Whistler XTR-695 Radar/Laser Detector with Real Voice Alerts and External Audio Jack

by Whistler

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 3 x 1.4 inches ; 6.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001ECKSFA
• Item model number: XTR-695
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Whistler's XTR-695 is a detector that maximizes sensitivity and minimizes falsing. Ka Max Mode gives you improved Ka Band sensitivity. Radar Signature ID displays known Ka gun frequencies to help distinguish threats, and Laser Signature ID does the same by displaying pulses per second of received laser signals. Take advantage of 360-degree coverage for all radar and laser bands, Whistler's patented POP-mode detection, and a wealth of bonus features like a 72-point digital compass and vehicle battery voltmeter.

The XTR-695 maximizes sensitivity and minimizes falsing. Click to enlarge.

7 Color Backlit LCD Text Display
The XTR-695's brilliant text display provides distinct visual confirmation of signals detected, signal strength, and indicates engaged modes of operation. You can choose from 7 different display colors for a bit of personalization, even assigning a different color for each band, or scrolling colors.

Filter Mode
There are times when a radar detector can emit the same frequency as police radar and can cause your detector to falsely alarm. Sometimes a detector can display a signal when picking up another radar detector in vehicle close by. The Whistler Filter Mode checks the signal to verify if it's a legitimate police radar or a false alert from another detector.

Auto Dim Mode
The Auto Dim feature automatically switches the illumination of the text display between the bright and dim settings according to varying light conditions so that the text display will always be easy to read.

INTELLICORD Ready
Add the Whistler INTELLICORD and you'll be able to remotely control the radar detector in settings such as power on/off, city modes, dim/dark and quiet/auto quiet with a simple press of a button.

Real Voice Alerts

Real Voice provides added information to the detected signal over and above the simple band ID tones from internal speaker. Click to enlarge.

7 different display colors. Click to enlarge.

Real Voice provides added information to the detected signal over and above the simple band ID tones. The unit says "X band" when it detects an X band signal. This allows you to keep your eyes on-the-road. Real Voice is also used to articulate Safety Warning System messages and feature selections. Real Voice will be used to articulate the following:

• Band Identification
• Safety Warning System messages
• Feature Selection

Low Profile Alert Periscopes
Whistler's Low Profile Alert Periscopes provide an added attention getting visual alert. The two extra LEDs flash on and off when the unit alarms to provide a unique visual alert.

3 City Modes/Highway Mode
Highway mode provides full audio and visual warning of laser/radar systems while maintaining full sensitivity. Highway mode is the default setting of all Whistler's laser/radar detectors. City mode helps reduce the annoyance of automatic door openers and burglar alarm alerts by providing an initial alert (same distance as Highway Mode) then remaining quiet unless the signal strength becomes very strong. When the signal increases the unit will alert briefly to notify you of the change in signal strength.

Stay Alert
The Stay Alert feature is designed to test a driver's alertness. Within 30 to 60 seconds after the feature is engaged an alert is sounded; to show alertness, the driver must press the volume, city or the mute button within 3-5 seconds. If a button is pressed within 3-5 seconds, the cycle is repeated. If a button was not pressed within 3-5 seconds the unit alarms at full volume and the display shows an unique visual alert.

Quiet/Auto Quiet Modes
Pressing QUIET before a signal is detected engages Auto Quiet Mode, which automatically reduces the audio level after the initial warning to a low audio level setting. Pressing QUIET during a radar/laser encounter silences audio alerts, while allowing visual alerts to keep you informed.

Alert Priority
When two or more signals are received at the same time, the alert priority is: Laser, VG-2, Speed Radar, Safety Radar.

Example: If X band is alerting, then suddenly a VG-2 signal is detected, the VG-2 warning will override the X band alert.

Vehicle Battery Saver Mode
The Vehicle Battery Saver Mode automatically shuts off your detector within 3 hours if you forget to turn it off. The timer is reset if the detector is turned off, unplugged or any button is pressed before the 6 hours have expired. The detector will alert you with an audible and visual warning before it shuts off.

Safety Warning System--SWS
This relatively new radar is not for speed detection at all, it is used to keep you informed of highway safety. Transmitters are installed and programmed (for example: in emergency vehicles) to make you aware of possible situations that may require your attention, such as: ambulance vehicles that are moving or stationary, road hazards ahead, road construction delays or detours, etc.

What's in the Box
Whistler XTR-695, Power Cord, Windshield Mount, User's Manual

Product Description

Whistler's Pro-Series Line! Can Whistler improve for 2009? YES! Our new SE versions of our high performance units include a feature called "Ka Max" mode. This feature improves on our already impressive Ka perfromance. All the SE models include our popular features - Radar Signal ID (RSID) and Laser Signal ID (LSID).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good detector, an excellent value, November 30, 2008

By 

Steve F "Steve F" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Whistler XTR-695 Radar/Laser Detector with Real Voice Alerts and External Audio Jack (Electronics)

Note - see edit at end for added comments.

I bought this detector recently and just completed a 600 mile round trip to Florida. The detector performed very well, and I'm really satisfied with both the performance and value.

K-Band Performance. Very Good - On one stretch of flat road the XTR-695 alarm went off approx. 1.3 miles in advance (with traffic in front of me). Even on rolling terrain with a patrol car located at the bottom of the dip in the road, it alerted approx. a 1/2 mile away, plenty of time to slow down. Very solid performance on K-Band.

KA-Band Performance. Very Good to Excellent - It picked up an oncoming patrol car approx. a mile away with the patrolman toggling the radar on and off as he encountered traffic. Another time a patrol car was parked at the end of very long sweeping curve on an interstate, shooting across the road at about a 45 degree angle. A very difficult test, but the 695 gave about a 15 second advance warning, which was more than enough time to slow down.

Navigating The Menu - Yes, even radar detectors now have menu options, but this one is very simple to navigate. Just press the Menu button, then keep pressing it until the option you're seeking appears on the screen. You can turn off, or on, just about every feature the detector has.

X-Band - I turned this off in the menu. It's used very little in 48 states (New Jersey & Ohio being the exceptions) and turning it off cut the number of false alarms way down (all those X-band automatic door openers in strip malls are now ignored).

POP Detection - Detecting radar guns in POP mode (the few radar guns that have a POP mode that is) requires a detector to spend a lot of time searching for the very weak POP signals, usually lessening response time and increasing false alerts. I turned POP mode off. POP readings can't be used in court, they just let the police get a peek at vehicle's speed without sending out a stronger signal. I figure you'll get hit a couple of seconds later with the real radar blast if you're speeding, probably too quickly to slow down anyway, so POP detection didn't seem worth it. I had gotten a few false KA band alerts, apparently bleed over coming from other detectors, and turning off POP seems to have prevented those types of false alerts almost entirely.

Voice Alert - Great feature. This is one of those things that turns out to be much more useful than you would think. You hear a quick beep/buzz to get your attention, and then a very loud clear voice announces the particular threat (i.e. "K Band"!). You know exactly what you're dealing with without ever having to look at the detector.

Periscope LED Alert - Another feature that turns out to be of more use than anticipated (the "periscope" terminology is Whistler's btw). Two bright blue LEDs, that are raised above the top surface of the detector, flash whenever radar is detected. Even with the music cranked, the LEDs should attract your attention.

Audio Alert - The different radar bands (and laser) have their own distinct alert (buzz/beep, whatever you want to call them). According to various detector experts, the speaker in the XTR695 is one of the largest in the business. All I know is that it's capable of being very loud, depending on how you set the volume control.

Display - This is the one area I'd say Whistler has room for improvement. The main display is dim, but it's not unreadable, at least not in my vehicle. Whether or not this is going to be a major issue probably depends on the individual and the particular vehicle (or the ambient lighting in that vehicle). For me, with the voice alerts telling me which band the radar is on (or announcing a laser hit), the loud audio alerts and the flashing blue 'periscope' LEDs, the display just isn't that important.

A note on detection distances mentioned above. I run the XTR695 in Highway Mode. I do not use any additional filter modes (Filter1 or Filter2). The 695 uses a basic filter mode from the factory, and that is the only filtering that was being done. The encounters were all with traffic in front of me, which makes a big difference in the real world. If you have the bucks, some of the more expensive detectors will pick up radar farther away than the 695, but some will not. Do your research before investing a lot of money in a detector. While this detector doesn't qualify as the very best out there, it has done very well in most of the tests I've come across.

In summary, a very good detector, and well worth the money.

Edit 12/18/08: I still like this detector very much. I wanted to add however, that the main reason I chose the XTR695 over the Whistler Pro 78 was due to the RSID feature available with the XTR695. After living with RSID for awhile, it hasn't proven as useful as I thought it would (it's not a scam by any means, and works perfectly well). If you want the top-of-the-line from Whistler, by all means get the XTR695. However, if price is a concern, then the Whistler 78 should provide similar performance at a lesser price (and with the nice blue LED display to boot). Again, I'm very satisfied with the XTR695, but wanted to pass on my experience in case anyone is trying to decide between the 695 vs the 78.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whistler's Newest Detector is Cutting-Edge, January 26, 2009

By 

Marshall D. (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whistler XTR-695 Radar/Laser Detector with Real Voice Alerts and External Audio Jack (Electronics)

Wow.

This is my first radar detector, and I spent hours and hours researching and reading reviews. I was going to initially go with the Bel Vector 955, which is one of the industry leading detectors out there, but the sheer amount of features and performance drew me to the XTR-695.

I've owned this detector for a month now, and every option in this feature-packed detector comes in handy. First time it went off, the RSID flashed up with the frequency, indicating a positive match on a known police radar. One mile later, I passed a state trooper. Since then, this little device doesn't disappoint. I've set colors to certain bands so I know just by the color what I'm up against. The periscope leds give you a quick heads up, even under the loudest circumstances. Even on windy roads in the countryside, I can still detect radars coming up in enough time to let me react.

One of the greatest features of this detector (I think) is the sheer stealth of it. I chose this detector over the Bel because the Bel has a silver casing that reflects sunlight, giving everyone a clear view that you have a detector. The Whistler is jet black, leaving no glare, and besides the two windshield cups, people really can't see that you have a detector until they are close to you (Whistler recommends you install the detector as low as possible on the windshield, right above the wipers, got my first laser detection when I finally did that).

The XTR also has several modes of dimming, so you can essentially tell the detector to turn off all lights until it gets a signal. Coupled with the fact that I've turned off X-Band to reduce false alerts, this detector stays silent and out of sight until I need it to be, which is really great since I believe a detector should be as small a distraction as possible until you really need it.

One of the biggest gripes people have with this detector is that the display is a little hard to read. Sure, it doesn't look like GPS device when it goes off, so this doesn't bother me, and I consider it an added bonus since I don't need a marquee on my windshield just to tell me the letter "K" and the number "9" (which indicates the band and strength). I can read mine just fine when it goes off, and i don't need to read it when it's not detecting anything. You don't even need the display since a woman's voice can alert you to the band, and the periscope leds flash faster with the strength of the signal.

All in all, a strong detector for a steal. My buddy has a Valentine-One, and while I didn't feel like spending $500 on a top-notch detector, the Whistler XTR-695 is worth every penny (it's saved me a speeding ticket a few times too!), and the RSID and LSID is worth it alone, since when I see those frequency digits displayed, I'm 99% confident that there will be law enforcement around.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whistler XTR-695 Review, February 6, 2009

By 

A. Grimes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whistler XTR-695 Radar/Laser Detector with Real Voice Alerts and External Audio Jack (Electronics)

If you want the best radar detector for the price, buy the Whistler XTR-695 NOW! I REALLY wanted a Valentine 1 or a Passport 9500xi but I refuse to pay $500 or more for a radar detector. I researched and scoured the Internet to find a good, reasonably priced radar detector and the Whistler XTR 695 kept popping up with rave reviews. For the price ($145), standard 3 yr warranty (vs. 1 year with the $500 units)and the options/performance it is the best unit for the price, hands down. I drive mostly highway to and from work and this unit is perfect for that. Everything works as advertised and I received the detector within 5 days of ordering...I couldn't be happier. I'm sort of a techno nerd when it comes to the options that this radar detector has such as radar ID and laser ID. It provides the frequency of the radar or laser being used so if you see the freq then you know that the alert is legit. It does work well and helps ID the real cop from the false alarm. Speaking of which, this unit does not false like the Cobra or cheaper Bell units do. X-band, primarily used for automatic door openers at stores or businesses, etc., will cause false alarms in the city but using the built in filter options (if you drive a lot in the city) will alleviate the false alerts. X-band is really only used by small-city cops with small budgets that haven't upgraded their equipment so I'd be surprised if you saw this type of alert on the road with a cop attached to it. Buy it...you won't regret it! It has saved my bacon twice already but remember that most cops (so I'm finding) use the KA pulse option, or instant on. Very few cops are just leaving their radar guns on anymore unless its just K-band. The really nice thing about this radar detector is that it tells you which band is coming up in both audible and visual form with color background of your choice for each alert. Hope this helps in your purchase and have fun learning...