While ridding your car of dangling cords and other unsightly wire may be the décor upgrade you’re looking for, there are other factors to consider before buying and installing a cordless radar detector.
Usually, tests have shown a cordless radar detector has about a 30% drop in distance and sensitivity. This would not normally be problem on straight, flat stretches of highway, but can make a difference in hilly or mountainous terrain. Additionally, to conserve battery life a cordless radar detector turns itself off and on continuously, which may cause it to miss being hit by POP radar.
POP radar is the type police like to use because it emits a short signal burst, typically under 80 milliseconds, which many cheap detectors and most cordless radar detectors won’t pick up. Also, because the cordless radar detector is designed for battery power, plugging it in only keeps the batteries charged. It will not increase range and sensitivity, nor will it keep the detector from turning off and on by itself.
Other Ways to Shed the Power Cord
If you’re just looking for a way to rid yourself of the power cord, one way of getting rid of it is to hardwire the cord into the fuse box. You can then tuck the wire behind the moldings and up into the unit. You get the benefits of having a better unit without the wires.
However, if you’re still convinced that a cordless radar detector is how you want to go carefully review the advantages and disadvantages of all the units on the market today. The Solo 2 from Escort is the only high-end cordless radar detector on the market today with enough range and sensitivity to do the job for you. Its range has been tested to be about four miles on all three radar bands.
One reason someone may insist on a cordless radar detector is if they switch cars often and want the detector with them regardless of what they drive. Tests conducted by RadarTests.com took into account features, ergonomics, radar types detected, laser radar detection and the alert system. In comparison of leading brands, the BEL Express scored a total of 80 points; the Escort Solo a 57; the Solo 2 had a score of 91 and the PNI traveler a score of 58. None of the cordless systems scored well on the laser radar test, all coming in low, with the Escort Solo 2 scoring the highest of 14.