this happening on a Cobra 9870 that had a bad ground in the vehicle.

If that ends up being what the problem is, what can be done about it?

**usmaak** · 09-28-2005, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by brick

I have had exactly this problem. I bought one and noticed a whine that was related to engine speed. I'm glad it was the detector because for a while I thought it was something wrong with my engine. Anyway, I gave it to my girlfriend and it hasn't done it in her car. It must be an electrical issue.

I don't have the engine running when I hear it. I just installed it last night, and haven't actually started the car with it running. I read something on the cobra site about how some people are hearing engine whine through the speaker though. Their suggestion is to install some sort of filter on the power cable or use a different model of radar detector.

If that ends up being the case for me, I hope that CC will take it back w/o restocking.

**brick** · 09-28-2005, 07:15 AM

Oh, sorry. Looks like I just misunderstood the problem. In that case I got nothin'.

**compu44** · 09-28-2005, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by usmaak

Originally Posted by compu44

Doesn't sound normal to me. Try it in a different car and see what happens. I seem to recall something like this happening on a Cobra 9870 that had a bad ground in the vehicle.

If that ends up being what the problem is, what can be done about it?

May be as simple as needing to clean the lighter socket, or as bad as needing to hardwire the detector.