Worth the price
Pros: easy to read screen, plenty of set up options, scans all the widley used bands, sleep screen option, seems to be not as sensitive to false signals.
Cons: LARGE size, short power cord, signal indicators.
Unit was easy to set up and in the first 30days of operation has done a good job. It takes some time to get use to the screen changes but...
This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
Pros: easy to read screen, plenty of set up options, scans all the widley used bands, sleep screen option, seems to be not as sensitive to false signals.
Cons: LARGE size, short power cord, signal indicators.
Unit was easy to set up and in the first 30days of operation has done a good job. It takes some time to get use to the screen changes but does identify the siginal that is tracking you giving you a better idea if it is a false siginal or Johny law. Worth the price - it saved me twice so far avg ticket $150 bucks it paid for itself.
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
One of the best detectors I have had in many years. Very few false alarms, easy to setup. This detector can reach out and find the police long before they show up. Nice screen with full color. Unit is larger than previous models. Well worth the money paid.
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
XRS-9959 has met expectations in its limited use thus far. False alarms are minimized by the settings. Easy to set up and easy to use. Lots of options in tailoring to your needs. Would recommend this to others.
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
tried other detectors in Vietnam, this one appears to work fine. Mounted it on my motorcycle, above the windshild and went out to test it Jan, 30, 09
Found 2 police run radar traps, the cobra caught the 3/4 mile before it caught me. paid for itself.
jbay
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
My wife and I got this Radar Detector, because we were going to be traveling to family back East. We got the Cobra, because of the price and had all of the features that I was looking for and more. Yes, it did detect the Police radar, but one feature that it had that I did not know about, is when a fire truck or ambulance is comming the detector will sound a siron and picture of a ambulance will come up on the display, so I have a chance to pull over. I have had this detector for almost a year and my wife and I will always have it in the car. This is one great item and I would recommend it to anyone. One very HAPPY owner.
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
The Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser detector was purchased by myself from Amazon for $104.02 to replace my aging Whistler Model 1773 Radar Detector / Laser Detector (purchased from Best Buy in January of 2005 for $125.99). The Whistler radar detector still works and is quite satisfactory, but I was nervous trusting it since I have depended upon it and used it uninterruptedly for four (4) years in my 2004 Nissan Maxima SE 6 speed manual automobile. I have been using the Cobra detector unit for three (3) days, and I am blown away by its style, features, and ease of use. It is an incredible purchase for $104.02.
The Cobra detector unit was shipped from GizmosForLife and arrived via UPS normal shipping within three (3) days of placing the order. The package was light, and so is the radar detector. The detector unit isn't heavy at all - some of the reviews which claim that it is large left me with the impression that it might be heavy. Also, the unit is NOT particularly large compared to my Whistler radar detector unit - it is perhaps 1 inch longer, and roughly the same width. The Cobra unit arrives in a standard, retail plastic blister pack which must be cut open with scissors. Inside the blister pack is the detector unit, a coiled D/C power cord for your automobile, a windshield suction cup mount, an alternative dashboard adhesive mount, detailed instructions plus an instruction addendum, and a Cobra registration card.
COILED D/C POWER CORD:
This cord is too short for comfortable, easy usage with most automobiles. Since the cord is coiled, it will stretch. However, the length and elasticity of the cord will sometimes cause the detector to snap-back out of your hands and fall to the floor of your automobile as you're attempting to seat it within the suction cup mount. BE CAREFUL - you may want to seat the detector unit FIRST and then plug in the power cord. Also, the placement of the D/C power receptacle on the detector unit is on the LEFT side - this means that in my Maxima, the suction cup mount must be placed slightly to the right of the dashboard center stack to keep the coiled cord from obscuring my view of the center stack information cluster / Navigation Computer screen. The combination fuse / D/C power receptacle seated easily and snugly into my auto's cigarette lighter.
WINDSHIELD SUCTION CUP MOUNT:
Despite what the reviewers are saying, this is a high-quality unit - especially when compared with the mount that came with my Whistler detector unit. It's not cheap at all. The Cobra's suction cups, rubber vibration peg and attached metal bracket are black. The plastic / rubber cups are rather large, and do a great job of seating on the windshield glass and staying put. The bracket will most likely need to be adjusted to properly fit your windshield by manually bending it with your fingers so that once the detector unit is mounted, it is completely parallel to the ground and facing backwards / rearwards out of your rear window. Don't be afraid to do this - the metal won't break unless you bend it back and forth several times unnecessarily. The detector unit does not move or vibrate unnecessarily when mounted to its bracket.
COBRA RADAR/LASER DETECTOR UNIT:
This unit is not the latest made by Cobra, nor is it the greatest - Cobra now makes a 9955 15-band model and a 9960G 15-band model, both with a few more features than the detector unit I have purchased. However, this model - the 9950 12-band - was within my price range, and is fantastically adequate. I set the unit up and started using it without reading the instructions - that's how easy it is to use - although it is by no means a "simple" unit. The only feature I was not able to properly set up without reading the manual was the compass feature. I was immediately impressed by the detector unit's menu, the super bright, adjustable display (4 brightness settings), and the wealth of information provided to the user while the unit is in operation. The only thing I didn't initially like was the unit's screen-saver mode: This is a little orange dot that is factory preset to blank-out the display and appear 30 seconds after the last signal prompt / display picture, thus saving the screen. The orange dot appears and disappears every 5 seconds, depending upon how hard the engine is revving (it appears every second when my auto is at idle). This feature can be overridden by the menu: If you want the display to be visible and on continuously, simply access the menu and follow the prompts to turn off the screen saver. After reading the directions, I got an even greater understanding and appreciation for the unit's features. I was able to set up the unit's magnetic compass, which works perfectly.
1) SIGNAL STRENGTH: The visual and audio signal strength indications are excellent. When the signal is distant or negligible, you get one visual dot, a corresponding picture, a descriptive voice alert and a lower tone. When the signal is nearby and strong / important, you get from two (2) to five (5) orange / red vertical visual dots positioned on the right side of the display window, a corresponding picture, a descriptive voice alert and a LOUD tone. The tone also increases in rapidity with signal approach. The distance and range of the unit is very good.
2) TONE ALERTS / VOICE ALERTS: The tones or sounds that the unit is provided with are sufficiently engaging and do not fall prey to the ambient noise of your vehicle - the sounds are distinctive. The voice the unit uses is female, smooth, and clearly enunciated.
3) APPEARANCE: DO NOT leave this unit sitting unattended on your windshield - it is attractive and will invite curiousity - and possibly theft. It is a tiny bit unsophisticated with a few sharp edges and a space ship / death cruiser appearance - some would say it looks like a child's toy - but this feeling will pass as you begin to trust the unit and rely upon it for accuracy.
4) ERGONOMICS: The buttons are mostly well-placed, but the volume dial rotates too easily and the placement of the power cord on the left side of the unit may annoy some people. The screen is well-protected by a huge, 1/2" plastic lip protrusion all the way around, which also prevents sunlight from washing out the display. The bracket release button on top of the unit must be pressed *very firmly* to release the unit from the suction mount - this may give some people a bit of trouble and may take a few times to master. The detector unit indefinitely remembers all user-selected settings, even when disconnected from a power source.
5) UPGRADEABILITY: According to the instructions, a separate Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) unit may be purchased and plugged into the detector unit to provide Red Light Camera locations as well as relative satellite speed sensing for your automobile. The Red Light Camera locations data is provided from a Cobra database, but the user may also easily add Red Light Camera locations into the unit's memory with the touch of a button while in close proximity to a specific Red Light Camera.
6) "WOW" / FUN FACTOR: Very High. The unit is attractive, racy and invites experimentation. Be warned - you may be tempted to speed just to test it out!
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
What an improvement over older models! The xrs 9950 picks up radar (it seem like) 1/2 mile away. Then as you get closer the intensity of the signal builds. I think it's excellent and highly recommend it. As one of the other reviews said.. it is large, but I didn't find that to be an issue. It comes off the clamp very easily if you need to remove it.
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
nice unit for the amount paid, worked well on 2000 mile trip, easy to read,picked up most of the alerts including emergency vehicles. compass is nice also for backroading on u.s. highways.
came in pleanty of time to get set on dash,and make adjustments. i have paid more for less in the past, this ones a keeper
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This review is from: Cobra XRS 9950 Maximum Performance 12 Band Radar/Laser Detector (Electronics)
Not sure why I bought this anyway. Maybe just a moment of boredom. When I opened it I couldn't believe the size. It's huge. Not sure why it has to be. Years ago I bought an Escort and it fit in the palm of my hand. This is bigger that my entire hand. It's easier just to drive the speed limit.
I have my wife, my GPS and now the third woman in my car telling me what to do. As I drove I found it to be marginally sensitive. Never warned me from a distant. There is a little peace of mind having it there but
it is so huge if I was a cop I would give me a ticket for having something that ugly on my dash. There must be a smaller better unit out there. Thanks
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