Blinder HP-905 Laser Jammer Testing

Thanks to the ECCTG at the Radar Detector Forum we had a great day of testing on the new Blinder HP-905 Laser Jammer.  Spend several hours meeting at 5:30AM to tell the HP-905 against 14 different laser jammers.  Overall the new Jammer from Blinder performed exceptionally well considering the new smaller sized heads.  While there were several punch through's but that is to be expected in real world testing.  Blinder has shown that they still can compete in the jammer market and the HP-905 is competitively priced and will do very well.

Differences of the new Beltronics PRO Series Radar Detectors

Well here you have it the new PRO Series Lineup.  Please note that only the Beltronics PRO 300 & Beltronics PRO 500 work with Escort Live.  All new Pro Model all come with a new rubberized black paint which give the detector a nice feel and look and also cuts back on sun glare.

Beltronics PRO 100 - Is the new entry level radar detector which replaces the older V940 radar detector.

Beltronics PRO 200 - Is the higher end entry level radar detector which replaces the older V955 and it has a nice sensitivity increase.  This unit will be an excellent detector to compete with the higher end Whistler radar detectors.

Beltronics PRO 300 - Is the high performance (Non GPS) radar detector which replaces the older RX65.  The major change is the new redesigned lens which makes it more sensitive than the older RX65 that is replaced.  This will be the new best performing radar detector under $300.

Beltronics PRO 500 - Has all the features of the PRO 300 but adds the internal GPS for red light and fixed speed camera protection as well as the ability to mark and ignore false alerts.  It does this by memorizing the GPS location and frequency of the false alerts and storing them into its internal memory.

Beltronics RX65 vs. New Beltronics Pro 300

Beltronics recently introduced the new Beltronics PRO 300 which will be replacing the old proven RX65.  Upon opening the new PRO 300's I have noticed these immediate differences:

1. There is no user manual. Strange but they only include a quick reference card and a link to the Beltronics website if you want to download a manual.
2. The Smart Coiled cord was replaced with the newer Combo Smart Cord (Half Straight & Half Coiled)
3. There is no more support for KU Band.
4. The is still KA Band USA or International Mode
5. They no longer include a carrying case

I like the new rubberized black finish on the new models:

Part of the increased performance on the new Beltronics PRO 300 is due to a new lens which was also recently introduced to the Escort 8500x50 Black models.

I plan to take the PRO 300 out tonight and do some testing and see if the claims of better performance can be noticed in real world driving.  I will keep everyone posted.

New Cobra Vedetta SLR-500, SLR-600, SLR-650G are coming

We have been hearing about the new Cobra Vedetta Series for months now with the promise that this new series of radar detectors from Cobra will have around a 30% improvement in sensitivity.  We finally received word that they are shipping and we should have some inventory before the end of the month.  These are unique looking units with large LCD screens:

There will be three part numbers in the Vedetta Series:

Cobra Vedetta SLR-500
Cobra Vedetta SLR-600
Cobra Vedetta SLR-650G

The SLR-650G will be Cobra's new top of the line radar detector with integrated GPS for Camera protection as well as the normal Radar & Laser detection.  The promise of 30% performance gain is promising and something that Cobra has needed to compete with the higher performance models from Whistler, Escort & Beltronics.

We plan to immediately take one for a drive as soon as they get here and we will test the difference from their older XRS Models and the new Vedetta Models and see if there really is the promised performance gain!

Next Generation Cobra iRadar 200 (iRad 200) is here

No longer do you have to choose if you want to use your iRadar with an Android Smartphone or an Apple Smartphone.  The Cobra iRadar 200 supports both platforms with only one product.  The powerful new Cobra iRadar Detection sports a sleek and appealing low-profile form factor featuring a satin black sheen and new brushed metal accent trim—designed to look right at home in the company of today’s hottest smartphones and progressive automotive interiors. The next-generation iRadar dash-mounted unit pairs via Bluetooth with the free Android or Apple iOS Cobra iRadar app.

Looking for the help on countermeasures?

While we are always here for any of your radar detector or laser jammer questions during business hours if you need help after hours we recommend you try the Radar Detector Forum.  There are few forums for discussion on countermeasures but only one that we trust to you give real information without trying to sell you stuff.  We are frequently on the forum also helping members out so if you need help after hours give them a try.

New Beltronics Models Coming Soon

Looks like the Beltronics Pro Radar Detector line is being refreshed for 2012.  Looks like there will be some units getting discontinued (Vector Series) and some new Pro models will be replacing them.  So far we have only received information on two new models:


Beltronics Pro 100
Beltronics Pro 200

Shipping date is not yet known but I would guess that they will be released in the next few weeks.  Once we get them, we will of course test them and report back.  Based on the specifications the Beltronics Pro-200 will most likely replace the Beltronics 955 in our Best Radar Detectors 2012 under $200 category.