Radio Shack 22-1669 User manual

Owner’s Manual
X•K•Ka Superwide Radar/
Laser Detector
Please read before using this equipment.
Cat. No. 22-1669
M
X • K • Ka SUPERWIDE
LASER
C
D
P
V
X K Ka
W H C T M
L
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2
FEATURES
Your RadioShack X•K•Ka Superwide Radar/Laser Detector
can alert you to all known police traffic radar and laser sys-
tems. It receives X-, K-, and Ka-band radar signals and also
detects both the instant-on and laser systems many police
departments use to measure vehicle speed. Plus, it can alert
you to hazards by detecting Safety Warning System signals.
Your detector has many useful features, including:
X-, K-, Ka-Band, and Laser Signal Detection — warns you
when it detects signals from traffic radar or laser devices. Dif-
ferent tones sound to let you know the type of signal received.
VG-2 Protection — makes your detector invisible to the VG-2
radar-detector detector when it senses VG-2 operation.
Safety Warning SystemDetection — alerts you to the
presence of potential road hazards and emergency vehicles
signalled by a safety warning system transmission.
Front- and Rear-Looking Laser — detects laser signals from
both the front and the rear of your vehicle.
City/Highway Modes — let you minimize alerts when you are
in areas that have false radar sources.
FAST (False Alert Suppression Technology) — helps pre-
vent false alarms caused by non-traffic radar sources.
1996 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
RadioShack and FAST are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.
Safety Warning System and SWS are trademarks of
Safety Warning System LLC.
InstaClear is a registered trademark used by Ford Motor Company.
ElectriClear is a registered trademark used by Libbey, Owens, Ford,
and Delco-Remy.
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Auto Quiet — lets you set the radar detector to give you a full-
volume alert for about 5 seconds, then reduce its alert to mini-
mum volume.
Dim/Dark Modes — let you dim the display for nighttime oper-
ation, or have the radar detector go completely dark whenever
it detects traffic radar signals.
Your radar/laser detector includes the following items:
• Power Cord
• Windshield Bracket with Suction Cups
• Hook and Loop Fastener
• This Owner’s Manual
We recommend you record your detector’s serial number
here. The number is on the detector’s bottom panel.
Serial Number: _________________________________
Note: Some areas have laws regulating the use of radar
detectors. Check with your local law enforcement agency
about the laws in your area.
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CONTENTS
A Quick Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mounting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Hook-and-Loop Tape Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Windshield Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Connecting Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Turning the Detector On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Demonstrating Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Muting Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Auto Quiet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Selecting the City and Highway Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Dimming the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Setting the VG-2 Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Receiving and Identifying Alert Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Resetting the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Replacing the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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A QUICK LOOK
1Bracket Release Button — lets you quickly remove the
detector’s bracket.
2Power Jack — the power cable plugs in here.
3P
/V(Power/Volume) Button — turns the detector on and
off and lets you adjust the volume.
4Speaker — sounds distinct warnings.
5High Intensity Digital Display ∇ προϖιδεσ διστινχτ
ϖισυαλ χονφιρµατιον οφ σιγναλσ δετεχτεδ ανδ σιγναλ
στρενγτη, ανδ ινδιχατεσ τηε σελεχτεδ οπερατινγ µοδεσ.
6Visual Radar/Safety Indicators — the appropriate indi-
cator lights when the detector detects a traffic or safety
radar signal.
M
X • K • Ka SUPERWIDE
LASER
C
D
P
V
X K Ka
W H C T M
L
1
2
3456
7
8
9
10
11
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7D
(DARK) Button — dims the display for night operation
or darkens the display so all indicators turn off during an
alert.
8C
(CITY/HIGHWAY) Button — switches between the city
and highway modes.
9M
(Mute) Button — lets you silence alerts.
10 Auxiliary Jack — lets you easily connect an auxiliary
laser receive module (available by special order from your
local RadioShack store, RSU #11670049) for added front
and rear laser protection.
11 Rear Laser Detection Lens — receives incoming laser
signals from the rear.
12 Front Laser Detection Lens — receives incoming laser
signals from the front.
13 Radar Detection Antenna — receives the incoming
radar signals.
14 Mounting Bracket Slot — holds the windshield mounting
bracket.
14
12 13
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INSTALLATION
MOUNTING GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines when selecting a location.
• Choose a location that does not block the driver’s view of
the road.
• Mount the detector in a level position with a clear view to
both the front and rear.
• The detector’s view of the road must not be blocked by any
metal object.
• Some vehicles have InstaClear‚or ElectriClear‚defogging
windshields, which have metal coatings that block signals.
General Motor’s APV vans have a solar shield that keeps
the vehicle cooler during the summer, but also blocks sig-
nals. A detector installed in a vehicle with any of these fea-
tures will probably not detect a signal.
• Since window tinting reduces the received strength of laser
signals, you should not mount the detector behind any
tinted glass.
• Do not mount the detector where the driver or a passenger
might hit it in a sudden stop or accident.
Caution: Whichever mounting method you choose, place the
detector out of view when you leave the vehicle. This keeps
the detector out of sight of thieves and prevents exposing it to
extremely high temperatures, which can temporarily impair
performance.
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HOOK-AND-LOOP TAPE MOUNTING
For some dashboards, the hook-and-loop tape included with
your detector might be best for mounting. Follow these steps
to use the hook-and-loop tape.
1. Use a damp cloth to clean the bottom of the detector and
the dashboard. Let both surfaces dry.
Note: The tape’s adhesive might not stick to a surface
treated with vinyl cleaner or protectant.
2. Remove the tape’s backing and stick the tape to the bottom
of the detector.
Note: Do not place the hook-and-loop tape over the detec-
tor’s serial number.
On a curved dashboard, cut the supplied strip in half and
use one strip on each side of the bottom of the detector.
3. Remove the backing from the other side of the tape and
press the detector onto the dashboard.
Serial Number
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WINDSHIELD MOUNTING
The supplied suction-cup windshield bracket lets you easily
mount the detector on the windshield.
Caution: Do not use the bracket in a vehicle that has a plastic
coating on the windshield designed to protect passengers dur-
ing an accident. If you use the bracket on this type of wind-
shield, you might permanently mar the windshield’s surface.
1. Align the groove in each suction cup with the slots in the
windshield bracket and slide the suction cups out until they
lock into place.
2. Press the supplied black rubber windshield mount stop into
the small hole on the windshield bracket.
Note: You might need to slightly twist the stop to get it to
pop into the hole.
3. Clean the selected windshield area, position the bracket on
the windshield, and press firmly on each suction cup to
secure it in place.
4. Slide the radar detector onto the
base plate until it snaps into place.
5. To level the detector, press the bracket release button to
remove the bracket from the detector. Then bend the
bracket.
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CONNECTING POWER
Caution:
• Use only the supplied power cord. If your power cord is lost
or damaged, you can order a replacement cord from your
local RadioShack store.
• 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. See “Replacing the
Fuse” on Page 20 for more information about the cigarette-
lighter plug.
• Unplug the power cord’s cigarette-lighter plug from your
vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket when you turn off the igni-
tion. This prevents your vehicle’s battery from being drained
if you leave the detector on when you turn off the ignition.
Plug the supplied power cord’s short barrel plug into the detec-
tor’s power jack. Then plug the cord’s cigarette-lighter plug
into your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
Note: 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 cig-
arette-lighter plug and your vehicle’s fuse block (see “Replac-
ing the Fuse” on Page 20).
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OPERATION
TURNING THE DETECTOR ON AND OFF
To turn on the detector, press and release P/V.
The detector sounds a distinctive alert and lights the indicators
for each band as a self test, in the order presented in the fol-
lowing table. Then all indicators turn off except the power indi-
cator, and the detector returns to the same operating modes
as the last time you used it.
To turn off the detector, press and release P/Vagain.
See “Receiving and Identifying Alert Signals” on Page 15 for
more information about alerts.
Alert Type Audible Alert Visual Alert
X Low steady X + Digit 8
K High trill K + Digit 8
Ka Medium warble Ka + Digit 8
Safety Low-high W (weather), H (highway haz-
ard), C (highway construction), T
(travel advisory), or M (moving
vehicle) indicator + Digit 8
Laser High-low L
VG-2 None Middle display segment (–)
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ADJUSTING THE VOLUME
The detector has four volume levels. To change the detector’s
volume, press and hold down P/V. The detector sounds a tone
at the current volume level and displays a 1, 2, 3, or 4. When
the detector reaches full volume, it displays 4. When the
detector reaches minimum volume, it displays 1. Release P/V
when the volume is at the desired level.
Note: When the detector reaches either the maximum or mini-
mum volume, you must release and press P/Vagain to reverse
the volume direction.
DEMONSTRATING ALERTS
To familiarize yourself with the different alerts your detector
produces, you can run a demonstration. To start the demon-
stration, press and release Mand Cat the same time with the
detector turned on. The detector demonstrates the alerts for X,
K, Ka, safety warning, laser, and VG-2, in that order. To end
the demonstration, press P/V.
MUTING ALERTS
While a radar, laser, or safety warning alert is sounding, you
can press M (mute) to temporarily silence the detector for the
current alert and any new alert that is produced within 10 sec-
onds. Visual alerts are not affected.
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AUTO QUIET
Auto quiet reduces the selected audio level to the minimum
volume about 5 seconds after it detects a speed or safety
radar signal. The audio alert for any new signal received within
10 seconds sounds at the minimum level. Auto quiet does not
affect VG-2 or laser alerts.
To turn on auto quiet, press Mwhen the detector is not sound-
ing an alert. The detector displays Afor 1 second.
To turn off auto quiet, press Mwhen the detector is not sound-
ing an alert.
SELECTING THE CITY AND
HIGHWAY MODES
In the city mode, the detector sounds two or three alert tones
when it detects weak traffic or safety radar signals. If the signal
becomes stronger, it sounds two or three additional beeps.
The display continues to react immediately to traffic radar sig-
nals to keep you quietly informed.
Note: The city mode has no effect on laser or VG-2 operation.
To select the city mode, press C(city) until the detector dis-
plays C. The detector beeps once.
The highway mode provides maximum alert response for
open-road driving. To select the highway mode, press Cuntil
the detector displays H. The detector beeps twice.
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DIMMING THE DISPLAY
Press Donce to dim the display. The display dims immediately.
Press Dagain and the display dims when it is not detecting a
signal, and blanks the display entirely while it receives a signal
and for 10 seconds after the signal goes away.
Press Da third time to restore the display to full brightness.
SETTING THE VG-2 OPTION
VG-2 is a system used by some law enforcement agencies
that detects the use of radar detectors in vehicles. It does this
by detecting the weak radio signals used in radar detectors.
Your radar detector can sense a VG-2 system and shift its
operating frequencies out of the range detected by VG-2, mak-
ing your radar detector essentially invisible to this system.
To turn the VG-2 option on or off, press P/Vand Mat the same
time. Then press C. The middle segment (–) turns on and the
detector beeps once to indicate the VG-2 option is on. If the
VG-2 option is off, the middle segment turns off and the detec-
tor beeps once.
After you set this feature, press P/Vagain. The detector beeps
twice.
Note: Your detector does not detect traffic radar when VG-2
has been detected.
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RECEIVING AND IDENTIFYING
ALERT SIGNALS
Your detector gives different audible alerts for each signal. In
addition, the alert tone pulse rate increases with signal
strength and the detector displays a digit from 1 to 8 to indicate
the signal strength (1 is weakest and 8 is strongest). (See
“Demonstrating Alerts” on Page 12 to find out how the detector
alerts you to X-, K-, Ka-band, safety warning system, laser,
and VG-2 signals.)
When your detector senses instant-on radar, it sounds an
intense, 3-second tone and displays P.
Safety Radar Audio/Visual Alerts
Your radar detector detects all safety radar including the new
Safety Warning System and Safety Alert. These systems pro-
vide advanced warning of hazards and let you respond appro-
priately to potentially dangerous conditions.
Note: Not all areas have Safety Warning System or Safety
Alert transmitters. Your radar detector only alerts you to haz-
ards if the area you are in has transmitters sending signals.
When your radar detector encounters safety radar, it sounds a
distinctive tone and displays the signal strength. In addition,
your radar detector informs you of the type of hazard by dis-
playing one of five letters:
W(weather) — confirms detection of a weather advisory such
as heavy fog or high winds.
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H(highway) — confirms detection of a highway hazard such
as an accident or dangerous intersection.
C(construction) — confirms detection of a highway construc-
tion hazard.
T(travel) — confirms detection of a travel related advisory
such as congested traffic, rest area ahead, and so on.
M(moving) — confirms detection of a fast or slow moving vehi-
cle, such as police in pursuit, oversize vehicle ahead, and so
on.
The safety radar indicator appears for as long as the signal is
present. The audio alert is continuous, but the faster the beep-
ing, the closer you are to the source.
Laser Audio/Visual Alerts
If you are the targeted vehicle, a laser gun can often determine
your speed within seconds after you receive an alert.
However, if you are traveling near or behind the targeted vehi-
cle and receive an alert, you should have time to respond. Any
laser alert, regardless of duration, requires immediate action!
When your radar detector detects a laser signal from ahead or
behind, the laser audio sounds and the radar detector displays
Lfor as long as the signal is present (for a minimum of 3 sec-
onds).
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RESETTING THE DETECTOR
The detector keeps the audio level, city/highway mode, mute
mode, dim mode, auto quiet mode, VG-2 option, and on or off
setting in memory when power is removed. When you reapply
power, it returns to these same settings.
To reset the detector to its factory default settings, unplug the
detector’s power cord from the cigarette-lighter socket, press
and hold P/Vand M, plug in the power cord, wait for it to beep,
then release P/Vand M. The detector turns off the auto quiet,
dim, and VG-2 option, returns to highway mode, and sets the
volume to its maximum level.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
If you have problems operating your radar/laser detector, the
suggestions in this section might help. If you cannot solve the
problem after trying these suggestions, take your detector to
your local RadioShack store for assistance.
If the detector does not turn on:
• Be sure all power connections are secure.
• Check the fuse that controls power to the cigarette-lighter
socket. See your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Check the fuse in the cigarette-lighter plug. See “Replacing
the Fuse” on Page 20.
• The cigarette-lighter socket might be dirty. Clean it to give a
good, clean connection.
Caution: Do not place any metal object other than the ciga-
rette lighter or a cigarette-lighter plug in the cigarette-lighter
socket. Doing so could blow a fuse in your vehicle or cause
the metal object to become very hot.
If the detector gives a false alert when the vehicle hits
bumps in the road:
• Check the power connections.
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If the detector gives a false alert when you use accesso-
ries such as power windows, motorized mirrors, brakes,
and so on:
• Check the vehicle’s electrical system, including the main
battery cable and alternator connections.
• Install a filter capacitor (1,000 µf, 35 volts, such as Cat. No.
272-1032) on the back of the cigarette-lighter socket,
across the power connections.
If the detector performs the power on self-test (see “Turn-
ing the Detector On and Off” on Page 11), but does not
respond to radar signals when you see a police car:
• A police car might not be equipped with radar, or might be
using instant-on radar and not have the radar gun triggered
(see the separate booklet
Questions and Answers About
Vehicle Speed Detection
).
• Police might be using VASCAR-type speed detection (see
the separate booklet
Questions and Answers About Vehicle
Speed Detection
).
If the detector has poor laser detection range:
• Be sure the laser detection lenses are not blocked.
• Use lens-cleaning solution to clean the laser detection
lenses and the windshield.
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REPLACING THE FUSE
If the detector stops operating, check the fuse in the DC power
cord’s cigarette-lighter plug. If it has blown, follow these steps
to replace it with a 2-Amp, 11/4× 1/4mm, fast-acting fuse (Cat.
No. 270-1007).
Caution: Using a fuse that does not meet these ratings or
defeating the fuse protection can damage your detector or the
vehicle’s electrical system.
1. Carefully unscrew the tip of the cigarette-lighter plug.
2. Remove the tip from the cigarette-lighter plug, then remove
the old fuse.
Note: Take care not to lose the spring inside the holder, or
the metal ring.
3. Replace the fuse.
4. Press the cigarette-lighter plug’s tip down into the body,
then screw it back in.
Caution: Be sure you press the cigarette-lighter plug’s tip
down before screwing it in, or you might damage the plug.
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