Radar Detector
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please read before using this equipment.
with Safety Alert
22-1695
Thank you for purchasing a RadioShack Radar
Detector with Safety Alert. Your radar detector
can alert you to many traffic radar and laser
systems with its distinct visual and audio alerts.
It receives X-, K-, and Ka-band radar signals,
and detects both the instant-on and laser
systems many law enforcement agencies use to
measure vehicle speed. Plus, your detector can
give you advance warning of potential road
hazards by detecting signals from transmitters that
broadcast Safety Alert System™ alerts.
CONTROLS & INDICATORS
CONNECTING POWER
Indicators
VG-2 — lights when a VG-2 signal is detected.
City (City/Highway) —
Mute — silences the
C (City) — lights when the detector is in city mode.
Plug the supplied power cord’s
barrel plug into the detector’s
12V DC jack. Then plug the cord’s
cigarette-lighter plug into your
vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
12V DC Jack
switches between city
and highway modes.
alert tone.
O (Moving Train) — both indicators under O (M and
S) flash when the detector encounters a signal related
to a moving train from a safety alert transmitter.
360° Laser Eye — receives
incoming laser signals
directed at your vehicle from
all directions.
• M (Emergency Vehicle) — flashes when the
detector encounters a signal related to an
emergency vehicle from a safety alert transmitter.
• S (Stationary Road Hazard Situation) — flashes
when the detector encounters a signal related to a
stationary road hazard from a safety alert
transmitter.
Ô Note Ô
• To prevent the detector from draining
your vehicle’s battery if you leave the
detector on when you turn off the
ignition, unplug the power cord from
your vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket.
Dim — controls the
brightness of the
indicators
Ô Note Ô
2 and 3 — signal strength indicators that flash to
provide a visual indication of the strength of received
radar signals.
Before reading this Owner’s Manual, read the supplied
booklet Questions and Answers About Vehicle Speed
Detection to familiarize yourself with the terms and uses
associated with your detector.
ꢀ CAUTION ꢀ
VG-2
• Use only the supplied 12V DC,
• If the detector does not operate when
you turn it on, remove the cigarette-
lighter plug from your vehicle’s socket
and check the socket for debris. Also,
check the fuse in the detector’s plug
and your vehicle’s cigarette lighter
fuse.
C
S
VOLUME/OFF — turns the
detector on and off and lets
you adjust the volume.
Positive (+) Tip power cord. Use of
any other power source may cause
damage.
L (Laser) — both indicators under L (X and K/Ka)
flash when the detector encounters a laser signal.
O
M
• X (X-Band Radar) — displays when the detector
encounters an X-band radar signal.
• Before plugging the power cord’s
cigarette-lighter plug into your
vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket,
make sure the plug’s tip is screwed
firmly onto the plug.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
• K/Ka (K/Ka Band Radar) — flashes when the
detector encounters either a K- or Ka-band radar
signal.
P
X
Windshield
Bracket with
Radar Detector
Suction Cups
L
P (Power) — lights when the detector is turned on.
K/Ka
2
3
OPERATION
INSTALLATION
TURNING ON THE DETECTOR
To turn on the
detector, rotate
VOLUME/OFF
toward VOLUME
until it clicks.
Adjusting the Bracket
SELECTING A MOUNTING LOCATION
If the mounted detector is not at the optimum
viewing angle, you can adjust the mounting
bracket for better viewing. Carefully bend the
bracket to adjust it to the desired angle.
For the best performance, select a location where the
detector has a direct view of the road. The detector’s
radar antenna is at the opposite end of the indicators.
Hook and
Loop Tape
ꢀ CAUTION ꢀ
Do not use the mounting
bracket in a vehicle that
has a plastic safety
coating on the inside of
the windshield designed
to protect passengers
during an accident. If you
use the bracket on this
type of windshield, you
might permanently mar
the windshield’s surface.
Mount the radar detector
on the dashboard
Coiled Power Cord
After self-testing,
Mounting Guidelines
• Choose a location
the P (power)
VOLUME/OFF
indicator lights.
Ô Note Ô
that does not block
Though the detector has a
the driver’s view of
the road.
To turn off the detector, rotate VOLUME/OFF toward OFF until it
clicks and all the LEDs turn off.
360° laser and radar detection
range, the radar detection is
Questions and Answers About
Vehicle Speed Detection Booklet
DASHBOARD MOUNTING
most sensitive in the front
range.
• Mount the detector
in a level position
ADJUSTING THE VOLUME
In some vehicles, the dashboard may be the best location to
mount the detector. Use the supplied hook-and-loop tape to
mount your radar detector to the dash.
with a clear view of
both the front and rear of your vehicle.
Rotate VOLUME/OFF toward VOLUME to increase the
SAFETY ALERT SYSTEM
detector’s volume, rotate it toward OFF to reduce the volume.
The Safety Alert System employs low-powered
transmitters used by some emergency services and
road crews to alert drivers to hazardous road
conditions. The system can indicate stationary,
moving, or railroad hazards.
• Choose a location that gives the detector a view
unobstructed by metal objects.
• Some vehicles have InstaClear® or ElectriClear® defogging windshields, which
have metal coatings that block signals. Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual to
see if your vehicle has one of these features. A detector installed in a vehicle
with one of these features might not detect a signal.
instead.
1. Use a damp cloth to clean the bottom of the detector and the
dashboard. Let both surfaces dry.
OPERATION SETTINGS
SELECTING CITY AND HIGHWAY MODES
2. Remove the tape’s paper backing and
stick the tape to the bottom of the
detector.
Your detector has two
operating modes: City and
Highway.
The system has the potential to dramatically
decrease the occurrence of traffic accidents by
increasing drivers’ awareness of local road hazards.
Having this safety alert compatible radar/laser
detector will ensure that you are ready to benefit from
this system wherever it is in use.
Ô Note Ô
• City mode helps prevent
false alerts in tightly
populated areas where laser/
radar signals can bounce off
surrounding structures.
• Since window tinting reduces the received strength of laser signals, you should
not mount the detector behind any tinted glass.
3. Remove the backing from the other
side of the tape and firmly press your
detector onto the dashboard.
• City mode requires a
stronger X-band signal
before the detector
sounds, or visually
indicates, an alert.
• Do not mount the detector where the driver or a passenger might hit it in a sudden
stop or accident.
• City mode has no effect on K
or Ka-band signals or laser
alerts or instant-on radar.
Ô Dashboard Mounting Notes Ô
• The tape’s adhesive might not stick to a surface treated with vinyl
cleaner or protectant.
• Highway mode provides
maximum sensitivity for
WINDSHIELD MOUNTING
ARE RADAR DETECTORS
• Do not place the hook-and-loop tape over the detector’s serial
number.
1. Clean the selected windshield area,
position the bracket on the windshield,
and press firmly on each suction cup to
secure the bracket.
LEGAL?
open-road driving. The detector is preset to Highway
mode when you turn it on.
Federal law lets you install and use a radar
detector in automobiles and light trucks under
10,000 pounds in the United States. Presently,
Virginia and the District of Columbia have some
laws regulating or prohibiting the use of radar
detectors in all vehicles.
• On a curved dashboard, cut the supplied strip in half and use one
strip on each side of the bottom of the detector.
1. To select City mode, press City. The C LED lights.
• Be sure to place the detector out of view when you leave the
vehicle. This keeps the detector out of sight of thieves and prevents
exposure to extremely high temperatures, which can temporarily
impair your detector’s performance.
2. To return to Highway mode, press City again. The C LED
2. Slide the detector’s bracket slot onto
the bracket until it snaps into place.
Bracket Slot
turns off.
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