Is my Pro-68se getting the correct range?

[mstar]

Hi,
After reading a few reviews I just purchased the Pro68-SE and am not sure I am getting a good range pick up.

While state johnn law use X band I am not near major roads most of the time since I am north, Many are using Ka or K.

I have been driving around trying to find some test situations and have two resutls I need help decifering

First was a Constant on Ka band that is picked up .3 miles on a fairly stratight 2 lane road. He was off to my right not far from the shoulder, cruiser nose facing on comming traffic (not at right angles to the road)
There are telephone poles and buildings around.

Before the Pro-68se starts to alert I am coming down a hill so would have thought it should have picked up sooner based on some perfect world tests saying its sister the Pro 78SE alterted at 9miles and a test I found on the Pro68-se was 5 miles on the straight,

I understand axis can change it.

So the first question is : Is .3- .35 miles what should be expected in this unit in those conditions?

Also, I pulled up right behind him in the next lot and I had to be right on top of him for the unit to alert and the alert was maybe level 1.

Second question: Can police adjust the power of of their radar so it harder to pick up? And if it is constant on , should the signal be bouncing around that you pick it up quicker from the back. Being within .1 mile from the back it is really not going to help much without slaming on the brakes.


The next senario that An local officer of a differnt town came over a hill. I was going up the hill. I get an altert as soon as I see him. Now this one is hard to say if he turned it on when he saw me or not.
But I turned around to follow him and came upon a scene of an accident with 4 cruisers. Lights flashing but no alterts. As I pass them i get low level K band alerts. I made two passes and each time the Pro 68Se would alert level 2 as I passed them.

Also in a differnt town, the cruiser with constant on, was in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot talking to some young girls
He was 200 feet off the road and perpendicular but slghtly aimingwith the nose in the direction of the traffic.

Again I get a low level alert when directly in line with him.


Thrid question: I thought I should not be able to pick up these guys if their radar is off or in POP so can someone explain why passing these guys gets low alert?

I guess my concern is that this unit is not working properly and I am just not sure what the range should be and if it is reasonable? Or if I should be looking to return this unit and take the restocking fee hit. ($20 on a $100 purhase with postage)

If it does sound like its range is not what it should be then maybe it is defective.

Thanks for any input.

[nate4488]

Just yesterday I got two alerts of about 1 mile on K band on a flat road with a few curves. It sounds like your saying that when your right next to the source the signal strength only hits 1 or 2 which to me sounds like it could be defective. I would send a private message to Michael B and explain the problem. He is an engineer from Whistler and is really great at helping out Whistler customers. He will probably have you send it to him and he will check it out. I had to send mine in and it is A LOT better now. Also what state do you live in? If it is a state without LEOs using POP mode then turn POP mode off as this has been shown to decrease false alarms and increase range.

[Cruisin'Spartan]

I would definitely recommend turning POP off. Also, are you running it in Highway mode?

[mstar]

I am im North West NJ in the country. I think NJ has pop but not sure. All my locals seem to have Ka which could be newer equipment than the state leo.
but does turning off POP gain me .7 miles improvement?
I am in Highway mode. I really do on care about City. I do not knwo why people complain so much about the devices picking up other radar or what you call false. Why? I would rather hear something than to downgrade performance or risk finding out too late it was an officer.

Latest tests:
1. I found a constant on K band speed device. Those portable devices that tell you your speed.

This was on a 2 lane country road with wooded areas on both sides for the most part. On direct approach ther is a .1 mile cuve in the road and then an up hill. At top of the hillthere is a slight dip but you can see the radar on the right by that time.

This had the NJ state logo on it and was in K band.

I first approached it from its back and the Pro 68se alerted at .1 miles if that, I turned around and made an approach. I have a digital odometer so reset it as the Pro68-se altert.

So from the time it alterted to the unit is .3 miles.
Not impressive for sure.

2. NJ State police cruiser at right angles to traffic. I pass him and he is using i/o x band. I turn around and come down the small hill he is on my right and as soon as I a in line the Pro-68se does not altert. So I pull to a gas station where I can see him and the radar does not altert for several cars in 5 minutes.
I then pull on the road in direct line He is about.1 mile ahead across the intersection. When I get to the light at this point the x band alterts. I make a right were there is a jug handle and make another pass and again it only alterts when I get within .1 (officer is on the left across an intersection, about .1 mile at most.
So it did nto seem to be always on contant on.

But the range is just terrible so far.

Now I have an old Uniden Stalker radar and tested the range for both tests and the unit performed on par with the old one from 1998 and was under $50


Are those portable YOUR SPEED IS as strong as a normal radar gun? I still have ot had a full highway test with a constnant on and straight to really know.
This does seem to be pretty weak reception which is disappionting.

[TRun]

I hate to say but K band is pretty lacking at times even on the higher end whistlers. Best example so far...
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h9myWeO8T4]YouTube - Whistler XTR690SE Lame K band[/ame]

[Edwv30]

I don't have a Pro68SE but I do have an XTR-695 and Pro78SE. It sounds like your unit needs sent to Whistler for a check up.

X & k bands are not one of Whistler's C & C+ platforms strong points (detection is good\adequate... not outstanding), but it is nowhere close to what you are experiencing. KA band and reactivity is where the newer Whistler's excel.

In your second example the cop may not have been running radar so there wouldn't be anything to detect.

[MOPARado]

I don't have a 68SE but i do have a 695nonSE which i could be wrong but i think its basically the same detector but with different displays.

What you are describing i believe falls short of the typical alert ranges for these detectors. My 695 has had some great Ka alert distances with some over a mile.

POP enabled will affect performance somewhat but with the alert distances you're describing i doubt thats the problem.

In my experience, those speed signs can transmit just as much and usually more radar power than real Police radar. I picked up a K-band speed sign one time with my 78SE at a little over 3 miles on an open country road. That thing must of been blasting!

Basics:
How and where do you have the detector mounted?
Is it level?
Does your windshield have an embedded sunscreen throughout?

If all else fails, do what others suggested and contact Michael B
:

[nate4488]

I have a Ka band speed sign close to where I live and I think its low powered so it gets cars that are close to it and not cars way behind. I get alot more alert time with real LEOs with Ka band radar.

[mstar]

I feared that this could happen, that older radar bands are less a focus for the newer detectors.

To answer the questions, I tried to follow the manufacturer suggestions,
I have an Escape XLT and the Pro 68 SE is mounted low , level and just above the wipers level in the center so i can reach it . NJ police will ticket for obstrution of view so I was glad to see the instuctions to place it lower as long as it is not obstructed. I have check from out side to be sure the unit clears the wiper level is not blocked.

I called Ford and they told me there is nothing in the winshield like Insta clear. The only screen is on the very top , like round dots you can feel. He told me that was just a little sun screen but not wired or anything like at.


I surely hope this is not its range but it is not looking good. If I was going in these zones even at speed limit I would be caught quite easily.

I don't have a 68SE but i do have a 695nonSE which i could be wrong but i think its basically the same detector but with different displays.

What you are describing i believe falls short of the typical alert ranges for these detectors. My 695 has had some great Ka alert distances with some over a mile.

POP enabled will affect performance somewhat but with the alert distances you're describing i doubt thats the problem.

In my experience, those speed signs can transmit just as much and usually more radar power than real Police radar. I picked up a K-band speed sign one time with my 78SE at a little over 3 miles on an open country road. That thing must of been blasting!

Basics:
How and where do you have the detector mounted?
Is it level?
Does your windshield have an embedded sunscreen throughout?

If all else fails, do what others suggested and contact Michael B
:

[TRun]

Try mounting the detector high, Drive around and see what happens to the range. It should increase.