We only received one VG-2 notification during our three-week drive, and we could never visibly see the source. Cobra uses LaserEye technology to detect signals from the front and rear, so it is best to mount the device in the middle of the windshield. Penpen55 | Verified Purchase. Millions of users update the database all the time, so you always get the latest information for that ultimate road coverage. Please note that road conditions (hills and curves) can affect the range. 9 0 obj
To ensure that you only hear the alerts you need to hear, the Cobra RAD 480i has a sensitivity button so you can adjust the sensitivity and filtering modes according to the situation. Welcome to RatedRadarDetector. We spent several weeks driving with the RAD 380 and were genuinely impressed by its performance. Your vehicles cigarette lighter socket or a household outlet work best Using the Drive Smarter App Power up your camera by connecting to constant power source such as your vehicles CLA adapter or a household outlet. It's worked many times so far and I would recommend this product to a friend. No ads. We found it best to turn the volume off and simply keep an eye out for visual alerts. We do have a couple of bones to pick with the 480i in this department, though. Prices and offers are subject to change. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES - available at www.cobra.com . With the iRadar app, you can either report or receive real-time alerts as generated by an entire network of users. Radar detectors are illegal only in Virginia, Washington DC, and most parts of Canada. 4BaQw0OQG Visual display lit up only for a few of the strongest door openers. 8 0 obj
One possible explanation is a dirty power outlet or cigarette lighter socket. All of these settings are available through clearly labeled and simple controls on top of the RAD 480is body and are easy to figure out with very little frustration. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. endstream
digital radar/laser
The Cobra RAD480i looks much like the RAD 450, but with curved sides. The most obvious reason is to avoid a speeding ticket. Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed. endobj
When you buy a radar detector, you're assuming that you're going to experience false positives. Instant-On Ready Detects radar guns with "instant-on" (very fast) speed monitoring capabilities Tone Alerts With adjustable volume UltraBright Data Display Is easy to read City or Highway Modes to reduce false alerts Safety Alert Traffic warning system distinguishes important safety alerts from other K band signals It offers great detection range, lighting-fast response, advanced anti-falsing circuitry, and access to the iRadar app. The more squares that appear, the closer you are to the source of the radar. Its our pick for the best budget radar detector under $100. My main issue aside from the false alerts would have to be that its supposed to block out/eliminate blind spot mirrors and vehicle avoidance systems. The GPS capabilities are great for displaying the speed limit, your current speed, and warning you of any red light or speed cameras in the area. or to medium and low sensitivity settings. The GPS feature also lets you mark points along your drive where you commonly see red light cameras and speed traps so you can customize your alarms. The first is a 30-day price match promise. As for the competition, theUniden DFR9is worth looking at in this price range. UU. RAD 480i Features Windshield Mounting Option Assemble Suction Cup Bracket Adjust Suction Cup Bracket to ensure your RAD 480i has a level view of the road Whether youre shopping for a new car, looking for the latest products, or wanting something to spruce up the man cave, youll find our review of it here. Get . William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. Here are five of the best radar detector options for your vehicle. Overall, the design is pretty straightforward and you wont have any trouble figuring out how to use this radar detector whether youre a beginner or a pro at using these devices. Get real-time alerts to red light, speed camera, and law enforcement activity from a community of over 3 million drivers. Through the iRadar app, you can view an alert history, set over speed reminders, and manage different devices (a number of other Cobra products are also compatible with the app). The software will notify you if your RAD 480i is up to date. Best Radar Detector Overall: Uniden R7. Overall, I found the RAD 480i to be useful and easy to operate. They function like this:. If you consider the average cost of a speeding ticket in the United States (around $150, not counting the increased insurance premium), then yes, a radar detector makes sense. There are sensitivity settings that allow you to determine how many alerts get filtered out. The Cobra RAD 480i is one of Cobra's newest upgrades in their radar/laser detector family. Share and receive real-time alerts from the Cobra driving community. Provides Early Warnings and rapid response on all radar bands. Otherwise, as a private citizen, unless you live in Virginia or D.C., its okay to have a radar detector in your vehicle. Cobra 29 LTD. $129.95. The Cobra RAD 480i boasts 2x the detection range of its predecessor and other products on the same field. It will ultimately depend on what you think you will realistically use each day. In making this list of the best radar detectors for 2023, we considered the five main points below. One possible exception is Uniden DFR1, which is among thebest-selling radar detectors on Amazon. In flat, open conditions the range is at least 2 miles. There is also a mode that allows the detector's sensitivity to automatically change based on the speed . Will the New Jeep EV Lineup Deter Longtime Fans. One of the best things about the Cobra RAD 480i is the access it gives to the Cobra iRadar app[1]. Plan Your Route Reach your destination safely and efficiently. If you receive a VG-2 alert after switching it on, it will be of a similar intensity to that of a laser threat. Everything you record is timestamped with the location and date, and you can share and edit videos on your phone. If youre looking for an effective radar detector thats a little more budget-friendly, we recommend the Escort Max 3. I bought a rear-view mirror mount to anchor this thing in the best possible location for laser signatures (radar experts recommend using your rear-view mirror to mount any radar detector). The correct name for the technology that most people refer to as laser is actually LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm EST 800-543-1608 Option 3 You can toggle through them by hitting the SEN button on top of the unit. The black and gray really suits this radar detector well, and it blends in perfectly with the vehicle interior. The display screen will show you alerts according to your desired detail mode. In More Detail mode, the RAD 480i displays the detected band, signal strength, and frequency (pulse rate for lasers). The R3 (also like the R7) is pre-loaded with red light and speed camera locations, which are kept current through Unidens regular firmware updates. Join a community of 3.5 million driving enthusiasts sharing and receiving over 100 million real-time alerts each year. There are detail modes that tell you the radar band and give an indication of how likely it is that the detected signal is coming from a police radar or laser gun. Beyond that, the Cobra RAD 480i is an affordable radar detector with a sleek display and tremendous long-range detection to match. For a small car, they only need about 500 feet. You also receive access to theDefender Databasethrough the Escort Live app. Wed still recommend spending the extra $50 and stepping up into the RAD 480i (above), but if youre on a strict budget, the RAD 380 will do the trick. Cobra RAD 480i $149.95 Premium Mount $29.95 $179.90 The Premium Mount offers the best all-around mounting solution for the RAD 480i radar detector across a wide range of windshields. The money you spend also comes withEscorts ticket-free guaranteefor one year after the date of purchase. Range is okay. The RAD 380, the little brother of the RAD 480i, retails for $99.95. After its release, the Cobra RAD 480i was dubbed as a breakthrough in radar-laser detection. Maybe you wont continuously have the thing alerted you down the road but spend the extra money and get one that works. Great Unit On High mode goes off a lot which is explained in directions but definitely Lights the Ka band up from around corners and far distances. At $99, the Cobra RAD 380 is a winner if you want something inexpensive but not cheap. GPS also allows you to monitor your speed more precisely and makes it so you can mark red light cameras and other hazards that you notice along your route. The Cobra RAD 480i is a great option for a radar detector under $200. For the most part, yes. 800-964-3138 Option 1 The RAD 380 rarely, if ever, interrupted us with false alerts. 5 0 obj
Its a subscription service, but the benefits are well worth it, especially when traveling someplace new. How can we improve GearLab? Bouncie GPS Vehicle Tracker Review: How It Works, Top Safety Features & Cost (2023), 12V Slime Inflator Review: An Easy Solution for Unexpected Low Tires, 5 Best Jump Starters (2023 Buyers Guide), Driving On Wet Roads: 6 Essential Tips to Increase Your Safety, Best Radar Detectors With a Dash Camera (2023 Buyers Guide), Furiously Ridiculous: The Worst Car Movies of All Time, 5 Most Romantic Classic Cars For Valentines Day, AAA Drivers Ed Review: Courses & Prices for 2023, 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70: Trim Levels, Safety Tech, Pricing & More. Not only does your detector have to be able to pick up frequencies used by law enforcement, but it also needs to filter out frequencies that are non-threatening. The R3 tops our list of the best radar detectors under $300, but there are a lot of great options in this price range. This data alerts you to things like an unforeseen red light camera, speed trap, construction work, school zone, or police radar activity. Other reviews we read before our three-week drive supported this as well. The laser detection and range are pretty good, and the false alarms are minimal, thanks to four different filter settings. On the screen, youd find band identification icons and a numeric signal strength meter so you know how near or far away the police radar gun is. You can, however, turn certain bands, like the X-band detectors, completely off, which is helpful. Several times, while driving through Ferndale and Royal Oak on Woodward Avenue, the RAD 480i alerted us to patrol cars during heavy rush hour traffic; patrol cars we would not have seen otherwise. <>
Just change the brightness settings via the DIM button on the top of the unit, based on your preferences (Bright, Dim, and Dimmer). Even though we were driving at slightly higher speeds, we were still in Detroit proper or rather, we were still doing city driving. IMO it makes you a better driver. $19 at Amazon. Should you receive an alert while connected to the app, the type will show on the OLED display (like a red light camera or speed trap, for example). Do you have a question about the Cobra RAD 480i or do you need help? 4 Master Pack TBD Dimensions Master Pack Weight TBD UPC # 028377 10786 3 Master Pack Barcode 1 0028377 10786 0 www.cobra.com Model # Cobra RAD 480i GENERAL PRODUCT LAUNCH INFO Product price (MSRP/MAP) 2020 Cobra Electronics Corporation, 6500 West Cortland Street, Chicago, IL 60707, USA. The Cobra RAD 480i offers four different sensitivity levels: High, Medium, Low, and Auto. User rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars with 462 reviews. As you might imagine, theres not much to installing the RAD 480i. No questions asked. It offers great detection range, lighting-fast response, advanced anti-falsing circuitry, and access to the iRadar app. View detailed alert information and access Cobra detector settings directly on your phone. Price Checker. works very well alerts you long distance status there are no problems if you have the window open and you pass by since its volume decreases when you are close. Detects from an alright distance. Having them bundled like this will save you money over buying them individually. That said, there are multiple display adjustments to cope with this, including an auto setting that adjusts to the ambient light. Five squares represent the signal strength on the display screen. The styling is also kind aggressive. The Cobra RAD 480i has no trouble detecting LiDAR. Specific details. The volume scroll is on the side for easy adjustments, which is something we find convenient. I typically dont like using the audio alerts, but the 480is sounds arent as alarming or intrusive as some of the other units Ive tested. Dont toss your old Escort unit just yet. With DSP, youll be able to know faster if police are targeting the area. Start Cobra RAD 480i Update The software will notify you if your RAD 480i is up to date. Maybe we would have switched to Medium in this area in hindsight, but the Auto mode was definitely too jumpy. Although the screen is small, its very easy to decipher between multiple threats at the same time. Is it as powerful and robust as the Uniden R7? To experiment, we ran through the same area (both north and southbound) in Low sensitivity. The closer the bar moves to the left, the closer you are to the iRadar alert. Cobra Rad 480i Premium Mount Radar/Laser Detector IVT VOICE OLED BLUETOOTH . Cobras proprietary LaserEye technology (located on the top left-hand side of the unit) means the RAD 480i can detect signals from both the front and rear. In my opinion, there is little to no point in upgrading to a higher tier system past this, it's not going to eliminate false positives or increase range dramatically, unless you want light statistics, etc. Make Offer Add to Wish List. And with LaserEye technology, the Cobra RAD 480i is able to detect radar and laser signals from the front and rear of the vehicle. The app alerts you, in real-time, to things like red light and speed cameras. Make sure to double-check the connection from the primary power source. Affiliate Disclosure:Automoblog and its partners may earn a commission if you purchase the radar detectors below from their respective manufacturers. Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars with 462 reviews, Accurate, sleek, with map options on your phone to report accidents, patrol vehicles and changing speed limits. Bonus: Best radar detector mount for motorcycles. Multiple sensitivity modes, location marking, and compatibility with Cobras iRadar app help make the RAD 480i a well-rounded radar detector for something in this price range. Join our community to stay up to date on cool car stuff and updates every few days: Audi activesphere Debuts With Futuristic Interior, Self-Driving Mode & Off-Road Muscle, Porsche 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS Package: Saluting The Most Iconic 911. If you live in an area with long straight roads and want a budget-friendly device, this is a good choice. One of the best features of the Cobra DualPro 360 is the directional arrows that point towards the threat. The tones will become faster for X, K, and Ka bands as you approach the source, whereas a laser alert will be more sudden and direct by contrast. The downsides to hard-wiring? Sometimes we go in-depth and analyze something, or we talk about car history or motorsports, or maybe were just giving our thoughts on something in the automotive industry. 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