Radio Shack Radar Detector 22 1670 User Guide

22-1670.fm Page 1 Friday, August 6, 1999 10:17 AM  
Cat. No. 22-1670  
Owner’s Manual  
X•K•Ka Superwide Radar/  
Laser Detector with Text Display  
Please read before using this equipment.  
 
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Your detector has many useful features, including:  
Text Display — displays messages and settings.  
Safety Warning System (SWS) — alerts you to the  
presence of potential road hazards and emergency  
vehicles signalled by a safety radar transmission.  
VG-2 Protection — makes your detector invisible to  
the VG-2 radar-detector detector when it senses VG-2  
operation.  
X-, K-, Ka-Band, and Laser Signal Detection —  
warns you when it detects signals from traffic radar or  
laser devices. Different tones sound to let you know the  
type of signal received.  
Front- and Rear-Looking Laser — detects laser sig-  
nals from both the front and the rear of your vehicle.  
City/Highway Modes—let you reduce unwanted X-  
band alerts without affecting the detector’s response to  
other signals while you are in the city.  
Your radar/laser detector includes the following items:  
Visor Bracket  
Windshield Bracket  
with Suction Cups  
Hook and Loop Fastener  
Power Cord with 12-Volt  
Cigarette Lighter Plug  
Owner’s Manual and  
Questions and  
Spare Fuse  
Answers Booklet  
3
 
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CONTENTS  
A Look at the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5  
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7  
Mounting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7  
Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8  
Hook-and-Loop Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8  
Visor Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9  
Windshield Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10  
Connecting Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12  
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13  
Turning the Detector On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . 13  
Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13  
Selecting the City and Highway Modes . . . . . . 14  
Dimming the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14  
Audio Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15  
Turning On Safety Warning System  
and VG-2 Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15  
Receiving and Identifying Radar, Laser,  
and Safety Warning System Signals . . . . . . . . 16  
Demonstrating Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18  
Resetting the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18  
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19  
Replacing the Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21  
Patents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22  
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A LOOK AT THE DETECTOR  
8
9
7
10  
6
1
2
5
4
3
1
2
P/V (Power/Volume) Button  
— turns the detector  
on and off and lets you adjust the volume.  
Text Display —  
shows you which modes are  
selected (BRIGHT, DARK, or DIM, CITY or  
HIGHWAY, and AUTOMUTE or AUTO off), con-  
firms radar and laser detection by identifying the  
band and indicating the signal strength, and dis-  
plays SWS messages.  
3
4
DRK (Dark) Button  
— lets you dim or darken the  
display for discreet or night travel.  
AUD (Audio) Button  
— provides automatic and  
manual muting of traffic radar and manual muting  
of Safety Warning System alerts.  
5
CTY (City) Button  
and highway modes.  
— switches between the city  
5
 
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6
7
Speaker — sounds all audible alerts.  
Antenna Opening — receives radar and Safety  
Warning System signals.  
8
9
Mounting Bracket Slot Cover — remove to install  
the supplied mounting bracket.  
Laser Sensors — pick up laser signals from both  
the front and rear of your vehicle.  
10 Power Jack — the power cable plugs in here.  
6
 
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INSTALLATION  
MOUNTING GUIDELINES  
Follow these guidelines when selecting a location.  
Choose a location that does not block the driver’s  
view of the road.  
Mount the detector in a level position with a clear  
view to both the front and rear.  
Since signals are blocked by metal surfaces, the  
detector’s view of the road must not be blocked.  
Some vehicles have InstaClear or ElectriClear  
defogging windshields, which have metal coatings  
that block signals. General Motor’s APV vans have a  
solar shield that keeps the vehicle cooler during the  
summer. This shield also blocks signals. A detector  
installed in a vehicle with any of these features will  
probably not detect a signal.  
Since window tinting reduces the received strength  
of laser signals, you should not mount the detector  
behind any tinted glass.  
Do not mount the detector where the driver or a pas-  
senger might hit it in a sudden stop or accident.  
Caution:  
Whichever mounting method you choose,  
place the detector out of view when you leave the vehi-  
cle. This keeps the detector out of sight of thieves and  
prevents exposing it to extremely high temperatures,  
which can damage the radar detector.  
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MOUNTING  
Hook-and-Loop Mounting  
For some dashboards, the hook-and-loop tape included  
with your detector might be best for mounting. Follow  
these steps to use the hook-and-loop tape.  
1. Use a damp cloth to clean the bottom of the detec-  
tor and the dashboard. Let both surfaces dry.  
Note:  
The tape’s adhesive might not stick to a sur-  
face treated with vinyl cleaner or protectant.  
2. Remove the tape’s backing and stick the tape to the  
bottom of the detector.  
Note:  
Do not place the hook-and-loop tape over the  
detector’s serial number or battery compartment  
cover.  
On a curved dashboard, cut the supplied strip in half  
and use one strip on each side of the bottom of the  
detector.  
3. Remove the backing from the other side of the tape  
and press the detector onto the dashboard.  
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Visor Mounting  
The supplied sun visor clip lets you quickly mount the  
detector on your vehicle’s sun visor.  
Warning: Do not visor mount the detector if this places  
the detector near the driver’s or a passenger’s head.  
Follow these steps to use the sun visor clip.  
1. Remove the cover by pressing its raised dots and  
pushing out. Store the cover in a safe place.  
2. Slightly open the visor clip, then slide it onto the top  
of the detector until it snaps into place.  
3. Clip the detector to the edge of the sun visor near-  
est the windshield.  
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Windshield Mounting  
The supplied suction-cup mount lets you mount the  
detector on the windshield.  
Caution: Do not use the suction-cup mount in a vehicle  
that has a plastic coating on the windshield designed to  
protect passengers during an accident. If you use the  
suction-cup mount on this type of windshield, you might  
permanently mar the windshield’s surface.  
1. Remove the cover by pressing its raised dots and  
pushing out. Store the cover in a safe place.  
2. Align the groove in each suction cup with the slots in  
the bracket and slide the suction cups out until they  
lock into place. Then press the rubber cushions  
onto the metal tips. Finally, screw the base plate  
onto the bracket through the threaded dowel, but do  
not tighten the screw.  
Suction  
Cups  
Rubber  
Cushions  
Bracket  
Base Plate  
Threaded  
Dowel  
Screw  
10  
 
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3. Clean the selected windshield area, position the  
suction-cup mount on the windshield, and press  
firmly on each suction cup to secure it into place.  
4. Adjust the suction-cup mount until the base plate is  
level, then fully tighten the screw securing the base  
plate.  
5. Slide the detector onto the base plate until it snaps  
into place.  
To remove the suction-cup mount from the windshield,  
lift up on the tab on each cup to release the suction.  
11  
 
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CONNECTING POWER  
Caution:  
Unplug the power cord’s cigarette-lighter plug  
from your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket when you  
turn off the ignition. This prevents your vehicle’s battery  
from being drained if you leave the detector on when  
you turn off the ignition.  
Plug the supplied power cord’s short barrel plug into the  
detector’s power jack and the longer barrel plug into the  
cigarette-lighter plug. Then plug the cord’s cigarette-  
lighter plug into your vehicle’s cigarette-lighter socket.  
Note:  
If the detector does not operate when you turn it  
on, remove the cigarette-lighter plug from your vehicle’s  
socket and check the socket for debris. Also check the  
fuse in the cigarette-lighter plug and your vehicle’s fuse  
block (see “Replacing the Fuse” on Page 21).  
12  
 
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OPERATION  
TURNING THE DETECTOR  
ON AND OFF  
P/V  
To turn on the detector, tap  
.
The detector sounds a distinctive tone and displays a  
text message for each band as a self test (laser, Ka, K,  
X, and Safety Warning System, in order), then the  
detector displays the status of the Safety Warning Sys-  
tem and VG-2 features. After the self test, the detector  
displays either CITY or HIGHWAY, whichever mode  
you last selected.  
P/V  
To turn off the detector, tap  
again.  
ADJUSTING THE VOLUME  
P/V  
. The  
To increase the detector’s volume, hold down  
detector sounds tones and displays the volume level  
P/V  
(Level 5 is the loudest, 1 is the softest). Release  
when you hear the desired volume level. To reduce the  
P/V  
the volume, release and immediately hold down  
again.  
13  
 
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SELECTING THE CITY AND  
HIGHWAY MODES  
In the city mode, the detector requires a stronger X-  
band signal before it sounds an alert. This eliminates  
responses to most false sources, such as automatic  
door openers and alarm systems. However, the signal  
strength meter continues to react immediately to X-  
band signals to keep you quietly informed. The city  
mode has no effect on K, Ka, instant-on X, laser, or  
Safety Warning System signals.  
To select the city mode, press CTY until the detector dis-  
plays CITY.  
The highway mode provides maximum sensitivity for  
open-road driving.  
To select the highway mode, press CTY until the detec-  
tor displays HIGHWAY.  
DIMMING THE DISPLAY  
To dim the display, press DRK once. The detector beeps  
and displays DIM. To turn off all indicators, press DRK  
again. The detector beeps and displays DARK for a  
couple of seconds, then the display turns off (Hfor high-  
way or Cfor city remains on very dimly to confirm the  
detector is on). To restore full brightness, press DRK  
again. The detector beeps and displays BRIGHTfor a  
few seconds, then displays CITYor HIGHWAY.  
14  
 
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AUDIO MODES  
While the detector is sounding a radar or Safety Warn-  
ing System alert, you can press AUD to temporarily  
silence it. The detector returns to normal operation after  
the radar signal stops.  
You can change the alert pattern to sound several X-,  
K-, or Ka-tones followed by muted clicking by pressing  
AUD when no alert is sounding. The detector briefly dis-  
plays AUTOMUTE. The clicking becomes more rapid as  
the radar signal strength increases. Press AUD again to  
return to normal operation. The detector briefly displays  
AUTOoff.  
Note:  
Laser alerts are not affected by the audio modes.  
TURNING ON SAFETY WARNING  
SYSTEM AND VG-2 DETECTION  
You can turn the Safety Warning System and VG-2  
detection on and off to suit your needs. Follow these  
steps to change these features.  
1. With the detector off, press and hold CTY, then  
press P/V. The detector beeps and briefly displays  
FEATURES. Then the detector either displays SWS  
onor flashes SWSoff.  
2. Press AUD to change the SWS setting.  
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3. Press CTY. The detector either displays VG-2onor  
flashes VG-2off.  
4. Press AUD to change the VG-2 setting.  
5. Press P/V to save your settings. The detector dis-  
plays exitand is then ready for operation.  
RECEIVING AND IDENTIFYING  
RADAR, LASER, AND SAFETY  
WARNING SYSTEM SIGNALS  
When you turn on your detector, it sounds alert tones in  
the following order: laser, Ka, K, X, and Safety Warning  
System.  
Your detector displays the band and gives different  
audible alerts for each signal. In addition, the alert tone  
pulse rate increases and the detector displays more  
segments in its signal strength meter as the signal gets  
stronger.  
When your detector senses instant-on radar, it sounds  
an intense, 3-second X, K, or Ka burst and flashes the  
received band and a full signal strength meter.  
When your detector senses a VG-2 radar-detector  
detector, it sounds a 3-second warning and displays  
VG2alert RADARMAYBEINUSEfor the duration  
of the alert.  
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Notes:  
Your radar detector does not respond to any radar  
source during a VG-2 alert, but laser alerts are not  
affected.  
You must turn on VG-2 detection to receive VG-2  
alerts. See “Turning On Safety Warning System and  
VG-2 Detection” on Page 15.  
When your detector senses a Safety Warning System  
transmitter, it sounds a 3-second alert and displays the  
introductory category followed by one of 58 text mes-  
sages. Refer to the separate list of alerts to see the five  
different Safety Warning System categories and their  
corresponding messages.  
Introductory Words Hazard  
Highway construction/mainte-  
nance.  
Hwy Work  
Highway hazard zone advi-  
HazdZone  
sory which indicate a possible  
road hazard.  
Weather hazard such as fog.  
Travel information.  
Weather  
TravInfo  
Emergency or slow moving  
vehicles.  
Moving  
Incomplete or unknown mes-  
sage received.  
MessageUnknown  
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Notes:  
Messages are numbered from 1 to 64, but 6 mes-  
sages are not currently used.  
You must turn on Safety Warning System detection  
and Safety Warning System transmitters must be in  
use to receive Safety Warning System alerts. See  
“Turning On Safety Warning System and VG-2  
Detection” on Page 15.  
DEMONSTRATING FEATURES  
To demonstrate alerts, with the detector off, hold down  
AUD and CTY. The detector displays TUTORIAL, then  
demonstrates all audio alerts and displays the corre-  
sponding band. It then demonstrates the signal strength  
meter, a VG-2 alert, and three sample SWS messages.  
To end the tutorial, press P/V.  
To see all 58 SWS messages, press CTY during a sam-  
ple SWS message. The detector displays MSGand the  
current message number. To see this message, press  
AUD. To advance to the next message, press CTY. If you  
do not press a button within 3 seconds, the detector  
resumes its demonstration.  
RESETTING THE DETECTOR  
To reset the detector to its defaults, with the detector  
off, hold down AUD, then press both CTY and P/V . The  
detector displays RESETand beeps twice.  
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TROUBLESHOOTING  
If you have problems operating your radar/laser detec-  
tor, the suggestions in this section might help. If you  
cannot solve the problem after trying these sugges-  
tions, take your detector to your local Radio Shack  
store for assistance.  
If the detector does not turn on:  
Be sure all power connections are secure.  
Check the fuse that controls power to the cigarette-  
lighter socket. See your vehicle’s owner’s manual.  
Check the fuse in the cigarette-lighter plug. See  
“Replacing the Fuse” on Page 21.  
The cigarette-lighter socket might be dirty. Clean it to  
give a good, clean connection.  
Caution:  
Do not place any metal object other than  
the cigarette lighter or a cigarette-lighter plug in the  
cigarette-lighter socket. Doing so could blow a fuse  
in your vehicle or cause the metal object to become  
very hot.  
If the detector gives a false alert when the vehicle  
hits bumps in the road:  
Check the power connections.  
19  
 
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If the detector gives a false alert when you use  
accessories such as power windows, motorized  
mirrors, brakes, and so on:  
Check the vehicle’s electrical system, including the  
main battery cable and alternator connections.  
Install a filter capacitor (1,000 µf, 35 volts, such as  
Cat. No. 272-1032) on the back of the cigarette-  
lighter socket, across the power connections.  
If the detector performs the self-test, but does not  
respond to radar signals when you see a police car:  
A police car might not be equipped with radar, or  
might be using instant-on radar and not have the  
radar gun triggered (see the separate booklet Ques-  
tions and Answers About Vehicle Speed Detection).  
Police might be using VASCAR-type speed detection  
(see the separate booklet Questions and Answers  
About Vehicle Speed Detection).  
If the detector has poor laser detection range:  
Be sure the laser detection lenses are not blocked.  
Use lens-cleaning solution to clean the laser detec-  
tion lenses and the windshield.  
Be sure the detector is not mounted in front of win-  
dow tinting.  
20  
 
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REPLACING THE FUSE  
If the detector stops operating, check the fuse in the DC  
power cord’s cigarette-lighter plug. If it has blown, fol-  
low these steps to replace it.  
1. Carefully unscrew the tip of the cigarette-lighter  
plug.  
Fuse  
Holder  
Tip  
2. Remove the tip from the cigarette-lighter plug, then  
remove the old fuse.  
Note:  
The tip is in two pieces. Take care not to lose  
either piece or the spring inside the holder.  
3. Replace the fuse with a 1-Amp, 5 × 20 mm, fast-act-  
ing fuse (Cat. No. 270-1049).  
Caution:  
Using a fuse that does not meet these rat-  
ings or defeating the fuse protection can damage  
your detector or the vehicle’s electrical system.  
4. Press the cigarette-lighter plug’s tip down into the  
body, then screw it back in.  
Caution:  
Be sure you press the cigarette-lighter  
plug’s tip down before screwing it in, or you might  
damage the plug.  
21  
 
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PATENTS  
This radar/laser detector is protected under one or  
more of the following patents.  
United States:  
4,571,593  
4,630,054  
4,961,074  
4,952,936  
5,402,087  
5,446,923  
Canada:  
1,187,586  
1,187,602  
1,295,714  
1,295,715  
Other patents pending.  
22  
 
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NOTES  
23  
 
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RadioShack Limited Warranty  
This product is warranted against defects for 1 year  
from date of purchase from RadioShack company-  
owned stores and authorized RadioShack franchisees  
and dealers. Within this period, we will repair it without  
charge for parts and labor. Simply bring your  
RadioShack sales slip as proof of purchase date to  
any RadioShack store. Warranty does not cover trans-  
portation costs. Nor does it cover a product subjected to  
misuse or accidental damage.  
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack  
MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY  
IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARE LIMITED IN DURATION  
TO THE DURATION OF THE WRITTEN LIMITED  
WARRANTIES CONTAINED HEREIN. Some states do  
not permit limitation or exclusion of implied warranties;  
therefore, the aforesaid limitation(s) or exclusion(s) may  
not apply to the purchaser.  
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also  
have other rights which vary from state to state.  
We Service What We Sell  
10/95  
RadioShack  
A Division of Tandy Corporation  
Fort Worth, Texas 76102  
8/96  
Printed in Canada  
 

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