Operating Instructions for your Cobra® 9 Band® Extra Sensory Detection® Model ESD-9150 Radar/Laser Detector Nothing comes close to a CobraTM Introduction Introduction and Strobe AlertTM Use of this product is not intended to,and does not ensure that the motorist and any passenger will not be involved in a traffic accident. It is only intended t o alert the motorist that an emer gency or service vehicle equipped with a CODE 3,Strobe (Opticom* or Tomar Preemption System) or Cobra Safety Alert Transmitter is in the area as defined by the range of the product. Please call your local Fire/Police department to verify if coverage exists in your area.Motorists are expected to exercise all due caution while using this product, and to observe and follow all applicable traffic laws. Operators of emergency or service vehicles are also expected to exercise all due caution while using this product, and to observe and follow all applicable traffic laws. *Opticom is a registered trademark of 3M Corporation How to Use Y our Cobra ESD Radar/Laser Detector Contents Introduction.......................................................................A1 Safety Alert®/Strobe AlertTM Federal Law Governing Radar Detectors Included Accessories Controls & Indicators.....................................................A2 Our Thanks to You...........................................................A3 Customer Support........................................................A3 Features ..................................................................................1 Installation ............................................................................2 Quick Start.............................................................................5 LED Displays.......................................................................6 Operation...............................................................................9 Turning On.........................................................................9 Dim Button......................................................................10 Highway/City Mode......................................................11 Muting Mode..................................................................12 Memory Set.....................................................................12 Detection .............................................................................13 Calibrate the Compass................................................13 Band Detection..............................................................14 Audible Alarm Indicator..............................................14 Radar..................................................................................15 VG-2 Undetectable.......................................................16 Safety Alert/Strobe Alert ............................................17 Laser Detection..............................................................17 Radar/VG-2/Laser Alerts..............................................18 Facts About Safety Alert®/Strobe AlertTM.............19 Radar Frequencies.........................................................20 Facts About Lidar (Laser)............................................20 Maintenance ......................................................................21 Specifications ....................................................................22 Limited One Year Warranty ........................................23 Optional Accessories .....................................................24 Order Form.........................................................................25 If You Think You Need Service.................Back Cover Congratulations! You have just purchased the most sophisticated RADAR/LASER DETECTOR available today. This booklet contains instructions and information designed so that you will be able to understand how the Cobra ESD-9150 works and how radar and (LIDAR) laser are used. Enjoy your Cobra ESD-9150 Radar/Laser Detector and drive safely. Features of This Product · 8-point Electronic Compass · Safety Alert® Traffic Warning System · 360º Strobe AlertTM · Separate Visual and Audio Alarms · Signal Strength Indicators · LaserEye® 360° Detection · VG-2 Undetectable · Auto and Manual Muting · 3 Level Dim Button · Superior Audio Volume · Adjustable Windshield Mounting Bracket Federal Law Governing Use of Radar Detectors It is not against Federal Law to receive radar transmissions on your COBRA Radar Detector. The Communications Act of 1934 guarantees your right to receive radio transmissions on any frequency. Local laws that contravene the Communications Act of 1934,while illegal,may be enforced by your local law enforcement officials until and unless they are prohibited from doing so by Federal Court action. WARNING: Before leaving your car, make sure that you conceal your radar detector. This will reduce the possibility of break-in and theft of your unit. 1. Windshield Bracket 2. Hook and Loop Material 3. Power Cord A1 1. 2. Included with your ESD-9150 3. 1 Controls and Indicators 1. On/Off Volume Control 2. Mute Button 3. Dim Button 4. Audio Alerts Speaker 5. Highway/City Button 6. Compass Direction Indicators 7. LaserEye® 8. Band/ Signal Strength Indicators 9. Windshield Bracket Mount 10. 12V DC Power Jack Our Thanks to You Thank you for purchasing the Cobra ESD-9150 Radar/Laser Detector. Properly used, this Cobra product will give you many years of reliable service. Should you encounter any problems with the product or not understand its many features, please refer to this owner 's manual. If, after referring to the manual, you still need help, call Cobra Customer Service at 773.889.3087. 7 Cobra Customer Service Live operators are available M-F 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Central Standard Time at: 773.889.3087 Automated Technical Assistance available 24 hours a day,seven days a week. E-mail questions to: productinfo@cobra.com Cobra on the World Wide Web: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found on-line at: www.cobra.com Customer Support 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 6 10 A2 A3 Installation Location Location Selecting the proper location to mount the Cobra ESD-9150 is very important for optimum performance. Both radar and laser transmissions pass through glass but not through other objects. For this reason the Cobra ESD-9150 lenses must not be blocked. It should have a view of the rear window to take advantage of LaserEye® 360° detection. It is best to locate your detector as low on the front windshield as possible. Examples of metal in the windshield area that can block or weaken incoming radar/laser signals: 1.Windshield wiper blades. 2. Mirrored sun screens. 3. Regular tinted glass does not affect radar reception,although the darker tint at the top of the tinted windshield prevents laser light from penetrating. 4. Heated windshields, currently available as an option for some Ford® (Instaclear) and GM® (Electriclear vehicles act as an impenetrable barrier to radar signals). If in doubt, check with your dealer to see if this applies to your vehicle. 3 Installation Windshield Mounting Windshield Mounting 1 Attach cups to bracket. 2 Attach bracket to windshield. Attach detector to bracket. 4 Bend bracket for correct detection angle (if needed). Do not use the ESD-9150 to bend bracket. 5 Plug power cord into detector. 6 Plug power cord into cigarette lighter. 3 2 Installation Dash Mounting Dash Mounting Turn On and Adjust Volume Quick Start Turn On and Adjust Volume Note 1 1 Note It will be easy for you t o remove and reinstall your Cobra ESD-9150 detector at any time using this hook and loop material on the dashboard. Remember: Without the means to adjust the angle of the detector (when mounted as above), be sure you that your Cobra ESD-9150 has a level,clear view of the road before you attach the hook and loop material. Peel protective paper off one side of hook and loop material. 2 Place on dash. Rotate ON-OFF Volume Control to left (away from you). Three beeps will be heard and all LEDs will light up in sequence. A compass LED will remain lit to indicate the unit power is ON. Display Brightness, City/ Highway, Muting, VG-2 Audio Alert On/Off settings and compass calibration data are retained in memory even when unit is turned OFF or removed from power source. Note The compass must be calibrated before initial use. For more detailed instructions on compass calibration, see page 13. 3 Peel top paper off. 4 Place detector on hook and loop pad. 5 Plug power cord into detector. 6 Plug power cord into cigarette lighter. 5 4 Quick Start Set Display Brightness Set Display Brightness Select from three levels of LED brightness for your Cobra ESD-9150 display: Bright, Dim and Dark. Quick Start Set Highway/City Mode City Mode For urban driving­reduces number of X-Band audible alerts. Set Highway/ City Mode Note The factory default mode is Highway setting. For more detailed operation instructions on set highway/city mode, see page 11. LED Displays Note A three level display brightness is provided for dusk or night driving. For more detailed operation instructions on set display brightness, see page 10. Note The factory default mode is Bright setting. 1 Press and release Dim button to select Dim setting. Press and release Dim button twice to select Dark setting. Press and release Dim button a third time to select Bright setting. 1 Press and release CITY button. CITY LED will illuminate while in City mode. Highway Mode For all other driving. 1 Press and release CITY button again. A double beep confirms highway mode. 6 7 Quick Start Set Muting Mode Set Muting Mode Auto Muting Automatically reduces volume of alert in progress after 4 seconds. Operation Turning On Your ESD-9150 Turning On Your ESD-9150 Plug power cord into detector. Note The factory default mode is Auto Muting. For more detailed operation instructions on setting muting mode, see page 12. 2 Plug power cord into cigarette lighter. Note Manual Muting 1 Press and release MUTE button to reduce volume of alert in progress. To Switch Between Modes 1 Rotate ON-OFF Volume Control to the left (away from you). Three power ON confirmation beeps will be heard and all LEDs will light up from left to right in sequence. One of the compass LEDs will remain lit to indicate the unit power is ON. ON mode The compass must be calibrated before initial use. For more detailed instructions on compass calibration, see page 13. Press and release MUTE Button when no signal is being received, to switch from Manual to Auto Mute. 8 9 Operation Dim Button Dim Button You may select from three levels of brightness for your Cobra ESD-9150 display: Bright, Dim,and Dark. Operation Highway/City Mode The Highway/City function is controlled by a 2-step button. In the City mode, false radar alerts will be reduced. To engage City Mode: Highway/City Mode Note Use City Mode in or near cities where there are many sources of false radar signals such as microwave relay towers and automatic door openers. This will filter out weak signals. Note Bright = "Beep-Beep" Dim = "Beep" Dark = "Beep" 1 Press and release DIM button to reduce the LED display brightness to Dim.A single beep confirms dim LED brightness. 1 Press and release CITY button and the LED on the front of the unit will illuminate. A single beep confirms City mode. CITY LED will illuminate while in CITY mode. 2 Press and release DIM button again to turn LED display off. A single beep confirms no LED display.The compass LED(s) will stay on dim. Note City ="Beep" Highway ="Beep-Beep" To reactivate the Highway Mode: 1 Press and release CITY button again. A double beep confirms Highway Mode. 3 Press and release DIM button a third time to return led display to Bright.A double beep confirms normal LED brightness. 10 11 Operation Muting Mode Muting Mode The ESD-9150 offers two Mute Modes; Auto and Manual.To switch between these modes: Note Mute ="Beep" Auto Mute="Beep-Beep" Detection Calibrate Compass Auto Mode The compass in your ESD-9150 must be calibrated Compass before initial use to give accurate directions. Calibration allows the compass electronics to Note measure and store information about the If you decide to re-locate magnetic fields from your vehicle. your ESD-9150 to a different location in your vehicle or move it to another vehicle, the compass must be recalibrated. Calibrate Note In either mode, the next alarm will begin with normal volume. The ESD-9150 will retain the chosen mode while OFF. 1 Press and release MUTE button when no signal is being received to turn Auto Mute on and off. In Auto mode, the alarm will be reduced in volume after four seconds. 1 Manual Mode Press City button for a minimum of 2 seconds. A single beep confirmation tone is heard and the compass directional LEDs will flash clockwise to indicate the unit is in calibration-ready ...