Cobra RAD 480i Laser Radar Detector – Long Range Detection, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Compatible, LaserEye Front and Rear Detection, Digital Signal Processing,… by COBRA

Es simple cuesta mucho y hace el servicio de uno q valga 1200 pesos y su costo es elevado

I wanted so badly to like this detector but ultimately I think it will get returned. I picked up a used version and immediately ran into an issue. This device was linked to someone else’s account so I couldn’t use it with the Drive Smarter app. But Cobra support was able to fix this for me and I got it setup.

The detector itself seems pretty good. I would say range seems to be on par with a Uniden R3 I had but it seems to false less than that detector even without turning off features or blocking parts of bands. The buttons on the top are easy to use and in a weird way I kind of like the old school volume wheel. The magnetic mount is amazing!

But unfortunately I picked this up for the app integration with AA and it is downright terrible. The first issue is this is the only AA app I have used that I have to first open on my phone for it to work. At first I thought I could just leave it open to avoid this issue but the detector connects to the phone and doesn’t reconnect when I return to the car. At least not for me. But often the detector just discounts during a drive. So you no longer get radar details on your AA screen or speed limit info on the device. Though I will say the later barely works even when connected. But the deal breaker for me is the mapping software. Cedar opted to go with Mapbox and in my area these maps are super outdated and the routing is suspect. I first noticed that some routes were strange, then I realized you have no control like you do with Google maps or Waze. So you can’t say avoid freeways, toll roads etc…you get what you get and it isn’t always right. Further when I would deviate from its route it seemed to take a while to reroute me. 95% of the time this would be ok since I don’t need guidance to get to and from work but those other times it is annoying. To give you an idea how old their data is, these maps show a gas station that closed pre pandemic. I was really hoping this app was going to be a better option than Waze and tie in the detectors alerts but it just doesn’t cut it. If you are looking for a budget detector that has decent range and you don’t care about the app… maybe this is good for you but you may want to look for an R3. For me I will likely get an R4 or R8 and use a third party app for integration though not to AA.

After researching, I chose the 480i for it’s features. Good choice for the price. Plenty of settings for whatever is needed. Not complicated. Very effective. Turned off X band as not used much anymore. Alert range 3/4 to a mile depending on terrain. I use Auto sensitivity most of the time. Just experiment for what works best in your usual commutes. Volume is good. I keep mine on 2 or 3. I found a visor mount on Ebay for $8. Several power source mounting options. like the blue tooth and app options Overall, more than sufficient economical tool that does the job.

This radar detector did its job exceptionally well — it picked up Ka band signals far in advance, even when an officer was waiting at an intersection, which gave me plenty of warning. The main downside is that it throws a lot of false alerts, which can get annoying, but I suppose that’s better than missing a real one. Another small drawback is that you have to keep the LED display in sight to know what type of signal you’re getting. Despite that, I was impressed enough with its performance that I’m upgrading to a more expensive model — not because this one failed me, but because I want the absolute best. For everyday driving where you’re just 5 or so miles over the limit, this would be a perfect and reliable choice.

Zufriedenheit, kann ich nur empfehlen