Cobra XRS 9550G Operating Instructions Manual

English

A1

CB Radios

microTALK

®

Radios

Radar/Laser Detectors

Safety Alert

®

Trafc Warning Systems

Truck-Specic Navigation Systems

HighGear

®

Accessories

CobraMarine VHF Radios

Power Inverters

LED Lights

Jumpstarters

Accessories

The Cobra line of quality products includes:

For more information or to
order any of our products,

please visit our website:

www.cobra.com

©2010 Cobra Electronics Corporation

6500 West Cortland Street

Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA

www.cobra.com

Operating Instructions

14 BAND™
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
DIGITAL RADAR/LASER
DETECTOR WITH XTREME RANGE
SUPERHETERODYNE

®

TECHNOLOGY AND

RED LIGHT / SPEED CAMERA GPS LOCATOR

XRS 9550G

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

Important Information

Customer Information

Federal Laws Governing the Use of Radar Detectors

It is not against federal law to receive radar transmissions with your Cobra radar/
laser detector. The Communications Act of 1924 guarantees your right to receive
radio transmissions on any frequency. Local laws that contravene this Act, while illegal, may
be enforced by your local law enforcement ofcials until and unless
they are prohibited from doing so by federal court action.

Safety Alert

Use of this product is not intended to, and does not, ensure that motorists or passengers will
not be involved in trafc accidents. It is only intended to alert the motorist that an
emergency vehicle equipped with a Cobra Safety Alert transmitter is within range as dened
by that product. Please call local re and police departments to learn if coverage exists in
your area.

Safe Driving

Motorists, as well as operators of emergency or service vehicles, are expected to exercise
all due caution while using this product, and to obey all applicable trafc
laws. Do not attempt to change settings of the unit while in motion.

Security of Your Vehicle

Before leaving your vehicle, always remember to conceal your radar detector
in order to reduce the possibility of break-in and theft.

Should you encounter any problems with this product, or not understand its many features, please
refer to this owner’s manual. If you require further assistance after reading this manual, Cobra
Electronics offers the following customer assistance services:

For Assistance in the U.S.A.

Automated Help Desk English only. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 773-889-3087 (phone).

Customer Assistance Operators English and Spanish. 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central Time

Mon. through Fri. (except holidays) 773-889-3087 (phone).

Questions English and Spanish. Faxes can be received at 773-622-2269 (fax).

Technical Assistance English only. www.cobra.com (on-line: Frequently Asked Questions).

English and Spanish. product [e-mail] (e-mail).

For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.

Contact Your Local Dealer

Customer Assistance

Important Information and
Customer Assistance

Introduction

Printed in China

Part No. 480-595-P

Version F

XRS9550G_MANL_vF.indd 1-1 8/31/10 8:37 AM

12V DC
Power Jack

Accessories Order Info and
Trademark Acknowledgement

Controls, Indicators and Connections

Ordering From U.S.A.

Call 773-889-3087 for pricing or visit www.cobra.com.

For Credit Card Orders

Call 773-889-3087 [Press one from the main menu] 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Central Time, Monday through Friday.

Make Check or Money Order Payable To

Cobra Electronics, Attn: Accessories Dept.,
6500 West Cortland Street, Chicago, IL 60707 U.S.A.

To Order Online

Please visit our website: www.cobra.com

Item # Description

RDA GPSL66 Plug-in GPS Locator Unit

420-030-N-001 Straight 12V Power Cord

420-030-N-001 Coiled 12V Power Cord

545-159-N-001 Windshield Mounting Bracket

CLP-2B Dual Port Power Adapter

Trademark Acknowledgement

•

Cobra®, DigiView®, EasySet®, Extra Sensory Detection®, IntelliMute®, IntelliMute® Pro, IntelliShield®,
LaserEye®, Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra®, Safety Alert® Trafc Warning System, Strobe Alert®, VG-2
Alert®, Xtreme Range Superheterodyne® and the snake design are registered trademarks of Cobra
Electronics Corporation, USA.

Cobra Electronics Corporation™, 14 Band™, 15 Band™, AURA™, Extreme Bright DataGrax™,
IntelliLink™, IntelliScope™, IntelliView™, Revolution™ Series, SmartPower™, Spectre Alert™, Super­Xtreme Range Superheterodyne™, S-XRS™, UltraBright™, and Voice Alert™ are trademarks of Cobra
Electronics Corporation, USA.

Opticom™ is a trademark of 3M Corporation. Instaclear® for Ford is a registered trademark of Ford
Motor Company, Inc. Electriclear® for GM is a registered trademark of General Motors Corporation. LTI
Laser™ and LTI 20-20™ are trademarks of Laser Technology, Inc. Kustom Laser™, Kustom Laser
340™ and ProLaser II™ are trademarks of Kustom Signals, Inc. SpeedLaser™ is a trademark of Laser
Atlanta. Bee III™ and Pop™ are a trademarks of MPH Industries. Stalker™ LIDAR is a trademark of
Applied Concepts, Inc. Spectre I™ and Spectre IV™ are trademarks of Stealth Micro Systems Pty. Ltd.
Interceptor VG-2™ is a trademark of TechniSonic Industries LTD. Tomar® is a registered trademark of
TOMAR Electronics, Inc.

Congratulations! You’ve made a smart choice by purchasing a high
performance radar/laser detector from Cobra. Just look at some of the
sophisticated features and capabilities your new unit includes:

Xtreme Range Superheterodyne Technology

With super-fast sweep circuitry, XRS provides
extra detection range and the best possible
advance warning to even the fastest radar guns

Detection and Separate Alerts For:

Radar signals (X, K, Ka and Ku bands, with
signal strength indicated), Laser signals,
Safety Alert signals, Spectre I & IV signals, VG-2
signals

LaserEye

For 360° detection of laser signals

Instant-On Ready

Detects radar guns with “instant-on”
(very fast) speed monitoring capabilities

Pop Detection

Detects the latest super-fast instant-on
single pulse radar guns

Tone Alert or Voice Alert

With adjustable volume

City or Highway

Modes to reduce false alerts

DigiView Data Display

With easy-to-read alpha/numeric dot matrix
text readout

Alert Programming

Easy setting of radar bands to be monitored

Safety Alert

Trafc warning system distinguishes important
safety alerts from other
K band signals

Manual Mute or Auto Mute

A mute function of audio alerts

IntelliMute

A mute function which automatically
reduces false audio alerts by sensing
engine RPMs

IntelliMute Pro

Prevents detection by radar detector detectors
(RDDs) when traveling at
slower speeds

Mounting

Mounts easily on windshield or dashboard

GPS Ready

The GPS Locator unit adds: Photo Enforced,
Caution, Speed Trap and User Location Alerts;
and a GPS Compass

IntelliScope

Uses GPS Locator to show direction of Location­Based Alerts relative to your moving vehicle

Lifetime Updates

The GPS Locator includes free lifetime updates
of its Cobra-exclusive AURA database of
location-based alerts

Controls, Indicators and Connections

•

Display

•

Product Features

•

Windshield Bracket

Mounting Slot

Windshield Bracket
Release Button

GPS Locator

Attaches to
USB Port.

Speaker

On-Off/
Volume Control

Allows you to adjust
the volume of the alerts.

IntelliMute Button

Engine RPM sensing mute function

which reduces false alerts. Button

turns IntelliMute On and Off. (Also enters

IntelliMute setting mode and turns VG-2

and Spectre alerts On and Off. *)

Introduction

LaserEye

For 360° detec­tion
of laser and

Alpha/Numeric Dot Matrix Text Display

See pages 6 – 17 for more information
about display features.

Mark/Dim Button

Allows you to adjust

the DigiView Data Display

brightness for easy reading (Also sets

and deletes User Points.*)

Mute Button

For manual mute or
auto mute of audio alerts.
(Also turns Voice Alert
On and Off.*)

City/Hwy Button

For City or Highway
modes to reduce false
alerts. (Also turns
Ku alerts On and Off.*)

h

* See page 6 for

accessing multiple
button functions.

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

English

A2 A3

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

33

FCC NOTICE This device complies with part 15 of FCC rules: Operation is

subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Assistance

Warranty

XRS9550G_MANL_vF.indd 2-33 8/31/10 8:37 AM

Introduction

Contents

Introduction

Important Information ............ A1

Customer Assistance ............ A1

Controls, Indicators and Display .... A2

Display and Product Features ...... A3

Your Detector

Installation ..................... 2

Windshield Mounting ........... 3

Dashboard Mounting ........... 4

Getting Started .................. 5

Standby Screens .............. 5

Settings ....................... 6

City/Highway Modes. ........... 6

DigiView Data Display Brightness .... 8

Global Position System
Locator (GPS Locator)

Overview ..................... 24

Connecting to your Detector ..... 24

Initial Satellite Lock .............. 25

User Locations ................. 26

GPS Settings ................... 26

Photo Enforcement Areas ....... 26

Caution Areas ................ 26

Known Speed Traps ........... 27

Speed Units ................. 27

GPS Alerts .................. 27

Visual Display ................ 28

IntelliScope .................. 28

Muting an Alert ................ 9

Auto Mute Mode ............... 9

IntelliMute .................. 10

IntelliMute Pro ............... 13

Voice/Tone Setting ............ 14

VG-2 and Spectre I & IV

Alert Settings ............... 15

Radar Alert Settings ........... 16

Pop Alert .................... 17

Detection ..................... 16

Signals Detected ............. 16

Audio Alerts ................. 16

Visual Display ................ 16

Instant-On Detection ........... 21

Customer Information
and Warranty

Maintenance ................... 30

Specications .................. 30

Limited 1-Year Warranty .......... 31

Product Service ................ 32

Optional Accessories ............. 32

Accessories Order Info ........... 33

Trademark Acknowledgement ...... 33

Responding to Alerts ............. 21

Understanding Radar and Laser .... 22

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

1

English

2

Installation

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

3

Installation

Your Detector

Installation

•

Where to Mount Your Unit

You will get optimum performance from your detector if you Mount it at a point
approximately in the center of the vehicle, as low as possible on the front windshield
without obstructing the unit’s view of the road either to the front or rear. You can also
mount it directly on the dashboard.

The unit’s lens must not be blocked and the LaserEye should have a clear view
out the back window to allow 360° detection. If the GPS Locator unit is installed,
it must have a clear view of the sky to receive GPS signals.

Radar, laser and GPS signals pass through glass but not through other materials and
objects. Objects that can block or weaken incoming signals include:

n Windshield wiper blades

n Mirrored sun screens

n Dark tinting at the top of the windshield

n Heated windshields currently available on some vehicles

(Instaclear for Ford, Electriclear for GM). Consult your dealer
to see if you have this option.

Windshield Mounting Dashboard Mounting

The LaserEye Should Have a Clear View

1. Attach the rubber cups

to the bracket.

2.

Make sure the rubber cups and your windshield are clean.

3. Push the bracket rmly onto
the windshield.

4. Attach the detector to
the bracket. Check that

the unit is parallel to the
road’s surface.

5. To adjust the angle if

necessary, gently push or pull
on the bracket to bend it. DO
NOT use the detector to bend
the bracket.

6. Plug the power cord
into the detector.

7. Plug the cigarette lighter
adapter on the power
cord into your vehicle’s
cigarette lighter.

8. You can temporarily remove the detector whenever
you wish by depressing the bracket release button
and sliding it off the bracket.

Windshield Mounting

XRS9550G_MANL_vF.indd 2-3 8/31/10 8:37 AM

English

4

Installation

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

5

Getting Started

Your Detector

1. Place the detector on the dashboard to nd a location

where the unit has a clear, level view of the road and is
parallel to the road’s surface. The angle CANNOT be

adjusted after mounting

2. Remove the paper backing
from one side of the hook­and-loop fastener.

3. Attach the pad to the dash­board at your chosen location
and remove the other paper
backing.

4. Attach the detector to the
hook-and-loop fastener. You
can remove and
reattach the unit as often
as you like

5.

Plug the power cord into the

detector.

6. Plug the cigarette lighter
adapter on the power
cord into your vehicle’s
cigarette lighter.

Dashboard Mounting

Standby Screens

•

Testing

System Ready

On-Off/
Volume Control
Rotate clockwise
(away from you)

To Turn On the Unit and Adjust the Audio Volume

Rotate the On-Off/
Volume control

clockwise (away
from you).

Tone Voice Visual Display

Three beeps Testing, then

three beeps

System Ready

The display will
sequentially show the
settings for any user
modes you have
changed from the
factory defaults.
If the GPS Locator
is connected, the
sequence will continue
with the database
version, whether the
GPS is locked on a
signal and the speed
units in effect.

Start-up is complete when the display continuously
shows the letters indicating the current user settings
(c = City mode, h = Highway mode, i = IntelliMute On)

h

Start-Up Complete

Power On

NOTE

In some vehicles, power is supplied to the cigarette lighter even while the ignition
is Off. If this is the case with your vehicle, you should turn Off or unplug your
detector when parking for lengthy periods.

Assistance

Warranty

XRS9550G_MANL_vF.indd 4-5 8/31/10 8:37 AM

English

6

Settings

Your Detector

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

®

7

Your Detector

City/Highway Mode (continued)Settings

•

When changing the Settings on your detector, please keep in mind:

n Buttons can have multiple functions.

– Press means press and release (less than two seconds).
– Hold 2 means press and hold for two or three seconds before releasing.
– Hold 4 means press and hold for four seconds or more before releasing.

n Depending on your choice of Voice Alert or Tone Alert mode, you will hear

either voice messages or tones conrming changes in settings.

n All settings will be stored in memory when the power is turned Off and

recalled when the power is turned back On.

City/Highway Mode

Setting your detector to City mode delays all X band audio alerts until the signal
strength reaches Level 3. (A single beep will sound when the signal is rst detected.)
This will reduce false alerts while you are driving in, or near, urban areas where
there are many sources for conicting X band signals such as microwave towers and
automatic door openers.

To change settings, follow the procedure listed on the next page, which indicates what
you will see and hear (either in Voice Alert or Tone Alert mode) as you complete each
step. The factory setting is Highway mode.

h

c

Highway Mode

City Mode

City/Hwy
Button

Press and
release

To Change From Highway Mode to City Mode

Press and release
the City/Hwy button.

Tone Voice Visual Display

One beep City City X blinks, then c

appears in the display*

NOTE

If the GPS Locator is connected, “c” or “h” will show
for two seconds, then be replaced by the GPS symbol.
See page 24 for GPS features.

To Change From City Mode Back to Highway Mode

Press and release
the City/Hwy button
again.

Tone Voice Visual Display

Two beeps Highway Highway blinks, then h

appears in the display*

Assistance

Warranty

XRS9550G_MANL_vF.indd 6-7 8/31/10 8:37 AM