Detector Collector: Whistler 1743 Final Review (07/04/2004)
Happy 4th of July everyone who is living in the United States!
I know I promised to have the review about a week and a half ago but I have been facinated by this little detector that I decided to keep it a little longer.
Detector: Whistler DE1743
Price: $79.99
Total Testing Time: 3 Weeks 4 Days
Advertised Features:
Real VoiceŽ Alerts-Selectable
Seven Segment Icon Display
Stay Alert(tm)
Total Band Protection(tm)
360(o) Total Perimeter Protection(tm)
Pantented VG-2 Cloaking(tm) Technology
3 City Modes (CM = No Filtering, CM1 = Filtered X, CM2 = X turned OFF)
Quiet/Auto Quiet Mode
Vehicle Battery Saver
Setting Saver
Alert Priority (VG2,Laser,Ka,K,X)
Safety Warning System(tm)
Found Features (Not Advertised):
Pulse Alert (This feature wasn't advertised on the package however it did go off several times during the testing period and all the threats were real. Ka Band.)
Abnormalities:
POP Alert (This detector does not advertise as being a pop detector however several times during the test period I noticed it would do a POP alert on K, and Ka bands. My guess is they were trying to perfect it, sort of what microsoft did on their office suite, how it would recover files but it wasn't advertised to do so after a crash.)
Pros:
Price, Warning Time (Alert), Mounting Bracket w/Suction Cups, Non-Annoying Voice Alert, Loud Tone Alert (9 different levels),
Cons:
Non-Coiled Cord (Very long straight cord), Display (Hard to see on driver's side during daytime), StayAlert Feature (This thing is annoying especially if you mount it where the manufacturer tells you to. Every 30-60 seconds it wants a responce by pressing a button on the detector.), Power Button (If you're getting an alert, you can't turn the detector off), VG2 Alert Falsing (happens when a Cobra Detector is near)
Neutal:
SWS (Personally I hate this feature since there is really no areas that use it, and the alerts are on K band which confuse it even more)
Range:
'----- City Mode (MIN/AVG/MAX in MILES):
'-----------Laser: (0.1/0.3/0.7)
'-----------Ka Band: (0.5/1.2/2.4)
'-----------K Band: (0.5/1.5/2.5)
'-----------X Band: (0.5/0.7/1.2)
'---- City Mode 1 (MIN/AVG/MAX in MILES):
'----------Laser: (0.1/0.2/0.6)
'----------Ka Band: (0.5/1.3/2.2)
'----------K Band: (0.2/0.5/1.5)
'----------X Band: (0.3/0.5/0.7)
'---- City Mode 2 (MIN/AVG/MAX in MILES):
'----------Laser: (0.1/0.4/0.9)
'----------Ka Band:(0.5/1.3/2.0)
'----------K Band: (0.5/0.7/1.4)
'----------X Band: (0.0/0.0/0.0)
'---- Highway Mode (MIN/AVG/MAX in MILES):
'---------Laser: (0.3/0.5/1.0)
'---------Ka Band: (0.9/1.5/2.3)
'---------K Band: (0.7/1.2/2.0)
'---------X Band: (0.7/1.3/2.4)
Note on Ranges: Each mode was on different days or different LEOs so it detected different mile readings, each result is in real-world situations as follows.
Minimum range: was usually coming around a corner or coming over a bridge.
Average range: was usually normal driving on the freeway or roadway, moderate traffic, LEO was usually on the right or left hand side not hidden.
Maximum range: was usually night driving, little to no traffic, LEO was usually travelling with the flow of traffic (AKA driving 20 over to catch speeders).
Summary:
This detector is actually a pretty decent detector around here and in most areas I went to visit. It gave enough warning time for myself to slow down and I did not feel unsafe driving with it. Also as an added bonus, the way the mounting bracket is designed, it has a 3rd rubber button that rests against the window so that if you have a loud stereo system with bass, it wont move when it hits. Also a plus to the mounting bracket is it keeps it very level with the road, regardless of if its smooth or rough, it stays in the same spot and does little to no movement. I would recommend this detector to anyone who is on a budget, who does light to moderate speeding, and who is looking for a little advanced warning to detect police radar while still keeping their eyes on the road looking out for the police themsleves instead of looking for a detector which does all the work (there is no detector out there that will do all the work for you, you are still the last step in preventing a ticket). Overall its a great detector and the cons aren't that big of a problem except the VG2 alerts which if you're in a state or country where detectors are legal, just shut it off.
This detector preformed so well, that I passing it on to my mother who is a frequent speeder as her protection. She currently has a Cobra ESD9210 which I am going to test out on another day.
Let me know what you think of this review...
N3T OUT.
