OWNER'S MANUAL 1605 RADAR DETECTOR TM If you have questions concerning the operation of this Whistler product please call consumer relations: 1-800-531-0004 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm CT Please keep the receipt in a safe place. If the unit is returned without a dated proof of purchase, an out of warranty service charge applies. Note: Your warranty period begins at the time of purchase. The warranty is validated only by your receipt. Now is the time to record the serial number of the unit in the space provided in the warranty section of the manual. INTRODUCTION Dear Whistler Owner, For many of us, a vehicle is more than just transportation. It can be a mobile office, communications or entertainment center, or simply an expression of our personality. Whistler products are designed to make the time you spend in your vehicle more productive, more fullfilling, safer, or just simply more fun. Our mission is to provide products that improve your driving experience. Your new Whistler 1605 radar detector detects all radar and safety radar systems. Your Whistler detector includes many preferred features. It offers dectection of the new Safety Warning SystemTM technology. This provides advanced warning of various highway hazards in communities where available, enabling you to respond more appropriately to potentially dangerous conditions. To fully acquaint yourself with the operation of the Whistler 1605 we recommend reading this entire manual. Enjoy the Whistler 1605 and please drive safely. Sincerely, THE WHISTLER GROUP 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Topic Page Model Features Summary ....................................................3 - 4 Installation .............................................................................5 - 7 · Mounting Guidelines · Dash/Visor/Windshield Mounting · Power Connection And Fuse Replacement Operation ............................................................................8 - 10 · Power On And Self-Test · Feature Engaged Confirmation · Quiet Modes · City Mode Radar Alerts .......................................................................11 - 13 · Speed Radar Audio/Visual Alerts · Pulse Protection® · Safety Radar Audio/Visual Alerts · Care and Maintenance Troubleshooting Guide............................................................14 Are Detectors Legal? ...............................................................15 Speed Monitoring Technologies .....................................16 - 17 · Radar Facts · Laser Facts · Other Speed Detection Systems · Radar Detector Detectors Warranty Information........................................................18 - 20 Specifications............................................................................21 Accessories ...............................................................................22 2 WHISTLER FEATURES Whistler 1605 1 2 3 4 Whistler's ergonomic and user-friendly design provides a new level of operating convenience. Special features include: 1. Bracket Release Button ­ Provides quick and easy release of the mounting bracket. 2. Power/Volume Control ­ Turns unit on/off and adjusts audio level. 3. QUIET Button ­ Pressing QUIET during a radar encounter silences audio alerts, while allowing visual alerts to keep you informed. 4. CITY Button ­ Reduces the annoyance of false alerts typically encountered in urban driving areas. 5. Speaker ­ Provides distinct audio warnings for X, K, Ka band radar and safety radar. 6 5 3 WHISTLER FEATURES 8 7 6. Power Jack ­ Provides connection for the power cord. 7. Radar Antenna ­ Compact, high-efficiency antenna receives radar signals. 8. Mounting Bracket Location ­ Slot holds mounting bracket firmly. Accessories Accessories included are highly functional and easy to use. Power Cord - Connects to the unit's power jack and your vehicle's lighter socket. Windshield Bracket - Allows installation of unit on your vehicle's windshield. Hook & Loop Fasteners - Designed to secure the unit on a level dashboard. 4 INSTALLATION Mounting Guidelines · Mount the unit as low as possible near the center of the windshield. · Do not mount your unit behind wipers, ornaments, mirrored sunscreens, etc. These obstructions have metal surfaces which can affect radar signals and reduce critical warning time. (Regular tinted glass does not affect reception.) · Some newer windshields have an InstaclearTM or ElectriclearTM type coating, which affect radar signals. Consult your dealer or the owner's manual supplied with your vehicle to determine if your windshield has this coating. · Avoid placing unit in direct contact with windshield. · To reduce the possibility of theft, conceal your unit when not in use. Windshield Mounting · Install the two suction cups and rubber bumper onto the bracket by fitting them into their holes. · Press the suction cups onto the windshield at the location you have chosen. IMPORTANT: Some newer cars have a plastic safety coating on the inside of the windshield. The windshield bracket may leave permanent marks on this type of surface. To find out if your vehicle has this type of windshield, check the owner's manual or ask your dealer. We recommend that you do not leave the suction cup bracket on the window in direct sunlight. If the detector is removed, this may cause blistering of the dash in some vehicles. · Slide the detector onto the bracket until it locks into place. · If necessary, the unit may be leveled by bending the wind- 5 INSTALLATION shield bracket. Press the bracket release button and remove the detector before bending. Dash Mounting · Make sure the mounting location you have chosen is relatively level and is clean and dry. Clean with isopropyl alcohol if necessary to remove any waxes or polishes. · Separate the fastener strips. Peel the paper backing off each strip and adhere one piece to the dash and the other piece to the bottom of the unit, taking care not to cover the serial number. Be careful not to place the fastener strip over the unit's serial number. If the fastener strip is removed, the serial number may be pulled off the unit. Units without serial numbers are not covered under warranty. 6 INSTALLATION Visor Mounting (optional accessory) · Slide the visor bracket into the bracket mounting slot. · Clip the visor bracket onto the visor making sure it is relatively level and has a clear view of the road. Slide on view Insert into bracket mounting slot. Do not bend this section of bracket. Power Connection · Plug the small end of the power cord into the unit's power jack. · Plug the large end into the vehicle's cigarette lighter. Fuse Replacement The lighter socket plug is equipped with a replaceable 2 amp 3AG fuse located behind the silver tip. To replace the fuse, carefully unscrew the tip of the plug. (IMPORTANT: Unscrew slowly. The tip contains a spring which may fly out when disassembling.) Insert the new fuse with the spring and screw on the tip. With use, screw cap on plug may loosen. Retighten occasionally. Unscrew the tip of the lighter socket plug carefully when replacing the 2 amp fuse. 7 OPERATION Power On And Self-Test Each time your Whistler detector is turned on, an automatic self-test sequence confirms that the speaker and visual displays are functional. During Power Up, all the LEDs illuminate, while the X, K, and Ka alerts are sounded in sequence. After the alert the 1st and 3rd alert LEDs flash and the Safety Radar alert is sounded. At the end of the self-test sequence the unit is in the highway mode. Feature Engaged Confirmation Each time a button is pressed one beep confirms feature "on", two beeps confirm feature "off". Power On LED Radar Visual Alert City On LED The audio alerts are continuous, but have a Geiger counterlike pattern to help you determine your distance from the radar source; the faster the beeping, the closer you are to the transmitting source. At the same time, illumination of multiple LEDs indicates relative signal strength. 8 OPERATION Quiet Mode The QUIET Button accesses one of two muting options. · Manual Quiet: When an audio alert is sounded, you can silence the alarm by pressing QUIET. The only time you can engage/disengage Manual Quiet is during an audio alert. 9 OPERATION City Mode Whistler's City Mode is designed to reduce the annoyance of automatic door openers, intrusion alarms and other devices which share frequencies with police radar. · Press City to engage City. Display reads: · Pressing City a second time cancels City Mode. In City Mode, weak speed/safety radar signals give an initial alarm of two beeps, and then remains quiet unless the signal becomes very strong. When the signal strength increases, two additional beeps are provided. Highway Mode Highway mode provides full audio warnings any time radar (X, K, Ka, Safety) signals are detected, and is recommended for open road driving. Highway mode is automatically engaged after the unit is turned on and completes the self-test. 10 RADAR ALERT Radar Audio And Visual Alerts When your Whistler detector encounters traffic radar, it provides a distinctive audio tone for the specific radar band detected: X, K, or Ka. At the same time, LEDs illuminate sequentially from left to right (see page 8). The green and amber LEDs are cancelled during an alert. 11 RADAR ALERTS Pulse Protection® Pulse (or instant-on) radar is more difficult to detect than conventional radar because it remains "off" until activated to measure the speed of a targeted vehicle. When a pulse type transmission is detected, your Whistler detector sounds an urgent 3-second audio warning and flashes the red LEDs at their fastest rate. After the 3-second pulse alert, the standard alert pattern continues for as long as the signal is present. It is important to respond promptly to a pulse alert, since warning time may be minimal. Safety Radar Audio/Visual Alerts Your Whistler detector detects the new Safety Warning SystemTM. This provides advanced warning of various road hazards including accident sites, highway construction, emergency vehicles, etc. and enables you to respond more appropriately to potentially dangerous conditions. When your Whistler detector detects a safety radar signal, it provides a distinctive audio tone and illuminates the first LED and the last LED in the signal strength display. P Alert C The first and last LED in the Signal Strength display flash to indicate detection of a Safety radar signal. The Safety radar alert is displayed for as long as the signal is present and the audio alert is continuous, but has a Geiger counter like pattern to help you determine your distance from the Safety radar source; the faster the beeping, the closer you are to the source. 12 CARE & MAINTENANCE Care And Maintenance During the summer months, avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight by removing your unit from the dash when your vehicle is parked for an extended period of time. Do not spray water, cleaners or polishes directly onto the unit. The spray may penetrate through the openings and damage the unit. Also, do not use any abrasive cleaners on the unit's exterior. 13 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Your Whistler detector is expertly engineered and designed to exacting quality standards to provide you with reliable, trouble-free operation. If your unit has been correctly installed following the guidelines in this manual, but is not operating optimally, please refer to the troubleshooting guide below. PROBLEM: No display or audio. · Check fuse in Whistler plug; replace if necessary with a 2 amp 3AG type. · Check fuse for lighter socket; replace if necessary. · Make sure lighter socket is clean. PROBLEM: Unit alarms when vehicle hits bumps. · Check for loose lighter socket; tighten and clean. · Check connections at both ends of power cord. Substitute another cord to determine if cord is defective. Return defective cord to the factory. PROBLEM: Unit alarms when using vehicle equipment, electrical accessories (brakes, power mirrors/windows, directionals, horn, etc.), or when accelerating. · Vehicle's electrical system, including battery and alternator, may have electrical noise. Install a filter capacitor (470mfd. 25 volt or larger capacitance value) on the back of the lighter socket. PROBLEM: Audio alerts are not loud enough. · Cancel Auto Quiet Mode or City Mode. If difficulties occur which cannot be solved by information in this Troubleshooting Guide, please call Whistler Consumer Relations at 1-800-531-0004 before returning your unit for service. 14 ARE DETECTORS LEGAL? In Most States YES! When used in automobiles or light trucks, radar detectors are legal in almost every state. Exceptions are Virginia and Washington, D.C., which have local regulations restricting the use of radar receivers in any vehicle. Concerning trucks over 10,000 lbs., the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) issued a regulation, effective January, 1994 which prohibits r ...