13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
So far so good!
Date of Review: Dec 30, 2006
The Bottom Line: For the average driver this is a great buy.
I spent a few months researching radar detectors to replace my 20 year old Bel XKR I finally decided on the XTR-560 because of features, performance and price.
Not being an avid speeder nor one that drives constantly on the highway I felt the need for the highest-end radar detector was not necessary. So I was looking in the $100-$150 price range. I wanted a unit that would be able to pick up all bands, have decent features while providing a modern factory look in my vehicle.
What I got was most impressive. The looks of this radar detector is very modern and buttons well organized. The XTR-560 has many features, more than I will probably use. I assume you have already been to their website whistlergroup.com to compare them and looked at the manual to this unit so I will concentrate on my experience. But before I do there is one feature that I would like to point out. You can enable or disable any band you like in the menu, and is easy to do since you have a full matrix display. For example, since KU band is not yet being used in the US I have this mode disabled. I also disabled the VG2 hide function which hides it from "radar detector detectors" that the police use since I am in a state where radar detectors are NOT illegal. This is the first unit I have seen that can has this capability.
Starting the unit, the default setting will have the unit cycle through a self-test. It will say in in a real voice the band, then play the alert tone, then got to the next band, play a different alert tone for that band and so on. All which can be changed if you like including the voice alerts. The Blue LCD backlit display makes it much less of a distraction, I prefer the blue because it matches the rest of the instrumentation in my vehicle.
Upon my first drive with the unit in the car, I noticed far less false signals than my previous unit. Moreover, I found out that along with the pre-set functions such as city1, city2, also the manual shut off of bands or features you are not interested in will be "remembered" so when you start your next drive you do not have to re-program it.
As far as falsing, my unit remained quiet for most of the drive even in spots where my Bel would regularly false. I was almost to work when suddenly the female voice says "K band alert" and the unit started "brasping" (okay, made up word but best describes the sound lol). A few seconds later coming the other around a curve was a state trooper.
My first impression was that the range should have been better but realizing that radar is line of site and I was on a country road going around a turn where there was nothing to refract his signal and us both moving towards each other I felt the range was about right.
Maybe I can find a speed trap where I can stop and compare it to my old unit but from what I have seen so far I like it.
^^Update^^ - Just yesterday went for a drive and had another similar encounter of moving radar on K band.
I was driving down a main road with about 1/4 mile of forward view then a 130 degree bend in the road. Radar detector started alerting K band. If the trooper was driving the same speed as me I estimate about 1/2 mile warning was given. This was around a curve and a slight hill. This for sure was a reflected signal and not line of site. Again, sufficient response time but nothing to be overly excited about.
A video of the voice alerts and some functions may be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve6iR1N0tKc
