Whistler XTR-330 Review?

[Rtrotter8]

Hey guys, Im pretty new in the Radar Detector field here and i just picked up a Whistler XTR-330. I was wondering if anyone has any background information on the product and if it is at all worth trusting. I know its not going to be anything amazing but its nice to have in the car. I mean it was between this and a cobra and from what i have heard, cobra are a joke and leak alot. So if anyone has any info on my RD. Just lemme know. Thanks!

[MOPARado]

Is the Whistler 330, i think, the one with the rechargeable battery pack?
If so, thats the one i started out with and quickly returned it for a refund and got a Pro 78SE and never looked back.

The battery thing made no sense in my situation as i had to keep it plugged into the cigar lighter to keep it charged. Not saying its not a decent detector but for a few bucks more, you'll get what you paid for.
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[Edwv30]

It doesn't have a rechargeable battery pack. I owned the XTR-330 until I stole it's speaker for my XTR-695! It worked great for the amount of money I spent on it...my biggest complaint was laser falsing that would force me to reboot the unit. It would be good enough for 5-10 mile over the limit but I wouldn't push it.

[Rtrotter8]

Yeah i wouldn't be doing anything over that 5-10. Everything seems to be working alright too. How good is the range on it and do u think it is better than the lower brand(but newer) cobras?

[Edwv30]

The range is surprisingly decent for the cost of the detector. If that's all you can afford right now, (times are tough), it is better than nothing. I would suggest saving up for one of the SE models as they can be had for $150.00 or less. I can't comment on Cobra's as I don't own one and that would be unfair. I know the higher end Cobra's have been getting decent reviews but they are supposedly not good with I/O or Q/T, (where Whistler's excel).

[Rtrotter8]

As i am just a beginning i suppose I/O is Instant on and i have no clue what Q/T. Yeah i was getting a decent range out of mine. I just hope its reliable because there have been a few times im driving and i dont even see a cop and it goes off. Then, later down the road there he is. I was amazing. But at other times i can pull right up next to one and its silent. Is it always that inconsistent?

[yellowtibby]

it could mean that he is not using radar. Radar detector does not mean it's a cop detector. It just goes off if the cops are actively using radar or laser to acquire speed. Therefore if the cop is pulled over on the side of the road watching a movie or reading a magazine or eating a cheeseburger your RD will not go off.

[Rtrotter8]

But i mean most drive around with it on anyways don't they? Maybe i'm wrong here. I know how it works. I know its a "radar detector" not just a cop detector. Yellowtibby if you own one, do you know an estimate of its range?

[yellowtibby]

it's hard to give exact numbers since there are so many variables that come into play with range. e.g. geography (curves hills), weather, traffic, etc. I would say on a flat straight road the 1 mile for Ka band 1+ mile for K band. On hilly terrain probably around .4 miles for both K and KA. but like I said there really is no accruate number. Also this is assuming they are using constant on radar, not instant on. Most cops I see around here in CT don't even use radar, and the ones that do never leave it on unless they are actively trying to do speed enforcement (most aren't) around here. Most of the cops here use laser which makes most RD's obsolete since they basically notify you of a impending ticket. There are rare occasions where people recieve laser alerts for the laser scatter bouncing off of cars in front of them but these are exceedingly rare. So to answer your question, no most cops around me do not have their radar guns running when driving around.

[Rtrotter8]

Dude, thank you. Thats exactly what i was looking for. Yeah im in MI and most of them...so far. Have been using the ka band while driving around but one cop was just pulled over on the side of the road and nothing went off so i was assuming he was using laser and just didnt pull the trigger on me when i went by. Thanks again man