Cobra XRS 9960G XRS9960G_MANL - Page 19

Understanding Radar and Laser Your Detector Strobe Alert Special strobes mounted on the light bars of authorized emergency vehicles (fire trucks, police cars, ambulances) automatically change traffic signals as the vehicle approaches an intersection. These strobes and the special strobe detectors located on the traffic signals, introduced fairly recently by 3M and Tomar, are already in use in more than 1000 cities nationwide. Cobra's exclusive Strobe Alert detector will detect these special strobes and give an emergency vehicle alert. When you receive such an alert, please watch for an approaching emergency vehicle and pull over to allow it to pass. To inquire about coverage in your area, contact your local fire and police departments. LIDAR (Laser) The correct name for the technology that most people refer to as laser is actually LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. LIDAR operates much like radar. Its signal spreads out like a radar signal, though not as widely. Unlike radar, LIDAR must have a clear line of sight to its target vehicle throughout the entire measurement interval. Obstructions such as sign posts, utility poles, tree branches, etc., will prevent valid speed measurement. Some common questions about LIDAR include: I Does weather have any affect on LIDAR? Yes. Rain, snow, smoke, fog, or airborne dust particles will reduce the effective range of LIDAR and can, if dense enough, prevent its operation. I Can LIDAR operate through glass? Yes. Newer LIDAR guns can obtain readings through most types of glass. However, the laser pulse also can be received through glass to trigger an alarm by your detector. I Can LIDAR operate while in motion? No. Because LIDAR operates by line of sight, the person using it cannot drive the vehicle, aim and operate the gun all at the same time. I Is LIDAR legal to use? Yes. It is legal in all 50 states. 30 English Your Detector Maintenance Pop Radar Guns The Pop mode Radar Gun is a single pulse Doppler radar that is a feature of a K and Ka (Bee III Ka radar gun) band Instant-On radar gun. It uses a single short time pulse to measure the target vehicle's speed. Despite the fact that the short, single pulse makes the unit very sensitive to officer hand and vehicle movement and reduces the range of the gun in Pop mode to 50% of its range in Continuous Wave mode, this feature is added in an attempt to make the radar gun invisible to Radar Detectors. Although your detector can sense Pop signals beyond the effective range of Pop radar guns, there will be a signal to sense only if a gun is triggered. In addition, the Pop mode receiver section is more prone to false alerts because of its extra sensitivity. This is especially so in urban areas. As a result, you should consider using the Pop Detect mode only in highway and rural situations. Cobra Electronics has included a user selectable On or Off Pop Detect mode. Maintenance • Maintenance of Your Radar Detector Your detector is designed and built to give you years of trouble-free performance without the need for service. No routine Maintenance is required. If you have added the Optional GPS Locator unit to your detector, you can update the database of Photo Enforced locations. Go to Cobra's website (www.cobra.com) and follow the online instructions. If your unit does not appear to be operating properly, please follow these troubleshooting steps: I Make sure the power cord is properly connected. I Make sure the socket of your vehicle's cigarette lighter is clean and free of corrosion. I Make sure the power cord's cigarette lighter adapter is firmly seated in your cigarette lighter. I Check the power cord fuse. (Unscrew the ribbed end cap of the cigarette lighter adapter and examine the fuse. If required, replace it with a 2-amp fuse only.) Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra® 31