Whistler 1788, 1788R, XTR-280 User Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

1788 / 1788R / XTR-280

Battery Powered

LASER-RADAR

DETECTOR

The Whistler Group Corporate Headquarters

13016 N. Walton Blvd. • Bentonville, AR 72712

Tel [phone] • Fax [phone]

Customer Return Center

1201 N. Dixieland Rd. • Rogers, AR 72756

Customer Service Tel [phone]

www.whistlergroup.com

P/N 203322, ©2006 The Whistler Group, Inc.

Dear Whistler Owner,
If you have questions concerning the operation of

this Whistler product please call:

CuSTOmer SeRVICE

1-800-531-0004

Monday - Friday • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm CT

or visit our website

www.whistlergroup.com

Please keep the receipt in a safe place. You may regis­ter your product online
warranty

verification purposes, a copy of your dated

at www.

wwhhiissttlleerrggrroouupp.

store receipt must still accompany any unit sent in for
warranty work. If the unit is returned without a dated
store receipt an out of warranty service charge applies.

YYoouurr wwaarrrraannttyy ppeerriioodd bbeeggiinnss aatt tthhee ttiimmee ooff ppuurr-

Note:

cchhaassee.. TThhee wwaarrrraannttyy iiss vvaalliiddaatteedd oonnllyy bbyy tthhee ddaatteed
ssttoorree rreecceeiipptt!!

number of the unit in the space provided in the war­ranty section of the manual.

To fully acquaint yourself with the operation of your
Whistler and to better understand the differences

Now is the time to record the serial

between detecting radar, laser and safety radar sig­nals, we recommend reading this entire manual or
visit our FAQ page on our website www.whistler­group.com

Enjoy your Whistler and please drive safely.
Sincerely,
The Whistler Group, Inc.

.

com. For

d

-

Model Features Summary .................... 2 - 4

Installation ........................................... 4 - 6

•Battery Installation 4 - 5

•Mounting Guidelines 5

•Windshield Mounting 6

•Power Connection and Fuse Replacement 6

Operation .......................................... 7 - 13

•Battery Life 7

•Battery Charging/External Power 7

•Power On and Self-Test 8

•Setting Saver 8

•Feature Engaged Confirmation 8

•Audio Level Adjustment 8

•Auto Quiet Mode 8

•Quiet Mode 9

•City/City 1/ City 2 Mode 9

•Highway Mode 10

•Backlight Setting 10

•Teach/Tutorial Mode 10

•Engaging/Disengaging VG-2 11

•Battery Saver Mode 11

•Option Select Mode 12

•Stay Alert Feature 13

Safety Warning System™ ......................... 13

™

Mode Alerts ................................. 14

POP

Laser/Radar Alerts ................................. 14

•Speed Radar Audio/Visual Alerts 14

•Laser Audio/Visual Alerts 14

•Pulse Protection

VG-2 Alerts ............................................ 15

•Alert Priority 15

Reset Features ....................................... 16

Troubleshooting Guide ..................... 16 - 17

Care and Maintenance ........................... 18

Are Detectors Legal? ............................. 18

FCC Information ..................................... 19

Speed Monitoring ............................ 19 - 22

•Radar Facts 19

•POP™Mode 19

•Total Band Protection

•Laser Facts 20

•Other Speed Detection Systems 21 -22

Warranty Information ....................... 22 - 25

Specifications ......................................... 25

Accessories ............................................ 26

®

™

14

20

WHISTLER FEATURES FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS

1788/1788R/XTR-280

6

1

9

10

8

• Battery Operated
With Built-in Battery Charger

• Total Band Protection

• POP™Mode Detection

• Blue LCD Text Display

• High Gain Optical Lens

• Stay Alert

• 360° Total Perimeter Protection

• VG-2 Cloaking™ Technology

• 3 City Modes

• Quiet/Auto Quiet Modes

• Battery Saver

• Setting Saver

• Alert Priority

• Safety Warning System

Accessories:

Windshield Bracket Kit, Rechargeable Batteries,
Straight Power Cord & Home Battery Charger
* Home Battery Charger (Included with 1788
and XTR-280,

™

NNOOT

™

T

with 1788R)

2

13

2

7

11

12

™

™

14

3

5

4

Whistler’s ergonomic and user-friendly design pro­vides a new level of operating convenience.
Special features include:

1. Bracket Release Button – Provides quick
and easy release of the mounting bracket.

2. Speaker – Provides distinct audio warnings
fo r X, K, Ka band radar, safety radar, laser a nd VG-2.

3. Mounting Bracket Location – Slot holds
mounting bracket firmly.

4. Radar Antenna – Compact, high-efficiency
antenna receives radar signals.

5. Front Laser Antenna – High gain optical lens
provides increased sensitivity and field of view
for leading-edge la ser det ection

6. Rear Laser Antenna – An integrated optical
waveguide provides superior detection of
laser signals transmitted from behind.

7. City Button - Reduces the annoyance of
false alerts typically encountered in urban
driving areas.

8. Quiet/Menu Button - Pressing QUIET
before a signal is detected engages Auto
Quiet Mode. Pressing QUIET during a
radar/laser encounter silences audio
alerts.(Pressing and holding for 2 seconds allows
you to enter Option Select Mode—see page 12)

9. Power/Dim -Turns unit on/off and engages
Backlight settings (press and hold).

10 . Volume Down Button – Adjust volume down.
11 . Volume Up Button – Adjust volume up.

12. Blue LCD Text Display – Provides distinct

visual confirmation of signals detected, signal
strength, and indicates engaged modes of
operation.

13. Power Jack – Provides connection for the
power cord.

14. Battery Compartment – Compartment for

which you place the batteries.

34

Battery Installation

INSTALLATION

Units requires 4 AA rechargeable batteries (included).
PPlleeaassee cchhaarrggee bbaatttteerriieess oovveerrnniigghhtt bbeeffoorree ffiirrsstt uussee!
Remove the battery compartment cover by
sliding the cover to the edge of the unit and lift
up. Observing correct polarity (+) and (-), insert
batteries as shown. Reinstall battery
compartment cover. For best performance we
recommend using the highest capacity
rechargeable AA batteries available. Alkaline
batteries are not recommended.

Ni-MH rechargeable batteries are recommend­ed and are included with the unit. Common
rechargeable batteries have a power rating of
2100 mA or higher.

:

NNoottee:

DO NOT mix battery types as this can
damage the batteries. Lithium batteries are
recommended for use in cold temperatures.

IImmppoorrttaanntt:

ed. These batteries will not provide enough
capacity to be useful. Replace the Ni-Cd’s with
Ni-MH type rechargeable batteries.

CCaauuttiioonn:

optional home battery charger. Charging
non-rechargeable batteries can damage the
charger or possibly cause the batteries to
explode. See battery charging section (page 7)
to either charge batteries with the power cord
or home battery charger (optional with the
1788R)

:

Ni-Cd batteries are not recommend-

:

Only use rechargeable batteries in the

!

Mounting Guidelines

INSTALLATION

• Mount the unit as low as possible near the
center of the windshield.

• Do not mount your unit behind wipers,
ornaments, mirrored sunscreens, etc. These
obstructions have metal surfaces which can
affect radar and laser signals and reduce
critical warning time. (Regular tinted glass
does not affect reception.)

• Some windshields have an Instaclear
Electriclear™type coating, which affect radar
signals. Consult your dealer or the owner’s
manual supplied with your vehicle to determine
if your windshield has this coating.

• Avoid placing unit in direct contact with wind
shield.

• To reduce the possibility of theft, conceal your
unit when not in use.

Windshield Mounting

• Install the two suction cups and rubber bumper
onto the bracket by fitting them into their holes.

Rubber Bumper

• Press the suction cups onto the windshield at the
location you have chosen.

56

™

Windshield
Mounting

or

INSTALLATION

• Slide the detector onto the bracket until it locks into
place.

• If necessary, the unit may be leveled by bending the
windshield bracket.

• Press the bracket release button and remove the
detector before bending.

Power Cord Connection

• Plug the small end of the power cord into the
unit’s power jack.

• Plug the large end into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter.

:

NNoottee:

Cord fits tightly into detector. When

installing the cord, expect some resistance.

NNOOTT

put alkaline batteries in the detector if

Do
using the power cord.

Fuse Replacement

The lighter socket plug is equipped with a
replaceable 2 amp 3AG fuse located behind the
silver tip. To replace the fuse, carefully unscrew
the tip of the plug.

IImmppoorrttaanntt:

spring which may fly out when disassembling.
Insert the new fuse with the spring and screw on
the tip. With use, screw cap on plug may loosen.
Retighten occasionally.

Unscrew the tip of the lighter socket plug
car

:

Unscrew slowly. The tip contains a

efully when replacing the 2 amp fuse.

Battery Life

OPERATION

The unit can provide over 20 hours of laser/radar
detection. There are settings that can maximize
battery life.

1) Backlighting set to OFF-OFF

2) Auto Quiet to ON

3) Battery saver set to 1 hour

4) Using a lower volume setting

5) Using Mute whenever possible

Battery Charging

External/Home Battery Charger - The home
battery charger (optional with the 1788R) pro­vides approximately 10 hour recharge time for
Ni-MH batteries. Simply observe the battery
polarity when installing the batteries into the
charger and plug the home charger into a con­venient outlet.
Internal/Power Cord - While traveling, plug
your included power cord into your detector
and into your lighter socket to slowly charge the
rechargeable batteries. This will also provide
power to the detector. The display will show an

asterisk, i.e., when the unit is
charging the batteries. The asterisk will flash

during charging and go out when charging is
complete.*

ccaann bbee uusseedd bbuutt NNOOTT wwiitthh tthhee ppoowweerr ccoorrdd aannd
NNOOTT wwiitthh tthhee hhoommee bbaatttteerryy cchhaarrggeerr..

power cable is removed from the detector or
the vehicle’s lighter socket is switched off, the
unit will alarm and display then
simply turns off.

NNoottee::

remove the batteries when this unit will not be
used for an extended period of time. Damage
caused by leaky or improperly charged batteries
are not covered under warranty. Check with the
battery manufacturer about their specific prod­uct warranty and disposal recommendations.

NNoottee:: RReegguullaarr bbaatttteerriieess ((nnoott NNii--CCdd)

When the

As with all battery operated devices,

7

d

)