Direct-Wire Instructions
The Black ground wire is fitted with a lug to allow it to be installed under any grounded screw. The red striped wire for +12
volts is fitted with an insulated 1/4" male spade lug. We also have supplied a special 3M connector that allows you to
tap into an existing wire in your vehicle. This connector can be used only with wire gauges 14 through 18.
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Overseas Inquiries
We do not ship outside the US and legal provinces in Canada. As a result, we do not monitor the frequencies used in other
countries, and can not guarantee our detectors will pick up everything being used. Our detectors will pick up all of the
following:
| X-Band |
10.525 GHz ± 25 MHz |
| K-Band |
24.150 GHz ± 100 MHz |
| Ka-Band |
34.700 GHz ± 1300 MHz |
| Laser |
904nm, 33 MHz bandwidth |
Some models also include the Ku-Band (13.400 GHz ± 25 MHz), which is used some places in Europe.
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Positioning Detectors
First rule of thumb: For RADAR, the higher the better. For LASER, the lower the better. We recommend placing the detector as
low as possible. Laser is more difficult to detect than radar. With that said, as far as positioning the detector, you want to
give the detector a clear field of view: front and rear. Avoid placing the detector behind the tinting at the top of most
windows, or hidden behind parking stickers, wiper blades, or anything similar that will obstruct the detector's window or
lens. We no longer include the visor mount with the detectors because most cars have tinting that will reduce the laser
detection range. We also advise placing the detector where it will not obstruct your view.
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Intermittent / No Power - Bad Power Cord
With our corded detectors, if you are getting intermittent or no power at all, the cause is usually the power cord itself.
The power cord is easy to replace. You may
order replacement cords and other accessories online.
If replacing the power cord does not provide power, the detector may need to be returned to the factory for service.
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Laser Falsing
It is unusual to get false laser warnings. Some cars and other electronics put out more RF interference than others and that
interference may cause a false laser alert when certain devices are used. Although rare, using the horn, windshield wipers,
or accelerating, can generate RF interference in some vehicles. Does it do the same thing in other cars/trucks? New cell
phones, new cars with laser adaptive cruise control, and the wind-shear equipment at some major airports can also cause false
laser alerts.
If you are experiencing false laser alerts of this type, please call our Customer Service Department at 800-341-2288 and they
will give you a repair authorization number and instructions on how to return to us. We will be able to make modifications to
your detector that will help.
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Service Required Display
There are a number of things that may cause this ERROR message. Please be sure that you are getting consistent voltage (does
the lighter socket stay ON all the time? Does it do the same thing in other vehicles?). If your detector has a display that reads
"Service Required" not caused by the above, it means it has failed its self-calibration and requires service. I would
strongly suggest you call our Customer Service Department and they will give you a repair authorization number and instructions on
how to return it to us for repair.
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City, Highway, Auto Modes
In a nutshell, the City, Highway and Auto Modes affect X-Band sensitivity ONLY. X-Band is in very limited use in the US. There
are only three states that still use X-Band radar guns in any numbers (OH, IN, NJ). The AUTO mode senses if you are getting a
lot of "urban falsing" on the X-band. If you are in an area with lots of falsing, the AUTO mode responds by shifting
to the CITY sensitivity. This reduces the X-band sensitivity only. When you leave the area, the AUTO mode responds by
increasing X-band sensitivity. The City Mode constantly reduces X-Band sensitivity, and the Highway Mode keeps X-Band at it's
maximum sensitivity.
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RX75 Plus / RX75 Installers
The RX75 Plus and RX75 models may be purchased direct from Beltronics with installation at a Circuit City Roadshop included
(installation not available in Virginia or Washington, DC). Call us toll-free at 877-438-1235 for details.
The RX75 Plus and RX75 models are also sold and installed by a select group of mobil electronics retailers. Please see this
list of current authorized resellers.
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Remote Systems Troubleshooting/Repair
Our remote systems require professional installation. As a result, Beltronics does not have the technical staff available to
suggest proper installation or troubleshoot installed systems on every make and model vehicle available.
All installation questions, troubleshooting, warranty and parts replacement concerns must be directed to an
authorized installer.
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Spectre Radar Detector-Detector
U.S. non-commercial drivers should not be concerned at all unless you drive in Virginia or Washington DC. If you do drive in
either of those places, are a commercial driver, or drive in Canada, please note that while all of our current detectors are
immune to the VG-2 radar detector-detector (RDD), there is a newer RDD named Spectre that can detect most radar detectors
currently on the market.
If you are a commercial driver, you may want to consider the
Beltronics STi Driver, a new model which has been tested to be invisible to
all current radar detector-detectors including the Spectre.
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Jammers
As far as radar "jammers" are concerned, we do not make a radar jammer. Radar jamming is illegal in every state, and
is an FCC violation. With jammers there is a simple rule of thumb: if it works it is illegal, if it is legal it doesn't work.
Craig Peterson finds passive radar jammers "utterly useless" in his article,
Jamming Ol' Smokey,
and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
says that passive radar jammers "aren't any more useful to jam radar than a block of wood."
We do make a custom installed remote system, the (RX75 Plus, that in can both detect and
block laser (or lidar as it is known).
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Illegal Radar Detector States
We are not legal experts, but the only places where radar detectors are illegal for passenger vehicles are Virginia and
Washington DC. If you go into Canada, most provinces have laws banning the use of radar detectors.
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Speed Signs - No Warning
The neighborhood speed signs are not used to issue traffic tickets or citations. As a result, these portable systems are not
calibrated regularly and they eventually "drift" out of calibration from the FCC authorized frequencies. Our
detectors have always been great at filtering out non-police frequencies to reduce the number of false alerts. It is not
unusual to pass one of the signs that say "your speed is" and not receive an alert.
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Laser No Warning, Other Car Tagged
Unlike traffic radar, Laser can only be used in the "instant on" mode. The officer can "aim" the gun all
day, but until they physically pull the trigger to clock the target vehicle, there is nothing to pick up.
Laser is not actually laser, but infrared. It behaves more like a flashlight than microwaves. Using laser, the police have a
maximum capture range of about 1000 to 1200 feet. At this distance, the infrared beam has spread to about a 3 to 6 foot
diameter circle. Laser will continue to spread well past the target vehicle and get wider and wider with distance. In hilly
situations, the direction of the beam could be aimed at an angle (up or down) that would make the laser beam overshoot your car
and not hit your detector.
We recommend you position the detector so it has a clear view of the road, do not hide behind the tinting at the top of the
window, or any other obstruction. For laser, range is better when mounted lower on the window.
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Ticket Reimbursement
There are methods the police use to track a vehicle's speed that do not use radar or laser. In these cases, there is nothing to
pick up. As a result, we have never offered to reimburse for speeding violations.
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VASCAR
VASCAR (Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder) is a stopwatch and calculator method of clocking a vehicle's speed. The
operator will hit a stopwatch at start and stop points and a small computer calculates the time it took to travel the
predesignated distance. There are no transmissions and nothing to pick up. No radar/laser detector will protect you from this
method.
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Moving Radar - Limited Range/Warning
In their efforts to increase revenue and "trap" motorists with radar detectors, the police use "instant on"
more frequently than in the past. With instant on, the officer leaves the gun in a standby mode and there is nothing to detect
until the officer physically pulls the trigger to clock the speed of the target vehicle. If you are the leader of the pack or
the only one on the road and they tag you with instant on, there may be no advance warning at all. With instant on, you are
counting on them tagging someone ahead of you. This is why detectors with the longest range are important. You may hear your
detector giving brief, weak bursts as an alert that might seem to be a false signal. This is a perfect example of instant on radar
being used ahead of you, and should be a signal for caution.
The other possibility involves "mobile radar" and instant on. So radar can be used in a moving patrol car, they use a
separate, low powered radar gun underneath the patrol car aimed at the road to clock the speed of the patrol car. This is a
very weak signal and is difficult to detect because it is aimed down at the road instead of in the direction of oncoming
traffic. When the patrol car wants to clock the speed of a target vehicle, they use the stronger radar gun you may see mounted
on the dash.
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Stationary Alerts - X or K
Our current models will pick up authorized police frequencies for X, K, Ka and laser. The reason we get alerts in the same
locations goes back to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). The FCC determines which frequencies can be used for which
purpose. They have allocated frequencies within the bands mentioned for the purpose of motion sensing.
Whether these radar frequencies are used for traffic monitoring, grocery/convenience stores sensing someone near the automatic
door openers, or stores/businesses sensing intruders after hours, it is all under the same classification: motion sensing.
There is no way to pick up police radar without picking up these other sources. In fact, this is one of the best ways to make
sure your detector is working properly. If it fails to give you an alert at the "stationary" locations, it will not
pick up the police radar.
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