Cobra false?

[malcolmman89]

Hi guys,
I was going to a restaurant tonight, and was driving down a row of cars to find a parking place when my Pro 78 went up to 9 on KA band, almost instantly. I was driving slow, and I thought maybe a LEO was in the lot and forgot to turn off his radar, but I didn't see any cop cars. After about 4 seconds the alert died completely, and the detector was silent. I noticed a car that I was driving past (it was parked facing the passenger side of my car) had a radar detector in the window, and I was almost 100% sure it was a Cobra because it was (literally) pointed at the sky. I turned down that row and found a spot right next to him. Sure enough, a brand-new '08 Toyota Avalon with a Cobra (not the cheapest model, maybe around $100) on the windscreen.
Since I saw no other RDs around in other cars and no LEOs, I assume my strong KA alert was from this Cobra.

Here's the question: Is something wrong with my unit? I have Rev. C with Filter 2 and POP off. I had never seen it do this before when i've been around other Cobras.
From what I've heard here, the settings I use (POP off and Filter 2) are suppose to eliminate falses from other units.

Kinda liked seeing it light up though, it hasn't gone off for any LEOs in weeks (maybe even a month). Police presence has really dropped here, but that's another story.
I'm sure it's working because there is a false K band alert around my school that I still get.

Thanks!

[dmo1028]

Was the Cobra powered up in the parked vehicle? If not it couldn't have been the Cobra...

I run with Filter 2, POP off and although the falsing from leaky detectors is very rare, it has happened!! So I wouldn't worry too much about it being defective...

The way you describe the ramp up and then the alert just disappears sure does sound like a Cobra encounter though!

[guit123]

even at filter 2 i sometimes get ka falses from other detectors, pretty rare though.

[malcolmman89]

Yeah I saw an orange "C" on the display.
Nothing is perfect though. Still an excellent detector!!

[rose1]

I'm sure that person paid big bucks for a 2008 Avalon. Why not put in big bucks and get a real radar detector? This gets me mad!!!!!! Spend $300 and get an X50 or at least a respectable radar detector like the pro 78/690

[fireant]

I now what you are talking about with police presence dropping same here in Oklahoma don't think its lack of presence but not as much driving with the gas prices. I have not had a radar encounter now myself in about a week or more they just are not working traffic nor have I seen them anywhere but they are out there.

fireant

[malcolmman89]

I'm sure that person paid big bucks for a 2008 Avalon. Why not put in big bucks and get a real radar detector? This gets me mad!!!!!! Spend $300 and get an X50 or at least a respectable radar detector like the pro 78/690

I know right, I was thinking the same thing!
Hopefully they will soon see the light and realize that you get what you pay for with radar detectors :-)

[malcolmman89]

I now what you are talking about with police presence dropping same here in Oklahoma don't think its lack of presence but not as much driving with the gas prices. I have not had a radar encounter now myself in about a week or more they just are not working traffic nor have I seen them anywhere but they are out there.

fireant

You know I hadn't thought about the gas prices affecting their traffic enforcement but I think you're right.

[MEM-TEK]

Sounds like a most unusual situation where you were very close to the Cobra RD and its horn was pointed directly towards your Whistler. I will venture to guess that the really strong output signal from the Cobra at this really close range should rightly override the Whistler's filtering since it is a very strong signal, or that the Cobra's signal sweep emissions may be somewhat muddy around whatever instant frequency the Cobra's signal sweep happens to be on. At super close range this could trip up Michael B's rather superb radar detector design patent. Check it out -- just read the abstract -- the idea behind it is pure genius:

Radar Detector

Look at it this way, how often are you going to have a Cobra RD pointing directly at your Whistler and at extraordinarily close range? Answer: Every day if you drive through parking lots past cars which have their cheap Cobras left on, yet almost never under normal driving conditions.

[Michael B]

The C brand most likely had either the VG2 feature on or the Spectre 1 feature on or both.

This causes a long CW of their 1st Lo that is longer than the Filter 2 screening.

And you need to be in the presence for an extended period of time while pointing horn to horn.