pyros7's Full Review: Cobra Electronics ESD 9850 Radar Detector
Well after buying a new sports car I thought I should probably invest in a radar detector, and after a little research I bought the Cobra from Best Buy.
Set up
Overall, it's very simple to use once you flip through the manual once or twice. It comes with a DC power cord, and a mount that sticks just fine to your windshield. The only design downfall is that there are only 3 buttons to control numerous features. To access certain features you have to hold down one of the buttons for 3 seconds or so, and unfortunately they are not labeled with their second feature. If you don't consult the manual you'll never know that the compass has to be calibrated before it will work, nor will you figure out the proper button to hold down to calibrate it.
Features
The auto-mute is a nice feature. It alerts you at full volume, and then automatically turns it down a bit after 3 seconds. This is especially useful in the city where you'll pick up automatic doors left and right.
I had a compass in my last car, and I missed it until I bought my Cobra. It's accurate and helps out when you get a bit turned around in an unfamiliar area.
Unlike other reviews, I've always found the display easy to read. You can adjust the brightness, but I've just set it on dim and never had to change it.
Radar
As for detection range, this is my first radar detector so I have very little to compare it to. I've picked up strong radar signals almost 2 miles away, unfortunately if the radar gun is not pointed down the road at you, the detection distance is dramatically reduced to a matter of feet. On more than one occasion I've flown past cops pointing a radar gun directly across the road and the detector has failed to go off until I was within 25 feet or so of the cop. At which point the Cobra goes crazy with a full alert.
Laser
As for laser I've only been hit by one a few times. The problem with laser is that a) it isn't on all the time so there's usually nothing to detect and b) it's so narrow you can't detect it until it's actually hitting your car.
Emergency
I've found the emergency strobe detector completely useless. It's only gone off once for me, as an ambulance passed through the intersection I was waiting at. There was no advance warning, it didn't go off until the vehicle was about 25 feet away. Personally I think that if you can't see and/or hear a fire truck coming, a blinking light on your dash isn't gonna help either. It's supposed to pick up on-coming trains too, but if the Cobra picks up trains like it does emergency vehicles, you'll probably be dead before it goes off.
Bottom Line
The Cobra, while it has some faults, and isn't the best you can buy, but it's a good mix between price, features and ability. If you're just looking for something to help you out because you tend to speed, this may be the detector for you. If you want something that's gonna make you safe going down the highway consistently at almost 100mph, you'll probably have to spend a lot more money.
9-band radar detector with 8-point digital compass Detects 4 radar signals, 3 laser signals, and 2 safety systems 6 visual alerts and 10 audio alerts ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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