Pro78SE Issues

[ComputernerdBD]

Hey everyone. I have had my Whistler Pro78SE for a little over 2 years now and while I believe it is a great detector (Compared to my Cobra ESD787 from Walmart that only alerts when a cop is very close or door motion detectors) and it helps me alot, I keep having some issues with it. I will outline them and explain them to ask if they can be fixed or if there is something that I am doing wrong.

1. Short Range Ka band alerts
2. MAX Ka Band burst false alarms
3. No laser detection except in very very rare instances
4. X and K false alerts in town
5. Random constant "CAUTION" alarms that happen every time in a specific location

Some background information:

I live in upstate NY. Most of the State Troopers and local police use Ka 34.7 band radar, but I have seen some state troopers use laser.

The vehicle is a 1998 GMC Jimmy 4x4 with minimal mods, but I do have a GPS, this detector, a computer (not on most of the time) with a touchscreen, LED lighting and Sirius (antenna is on the rear of the truck on the right-center part of the roof just above the back door). Never have I noticed any type of interference between any of the devices with the car or the radar detector.

The radar detector settings are as follows:

-Highway Mode (I never use City modes)
-Filter Mode
-All bands (X,K,Ka (RSID mode), Laser (LSID mode)) on
-Ka MAX on
-POP on


1. Short Range Ka band alerts

When I asked for this detector for Christmas, I noticed the nice range and reviews on Youtube and was impressed by it. I very rarely get more than 10 seconds warning even on the highway. I can't fly with this truck, so some have said I don't need a detector. It doesn't seem to work very well around curves or corners because I can go around a curve where there is a cop and it will go to full Ka 34.7 immediately. Even if I am doing downhill and there is a cop downhill it won't give that much warning.

2. MAX Ka Band burst false alarms

Sometimes just driving around town even if it is the middle of the night and I am the only one on the road or even just in the middle of nowhere where there are no police around, I sometimes get false Ka Band alerts. Either it will just scream "Ka Band", max out and stay that way for a few seconds or will scream "PULSE" and say POP and do the same thing. This can be with or without any houses around and has even happened on roads where there is nothing but fields on either side that are part of farms. I can tell which ones are false by judging how fast they max out and which ones the detector resolves to an RSID, but the falses are annoying.


3. No laser detection except in very very rare instances

Very very very rarely do I get a laser alert and the once or twice it has happened, it was a cop on an overpass and I could see him pointing a laser gun at me. I never get any with a cop at the same altitude.


4. X and K false alerts in town
I was afraid to use City or filter modes since I want the detector to be as sensitive as possible, but it seems that every bank, grocery store or some traffic lights (detectors? I can't find red light cameras around) sets off the detector for X or K band.


5. Random constant "CAUTION" alarms that happen every time in a specific location
Any time I exit the NYS Thruway at Exit 18 in New Paltz, just past the toll plaza, the detector starts saying "CAUTION" and then beeps continuously until I reset it. It never alerts like that coming from the opposite direction entering the highway.

Now, could all this be from mounting the detector wrong, some kind of interference or it needs a software update (how would that work with this one)? Where is the best place to mount this detector? I am attaching photos of the detector as it is right now. In this case, it was alerting to K band from a store across the road.

Just a side question for those of you in Pennsylvania, I have been there multiple times in the past year and a half and I have NEVER had a single alert even driving on multiple interstates in NE PA many times for hundreds of miles of driving. What kind of radar or laser do they use or do the police down there have very good stealth skills that I never see them?

Thanks for any advice any of you might have in this matter.

[Mandingo]

1. Short Range Ka band alerts

When I asked for this detector for Christmas, I noticed the nice range and reviews on Youtube and was impressed by it. I very rarely get more than 10 seconds warning even on the highway. I can't fly with this truck, so some have said I don't need a detector. It doesn't seem to work very well around curves or corners because I can go around a curve where there is a cop and it will go to full Ka 34.7 immediately. Even if I am doing downhill and there is a cop downhill it won't give that much warning."

welcome to the club

It's a very sporadic detector

off axis is sh*t

x band shows as K band

Got a NEW Cobra XRS 9000 series

Those old ESD suck big time btw

never been happier

A brand new Cobra line is coming out though

Promises to be even better

[Michael B]

To address some of your questions

1. Short Range Ka band alerts
The unit may be in need of repair

2. MAX Ka Band burst false alarms

3. No laser detection except in very very rare instances
Laser is very difficult to detect when used properly by law enforcement.

4. X and K false alerts in town
Probably radar based door openers. City will not lower sensitivity and only changes the audible alerts, City one requires a stronger X band to given an alert, City 2 ignores X band

5. Random constant "CAUTION" alarms that happen every time in a specific location
If it happens every time in a specific locations, it is not random. Their may be a SWS transmitter in that location or something that provides a signature similar to an SWS transmitter.

Suggestions for New York are to turn POP OFF and SWS OFF

I will send you a PM with an address to sip the unit to in Mass if you wish for it to be looked at for a diagnosis and repair.

[ComputernerdBD]

To address some of your questions

1. Short Range Ka band alerts
The unit may be in need of repair

2. MAX Ka Band burst false alarms

3. No laser detection except in very very rare instances
Laser is very difficult to detect when used properly by law enforcement.

4. X and K false alerts in town
Probably radar based door openers. City will not lower sensitivity and only changes the audible alerts, City one requires a stronger X band to given an alert, City 2 ignores X band

5. Random constant "CAUTION" alarms that happen every time in a specific location
If it happens every time in a specific locations, it is not random. Their may be a SWS transmitter in that location or something that provides a signature similar to an SWS transmitter.

Suggestions for New York are to turn POP OFF and SWS OFF

I will send you a PM with an address to sip the unit to in Mass if you wish for it to be looked at for a diagnosis and repair.

Thanks alot for the tip, but I would like to hold off on sending it in for now, especially with my class schedule , trips and not needing police issues since it still seems to alert. I turned off SWS (what is the purpose of it anyway if noone uses it and not everyone has a device that can read it?), but why disable POP? Do they use POP in NYS?

Is there a chance I have an old REV detector? I got this one in Christmas 2009. Is there a way to tell by the detector labels or even looking at the board?

The false K and X alerts I can deal with, but having good Ka band sensitivity is important. I know whenever it alerts to Ka and starts to ramp up it isn't false. With laser, I will get a Blinder system when I graduate, get a good job and a better vehicle.

Now I did a test and the results were interesting to see if I can find what causes the false KAs. I took the detector out of the truck and connected it to a jumpstarter for power. Since the false alerts are random, I just walked around my apartment building to see what would set off the detector and everything was quiet...until I took a look at the 2 satellite dishes around back. Now I held the detector up in front of a DirecTV dish and it came up with a KA 1 or 2 once and when I did it agian it didn't do it. But then I held the detector between the dish and one of the LNBs (there were 3) and there was no reaction until I turned the front of it toward the LNB and it popped up a "Ka 34.9" and increased as I moved it closer to the LNB. So my Ka9 alerts can't be from satellite dishes? Especially since this test it only alerted when it was right there and it gave a weak signal and an RSID?

Thanks again.

EDIT: Is it normal for the bottom of the detector to feel warm?

EDIT 2: I also reset to factory default settings and turned Battery Saver, Safety Radar and Auto Dim off and made sure LSID and KA MaxID was on in case there was any issue.

[Incore]

I had the same problem. I drive in a city mostly and it was DRIVING ME CRAZY when it alerts randomly to nothing. I found switching to filter 2 stopped A LOT of the headache. You'll still get the regular falses, but it stops the random alerts.

[djrams80]

I turned off SWS (what is the purpose of it anyway if noone uses it and not everyone has a device that can read it?),

Nobody uses SWS. It was invented as a way to try to change the perception of radar detector users back in the day. It failed.

but why disable POP? Do they use POP in NYS?

There are very few pop-capable radar units in circulation in the US and of the ones out there, very few LEOs even know that feature exists, muchless how to properly use it.

[ComputernerdBD]

Incore: Filter 2 doesn't adversely affect range, does it? I will try it, but I just want to be sure.
djrams80: With SWS: Oh really? Cobra seems to market that feature alot. Useless feature unless every vehicle has a device with SWS reading capability. Otherwise would be useful. POP:If I may ask, how does POP mode change things? Does it make it more difficult for the detector in normal mode to pick it up? What about instant on?

[cooljay]

1. Short Range Ka band alerts

When I asked for this detector for Christmas, I noticed the nice range and reviews on Youtube and was impressed by it. I very rarely get more than 10 seconds warning even on the highway.

I've had no problems with my Pro-78SE giving me warnings for a good while before even getting to the LEO, even in I/O instances. By good while I mean I've gone 2-3 minutes from first alert before passing the LEO. Maybe your detector needs a repair.

off axis is sh*t

I've had no problems with off axis as some have reported, I've actually picked up Ka on the highway from a side street that was at least 1 block over and the LEO was on the far side of the highway, confirmed as I was crossing the highway that runs through town and spotted the LEO up the highway. Haven't had any other off axis issues yet either ?

x band shows as K band

Known issue due to X/K band being done on the same sweep. Perhaps this will be fixed in the new 2012 models who knows, but this has been a "bug" for quite awhile and goes back even to the Pro-73's.

Got a NEW Cobra XRS 9000 series

Those old ESD suck big time btw

never been happier

Glad you're happy with your detector, but if I were you I'd send your Pro-78SE in and get it looked at. Not bashing you, just pointing out my experiences with over 3k miles using the Pro-78SE.

[Mandingo]

Glad you're happy with your detector, but if I were you I'd send your Pro-78SE in and get it looked at. Not bashing you, just pointing out my experiences with over 3k miles using the Pro-78SE.

I have seen similar postings from other 78 se owners.

DJ knows what I mean. He has seen this too. At first I was skeptical but it turns out he was right.

maybe he has to send his in !

It is almost brand new btw.

Off axis is very weak.

[djrams80]

Incore: Filter 2 doesn't adversely affect range, does it? I will try it, but I just want to be sure.

Filter2 definitely effects range. How much depends on the terrain.

djrams80: With SWS: Oh really? Cobra seems to market that feature alot. Useless feature unless every vehicle has a device with SWS reading capability. Otherwise would be useful.

Correct.

POP:If I may ask, how does POP mode change things? Does it make it more difficult for the detector in normal mode to pick it up?

Yes, pop mode is very difficult to pick up and to pick it up, a detector has to detect and alert to all sorts of junk. According to the MPH's user manuals, LEOs are not allowed to issue traffic citations with pop mode radar. If this feature was more prevelant in radar units, detector companies would probably do something to improve their ability to properly detect it. As it is now, almost all of us just turn it pop off and according to Michael B, turning pop off noticably improves the performance of a Whistler radar detector.

What about instant on?

Instant on is just a LEO putting his radar in "hold" mode in between checking car's speeds. Basically, the radar unit only emits radar when the LEO finds a target that he wants to check the speed of as a tactic to defeat radar detector users. This is different than pop.