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Owner’s Manual
X•K•Ka Superwide Radar/
Laser Detector
Please read before using this equipment.
Cat. No.
22-1659
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FEATURES
Your Radio Shack X•K•Ka Superwide Radar/Laser
Detector can alert you to all known police traffic radar
and laser systems. It receives all X-, K-, and Ka-band
traffic radar signals and also detects both the instant-on
and laser syst em s m any police departments now use to
measure vehicle speed.
Your detector has FAST (False Alert Suppression Technology) circuitry that helps prevent false alarms caused
by signals from other radar detectors, without reducing
your detector’s sensitivity to traf fic radar signal s.
Note:
Some areas have laws regulating the use of
radar detectors. Check with your local law enforcement
agency about the laws i n your area.
For your records, we urge you to record your detector’s
serial number in the space below. The serial number is
located on the detector’s bottom panel.
Serial Number: ______________________________
1995 Tandy Corporation.
FAST and Radio Shack are registered trademarks
InstaClear is a registered trademark used by Ford Motor Company.
ElectriClear is a registered trademark used by Libbey, Owens,
All Rights Reserved.
used by Tandy Corporation.
Ford, and Delco-Remy.
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Your detector has many useful features, including:
VG-2 Protection—makes your detector invisible to the
VG-2 radar-detector detector by sensing VG-2 and
shutting down until you are out of range.
Front- and Rear-Looking Laser—detects laser signals from both the front and the rear of your vehicle.
Road Hazard Alert—alerts you to the presence of
potential road hazards and emergency vehicles signalled by a safety radar t ransmission.
X-, K-, Ka-Band, and Laser Signal Detection—warns
you when it detects signals from traffic radar or laser
devices. Different tones sound to let you know the type
of signal received.
City/Highway Modes—let you reduce unwanted Xband alerts without affecting the detector’s response to
other signals while you are in the city.
Your radar/l aser detector inclu des the following item s:
• Visor Bracket • Hook and Loop Fastener
• Power Cord with Plug • Spare Fuse
• Windshield Bracket
• Owner’s Manual
with Suction Cups
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A LOOK AT THE DETECTOR
1P/V
Button
—turns the detector on and off and lets
you adjust the volume.
Power Indicator
2
—lights when you connect the
detector to power and turn it on.
City Indicator
3
— lights when the detector is in the
city mode.
Visual Laser Indicator
4
detects a traf fic laser signal.
Visual Radar Indicator
5
detects a traffic radar signal.
4
— lights when the detector
—l ights when the detector
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Signal Meter
6
—four high-intensity indicators light
in sequence a s the radar signal strength increases,
or flash in a pattern when laser is detected.
7 AUD
(Audio) Button
—replaces the normal alert
sound with a muted click. Also, lets you silence
alerts.
8CTY
(CITY/HIGHWAY) Button
—switches between
the city and highway modes .
Power Jack
9
Laser Detection Lenses
10
—the power cable plugs in here.
—receives incoming
laser signals from both the front and rear.
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INSTALLATION
MOUNTING GUIDELINES
Follow these guidelines when selecting a location.
• Choose a location that does not block the driver’s
view of the road.
• Mount the detector in a level position with a clear
view to both the front and r ear.
• Since signals are blocked by metal surfaces, the
detector’s vie w of the road must not be blocked.
• Some vehicles have InstaClear
defogging windshields, which have metal coatings
that block signals. General Motor’s APV vans have a
solar shield that keeps the vehicle cooler during the
summer. This shield also blocks signals. A detector
installed in a vehicle with any of these features will
probably not dete ct a si gnal.
• Since window tinting reduces the received strength
of laser signals, you should not mount the detector
behind any tinted glass.
• Do not mount the detector where the driver or a passenger might hit it in a sudden stop or accident.
Caution:
place the detector out of view when you leave the vehicle. This keeps the detector out of sight of thieves and
prevents exposing it to extremely high temperatures,
which can temporari ly impair performance.
Whichever mounting method you choose,
‚
or ElectriClear
‚
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HOOK-AND-LOOP MOUNTING
For some dashboards, the hook-and-loo p tape included
with your detector might be best for mounting. Follow
these steps to use the hook -and-loop tape.
1. Use a damp cloth to clean the bottom of the detector and the dashboard. Let both surfaces dry.
Note:
The tape’s adhesive might not stick to a sur-
face treated with vi nyl cleaner or protectant.
2. Remove the tape’s backing and stick the tape to the
bottom of the detector.
Note:
Do not place the hook-and-loop tape over the
detector’s serial number.
On a curved dashboard, cut the supplied strip in half
and use one strip on each side of the bottom of the
detector.
3. Remove the backing from the other side of the tape
and press the detecto r onto the dashboard.
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VISOR MOUNTING
The supplied sun visor clip lets you quickly mount the
detector on your vehicle’s sun visor.
Warning:
places the detector near the driver’s or a passenger’s
head.
Follow these steps to use the sun visor clip.
1. Remove the detector’s cover by pressing on the
2. Slide the visor clip onto the top o f the detector until it
3. Clip the detector to the edge of the sun visor near-
8
Do not mount the detector on a visor if this
raised dots and pushing outward. Store the cover in
a safe place.
snaps into place.
est the windshield.
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WINDSHIELD MOUNTING
The supplied suction-cup mount lets you easily mount
the detector on the windshield.
Caution:
that has a plastic coating on the windshield designed to
protect passengers during an accident. If you use the
suction-cup mount on this type of windshield, you might
permanently mar the windshield’s surface.
1. Remove the detector’s cover by pressing on the
2. Align the g roove in each suction cup with the sl ots in
Do not use the suction-cup mount in a vehicle
raised dots and pushing outward. Store the cover in
a safe place.
the windshield mount assembly and slide the suction cups out until they lock into place.
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3. Clean the selected windshield area, position the
suction-cup mount on the windshield, and press
firmly on each suction cup to secure it into place.
4. Use a screwdriver or small coin to adjust the suction-cup mount unt il the base plate is level.
5. Slide the radar detector onto the base plate until it
snaps into place.
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CONNECTING POWER
Cautions:
• The detector works in vehicles that have a 12-volt,
negative-ground electrical system. Most vehicles
have this type of system. If you are not sure about
your vehicle, check with your vehicle’s dealer.
• Unplug the power cord’s cigarette-lighter plug from
your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket when you turn
off the ignition. This prevents your vehicle’s battery
from being drained if you leave the detector on when
you turn off the igni tion.
Plug the supplied power cord’s short barrel plug into the
detector’s power jack and the longer barrel plug int o the
cigarette-lighter plug. Then plug the cord’s cigarettelighter plug into your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.
Note:
If the detector does not operate when you turn it
on, remove the cigarette-light er plug from your vehi cle’s
socket and check the socket for debris. Also check the
fuse in the cigarette-lighter plug and your vehicle’s fuse
block (see “Replacing the Fuse”).
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OPERATION
TURNING THE DETECTOR
ON AND OFF
To turn on the detector, tap
The detector sounds a distinctive to ne for each band as
a self test (laser, Ka, K, X, and road hazard, in order).
Then all indicators turn off except the power indicator,
and the detector returns to the same operating modes
as the last time you used it.
To turn off the detector, tap
P/V
P/V
.
again.
ADJUSTING THE VOLUME
To increase the detect or’s volume, pres s and hold down
P/V
. The detector sounds tones and lights the signal
strength meter to indicate the relative volume level. To
decrease the detector’s volume, release and immediately press
12
P/V
again.
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SELECTING THE CITY AND
HIGHWAY MODES
In the city mode, the detector requires a stronger Xband signal before it sounds an alert. This eliminates
responses to most false sources, such as automatic
door openers and alarm systems. However, the signal
strength meter continues to react immediately to Xband signals to keep you quietly informed. The city
mode has no effect on K, Ka, laser, or road hazard signals.
To select the city mode, press
turns on.
The highway mode provides maximum sensitivity for
open-road driving.
To select the highway mode, press
cator turns off.
CTY
until the C indicator
CTY
until the C indi-
AUDIO MODES
Note:
Laser alerts are not affected by the audio m odes.
While the audio alert is sounding a radar or r oad hazard
alert, you can press
detector. The detector returns to normal operation after
the radar signal stops.
AUD
to temporarily silence the
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You can change the alert pattern to sound several X, K,
or Ka tones followed by muted clickin g by pressing
when no alert is sounding. The clicking becomes more
rapid as the radar signal strength increases.
AUD
RECEIVING AND IDENTIFYING
RADAR, LASER, AND ROAD
HAZARD SIGNALS
When you turn on your detecto r, it sounds alert tones in
the following orde r: laser, Ka, K, X, and road hazard.
Your detector gives different audible alarms for each
signal. In addition, the alert tone pulse rate increases
with signal strength.
When your detector senses instant-on radar, it sounds
an intense, 2-second X, K, or Ka burst and flashes all
signal stren g th and laser indicato rs.
When your detector senses a road hazard transmitter, it
flashes all indi cators and sounds the road hazar d alert.
Note:
Your detector does not detect X, K, Ka, or laser
signals when it is sensing a VG-2 radar-detector detector.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
If you have problems operating your radar/laser detector, the suggestions in this section might help. If you
cannot solve the problem after trying these suggestions, take your detector to your local Radio Shack
store for assis tance.
If the detector does not turn on:
• Be sure all power connections are secure.
• Check the fuse that controls power to the cigarettelighter socket. See your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Check the fuse in the cigarette-lighter plug. See
“Replacing the Fuse.”
• The cigarette-li ghter socket might be dirty. Clean it to
give a good, clean connection.
Caution:
the cigarette lighter or a cigarette-lighter plug in the
cigarette-lighter socket. Doing so could blow a fuse
in your vehicle or cause the metal object to become
very hot.
Do not place any metal object other than
If the detector gives a false alert when the vehicle
hits bumps in the road:
• Check the power connections.
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If the detector gives a false alert when you use
accessories such as power windows, motorized
mirrors, brakes, and so on:
• Check the vehicle’s electrical system, including the
main battery cabl e and alternator connections.
• Install a filter capacitor (1,000 µf, 35 volts, such as
Cat. No. 272-1032) on the back of the cigarettelighter sock et, across the power connections.
If the detector performs the self-test, but does not
respond to rad ar signals when you see a police car:
• A police car might not be equipped with radar, or
might be using instant-on radar and not have the
radar gun triggered (see the separate booklet
tions and Answers About Vehicle Speed Detection
Ques-
).
• Police might be using V ASCAR-t ype speed detection
(see the separate booklet
About Vehicle Speed Detection
Questions and Answers
).
If the detector has poor laser detection range:
• Be sure the laser detection lenses are not blocked.
• Use lens-cleaning solution to clean the laser detection lenses.
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REPLACING THE FUSE
If the detec tor stops operating, check the fuse in the DC
power cord’s cigarette-lighter plug. If it has blown, follow these steps to replace it.
1. Carefully unscrew the tip of the cigarette-lighter
plug.
2. Remove the tip from the cigarette-lighter plug, then
remove the old fuse.
Note:
The tip is in two pieces. Take care not to lose
either piece or the spring inside the holder.
3. Replace the fuse with a 1-Amp, 5 × 20 mm, fast-act-
ing fuse (Cat. No. 270-1049).
Caution:
ings or defeating the fuse protection can damage
your detector or the vehicle’s electrical system.
4. Press the cigarette-lighter plug’s tip down into the
body , then screw it back in.
Caution:
plug’s tip down before screwing it in, or you might
damage the plug.
Using a fuse that does not me et t hese rat-
Be sure you press the cigarette-lighter
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PATENTS
This radar/laser detector is protected under the following patents.
United States: 4,572,593
4,630,054
4,961,074
4,952,936
5,402,087
Canada: 1,187,586
1,187,602
1,295,714
1,295,715
Other patents pendi ng.
Tracor Aerospace patents pending.
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NOTES
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RADIO SHACK LIMITED WARRANTY
This product is warranted against defects for 1 year from
date of purchase from Radio Shack company-owned
stores and authorized Radio Shack franchisees and
dealers. Within this period, we will repair it without
charge for parts and labor. Simply
Shack sa le s sl i p
Shack store. Warranty does not cover transportation
costs. Nor does it cover a product subjected to misuse or
accide ntal dama ge.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RADIO SHACK
MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED IN DURATION
TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CONTAINED HEREIN. Some states do not
permit limitation or exclusion of implied warranties;
therefore, the aforesaid limitation(s) or exclusion(s) may
not apply to the purchaser.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also
have other rights which vary from state to state.
as proof of purchase d ate to any Ra dio
bring your Radio
We Service What We Sell
9/94
RADIO SHACK
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
6A5 Printed in Canada
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