Beltronics 950, 980 User Manual

BEL 980 &

BEL 950

RADAR•LASER•SAFETY DETECTORS

Operating instructions for models 980 & 950

Advanced

PRO TECTION

System

TM

with Shadow Technology

®

®®®®

DIGITAL PLL SYNTHESIZED

OSCILLATOR

TM



introduction

Thank you for purchasing a bel 980 or bel 950
Radar/Laser/Safety detector with the Advanced Protec tion System

™

and Shadow Technology®II.bel 980 and bel 950 build on t he
company’s long history of technology fir sts with advancements
that usher in a new era in Radar/Laser/Safety Detection.

Remember,owning a Radar detector does not give you a license to
speed.Alerts from a Radar detector serve as an effective reminder to
check your speed.Laws vary throughout North America governing the
use of a Radar detector.It is your responsibility to follow these laws.

software upgradable – an ind ustry first

Your bel unit contains technology which provides the
highest capability to be reprogrammed as the threat of new Police
traffic Radar monitoring technologies emerge.Please ensure that
you promptly mail in the enclosed Consumer Information card.
This will ensure you are notified about new,approved traffic
monitoring techn olo g ies an d will be provided detail s of servi ce cost
and where to send your unit for software upgrade.

shadow technolog y® ii

bel 980 and bel 950 contain Sha dow Technology® II making them

undetectable to the Interceptor vg-2or any other Radar Detector
Detector (rdd).Only Shadow Technology®II has been consistently
proven undetectable to the vg-2.

selectable features

These features may be selected depending upon your driving
environment.

(See page 9 for the operation ofSelectable Features.)

 City X or City All (available on bel 980only)
 X/K/Ka Band onor off(available on bel 980only)
 Auto-Mute onor off
 Radar/Laser Digital Voice Prompts or “tones”
 Safety Warning System

®

on or off

 Safety Warning System

®

with Digital Voice on or off

 Audio/Visual Scroll Rate (fast or slow)





table of c ont ents

Profile of Features lpage4
Description of Features

l

page5

Power-Up Test Sequence/Start-up Mode lpage5
Tutori al Modelpage 6
Set and Forget Memorylpage6
Reset to Factory Settingslpage7
Voltage Warninglpage7

drk (Brig ht/Dim/Dark) Button lpage7
aud (Auto-Mute/Volume Control) Button lpage7
cty(City/Highway) Button lpage8

Selectable Features

l

page9

Entering Selectable Features Modelpage11

Installation

l

page11

General Guidelineslpage11

Understanding Radar,Laser and sws

™

l

page14

Interpretation of Aler ts

l

page15

Radar Alerts lpage15
Instant-On/Pulsed Radar Alert lpage18
Typical False Alert (Radar) lpage18
Laser Alertslpage18
Safety Warning System®(sws™)Alertslpage19

Performance Verification

l

page

Conditions That Affect Radar Alerts lpage
Conditions That Affect Laser Alerts lpage21

Troubleshooting

l

page21

Consumer Warranty

l

page22

Service

l

page23

Warranty S ervice lpage23
Post-Warranty S er v icelpage23

Accessories

l

page23



PWR DRK AUD CTY

B

E

L

9

8

0

K

a

9

Advanced Protection System

with Shadow Technology II

7

2

4

1

9

6

3

5

8

profile of fe atures

1. pwr(Power/Start-Up Mode) Button:pressing a nd h old i ng
pwr will turn the unit on.Press the pwra second time to

scroll through the three start-up mode options:NORMAL,

MODS (Modifications),Q-START (Quick Start) plus

TUTORIAL MODE.

2 Text Message Display: communicates all mode selections

(i.e.DIM,DARK,CITY,HIGHWAY and AUTOMUTE)and
confirms Radar band and signal strength,presence of Laser
and sws™messages received.

3. drk (Bright/Dim/Dark)Button:provides br i g ht , dark and
fully adjustable dim settings of the Text Display for discreet
night travel.Audio alerts are notaffected.

4. aud (Auto-Mute/Volume Control) Button: provid es m anu a l
muting ofall Radar and sws

™

alerts.Pressing and holding the

aud button will change the audio level.

5. cty(City/Highway) Button:choose between Highway mode

or for urban/suburban travel,City X or City All modes.

6. Antenna Opening:Radar and sws

™

signals are received by
a patented diecast antenna with integrated transition to
microstrip mixer.

7. Laser Optical Sensors:collect Laser signals from in front and
behind.

8. Audio Alert Speaker: all audible alerts and Digital Voice
Mess a g es are emitted from th i s location.

9. Power Jack:using the straight or coiled cord,
bel 980 or bel 950 operate in any vehicle with a 13.8 voltdc
negative ground system (10.5 volt to 16 volt range).

Note:Model 980 is the same as Model 950 except for the
addition ofthese features:Signal Strength Digit,City All Mode,
X/K/Ka Band On/Off,9 audio level settings,Travel Case,
4' straight power cord and 2 year warranty.

description of features

Power-Up Test Sequence/Start-up Mode

Each time your detector is turned on,bel 980 or bel 950
will perform a power-up test sequence based upon the Start-Up
mode selected.There are three Start-Up modes ofoperation
plus a Tutorial mode.Release the pwr button at your ch o sen
selection.

Note—Pressing pwr at any time during start-up will bypass
the sequence.

NORMAL (Factory pre-set Mode)

Presents Audio and Text Messages for Laser,Ka,K,X and
Safety Warning System® (sws

™

). After this sequence,the

status of S elec table Features is displayed:

“CITY X” or “CITYALL”; “X/K/KA o n /o f f”; “Amute
“Amute o ff

”; “R/LVo i c e , “R/L t o n e ”;“SWS o n ”,

“SWS o f f”; “SWSv o i c e ”, “SWStone”; “SCROLfa s t ”,
“SCROLslow”. Unit is now ready for operation.

Note:C ity X,City All and X/K/Ka On/offdo not appear o n mode l 950

MODS (Modifications Mode)

Presents Audio and Text Messages for Laser ,Ka,K,X and Safety
Warning System® (sw s

™

),followed by the presenta tion o fSelectable

Features as cho sen by the user.Unit is ready for opera tion.



on ,



Q-START (Quick-Start Mode)

Unit will bypass any form ofa power-up test sequence and
will display “

CITY”or“HIGHWAY”depending upon the mode

previously selected.Unit is ready for operation.

TUTORIAL MODE

The Tutorial Mode allows you to become more familiar with
all audible and visual alerts.The message “TUTORIAL”
appears in the display followed by the audio and corresponding
Text Message for “LASER”,“Ka AUDIO”,“K AUDIO”,“X

AUDIO”,sample Radar alert (K band signal ramping from

weak to strong) and “SAFETY WARNING SYSTEM SAMPLE

ALERTS”.Three samplesws

™

messages are then presented in

the display along with the correspondingDigit al Voice Mess a g e:
Sample 1 “

ACCIDENT AHEAD”

Sample 2 “HIGHWAY WORKCREW AHEAD”
Sample 3 “POLICE IN PURSUIT”

While sample messages are playing you can access the
complete list of sws™messages by pressing the ctybutton to
move forward in the list.“MSG 1” will appear in the display
confirming your selection (to move backward in the list, press
the drk button).Pressing the aud button al lows you to l ist en
to the sws™message while viewing it in the display. Press the
ctybutton again to step to the next message;press the aud
button to review,and so on.This allows you to review all
60messages.

To e xit Tutori al M ode, press t he pwr butt on a nd your u ni t
will be onand ready to receive signals.

Set and Forget Memory

Any time bel 980 or bel 950 are turned offor unplugged from
the cigarette lighter socket,all feature settings you have selected
are retained in the unit’s memory.Set and Forget Memory
eliminates the need to reset your preferred feature settings
each time your unit is turned offand then back on.



Reset to Factory Settings

You can reset your unit to factory settings for Start-Up mode,
volume,drk,aud,cty and Selectable Features.To reset,press
and hold the cty button until the displayshows “

RESET”.

Two “beeps”will sound and your unit will cycle through the
Normal Start-Up Mode.

Voltage Warning

Your bel 980 or bel 950continually check your vehicle’s voltage
to ensure proper performance of your detector.The unit’s
operating range is 10.5 to 16.0 volts.Ifvoltage falls below 10.5
volts,display will show “

LOW VOLT” until condition is rectified.

drk (Bright/Dim/Dark) Button

The drk button allows selection ofa bright,fully adjustable
dim mode or dark mode.The unit is factory preset to full
bright d i spl ay.To engage dim mode,press and hold the drk
button.The display will cycle through various levels ofdim
illumination.Release the button at your chosen level.To
engage dark mode,press the drkbutton a second time.A
single “beep”coupled with the brief illumination of“DARK”
on the display confirms your selection.You’ll notice an “H”
(Highway mode) or “C” (City mo de) remains dim to confirm
your unit is receiving power.To return to a full bright setting,
press the drk button a third time;two “beeps”confirm this
selection.Use ofthe drkbutton does not affect audio alerts.

Important—ifyou press the the drkbutton and do not receive
audible confirmation,the audio level has been set too low.

aud (Auto-Mute/Volume Control) Button

Manual Muting ofAudio Alerts (Radar and sws

™

)

WhetherAuto-Muteis selected on or offin Sele ctable
Features,the audio alerts can be completely muted by
pressing the aud button during an alert.The display will
briefly sh ow “

Qu i e t .” No audible alert will be heard for

approximately 12 seconds.Ifthe signal is still present after 12
seconds,the unit will remain in manual mute mode.

Note—because Laser alerts are not lengthy or sustained,
muting is not required (see page )





Volume Cont rol

Press and hold the aud button to engage the volume control.
The Audio level has 9 settings for bel 980 and 5 settings for
bel 950.Release the aud button when you have reached your
desired audio setting.

cty (City/Highway) Button

The cty mode has been designed to effectively reduce
unwanted audio alerts caused by intrusion alarms,door
openers,and other devices which share X band with police
Radar—without reducing sensitivity. Sig nals from non-police
Radar sources are frequently encountered in urban and sub­urban areas,making use ofthis mode ideal in these areas.

Pressing the cty but t on once engages the cty mode which is
confirmed by “

CITY”in the display coupled with a single audio

“beep”. Pressing the ctybutton a second time returns you to
highway mode;“HI GHWAY”will appear in the display coupled
with two“beeps”.Once engaged,weak X band signals
encounteredwill produce no audible alert until the signal
strength reaches a preset level.However, v isual alerts are
processed the instant an X band signal is detected,keeping
you quietly informed.Since most “false” X band sig nals are
weak,the use ofthe cty mode allows you to drive out of their
range before they reach the preset level and trigger a full
audio alert.In contrast, sig nals from X band traffic Radar are
generally stronger and will exceed the preset level,causing a
full X bandaudio alert.Activating the ctymode will not
change Super Wideband Ka,K or instant-on X band Radar
alert patterns.

Note—the cty mode does not change the presentation of aler t s
for Laser or sws

™

.

City All (bel 980 only)

City All mode is a Selectable Feature ofthe bel 980 (see
Selectable Featurespage 9).This feature provides an alternate



approach for i mprovi ng selec t iv ity on X,K and Super
Wideband Ka and is ideal for use in areas with a high level of
microwave transmissions which can cause falsing on all
Radar bands.

While i n C i ty All mode,bel 980 will provide an initial short
X,K,or Ka audio alert coupled with visual confirmation ofthe
band detected and signal strength in the display.No further
audible alert is provideduntil the signal strength reaches a
preset level.When no audio alert is provided,the visual alert
keepsyou quie t ly i nformed.

Note—Once “

CTY X”or “CTY ALL” is chosen in Selectable

Featu re s t he ctybutton must to be pressed to engage your
selection.

selectable features

The following features may be selected,depending upon your
driving environment.

 City X or City All (available on bel 980only)
 X/K/Ka Band on or off (available on bel 980only)
 Auto Mute on or off
 Radar/Laser Digital Voice Prompts or “beeps”
 Safety Warning System® on or off
 Safety Warning System® Digital Voice on or off

 Audio/Visual Scroll Rate (fast or slow)

City X or City All (available on bel 980only)

When “CTY X ”is selected,your unit provides standard X
Band selectivity,which is suitable for most urban areas.City
All provides an increased level ofselectivity on all Bands and
is designed for use in high density microwave areas. Factory
setting is “CTY X ”.

Note—once “

CTY X”or “CTY ALL”is chosen in

Selectable Features,the cty button must be pressed to engage
your select io n.





X/K/Ka Band On or Off (bel 980only)

Select “

X on/X off”,“K on/K off”o r “ Ka o n /Ka o f f”

depending upon your driving environment and
selectivity requirements.This mode is especially useful
where falsing may occur and disabling the offending band
may be required.Factory setting is on for all three Bands.

Auto-Mute On/Off

With “Amute on”,unit will provide several X,K,Super
Wideband Ka audio alerts followed by the Digital Voice
announcement of the signal detected.After the Digital Voice
announcement,a “clicking”tone keeps you quietly informed
for as long as the signal is present.This clicking become more
rapid as the strength ofthe Radar signal increases.“Amute
enables you to conveniently monitor ex ten ded en counters
without having to manually mute or adjust the volume
setting.

With “

Amuteo ff,” unit w ill provide a continuous series of

X,K,Super Wideband Ka audio alerts and Digital Voice
announcement ofthe signal detected.Digital Voice prompts
are provided once after the initial audio alert.This standard
setting is often preferred when background noise in a vehicle
is loud.Factory setting is“Amuteo ff.”

Note—because of their urgency,Laser alerts are not affected.

Radar/Laser Digital Voice Prompts

With “

Vo ic e o n”, unit w il l provide Digital Voice prompts

followed by “beeps” when X/K/Ka and Laser signals are
detected.With “Voiceoff”, unit w ill sound unique audio
tones only.Factory setting is “Vo i c e o n”.

Safety Warning System

®

(sws™)

With “

SWSo n ”,unit will provide a Message when signals from

sws™transmitters are dete cted.Factory setting is “SWSo n ”.

Safety Warning System

®

(sws™) with Digital Voice Messages

When “

SWSv o i c e ”is selected,unit will provide Digital Voice

announcements when sws™transmitters are dete cted.Factory



on”

setting is “SWSvoice”. When “SWStone”is selected,Digital
Voice is replaced by "tone/clicking” only. Factory setting is
“SWSvoice”.

Audio/Visual Scroll Rate

When “SCRLslow”is selected,unit wi l l provide a slow cycling
ofaudio/visual messages.When “SCRLfast” is selected,unit
will provide a fast cycling ofaudio/visual messages. Factory
setting is“SCRLslow.”

Entering Selectable Features Mode

1. With the unit off,press and hold the pwr and cty buttons
simultaneously.The word “FEATURES”will appear in the
display and a short audible “beep”will sound indicating you
are now in the Selectable Features Mode.

2. Immediately after the “beep”, the display will show the status
of the first Selectable Feature (City X or City All).

3. Press th e aud button to make your selection.Press the cty
button to move to the next Selectable Feature.(To move
backward in the list,press the drk button.)Repeat the process
until you have made your selection for each Selectable Feature.

4. Press t h e pwrbutton to exit Selectable Features mode.Two
“beeps” confirm that you have exited this mode and either
“

HI GHWAY”o r “ CITY”will be presented in the display,based

on your previous selection.Your unit is ready for operation.

installation

General Guidelines

Do not mount your unit directly behind windshield w ipers or
mirrored sunscreens which block Radar and Laser signals
and substantially reduce warning range.Unlike “after market”
mirrored sun-screens,regular tinted glass does not affect
Radar reception. Radar signals are also reflected by “heated
windshields”known as Instaclear

®

and ElectriClear®available



Instaclear is a registered trademark of t he Ford Motor Company.
ElectriClear is a registered Trademark of Libbey,O wens, Ford,and Delco-Remy.



as an option on some vehicles.This type of windshield makes
any dash,visor or windshield mounted detector ineffective.
(If in doubt,check with an appropriate dealership to see if
this applies to your vehicle.) To achieve optimum performance,
regardless of whic h m o unting p o s i tion you ch o o se,foll ow
the basic steps on the following page.

1. Consider occupant safety when selecting a mounting location.
Choose a location where the unit will not be hazardous in
case of an accident.

2. For opti mu m d e tection,positi on your u n it with a clear,
unobstructed view ofthe road from thefront and rear.

3. Do not allow the unit to make contact with the windshield.
This will eliminate unnecessary vibration.

4. Avoid placing your unit in direct sunlight.During the summer,
interior temperatures of an enclosed vehicle can sometimes
reach temperatures that will cause premature aging of the unit.

5. Your detector is not waterproof;exposure to water may cause
damage and your warranty will be void.

Dash Mounting

You can mount your unit to a level area of your vehicle’s dash
using the hook and loop fastener or the four,non-skid dash
mounting pads provided.

Win dshield Br acket Assemb ly

The visor clip is fully
assembled.To assemble the
windshield bracket,follow the
diagram.

Win dshield Mounting

1. Remove t he mounti n g bracket
cover on top of the unit by
pressing on the raised dots and
pushing outward.Store the cover in a safe place.



Wind shield B racket As sembly

2. Clean t he selected w i ndshield area,position the suction-cup
mount on the windshield,and press firmly on each suction
cup to secure it in place.

3. Use a screwdriver or a small coin to adjust the angle of the
suction-cup mount until the base plate is level.

4. Slide detector onto base plate until it snaps into place.

Note—some vehicles have a plastic coating on the inside of the
windshield designed to protect occupants in case ofan accident.
Use ofthe w ind shield bracket on this typ e of windshield can
permanently mark the surface.Check with your dealer if you
are unsure whether your vehicle is equipped with this type of
windshield.

Visor Mounting

1. Remove the mounting bracket cover by pressing on the
raised dots and pushing outward.Store the cover in a
safe place.

2. Slide the visor clip onto the top ofthe detector until it snaps
into place. Clip the detector to the edge ofthe sun visor nearest
the windshield.





Fuse Replacement

1. If the fuse has blown,remove the tip from the lighter plug
followed by the old fuse.Replace the fuse with a 1-amp,3AG
fuse.Defeating the fuse protection can damage your unit or
your vehicle’s electrical system and will void your warranty.

Note—the tip is in two pieces;be careful not to lose either piece
or the spring inside the holder.(See diagram above).

understanding radar,laser and sws

™

Three Radar Frequencies

Three microwave frequencies have been allocated by the fcc
(Federal Communications Commission) and are used for
traffic Radar.They are:

X band:10.525 gh

z

K band:24.150 ghz
Super Wideband Ka:33.4 ghz to 36.0ghz

Both X and K bands are well known to motorists who have
traveled with Radar detectors.Introduced first was X band
Radar which became common during the 1960s.In the mid
1970s the lower powered,more difficult to detect K band Radar
was introduced. In 1987,fcc approval was given for Radar
equipment using a third frequency,Ka.In response to this,
beltronicsintroduced the first Radar detectors capable of
detecting X,K and Ka band signals.In late 1990,fccapproval
was given to Wideba nd Ka : 34.2 ghz to 35.2 ghz.Once again,

belresponded with Wideband Ka detection. Today,the
bel 980 and bel 950 detect t he completeSuper Wideband Ka
frequency allotted for police monitoring—33.4 ghzto 36.0 ghz.



Total Tracking Lase r™(ttl™)

Unlike Radar signals,which are highly reflective, Laser signals
have very poor re f lective ch a racter i s tics.Many of tod ay ’s
Laser detectors do not have the high sensitivity necessary to
detect Laser within a large “field of v iew”. bel 980 and
bel 950 incorporate bel’snumber one rated Laser detection.
Twin Laser ports detect energy far outside the main Laser
beam—including off-axis signals—providing the largest
achievable 360°“field ofview.”The alerts provided by your
unit are the same whether signals are received from the
front or rear.

Safety Warning System

®

(sws™)—What is it?

The Radio Association Defending Airwave Rights, Inc.
(r.a.d.a.r.)conceived and d evel ope d th e S a fety War n i ng
System

®

.The concept behind this system is to warn motorists

ofpotential road hazards by employing Safety Warning System

®

transmitters in areas such as construction zones,accident
sites and detours. These sws™transmitters operate within
the 24ghz portion of the K band frequency,and broadcast
uniquely coded signals that are detected by your unit.

interpretation of alerts

Radar Alerts

The alerts provided by your unit are affected both by the type
of t ransmission (continuous wave or instant-on),and the
position ofthe Radar source.Generally,when you drive closer
to a Radar source,the intensity of the received signal increases,
resulting in the increase of the number ofbar graph segments
as well as numerical digit 1–9 (bel 980 only) and a
corresponding increase in the audio alert rate.Described
below are five common types of Radar encounters and the
alerts you will typically receive.

1. Stationary or moving Radar,straight ahead aimed in your
direction.





Since Radar signals travel in a straight line,this Radar
encounter potentially offers maximum warning range.Once
the signal is received,the initial warning consists ofan X,K or
Super Wideband Ka audi o a l ert coupled with si mult a ne ous
identification ofthe Radar band (X,K or Ka) and signal
strength in the Text Display.The number of bar graph segments
displayed depends upon the strength ofthe signal received.As
the strength ofthe Radar signal increases,the audio alert
becomes more rapid and the bar graph will display the
maximum number offive segments (bel 980 will also display
the digit “9”) indicating maximum signal strength.Assuming
the Radar signal remains uninterrupted,the audible and
visual alerts will clearly indicate a “weak”signal becoming
stronger as you drive closer to the Radar source.Remember,
when the police Radar source is moving toward you,the Radar
signal strength will increase much more rapidly than ifyou
are approaching a stationary source.

2. Stationary Radar aimed around a corner

Under this circumstance,reaction time is considerably
reduced. Since the Radar signals are transmitted acrossyour
line of t ravel,there is generally no signal available to receive



until you are relatively close to the source.Once an alert is
received, expect the strength of the signal to increase very
quickly.Advanced warning in this situation may be reduced.

3. Stationary Radar concealed by the crest of a hill aimed in your
direction.

Radar signals travel in a straight line and do not pass through
earth.Consequently,police Radar aimed at the crest of a steep
hill cannot be received until you are at or near the top.
Warning time may be minimal (as in situation #2) since a
strong signal is not present until you are near the crest ofthe
hill.At this point,you may be nearly in the police officer’s line
of sight.When cresting a hill,a weak initial alert followed very
quickly by a full alert is typical.This alert pattern requires
prompt attention .

4. Moving Radar behind you,traveling in the same direction.

Police Radar signals transmitted from behind your vehicle
canbe received when reflected by objects in front ofyou
such as large signs,bridges and trucks.As you drive,the size
and configuration ofthese objects are constantly changing
causingth e strength of any reflected Radar signal received to
vary.A strong,uninterrupted alert indicates the patrol car is
close behind.





Instant-On/Pulsed Radar

This type ofsignal appears suddenly when a Radar unit is
“triggered”.The instant-on alert consists ofan intense,three
second audio “burst”,coupled with the type of band detected
and flashing ofthe signal strength bar graph in the display.

Instant-on/pulsed alert to Ka band (bel 980)

Ka 9     

Instant-on/pulsed alert to Ka band (bel 950)

Ka     

Typical False Alert (Radar)

Ideally,a Radar detector should only alert in the presence of
police Radar.However,because other devices share X band
with police Radar,false alerts sometimes occur.Generally,a
false signal produces only a short audio and visual alert.Since
they are most often weak,it is possible to drive out of the
signal’s range very quickly and receive only a brief alert.
Although many times the probable source ofthe false signal
can be identified (supermarket,bank,commercial building,
etc.),caution is advised until the source can be confirmed.
The X band alert pattern caused by a non-police source can
look like the initial alert produced by actual police Radar.
For this reason appropriate action is required any time an
alert is received.

Laser Alerts

When Laser is detected,the display will flash “

LASER”

coupled with a distinc t Laser audio alert. If a vehicle is a long
distance from the source of Laser pulses,fewer pulses wil l
generally be received.The closer the vehicle is to the source of
Laser pulses,the greater the likelihood of receiving a steady
stream ofLaser pulses.The reason for this is the aiming
stability of the Laser gun and the fact that it is difficult to hold
the gun absolutely sti ll .Any movement of the gun results in
motion ofthe beam at the target.The furtherthe target,the
greater the displacement of the beam and the shorter the dwell
time of the beam at the target point.Therefore,there is the
possibility ofreceiving only a few Laser pulses.Due to these
characteristics,all Laser alerts should be taken seriously.



Safety Warning System®(sws™) Alerts

With the Safety Warning System

®

feature onand an sws

™

transmitter in use,your detector will provide a unique,2second
sws™tone coupled w it h a S afe t y Warning System®category

word (i.e.“Hazd Zone”indicating Highway Hazard Zone
Advisory) to quickly orient you to the type of situation

ahead.This introductory message is followed by a specific Text
Message (i.e.“SHARP CURVE AHEAD ”) and Digital Voice
Message which is repeated twice.After the Digital Voice,the
unit will continue to present the message and provide the
“clicking”tone for as long as an sws™signal is de tec te d. If t wo
separate sws™messages are received,each message is
presented twice before the “clicking”resumes.

You can replay the lastsws

™

message received by pressing
the drk button within 30seconds of receiving an sws™alert.
Both Digital Voice and Text Message are replayed.

Ifyou have selected “

SWStone” (Digital V oice off),your

unit will show just the Text Message (see Selectable Features,
page 9).

Note—the end of a multiple word sws

™

message is indicated by

an aster i sk .

Abbreviated sws

™

Category Words

“

Hw y Wo r k ”

confirms Highway Construction/Maintenance
(messages 1–11)

“

Ha z d Zo n e ”

confirms Highway Hazard Zone Advisory
(messages 13–31)

“

Weather”

confirms Weather Related Hazards
(messages 33–41)

“

Tr a v I n f o ”

confirms Travel Information/Convenience
(messages 43–59)





“Moving”

confirms Emergency/Slow Moving Vehiclesin transit
(messages 61–64)

“

Messag eUn known”

confirms incomplete or unknown messages
Note—for a complete listing ofthe five Safety WarningSystem

®

categories and corresponding messages,please refer to the Safety
Wa rning System®Alert Card enclosed with your manual.

performance verification

Conditions that Affect Radar Alerts

Ifyou feel your unit is not alerting properly,keep in mind that
there are many conditions that influence the intensity or
durati on of an ale rt:

1. The police are using instant-on/pulsed Radar,in which case
no signal is transmitted until visual contact has been made
with your vehicle. For detection of this signal,you must rely
on reflected signals from Radar directed at traffic traveling
ahead ofyou.

2. The police Radar unit is positioned perpendicular to the
road,around a curve,or just over the crest of a hill thus
significantly reducing the reception range.

3. The highway traffic between your vehicle and the police Radar
source is heavy. This blocks/reflects transmitted signals.The
presence ofseveral large trucks between you and the police
Radar unit could also significantly reduce reception.

4. Rain or humid weather conditions can absorb transmitted
signalsbefore they reach your vehicle, again reducing detection
range.

5. The police Radar unit is not properly tuned and is transmitting
outside the fcc allocated X,K or Super Wideband Ka frequency
ranges.



Conditions that Affect Laser Alerts

Ifyou feel your unit is not properly alerting to the presence of
Laser signals,keep in mind that rain,fog,high humidity and
traffic conditions can affect the range that the Laser beam can
be detected.

troubleshooting

Solutions for C omm on Probl ems

If your unit is not operating properly, please refer to the
outline b el ow.

Problem Possible Cause Corrective Procedure

Unit not Plug not properly inserted Reinsert plug and rotate
receiving power

Fuse in power cord is Replace with 1 amp
defective 250Volt 3agfuse (see page 14)

Lighter socket not clean Consult your dealer or a
and negatively grounded professional mechanic

Fuse or electrical wiring Consult your dealer or a
for lighter socket defective professional mechanic

“Poor detection Antenna/lens opening Reposition unit with
range” partially blocked unobstructed view of

road ahead and behind.

Radar signals unable to Determine whether
pass through windshield your vehicle has a

“heated windshield”
known as Instaclear

®

or ElectriClear®, or
is covered with a
metallic sun screen.

Erratic or frequent High concentration of Use cty mode
alerts non-police X band sources or cty all

Review section in this
manual on Performance

Verification

Partial or no display Dim or dark mode engaged Disengage dim or

dark mode

If you experience a problem with your unit that is not covered
in this outline please call,Monday to Friday,8:30 am–4:30 pm

est,for assist a nce :
1-800-341-2288 usa 1-800-268-3994 canada





consumer warranty

2-year Warranty–bel 980
1-year Warranty–bel 950

1. This warranty covers all defects in materials and workmanship.
This warranty do es not apply if the unit has b een subjec t to
physical abuse,improper installation,modification,or if the
housing or serial number ofthe unit has been removed.

2. The enforceability ofthis warranty is limited to the original
consumer purchaser and is not transferable to,or enforceable
by,any subsequent owne r.

3. In the event ofa defect,malfunction or other failure to conform
to this warr ant y,

BELTRONICS will,at its sole discretion,repair

or replace the unit at no charge. You are responsible for all
shipping costs in connection with warrantyservice pursuant
to this warr ant y.

4. This warranty commences on the date ofretail purchase and
shall be effective for a period of two years forbel 980 and
one year for bel 950.

5. There are no express warranties covering the unit other than
those set forth in this warranty.All implied warranties are
limited to the period ofthis warranty and no warranties,
expressed or implied,extend beyond this period.Some states
do not allow limitation on how long an implied warranty
lasts,so the above limitation may not apply to you.

6.

BELTRONICS will in no event be liable for any consequential,

incidental,indirect or special damages (including,but not
limited to,lost profits) arising out of or in connection with
the use,misuse,or function ofthe unit.Some states do not
allow the exclusion of limitation ofincidental or consequen­tial damages,so the above limitation or exclusion may not
apply to you.

7. This warranty g ives you specific legal rights,and you may
also have other rights which vary from state to state.

8. You must providea copy of a dated sales receipt for your unit
in order to receive service under warranty.

service

Warranty Service

If you feel your de te c tor i s n ot f un c tioning properly ple as e
review this manual,particularly the section on Performance
Verification.If you still feel service is required,please follow
the instructions below.

1. To obtain service during the warranty period,please call the
appropriate nu mber below to o bt a i n a n R A nu m b e r a n d
shipping instructions.Remember to return your detector
postage paid,insured and in suitable packaging.

1-800-341-2288 usa
1-800-268-3994 can

2. For your own protection,obtain a proofofdelivery receipt.

Shipping costs are your responsibility.

3. Enclose with your unit the following information:
(a) Your name,complete return address and written

description ofthe problem.(No p. o. b ox please.)

(b) A telephone number where you can be reached during

regular business hours.

(c) A copy of your dated sales receipt.

Post-War ranty Service

The following arrangements apply if the warranty period has
expired or you are not able to provide a copy ofyour dated
sales receipt indicating purchase within the last twelve or
twenty-four months.

1. Return your unit to the appropriate address under Warranty
Serviceand follow steps1 through 3(b) outlined in that section.

2. Enclose with your unit $85 us or $115 Canadian to cover
inspection and postage return.Prices subject to change
without notice.

acce s sorie s

If you require any additional accessories,replacement
accessories or any accessory which is not included with your
unit,call to order or for more information,Monday to Friday,
: –4:  .

1-800-341-2288 usa 1-800-268-3994 canada





list of accessories

model cost cost

description number usa canada

Suction Cup Kit (2) da-6 $ 3.95 $ 4.95
Straight Power Cord (4') da-16 $ 9.95 $ 11.95
Coiled Power Cord (6') da-17 $ 11.95 $16.95
Power Cord Fuses (2) da-19 $ 3.95 $ 5.95
Hook & Loop Faste n er da-20 $ 2.95 $ 3.95
Visor Bracket da-48 $ 9.95 $ 11.95
Win dshie ld Bra cket da-702 $ 11.95 $ 16.95
4 Non-Skid Dash
Mounting Pad s da-1000 $ 2.95 $ 3.95
Protec tive Travel Case da-62 $13.95 $ 19.95
Owner’s Manual 980/950 n/c n/c

Head Office

2422 Dunwin Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L5L 1J9
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

www.beltronics.com

This product is subject to one or more of the following patents:

u.s.p. #4,571,593 #4,939,521 #5,402,087 #5,600,132

#4,625,210 #4,952,936 #5,446,923
#4,630,054 #4,961,074 #5,587,916

c.p. #1,187,586 #1,295,714

#1,187,602 #1,295,715 Other Patents Pending

Safety Warning System l.c.–Patents Pending

,Fundamental Mixer Technology, fmtand Shadow Technologyare registered
trademarks of BELTRONICS. bel 980 and bel 950,Total Tracking Laser and ttl are
trademarks of BELTRONICS. Safety Warning System® is a registered trademark of
Safety Warning System® l.c. SWS is a trademark of Safety Warning System® l.c.

Printed in Canada 273003-75



Prices subject to change without notice.

TM