Cobra Electronics ESD-9870 User Manual
Operating Instructions for Your
Cobra
®
11 Band™Extra Sensory Detection
®
RADAR/LASER
DETECTOR
MODEL ESD –9870
Nothing comes close to a Cobra
®
N
Important Information
Federal Laws Governing the Use of
Radar Detectors
It is not against federal law to receive radar
transmissions with your Cobra radar 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 officials 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 traffic accidents. It is only intended to alert
the motorist that an emergency vehicle equipped with
a Cobra Safety Alert transmitter is within range as
defined by that product. Please call local fire 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 traffic laws.
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.
Customer Support
In this user's manual, you should find all the
information you need to install and operate your
detector. If you require further assistance after reading
through this manual, Cobra Electronics offers the
following customer support services:
Automated Help Desk is available in English only
24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 773-889-3087.
Customer Service Operators are available in
English or Spanish at 773-889-3087 Monday
through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST.
Questions can be faxed in English or Spanish
to 773-622-2269.
Automated Technical Assistance is available
in English or Spanish 24 hours, 7 days a week via
e-mail at: productinfo@cobra.com
On-line answers to frequently asked questions
can be found in English only at: www.cobra.com.
Trademark Acknowledgement
Cobra®,
DigiView
®
,
LaserEye
®
, Safety Alert®Traffic Warning System,
VG-2 Alert
®
and Nothing comes close to a Cobra
®
are registered
trademarks of Cobra Electronics Corporation.
11 Band Ultra™, EasySet™, IntelliMute™, SmartPower™,
Spectre Alert™, Strobe Alert™ and Voice Alert™ are trademarks of
Cobra Electronics Corporation.
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.
20-20™ and Ultra-Lyte™ are trademarks of Laser Technology, Inc.
ProLaser™ and ProLaser III™ are trademarks of Kustom Signals, Inc.
Bee III™ and Pop™ are a trademarks of MPH Industries.
Spectre™ is a trademark of Stalcar.
Interceptor VG-2™ is a trademark of TechniSonic Industries LTD.
Tomar
®
is a registered trademark of TOMAR Electronics, Inc.
A1
WARNING
Modifications or parts substitutions not approved by
Cobra Electronics Corporation may violate FCC Rules
and void your authority to operate this equipment.
NW c
windshield
bracket
mount slot
ON-OFF/VOLUME control12V DC POWER JACK
PROGRAM/MUTE button to
manually mute audio alerts (and to
enter programming mode).
SET/CITY button for
CITY or HIGHWAY modes
for fewer false alerts
(and to change user
mode settings while
programming).
SPEAKER
AUXILIARY AUDIO
JACK
LASEREYE for 360°
detection of laser and
strobe signals.
SELECT/DIM button to adjust the display
brightness for easy reading (and to scroll through
user mode settings while programming).
ON-OFF/VOLUME
control allows you to
adjust the volume of the
TONE alerts.
12V DC
POWER JACK
Congratulations
You’ve made a smart choice by
purchasing the ESD-9870 radar/laser
detector from Cobra.Just look at some
of the sophisticated features and
capabilities your new unit includes:
• ULTRA-SENSITIVITY
• Detects and provides separate alerts for:
radar signals (X, K, and Ka bands, with
signal strength indicated)
laser signals
emergency vehicle safety and strobe
alert signals
VG-2 signals
Spectre signals
• 8-POINT COMPASS displays direction
of travel
• LASEREYE for 360° detection of laser and
strobe signals
RADAR/LASER
DETECTOR
MODEL ESD –9870
• “INSTANT-ON” speed monitoring detection
• BEE III POP single pulse detection
• VOICE ALERT MODE or TONE ALERT
MODE with adjustable volume
• DIGIVIEW DATA DISPLAY with easy-to-
read alpha/numeric dot matrix text readout
• 3 CITY MODES or HIGHWAY MODE
to reduce false alerts
• SAFETY ALERT Traffic Warning System
• STROBE ALERT
• INTELLIMUTE a mute function which
automatically reduces false alerts by sensing
engine RPMs
• SMARTPOWER a timed power saving
function that saves your car’s battery.
• MANUAL MUTE or AUTO MUTE
of audio alerts
• EASYSET programming menu
• AUXILIARY AUDIO JACK for external
speaker connection
• Distinguishes important safety alerts from
other K band signals
• Mounts easily on windshield or dashboard
This booklet describes the simple steps for mounting
and setting up your detector. It also provides helpful
information about how radar and laser guns are used
and how you can interpret the alerts you receive.
alpha/numeric dot matrix text display showing*:
*See “Operations” (pages 5-19) for more information
about display features.
user mode settings
programming
instructions
signal strength
indicators
CITY/HIGHWAY
mode indicators
radar, VG-2, Spectre
and safety/strobe
indicators
Table of Contents
Important information about...
Federal Laws, Safety Alert/Strobe Alert, Safe Driving,
Security of Your Vehicle, Customer Support .......................................................................... A1
IInstallation .......................................................................................................................... 2-4
Operation–Getting Started .................................................................................................... 5
Operation–User Mode Settings .............................................................................................. 6-18
EasySet Programming: Programming User Modes ................................................................ 6-8
Highway/City Modes ...................................................................................................... 9
IntelliMute ...................................................................................................................... 10-12
Auto Mute Mode, Muting an Alert, Auxiliary Audio Jack ........................................................ 13
Voice Alert Mode and Tone Mode........................................................................................ 13
Compass.......................................................................................................................... 14-15
Pop Alert, VG-2 Alert, Spectre Alert...................................................................................... 16-17
SmartPower .................................................................................................................... 17
DigiView Data Display Brightness ........................................................................................ 18
Detection ............................................................................................................................ 19-22
Signals Detected .............................................................................................................. 19
Audio Alerts .................................................................................................................... 19
Visual Display .................................................................................................................. 19-21
Instant-On Detection ........................................................................................................ 22
BEE-III Pop ...................................................................................................................... 22
Responding to Alerts ........................................................................................................ 22
Understanding Radar and Laser .............................................................................................. 23-25
Maintenance and Service ...................................................................................................... 26-27
Limited 1-Year Warranty ........................................................................................................28
Specifications ...................................................................................................................... 29
Optional Accessories .............................................................................................................. 30
Order Form .......................................................................................................................... 31
3
1
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 lenses must not be blocked and
the LaserEye should have a clear view out
the back window to allow 360° detection.
Radar and laser signals pass through glass
but not through other materials and objects.
Objects that can block or weaken incoming
signals include:
windshield wiper blades
mirrored sun screens
dark tinting at the top of the windshield
heated windshields currently available on
some vehicles (Instaclear for Ford,
Electriclear for GM, consult your dealer to
see if you have this option).
2
1
INSTALLATION
Windshield Mounting
1. Attach the rubber cups to the bracket.
2. Make sure the rubber cups and your
windshield are clean.
3. Push the bracket firmly onto the
windshield.
4. Attach the detector to the bracket. Check
the angle of the unit.
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 sliding it off of
the bracket.
Windshield mounting
Dashboard mounting
N
W
h
NW h
1
INSTALLATION
Dashboard Mounting
1. Place the detector on the dashboard to
find a location where the unit has a
clear, level view of the road. The angle
can NOT be adjusted after mounting.
2. Remove the paper backing from one
side of the hook-and-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.
5
2
OPERATION•GETTING STARTED
4
Turning Your Unit On
1. Turn on the unit and adjust audio volume
by rotating the ON-OFF/VOLUME
CONTROL DIAL clockwise (away from you).
2. You will see and hear the messages
“TESTING” (3 beeps will sound),
then “SYSTEM READY”, then
“VOICE ALERT”, indicating that the
power is on.
3. The display will cycle through the user
mode settings (City X, City X Beep Off,
City X+K or Highway; IntelliMute and
SmartPower status).
4. Start-up is complete when the display
continuously shows the current compass
direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, or
NW) plus single letters indicating current
user mode settings (“c“ = City mode,
“c“ = City X Beep Off mode, “c“ = City
X+K mode, “h“ = Highway mode,
“i“ = IntelliMute 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 make sure to utilize the
SmartPower feature of your detector.
Testing
System Ready
NW h
Voice Alert
7
3
OPERATION•EASYSET PROGRAMMING
6
3
OPERATION•EASYSET PROGRAMMING
EasySet Programming
All user mode settings on your detector can
be changed by using Program mode. When
changing the settings, please keep in mind:
• Buttons can have multiple functions.
• All settings will be stored in memory
when the power is turned off and recalled
when the power is turned back on.
In general, the procedure for using Program
mode is as follows:
1. Press and hold the PROG/MUTE button
for 2 seconds to enter Program mode.
You will hear “start program” in Voice
Alert mode or 3 beeps in Tone mode
and “PROGRAM” will appear in the
display. Then brief programming
instructions will scroll through the display
two times.
2. While the programming instructions
are scrolling, press and release the
SELECT/DIM button to cycle through the
user modes. As each mode is displayed, the
current setting for that mode will be shown.
3. With the user mode you wish to change
displayed, press and release the
SET/CITY button to change the setting.
You will hear the current mode setting in
Voice Alert mode or either 1 or 2 beeps
in Tone mode, depending on your
selection. To move to the next selection,
press SELECT/DIM again.
4. When you have finished programming
any or all of the user modes, press
and release the PROG/MUTE button
to exit Program mode. Or simply wait
10 seconds without pushing any
buttons. When you exit Program mode,
the new setting will automatically be
saved, you will hear “exit program” in
Voice Alert mode or Tone mode and
“EXIT PROGRAM” and “Settings
Saved!” will appear in the display.
EasySet Programming Menu
MODE SETTING VISUAL RESULT
Set City Mode Default* City X A single beep sounds when the signal
is first detected.
City X Beep Off Audio for all X band alerts are blocked until
signal strength reaches level 3.
City X + K Combines the City X mode with
prevention of K band audio alerts until
signal strength reaches level 1.
IntelliMute Mode Intelli Mute On All alerts (except for strobe signals from
emergency vehicles) are automatically
muted below the engine rev point you set.
Intelli Mute Off Normal operation.
Set IntelliMute RPMs Press SET at desired RPMs... Allows you to set the engine rev point
(not shown if IntelliMute is off) (see page 12 to set activation point) when using IntelliMute.
continued
NOTE: You cannot enter Program mode
during an alert. The unit will not detect
signals while in Program mode. During
programming, if no buttons are pushed for
10 seconds, the unit will automatically exit
Program mode and save the last settings.
Programming User Modes
The table below shows you how to program
all user modes and the settings you can
choose from.
NOTE: On the following pages, you will find
more detailed explanations of each setting.
See page 12 for instructions on setting the
IntelliMute activation point.
See page 15 for instructions on calibrating
the compass.
See page 17 for instructions on using
SmartPower.
2. Press and release the SELECT/DIM
button to cycle through the user modes.
Current mode setting is displayed.
1. Press and release the PROG/MUTE button to enter Program mode.
3. Press and release the SET/CITY
button to choose the desired
setting for each user mode.
PROGRAM
EXIT
PROGRAM
Settings
Saved!