West Texas distances are immense. So is signal reception of radar detectors. Radar reception depends on humidity, elevation, absorption materials, reflection, refraction, and competing signals. In Hudspeth County, Texas we’ve used a nine mile range test for several years. After nine miles, earth curvature is an issue. The county measures 120 miles across with few people, pop. 2,000. Until recently, the county seat had no grocery store. Thankfully, no cell phone nor internet service here. We notified officials. Our vehicle, the one with radar guns, was nine miles from the test vehicles on a hill, some 200 feet higher than test vehicles in a direct line of sight. This is different from our radar reception test of two miles. At two miles, we used a flat line of sight with many radar absorption materials present, at nine miles we were above the vehicles 200 feet on a hill meaning longer transmission of radar. One astounded Massachusetts police officer couldn’t believe detectors could report from nine miles! Now he believes! Each detector had two tries at all bands, Ka, K, and X constant and instant on. Your range will be dramatically less. The Hudspeth County course is ideal for long range reception. It took years to find it. Police and SML observers reported via commercial radio if the detector alerted and at what signal strength. The results are reported by band of radar used. The first number is the distance of reception, i.e. 9 means nine miles, 8.3 means 8.3 miles. The second number is the signal strength of reception, i.e. 2 and the third number is the maximum signal strength possible of the detector 9. A reading of 8.3/2/9 means the detector reported radar 8.3 miles from the source with a signal strength of 2 of a possible 9. Each detector had two tries on each band. If the detector did not report at nine miles, it zeroed the odometer and drove toward the radar guns at 30 mph until consistent reception. The odometer reading was subtracted from nine miles to get the reception range. Remember, the basis for this test is to compare detectors with GPS. The results are alphabetical. The maximum signal strength of the detector is next to it ( ).

West Texas distances are immense. So is signal reception of radar detectors. Radar reception depends on humidity, elevation, absorption materials, reflection, refraction, and competing signals. In Hudspeth County, Texas we’ve used a nine mile range test for several years. After nine miles, earth curvature is an issue. The county measures 120 miles across with few people, pop. 2,000. Until recently, the county seat had no grocery store. Thankfully, no cell phone nor internet service here. We notified officials. Our vehicle, the one with radar guns, was nine miles from the test vehicles on a hill, some 200 feet higher than test vehicles in a direct line of sight. This is different from our radar reception test of two miles. At two miles, we used a flat line of sight with many radar absorption materials present, at nine miles we were above the vehicles 200 feet on a hill meaning longer transmission of radar. One astounded Massachusetts police officer couldn’t believe detectors could report from nine miles! Now he believes! Each detector had two tries at all bands, Ka, K, and X constant and instant on. Your range will be dramatically less. The Hudspeth County course is ideal for long range reception. It took years to find it. Police and SML observers reported via commercial radio if the detector alerted and at what signal strength.

The results are reported by band of radar used. The first number is the distance of reception, i.e. 9 means nine miles, 8.3 means 8.3 miles. The second number is the signal strength of reception, i.e. 2 and the third number is the maximum signal strength possible of the detector 9. A reading of 8.3/2/9 means the detector reported radar 8.3 miles from the source with a signal strength of 2 of a possible 9. Each detector had two tries on each band. If the detector did not report at nine miles, it zeroed the odometer and drove toward the radar guns at 30 mph until consistent reception. The odometer reading was subtracted from nine miles to get the reception range. Remember, the basis for this test is to compare detectors with GPS. The results are alphabetical. The maximum signal strength of the detector is next to it ( ).

Cobra detectors were tested for maximum range of their Strobe Alert. Strobe Alert® warns drivers of approaching emergency vehicles, road hazards,or trains approaching. Emergency vehicles use an optical pre-emption strobe in their light bar to change traffic lights from red to green. Cobra is the only detector with this patented feature. From the front, the average reporting distance of the Cobra detectors was 1,580 feet, more than 1/4 mile (1,320 feet)!