Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Really good radar detectors start around one fifty and if you can't afford one you probably can't afford to be speeding either. No cordless detector--the Silver Bullet being no exception--has as great a range as a corded one or the ability to detect "pop" radar like a corded one. The cordless circuit boards are designed to save power, even when using the cord. That all being said, this unit's performance and features are pretty good for the entry-level price, and the unit so darn good looking and easy to use you might want to buy it anyway.
I found that false alerts were minimal using "no" filter (there's no city/highway setting) and usually only happened around grocery and hardware store parking lots. I drove through several reduced speed zones (like road work areas) where there were portable radars to tell drivers their speed on the roadside. This unit's over-the-horizon and around-the-bend performance wasn't great, but was acceptable, and the range wasn't great either, but was acceptable. 360-degree coverage is a myth among radar detectors--if you really want rearward detection you need a second unit in your back window, and if you have a cigar lighter or power outlet in your back seat or cargo area you might be able to do that fairly easily, however, with an auto-off cordless unit it's impractical.
The only problem I had with this unit's detection was in a pop radar speed trap. The state troopers were well-positioned in the middle of a divided highway, in a small valley, and there were several troopers in a team, two using the radar, one in each direction, held steady and level on a mount, and two more directing the speeders into the turn-around to write citations. I'd be surprised at any detector giving ample warning in this case, but because it was pop (instant-on) radar, the Silver Bullet didn't detect anything at all. I was just lucky not to be in the left lane, because the person who was driving to my left at about the same speed was pulled over!
As far as bells and whistles, I'm a bit disappointed that there's no push-button for off/on or sleep/wake: I hated parking somewhere where it was getting false alerts and leaving it on because it would never turn itself off; but the stiff off/on switch was a pain to use often. Another complaint is the low battery warning--it started warning me about a low battery literally hours before the batteries were dead, and the incessant regular beeps was annoying. Also, the auto-off feature (after a certain amount of time with no detections) scared me to death until I got used to it on long drives because it beeps quite loudly to warn you it's shutting down. I wasn't very happy with the volume and auto-mute settings it had, they didn't seem to work as described, but they weren't totally unacceptable.
Again this unit is really nice looking, really small and light, and comes with three different mounts and two kinds of cords. I found it easy to mount to the windscreen and it stayed on, and stayed fairly steady. It even had an "instruction" mode to teach you what the features are and which radar made which sound when detected. I think this is a great choice for a first radar detector for someone who wants a good value for the money. It's far better than anything you can get at 2/3rds its price or less, but not good (or as complete, since it lacks pop detection) as certain corded units at the same price or higher.
Note: model 7600 is identical except for the addition of a digital compass.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Sensoro RX-7500 Silver Bullet Wireless Radar Laser Detector, RX7500
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