Increases Your Driving Confidence & Ease--In STYLE!
Written: Mar 20 '08 (Updated Sep 04 '08)
Product Rating:
Effectiveness:
Ease of Use:
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Pros: Sleek, stylish, All bands, plus pulse/POP/instant-on. Voice alerts. "Keep alert" feature.
Cons: No coiled cord included, or carry case.
The Bottom Line: Sixty dollars is a LOT cheaper than a speeding ticket, and a BARGAIN for a detector with these capabilities and performance. BUY this unit while you can!
The Whistler XTR-330 radar detector is a striking unit--about average for size in this category-but smartly adorned in dual-tone gray-on-black, with silver buttons. It comes with a straight power cord (with a replaceable 2-amp fuse) and suction cup mount. I decided to pay $20 more and upgrade to this one, after a good experience with my Whistler XTR-140 detector--my last detector had speech capabilities, and I really missed it. Well, this unit has that, and quite a bit more!
This thing is loaded! It detects the usual X, K, Ka ("photo") radar, as well as lidar ("laser"), and "POP"/Pulse radar (it's K band, but is "instant-on"). It also has 360 degree protection, and VG-2 "anti-radar detector, detection," which informs you when the police are attempting to determine if you're illegally using a detector, in the states where they aren't allowed, and "hides" your detector (I'm STILL not sure where those are). The manual helpfully states that the police have a new technology for this purpose, and this unit will not functionally hide itself in those cases. There is also a "stay alert" feature which, when activated, will sound alerts every 30-60 seconds, and respond with a flurry of lights and sounds if you don't respond in a few seconds by pressing a button; the cycle then repeats, until cancelled. In addition, there is an "exclusive" dual periscope feature-which is 2 bright LEDs on the top of the unit-which also activate with the audible alerts. "Setting Saver" retains the settings for the next time you turn the unit on. A "battery saver" feature automatically turns the unit off after 6 hours, but warns you with lights & beeps--you can reset the timer, or reactivate the unit with any button, should it turn off. And, of course, there is the "Real Voice" feature, which uses a pleasant female voice, not only for alerts, but certain confirmations --I really like this, as my first detector had a male voice, and I don't think my wife liked him...
---------------------------A la "Modes"-----------------------------
The XTR-330 has several "Modus Operandis." Quiet mode will eliminate audible alerts for 20 seconds, even during an alert, responding with 2 beeps for new alerts after that. "Auto Quiet" mode can be engaged before alerts are received, and any alert will cause 4 beeps, followed by clicking--the clicking will continue as long as the signal is detected, becoming more rapid with the signal's strength. A dim/dark mode reduces the illumination of the unit, in 2 stages, and it can be activated during alerts. In Highway mode, all detected bands will cause full alerts. In City mode, weak signals will cause 2 beeps, becoming quiet unless the intensity increases, in which case 2 more beeps will be heard. City I mode operates like Highway, but only reduces the X-band sensitivity, while City II mode eliminates all X-band detection. If you consider this a "mode," the dual-periscope can be PROGRAMMED(!) to flash with all alerts, remain permanently on (I haven't tried this), or turn off completely--now THAT'S flexibility!
------------------------So What do those Nifty Buttons do?---------------
On the right-top side, there is a "quiet" button, and it does just as it's namesake--it stops the noisemaking, and only informs with lights, and occasional, muted beeps, until you either press the button again, or turn the unit off and on. On the left-top side, there is a "mode" button--that selects Highway, City I, or City II mode. And, on the back-right side, there is a "menu" button, for accessing various features.
This thing is slick! It increases driving confidence (and fun!) just by its presence (and it looks COOL--a LOT better than the XTR-140! The unit very securely slides onto its mounting tab, and starts the self-test, with sounds each alert, with a vocal description (and this is standard for detectors, and I, for one, feel a LOT safer when I know that the whole shebanigan is correctly working!); for those less-enamored with this, you can press the "quiet" button to cancel this, and it will not sound again until you again press quiet (upon restarting the unit). The alerts come through as sort of a pleasant buzz, with occasional clicks, for emphasis, instead of the annoying beeps of the XTR-140--my wife was annoyed by the 140 (and myself, somewhat), but isn't bothered by the 330; it also sounds and feels more refined, which is amazing for a $20 price difference. Then, the pleasant female voice announces the band detected (and I LOVE the way she says "PULSE!--I think it makes my pulse rise a little! And no matter how loud I have my excellent 200 Watt Kenwood MP435U USB/MP3 CD Player (and unlike the 140), it never fails to get my attention, further increasing my confidence. Lastly, you are also presented with an LED readout, and the flashing blue LED lights (dual-periscope), which don't seem as bright as the XTR-140's (and I don't miss it!), which annoyed my wife, and a certain friend.
Unlike the XTR-140, the 330 seems to have a higher sensitivity for all bands, and a "1" on the XTR-140 shows up as an estimated 1-4 on the 330, making it much more useful (I tested them, mounted in-vehicle, side-by-side, turning one off, at times, to ensure that one wasn't affecting the other) The 330 appears to warn all the way up to "9," while the 140 seems to go up to only "5," and there were a few times when the 140 didn't give ANY warning--even when a weak Ka signal (a "2") was being detected by the 330 (they were only about 18 inches apart). It took me a long time to even SEE a cop, despite the 140's warnings, while I was more easily able to at least LOCATE a source of radiation with the 330. Now, it could be that there simply weren't as many cops out during my exclusive use of the 140, but I feel a LOT SAFER and REASSURED with the 330. I will disclose that I did drop the 140 on asphalt, with 2 bounces, but the self-test still works-it's just a little quieter-and my separate review describes my experience prior to the accident. The comparo was performed after the accident. I still feel that the 330 is a MUCH better unit. The 140 also doesn't purport to have "POP"/instant-on detection.
Update!!!! Here is a website that shows the U.S. locations of speed traps, listed by state!!! http://www.speedtrap.org/speedtraps/stetlist.asp
Sixty dollars is a LOT cheaper than a speeding ticket, and a BARGAIN for a detector with these capabilities and performance. It's also a great looker. BUY this unit while you can!
For additional instructions on how to safely navigate the increasingly squirrely "highways of life," be sure to check outTom Muzila's Mental Karate--easily one of the best general-purpose self-help books I've EVER read. It's not just for martial artists--it's for anyone seeking to gain mental strength and improve themselves!
To see what I'm doing when I'm not evading cops, click HERE!
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