Whistler XCS-800 User Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

XCS-800

Battery Powered

LASER-RADAR

DETECTOR

The Whistler Group Corporate Headquarters

13016 N. Walton Blvd. • Bentonville, AR 72712

Tel [phone] • Fax [phone]

Customer Return Center

551 North 13th Street. • Rogers, AR 72756

Customer Service Tel [phone]

www.whistlergroup.com

P/N 203322-2,

REV1©

2007 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

verification purposes, a copy of your dated

warranty
store receipt must 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.

our warranty period begins at the time of pur-

Y

Note:
chase. The warranty is validated only by the dated
store receipt!
unit in the space provided in the warranty section of
the manual.

Please record the serial number of the

To fully acquaint yourself with the operation of your
Whistler detector and to better understand the dif­ferences between detecting radar, laser and safety
radar signals, we recommend reading this entire
manual or visit our F.A.Q. page on our website

histlergroup

www.

w

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

at www.

histlergroup.

w

com. For

Model Features Summary .................... 2 - 3

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

•Battery Installation 4

•Trim Ring Installation 5

•Mounting Guidelines 5

•Windshield Mounting 6

•Power Connection and Fuse Replacement 6

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

•Battery Charging/External Power 7

•Battery Life 8

•Power On and Self-Test 8

•Feature Engaged Confirmation 8

•Audio Level Adjustment 8

•Quiet Mode 8

•Auto Quiet Mode 9

•Backlight Setting 9

•Highway Mode 10

•City/City 1/ City 2 Mode 10

•Setting Saver 11

•Engaging/Disengaging VG-2 11

•Battery Saver Mode 11

•Teach/Tutorial Mode 11

•Option Select Mode

•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 - 21

•Other Speed Detection Systems 21

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

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

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

®

™

12

14

20

WHISTLER FEATURES FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS

XCS-800

6

1

9

10

8

• Battery Operated
With Built-in Battery Charger

• Replaceable Trim Rings

• 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 &
2 Additional Color Trim Rings

™

™

2

13

2

7

11

12

™

™

14

3

4

5

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 r

2. Speaker – provides distinct audio warnings
fo r X, K, Ka band radar, safety radar, laser and VG-2.

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

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

5. Front Laser – high gain optical lens provides
increased sensitivity and field of view for leading­edge laser detection

6. Rear Laser – 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

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 included 4 AA Ni-MH
batteries.

elease of the mounting bracket.

-

-

turns unit on/off and engages

34

Battery Installation

INSTALLATION

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 corr
batteries as shown. Reinstall battery
compartment cover. Alkaline batteries are not
recommended.

When replacing the Ni-MH rechargeable batter­ies we recommended batteries that have a
power rating of 2100 mA or higher.

:

NNoottee:

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

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

:

CCaauuttiioonn:

Only use rechargeable batteries in the
optional home battery char
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.

ect polarity (+) and (-), insert

e

:

Ni-Cd batteries are not recommend-

ovide enough

ger. Charging

!

Trim Ring Removal/Installation

INSTALLATION

To change the trim ring to another color, follow
these simple steps:

Removal

• Locate the tab on the trim ring at the top of
the mounting bracket location.
Using your fore finger, lift up on the trim ring

•
and the ring will pop out.

Installation

• Locate the tab near the button openings and
insert this end first into the unit.
Gently snap in the other tabs as you work

•
your way to the back of the unit.

Mounting Guidelines

• 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™or
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.

56

INSTALLATION

Windshield Mounting

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

Windshield
Mounting

Rubber Bumper

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

• 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 cor

NNOOTT

Do
using the power cor

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
carefully when replacing the 2 amp fuse.

d, expect some resistance.

put alkaline batteries in the detector if

:

d.

Unscrew slowly. The tip contains a

Battery Charging

OPERATION

External/Home Battery Charger - The home
battery charger 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 r
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 impr
are not covered under warranty. Check with the
battery manufacturer about their specific prod­uct warranty and disposal recommendations.

CChhaarrggiinngg NNoottee:
less and you wish to char
unit, you must plug in the cigarette lighter cord
and insert into a live 12 volt DC socket for at
least 8 hours or until the battery charge indica­tor (*) on the display is no longer blinking.

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

.

emoved from the detector or

As with all battery operated devices,

operly charged batteries

:

If the unit is displaying 20% or

ge the batteries in the

7

When the

)

d