User Manual

INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSTALLATION CONT.
WHISTLER FEATURES
FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS
OPERATION
OPERATION OPERATION
OPERATION
OPERATION
OPERATION
OPERATION
D
ear Whistler Owner,
The Whistler 1788 features the newest POP™ Mode
d
etection capability combined with the convenience and
portability of a battery operated unit. The problem with
some battery operated laser-radar detectors is that the
r
eceiver shuts down for 30 to 50 percent of the time to
conserve battery life, leaving the driver vulnerable. During
t
his time the display is left on to give you the feeling of full
t
ime protection, which is not true. This is not the case with
the Whistler 1788.
T
he Whistler 1788, provides cordless detection and is
p
owered ON 100 percent of the time. This unit provides
Complete Band Protection and is packed full of features.
S
ome of the features include:
• P
OP™ Mode Detection Capability
o
perating on
K
and Ka bands. This mode acquires the vehicle's
s
peed in less than 1/15 of a second.
•
B
lue Backlit LCD T
ext Display p
r
ovides easy to read
b
and identification and signal str
ength.
•
B
uilt-in Battery Charger
a
utomatically
recharges the unit when the power cord is
c
onnected.
•
S
tay Alert
t
ests alertness on long trips.
Even though this unit is packed full of features it is still very
easy to use. To fully utilize your unit to its potential, we
recommend reading this entire manual or visit our
FAQ page on our web site www.
whistlergroup.com.
Enjoy your new Whistler and please drive safely.
Sincerely,
The Whistler Group, Inc.
3
1
9
8
7
2
6
4
5
3
1
0
12
•
Battery Operated
With Built-in Battery Charger
• Total Band Protection
™
• POP
™
Mode Detection
•
Blue LCD Text Display
• High Gain Optical Lens
• Stay Alert
™
•
360° Total Perimeter Protection
™
•
VG-2 Cloaking
™
T
echnology
• 3 City Modes
•
Quiet/Auto Quiet Modes
•
Vehicle Battery Saver
• Setting Saver
•
Alert Priority
•
Safety Warning System
™
A
ccessories:
Windshield Bracket Kit, Batteries, Straight
P
ower Cord & Home Battery Charger
i
ncreased sensitivity and field of view for leading-edge
laser detection.
6
. Rear Laser Antenna –
A
n integrated optical
w
aveguide provides superior detection of laser
signals transmitted from behind.
7. City Button - Reduces the annoyance of false
a
lerts typically encountered in urban driving areas.
8
. Quiet/Menu Button -
P
ressing QUIET before a
signal is detected engages Auto Quiet Mode which
a
utomatically reduces the audio level after the initial
w
arning to a low audio level setting. Pressing QUIET
during a radar/laser encounter silences audio alerts,
while allowing visual alerts to keep you informed.
(
Pressing and holding for 2 seconds allows you to enter
Option Select Mode—see page 11.
9. Power/Dim -Turns unit on/off and engages
B
acklight settings (press and hold).
1
0. Volume Up/Down Buttons –
A
djust volume up or down.
11. Blue LCD Text Display – Provides distinct visual
confirmation of signals detected, signal strength,
a
nd indicates engaged modes of operation.
12. Power Jack – Provides connection for the power cord.
13. Battery Compartment – Compartment for which
y
ou place the batteries.
Battery Installation
This unit requires 4 AA batteries (included).
P
P
l
l
e
e
a
a
s
s
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e
c
c
h
h
a
a
r
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g
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b
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e
e
f
f
i
i
r
r
s
s
t
t
u
u
s
s
e
e
!
!
• Remove the battery compartment cover by sliding
the cover to the edge of the unit and lift up.
• Observing correct polarity (+) and (-), insert
batteries as shown.
• Reinstall battery compartment cover. For best
performance we recommend using the highest
capacity rechargeable AA batteries available.
Alkaline batteries are not recommended.
4
5
6
Battery Installation (Continued)
N
i-MH rechargeable batteries are recommended and
are included with the unit. Common rechargeable
b
atteries have a power rating of 2100 mA or higher.
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
D
O NOT mix battery types as this can damage
the batteries. Lithium batteries are recommended for
use in cold temperatures. As with all battery
o
perated devices, remove the batteries when this
u
nit will not be used for an extended period of time.
Damage caused by leaky or improperly charged
b
atteries are not covered under warranty. Check with
t
he battery manufacturer about their specific
product warranty and disposal recommendations.
I
I
m
m
p
p
o
o
r
r
t
t
a
a
n
n
t
t
:
:
Ni-Cd batteries are not recommended.
T
hese batteries will not provide enough capacity to
be useful. Replace the Ni-Cd’s with Ni-MH type
rechargeable batteries.
C
C
a
a
u
u
t
t
i
i
o
o
n
n
:
:
O
nly use rechargeable batteries in the
supplied battery charger. Charging non-rechargeable
b
atteries can damage the charger or possibly cause
the batteries to explode.
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 and laser
signals and reduce critical warning time. (Regular
tinted glass does not affect reception.)
• Some windshields have an Instaclear
™
or Electriclear
™
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.
7
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.
• Press Power. Display shows in order:
1. WHISTLER 2. X-Band 3. K-Band 4. Ka-Band
5. LASER
6
6
.POP ON 7. VG2 OFF 8. SR OFF
9. Bat Full - This will display the battery status. 10. Highway
Battery Charging
External - The included battery charger provides
approximately 10 hour recharge time for Ni-MH
batteries. Simply observe the battery polarity when
installing the batteries into the charger and plug the
charger into a convenient outlet.
Internal - While traveling and if the batteries become
weak, plugging in the external power cable not only
will power the unit but also char
ge the batteries. The
display will show an asterisk, i.e.,
when the unit is charging the batteries. The asterisk
will flash during charging and go out when charging
is complete.
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
The charging time is similar to a
home char
ger
.
External Power
The unit can be powered externally using the
power cable. This is handy in case the batteries
become weak and you are away from an outlet to
use the home char
ger or can not get to a store for
r
eplacement batteries. Simply plug the power cable
into the power jack and your ready to go. The unit
will slowly charge the batteries while traveling. See
Battery Charging section for more information. When
the power cable is removed from the unit or the
vehicle’s lighter socket is switched off, the unit will
alarm and display
then simply tur
ns of
f.
89
Setting Saver
Setting Saver saves your personalized settings so
that when the detector is turned off and then on
again, you do not have to re-enter them.
Feature Engaged Confirmation
Each time a button is pressed one beep confirms
feature “on”, two beeps confirm feature “off”.
Audio Level Adjustment
The audio levels can be adjusted high to low or low
to high.
• Press Volume up to increase audio level.
• Press Volume down to decrease audio level.
As audio level is adjusted, beeps are provided and
the display indicates volume level.
Note: In certain
cases the voice message does not replicate the text
message.
Auto Quiet Mode
Auto Quiet reduces the selected audio level to level
(1) appr
oximately 5 seconds after a radar or safety
radar signal is detected. The alert for any new signal
within 20 seconds will resume at level (1). Auto Quiet
does not affect VG-2 or laser alerts.
• Press Quiet/Menu (before a signal is detected) to
engage Auto Quiet.
• Once the Auto Quiet mode is engaged, you may
cancel the audio alarm by pressing Quiet.
• Press Quiet (when the unit is not alarming) to
cancel Auto Quiet mode.
Quiet Mode
Quiet cancels audio during an aler
t and any new
aler
t
within 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, appr
oximately
2 beeps are provided on any new alert and unit then
r
emains quiet.
•
Pr
ess Quiet to cancel the audio.
• Press Quiet a second time during an alert to restore
Quiet Mode (Cont.)
the standard audio alert pattern; or turn the unit
off, then on.
City/City 1/City 2 Mode
Whistler’s Three Stage City Mode is designed to reduce
the annoyance of automatic door openers, intrusion
alarms and other devices which share frequencies with police
radar. Generally, X band is used for these devices.
• Press City to cancel Highway mode and engage City.
• Press City again to enter City 1 Mode
- display shows ‘C1 Lo X’.
• Press City again to enter City 2 Mode
- display shows ‘C2 No X’
• Pressing City a fourth time cancels City 2 Mode
and returns the unit to Highway Mode.
In City Mode, weak speed/safety radar signal 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
pr
ovided.
City 1 and City 2 Modes operate the same
as Highway Mode, but in City 1 Mode, only the X band
sensitivity is lower
ed. In City 2 Mode, X-band is not
detected.
Caution: Some towns/small cities may still be using X
band radar
. City Modes do not change the audio
aler
t for laser or VG-2.
Highway Mode
Highway mode pr
ovides full audio warnings any time
radar (X, K, Ka, Safety Radar) or laser signals ar
e
detected, and is recommended for open road driving.
For more information on City and Highway mode, please visit
our F
AQ page on our website:
www.whistler
group.
com
Backlight Setting
The backlighting can be programmed to be illuminated
all the time, only when alarming, or choices in-between.
The options are selectable by pressing and holding the
Dim button on the unit. The options are:
OFF-OFF = Backlight is off during normal operation
and off when the unit alarms
OFF- DIM = Backlight is off during normal operation
and dim when the unit alarms.
OFF-BRT = Backlight is off during normal operation
and bright when the unit alarms.
DIM-OFF = Backlight is dim during normal operation
and off when the unit alarms.
DIM-BRT = Backlight is dim during normal operation
and bright when the unit alarms.
Backlight will turn on, if selected, while the unit alarms
and remain on for 3 seconds after the unit stops
alarming. When any button is pressed the backlight will
illuminate at the dim setting and remain on for 3
seconds afterwards. The backlight will also illuminate
while in option mode.
Engaging/Disengaging VG-2
See Option Select Mode to turn this feature on/off.
When a VG-2 signal is detected, the VG-2 is sounded
and the VG-2 display flashes. After 3 seconds the
audio is canceled and the display no longer flashes.
This cycle is repeated if the VG-2 signal is again
detected.
During the period a VG-2 signal is detected, a radar
signal cannot be detected. However
, because the VG-2
aler
t has confir
med that a patr
ol car is nearby
, you ar
e
already aware of the potential for speed monitoring
and can adjust your speed accor
dingly
. Laser detection
is not af
fected while a VG-2 signal is detected.
Teach/Tutorial Mode
Pr
ovides simulated aler
ts for each type of signal.
• Press City and Quiet simultaneously and release.
• Display Shows:
• Press Power to exit.
10
11
Option Select Mode
Entering Option Select Mode allows you to customize options
such as Tone Select, Abbreviated Power Up Sequence and
VG-2 Mode. Press and hold quiet button to enter OPT
Select mode. When selecting options, the , or Q
must be pressed within 20 seconds or options mode will
automatically be exited. To enter:
12
13
Vehicle Battery Saver Mode
The Vehicle Battery Saver Mode automatically shuts off
the detector if you forget to turn it off. The timer is reset if
the detector is turned off, unplugged or any button is
pressed before the timer has expired. The detector will alert
you with an audible and visual warning before it shuts
off. This auto off function can be programmed for the
following: Off, 1, 2, or 3 hours.
During this warning you can reset the time by pressing
any button. This will reset the timer.
If the unit has automatically tur
ned itself off, press the Power
button to tur
n the unit back on. You can manually engage
the Vehicle Battery Saver Mode by pressing and holding
the City button until one beep is heard.
Refer to “Option Select Mode” for instructions for
changing the battery saver mode settings.
Stay Alert Feature
The Stay Alert Feature is designed to test a driver’s
alertness. To engage (when unit is not alarming) :
• Press and hold City for approximately 2 seconds.
Release button during or immediately after the aler
t
is given.
— Display shows:
Within 30-60 seconds two beeps are sounded; to
show alertness, the driver must press either the City,
Volume, or Quiet buttons within 3-5 seconds. If a button
is pressed within 3-5 seconds, the cycle is repeated.
If a button was not pressed within 3-5 seconds alarm
sounds and the display shows:
•
Press Power to exit.
Model Features Summary.............................3 - 4
I
nstallation................................................... 4 - 6
•Battery Installation ............................................. 4 - 5
•
Mounting Guidelines
.
.............................................5
•
Windshield Mounting
.............................................6
•
Power Connection and Fuse Replacement
....
.........
6
O
peration.................................................. 7 - 13
•Power On and Self-Test.......................................... 7
•Battery Charger..........................................
................ 7
•
Setting Saver
......................................................7 - 8
•
Feature Engaged Confirmation
.............................. 8
•
Audio Level Adjustment
.
....................................... 8
•Auto Quiet Mode....................................................8
•Quiet Mode.
.......................................................8 - 9
•City/City 1/ City 2 Mode.
..................................... 9
•Highway Mode....................................................... 9
•
Backlight Setting
.
.............................................9 - 10
•
Engaging/Disengaging VG-2
...............................10
•Teach/Tutorial Mode............................................ 10
•Option Select Mode..........................
...................... 11
•Vehicle Battery Saver Mode..................................12
•
Stay Alert Feature
...........................................12 -13
Safety Warning System
™
.................................13
•
Battery Life ............................................
..................13
POP
™
Mode Alerts..........................................14
Laser/Radar Alerts..........................................14
•Speed Radar Audio/Visual Alerts....................... 14
•
Laser Audio/Visual Alerts
................................... 14
•Pulse Protection
®
...................................................14
VG-2 Alerts.................................................... 15
•Alert Priority......................................................... 15
Reset Features................................................16
Troubleshooting Guide..............................16 - 17
Care and Maintenance................................... 18
Are Detectors Legal?.................................... .18
FCC Information............................................ .19
Speed Monitoring.................................... 19 - 22
•Radar Facts............................................................19
•POP
™
Mode........................................................... 19
•Total Band Protection
™
..........................................20
•Laser Facts.............................................................20
•Other Speed Detection Systems...................21 -22
Warranty Information...............................22 - 25
Specifications................................................. 25
Accessories.....................................................26
11
INSTALLATION
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
l
ocation you have chosen.
Important: Some newer cars have a plastic safety
coating on the inside of the windshield. The windshield
b
racket may leave permanent marks on this type of
s
urface. To find out if your vehicle has this type of
windshield, check the owner’s manual or ask your dealer.
W
e recommend that you do not leave the suction cup
b
racket 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 windshield bracket. Press the bracket release
b
utton and remove the detector before bending.
Power Cord Connection
• Plug the small end of the power cord into the
u
nit’s power jack.
• Plug the large end into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter.
N
N
o
o
t
t
e
e
:
:
Cord fits tightly into detector. When installing
the cord, expect some resistance.
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.
I
I
m
m
p
p
o
o
r
r
t
t
a
a
n
n
t
t
:
:
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.
U
nscrew the tip of the lighter socket plug
c
arefully when r
eplacing the 2 amp fuse.
Stay Alert Feature (Cont.)
WARNING!!! Stay Alert is NOT intended as a substitute
for adequate rest. You should NOT operate a vehicle if you
are drowsy. During extended periods of vehicle operation,
you should take frequent breaks. Improper reliance on the
Stay Alert feature may result in vehicle damage, personal
injury or death. NEVER OPERATE A VEHICLE IF YOU
ARE DROWSY.
Safety Warning System™
In communities where transmitters are located,
the Safety Warning System
™
displays over 60 text
messages. When Safety Radar is detected the audio
alert is geiger counter-like.
Safety Warning System Text
Example: Poor - Road - Surface.
Note:
Not all areas have Safety Warning System
™
transmitters.
Batter
y Life
The unit can provide over 20 hours of laser/radar detec-
tion. There are settings that can maximize battery life.
1) Backlighting set to OFF-OFF
2) Auto Quiet to ON
3) Battery saver set to 1 hour
4) Using a lower volume setting
5) Using Mute whenever possible
SWS
™
If you have questions concerning the
operation of this Whistler product
please call:
CuSTOmer SeRVICE
1-800-531-0004
Monday - Friday • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm CT
or visit our website
www.whistlergroup.com
Please keep the receipt in a safe place.
You may register your product online
at www.whistlergroup.com. For warranty
verification purposes, a copy of your
dated store receipt must accompany any
unit sent in for warranty work. If the
unit is r
eturned without a dated store
receipt, an out of warranty service charge
applies.
Note: Your warranty period begins
at the time of purchase. The warranty is
validated
only by the dated store receipt!
Now is the time to record the serial
number of the unit in the space provided
in the warranty section of the manual.
1788
FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS
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. Speaker – Provides distinct audio warnings for X,
K, Ka band radar, safety radar, laser and VG-2.
3. Mounting Bracket Location – Slot holds mounting
bracket firmly.
4. Radar Antenna – Compact, high-efficiency antenna
receives radar signals.
5. Front Laser Antenna – High gain optical lens provides
INSTALLATION
13
Windshield
Mounting