Whistler good, speeding tickets bad

Author's Rating:

Pros: Chock full of features, weather broadcasts, high quality

Cons: None to speak of

The Bottom Line: 
It has amazed me with its ability to alert me to approaching authorities long before I see them without giving false alerts.

Author's Review
Introduction
The first radar detector I purchased circa 1989 was a Whistler. It served me well for many years. Another Whistler that had more features replaced it. Again, this detector gave me several years of great service until someone broke into my car and stole it (I guess they wanted a Whistler, too). I decided to replace it with another brand that had a many “bells and whistles” (laser/radar, safety radar, voice alert, etc.). I used this other brand for about a year before I finally had it. It would give false alerts all the time. I could be in the middle of the country, between two cornfields, not a cop, grocery store door or radio tower in sight: the detector would alert. It was time to go back to Whistler, ashamed that I ever left in the first place.

The Review
The first thing about the DE-1770 that caught my eye was the NOAA weather feature. The detector can receive all seven NOAA radio frequencies used throughout the country. I don’t know about you, but I like to be aware of the weather and you can never find a radio station giving the forecast when I really want it. Use the DE-1770 to listen to current weather forecasts and conditions at any time. NOAA broadcasts hazardous weather alerts and the DE-1770 can be set to automatically switch to the NOAA broadcast when an alert is sent out. When a severe weather alert is received by the DE-1770, the NOAA broadcast turns on automatically and the alert displays on the read-out.

On the detector side of things, the DE-1770 detects all bands of radar, laser and the Safety Warning System. The 360° Total Perimeter Protection(TM) can detect signals regardless of which direction they originate. Is that a cop or a station wagon with a ski rack behind me?

Instant-on (pulse) radar will get you if you’re out on the road alone. However, if you’re behind another driver who gets zapped with an instant-on radar gun, the DE-1770 does detect these abrupt, strong signals and alerts you to them.

Aside from the typical “beeps” and “boops” that you usually hear when a detector detects a signal, the unit also has Real-Voice(TM) that alerts you to what signal it has detected. The pleasant female voice announces the alerts that it receives (“KA Band”, “X Band”, “Pulse”) and gives confirmation to buttons you push (“City Mode” “Auto Quiet”). You don’t have to take your eyes off the road to know what signal the unit is receiving. And you don’t feel quite so ridiculous talking to yourself in the car when there’s another voice.

To keep the detector from becoming a nuisance, it can be quieted during an alert or set to Auto Quiet mode before you receive an alert. Auto Quiet lowers the volume of the speaker five seconds after it detects a signal.

Up front is a single-line, red LED display with three levels of brightness. All alerts and settings are displayed clearly. Radar alerts are accompanied by a Geiger counter-like reading showing how strong the signal is.

Instead of a simple City/Highway setting, this unit has three city modes and one highway mode. Each consecutive city setting filters out more X band (the band usually associated with grocery door openers and other city annoyances).

The Vehicle Battery Saver feature automatically shuts the detector off after three hours of inactivity, possibly saving you from a dead battery in the morning.

Police using VG-2 can be detected with the DE-1770. When that signal is received, the unit alerts you and turns off its detecting ability, thus hiding itself from the VG-2. It checks for the VG-2 signal every 30 seconds and only “comes out from hiding” if the signal is gone. This shouldn’t be a concern unless you’re in one of the few places where detectors are illegal or are a commercial driver.

If you happen to live in or pass through one of the very few areas using the Safety Warning System, the DE-1770 can pick up and alert you to those signals as well. The SWS transmits on the K band and alerts drivers to construction, road hazards, travel information and emergency vehicles. There are 60 standard messages associated with the SWS and the DE-1770 will announce these messages with the Real Voice as well as display them visually. While this sounds like a great system, it hasn’t been implemented in many places throughout the country. Check out http://www.safetyradar.com to learn more.

Features can be turned on or off individually on the unit. If you don’t want the X band to alert, you can simply shut it off. If you don’t want the unit to run through its noisy self-test when you start your car, turn the test off.

There’s also a Stay Alert feature to test your alertness when driving. You turn this mode on and the unit tests you by giving two beeps. You must respond by pressing any of the buttons on the unit within five seconds or else it gives off a loud alarm. If you’re in need of this feature, you shouldn’t be driving anyway.

The unit is two-toned, silver and black and doesn’t look like any detector I’ve had before. It’s wider than typical units, and has a fold-down antenna used to receive the NOAA broadcasts.

A windshield (suction-cup) mount and straight power cord is included with the unit. Other mounting and power accessories can be ordered from Whistler.

You can download the owner’s manual from Whistler’s website: http://www.whistlergroup.com/de1770.asp.

The only feature that this unit lacks that I would have liked is a compass, but you can’t have everything.

Suffice to say that I’m happy to be back using a Whistler radar detector. You get a quality unit without spending a lot of money.

Specifications
Dimensions 1.6"H x 4.7"W x 4.0"L
Weight 6.5 oz.