Cobra Electronics XRS-9830 User Guide

XRS 9830

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

™

TECHNOLOGY

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

English

Operating Instructions

Printed in China

Part No. 480-235-P

Version B

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

English

For more information or to

order any of our products,

please visit our website:

www.cobra.com

CB Radios

microTALK

Radios

Radar/Laser Detectors

Safety Alert

Traffic Warning Systems

Handheld GPS Receivers

Mobile GPS Navigation Systems

HighGear

Accessories

CobraMarine

VHF Marine Radios

CobraMarine

Chartplotters

Power Inverters

Accessories

The Cobra line of quality products includes:

Important Information and Customer Assistance

Introduction

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Important 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 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 Assistance

•

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 6:00 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 info@cobra.com (e-mail).

For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.

Contact Your Local Dealer

6500 West Cortland Street

Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA

www.cobra.com

Customer Assistance

9375-XRS 9830 - Final 4/10/06 12:09 PM Page BC1

Introduction

English

Controls, Indicators, Connections and Display

Introduction

Controls, Indicators, Connections and Display

•

12V DC

Power Jack

On-Off/Volume Control

Allows user to adjust the volume

of the tone and voice alerts.

MuteButton

For manual mute of audio alerts

and to move back through options

while programming.

Menu/Save Button

Press once to enter Program mode. Press again to save settings.

LaserEye

For 360° detection of laser and strobe signals.

Windshield Bracket

Release Button

Speaker

Auxiliary Audio Jack

Dim Button

Adjusts the display brightness

and scrolls through option

settings while programming.

CityButton

For changing between Highway and

City modes and to move forward

through options while programming.

Windshield

Bracket Mount

ExtremeBright DataGrafixTMDisplay

Bi-color sunlight-readable, extremely

bright display provides intuitive graphical

interaction and alert screens.

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Product Features

Introduction

Nothing Comes Close to a

Introduction

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

Ultra Performance

Provides advanced warning with extra detection range

Detection and Separate Alerts

For radar signals (X, K, Ka and Ku bands, with signal strength indicated), laser signals, Safety Alert signals, Strobe Alert signals, VG-2 signals, Spectre 1 signals

8-Point Compass

Displays direction of travel

LaserEye

For 360° detection of laser and strobe signals

Instant-On Ready

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

Pop Detection

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

Voice or Tone Alert

With adjustable volume

ExtremeBright DataGrafix

Display

With easy-to-read graphical user interface

IntelliShield False Signal Rejection

Reduces falsing in urban areas with Highway mode and three levels of City mode settings

Safety Alert

Traffic warning system distinguishes important safety alerts from other K band signals

Strobe Alert

Emergency vehicle warning system

Manual Mute or Auto Mute

A mute function of audio alerts

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

EasySet Programming

User-friendly mode selection and setting with visual guidance

Car Battery Voltage Display

Car battery voltage can be shown continuously on the display

Car Battery Low Voltage Warning

Provides an alert when the car battery voltage drops below 11.9 volts

Auxiliary Audio Jack

For external speaker connection

Mounting

Mounts easily on windshield or dashboard

Product Features

•

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

WARNING

Modifications or parts substitutions not approved by Cobra Electronics Corporation may violate FCC Rules and void your authority to operate this equipment.

Accessories Order Info

Customer

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 6:00 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

420-030-N-001 Straight 12V Power Cord 420-026-N-001 Coiled 12V Power Cord 545-139-N-001 Windshield Mounting Bracket CLP-2B Dual Port Power Adapter

9375-XRS 9830 - Final 4/10/06 12:09 PM Page A2

Contents

Introduction

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Introduction

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

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

Controls, Indicators,

Connections and Display . . . . . . A2

Product Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Your Detector

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Power On/Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Standby Screen Icons . . . . . . . . . 7

Display Brightness Control . . . . . . . 7

Auto Dimmer and Screensaver . . . 8

Highway / City Mode . . . . . . . . . . 8

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

Auxiliary Audio Jack . . . . . . . . . . 9

EasySet Programming . . . . . . . . . . 10

Program Flow Diagrams . . . . . . . . 12

Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

User Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

City Mode Default . . . . . . . . . 14

IntelliMute Mode . . . . . . . . . . 14

Set IntelliMute . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Auto Mute Mode . . . . . . . . . . 16

Voice or Tone Mode . . . . . . . . 16

Compass Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Set Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

SmartPower Mode . . . . . . . . . 18

Customizable Display Colors . . 18

Dim Mode Default . . . . . . . . . 18

Car Battery Voltage

Display Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Car Battery Low

Voltage Warning . . . . . . . . . 19

Restore Factory Settings . . . . 19

Settings (Continued)

Alert Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pop Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

X Band Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

K Band Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Ku Band Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

VG-2 Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

VG-2 Audio Mode . . . . . . . . . 20

Spectre 1 Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Spectre 1 Audio Mode . . . . . . 21

Safety Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Signals Detected . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Audio Alerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Visual Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Instant-On Detection . . . . . . . . . 25

Pop Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Responding to Alerts . . . . . . . . . 25

Understanding Radar and Laser . . 26

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Warranty

Limited 1-Year Warranty . . . . . . . . 30

Customer Assistance

Product Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Trademark Acknowledgement . . . . 32

Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Order Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Appendix – Menu Guides

User Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Alert Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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Installation

Your Detector

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Overview

Introduction

English

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.

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.

The LaserEye Should Have a Clear View

Windshield Mounting Dashboard Mounting

This manual describes the simple steps for mounting, setting up and using your detector. It also provides helpful information about how radar and laser guns are used and how you can interpret the alerts you receive.

Before you begin your installation, please read the Important Information section on page A1 and use the descriptions and feature lists on pages A2 and A3 to become familiar with your new detector.

About Your Detector

•

Display

This detector’s innovative new display provides more, easier-to-use information than any technology to date. Using an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen, the display offers large graphical alerts to signals as they are detected.

Do not be alarmed by the nearly blank display you see when you first turn the unit on. The detector will function and alerts will appear as signals are detected. You can also elect to turn on the built-in Compass, IntelliMute and Car Voltage, so that they appear during normal operation. The initial and startup screens are shown on page 6.

Programming

EasySet Programming lets you conveniently customize the operation of your detector by changing the settings. You may want to start using the detector with the factory settings and then make changes after you are more familiar with the unit.

About This Manual

•

Please take a moment to learn about some special features of this manual.

Modular Descriptions

Once the detector is in use, this manual can be used as a ready reference to individual topics as needed. Each topic is completely covered in its section and cross-references to related topics are included where appropriate.

Appendix

The appendix pages 34–36 provide quick reference charts on the programming features of your detector.

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Installation

Your Detector

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Installation

Your Detector

English

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 depressing the bracket release button and sliding it off the bracket.

Windshield 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 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

9375-XRS 9830 - Final 4/10/06 12:09 PM Page 4

Getting Started

Your Detector

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Getting Started

Your Detector

English

To Turn on the Unit and Adjust the Audio Volume

Rotate the

On-Off/Volume

control clockwise (away from you).

Tone

Visual Display

Voice

Testing, then

three beeps

Testing, then three beeps

System Ready

None Voice Alert

Set-up is complete when the display continuously shows the City or Highway icon and if these features are turned on: Compass, IntelliMute, and Car Battery Voltage.

Power On/Off

•

On-Off/Volume Control

Rotate clockwise (away from you)

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 and you have turned the SmartPower off, you should turn off or unplug your detector when parking for lengthy periods. Cobra recommends leaving SmartPower at the factory setting, which is on. See page 18.

NOTE

When the system is first turned on from new, only the City or Highway icon will show on the screen because the Show Compass, IntelliMute and Show Car Battery Voltage functions are set to off at the factory. See pages 14, 16 and 19 to turn these functions on.

Settings Not Set

Power On

Standby Screen Icons

•

City Mode

Highway Mode

Compass

IntelliMute Up

IntelliMute Down

User Settings

Alert Settings

Battery Voltage

Your detector uses the following icons to indicate modes and functions when set:

Sample Screen

NOTE

For example, the sample screen indicates that IntelliMute is active, the Compass is calibrated, your system is set to Highway mode and your vehicle’s battery voltage is charged to 13.8 volts.

Display Brightness Control

•

Your detector has a Bright display mode (for daytime driving)

and three levels of the Dim display mode:

Dim for dusk driving.

Dimmer for night driving.

Dark to prevent all visual alerts from displaying.

The factory setting is Bright. This level can be changed in programming mode (see page 19.)

You can toggle between Bright and Dim modes by pressing the Dim

button.

NOTE

When you change to Dim mode, the unit will enter whichever dim default mode is set at the time.

Dim Button

Press and release

NOTE

The display will show small dots to indicate the unit is turned on.

9375-XRS 9830 - Final 4/10/06 12:09 PM Page 6

Muting an Alert

•

Your detector allows you to quickly turn off an Audio Alert by momentarily pressing the Mute

button. If you press the Mutebutton a second time

during the alert, the Audio Alert will be turned back on. After the current alert is gone, the next alert will be heard.

Two other features are incorporated in your detector to automatically mute or reduce the volume of alerts. See pages 14 and 16 for Intellimute and Auto Mute modes.

Auxiliary Audio Jack

•

The Auxiliary Audio Jack can be used to connect external speakers in environments with high ambient noise levels. The internal speaker will be disconnected. (This uses a mini stereo audio connector.)

Getting Started

Your Detector

Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra

Getting Started

Your Detector

English

Auto Dimmer and Screensaver

•

Your detector is equipped with Auto Dimmer and Screensaver functions to prolong the life of your screen.

Highway / City Mode

•

Your detector has a Highway mode and three different levels of City modes: City X, City X Beep Off and City X+K.

Highway mode provides full response to all signals detected. The City modes reduce false alerts while you are driving in or near urban areas where there are many sources for conflicting X or K band signals such as microwave towers and automatic door openers. The factory setting is Highway. The factory City mode default setting is City X; it can be changed in programming mode (see page 11).

You can toggle between Highway and City modes by pressing the City

button.

NOTE

When you change to City mode, the unit will enter whichever city default mode is set at the time.

CityButton

Press and release

MuteButton

Press and release

Auxiliary Audio Jack

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