Law enforcement is getting sneakier and sneakier all the time trying to catch speeders. Now, we hear that the Federal government is considering mandating speed trap cameras throughout the United States. If you believe in freedom and the rule of law, having a radar detector levels the playing field between you and the people trying to stop you from enjoying your life by using unaccountable cameras to write you tickets and take your money. You need a radar detector to give you a hand identifying threats. We wrote this Cobra Rad 450 review to show you how this handy device can save you from speeding tickets. (>>> Check on Amazon)
Cobra Rad 450 Review of Main Specs:
 | |
|---|---|
| Cobra Rad 450 | |
| Range | Long Range |
| Built-in GPS | No |
| Display | OLED |
| False Filter | IVT Filter |
| Red Light & Speed Camera Alerts | Yes |
| Speed-based Auto Mute | Yes |
| Bluetooth connectivity | No |
| Price | Find on Amazon |
The Cobra Rad 450 is an advanced radar detector that is intended to provide a high level of security against radar-based threats. More than just being a detector, this device uses sophisticated technology to differentiate between harmless radar sources like automatic doors or lane departure technology and gives you fast and precise warning about
IVT Filter
The Rad 450 has a built-in IVT filter that uses an advanced algorithm along with a patented technology to screen out the most common sources of false alarms. Cobra provides free updates to the firmware that allows this radar detector to continually learn new frequency bands used by car manufacturers. Every make and model of car using driver alert and assistance features uses a different radar, and detectors that can’t learn the newest codes are quickly outdated and useless.
Detection Capabilities
The Rad 450 captures X, K, and Ka-band radar. It gives you both an audible and two visual warnings of the strength and type of signals. It will let you know about cops, red light cameras, and speed traps.
Instant On Ready
The Rad 450 comes ready to detect the most modern style of stationary radar guns -the instant-on. These guns don’t have to acquire a target before processing like the older models do. Instead, these can be kept off until needed, then turned on to almost instantly get a signal. Catching these radars requires the Rad 450 to have super-fast processing so that you’ll know about the incoming threat.
Pros
- Excellent false-filtering technology that allows you to drive without panicking
- Trusted by professionals and cross-country rally racers
Cons
- Limited effectiveness in dealing with certain situations, like perpendicular radar or laser coming from behind you
- Alert isn’t loud enough when you have you crank your tunes
Laser Detector
The sneakiest trick that cops are using these days is a system called LIDAR. This system allows police to accurately collect the speed of a moving vehicle from another moving vehicle. These are most often not hand-held devices and are instead identifiable by the laser dome on the roof of the car. The Rad 450 is one of the first devices on the market to accurately capture LIDAR laser signals and warn you before you get pulled over.
OLED Display
Cobra keeps things simple and clean with the all-important display. In this model, they’ve incorporated an OLED display that provides you with a clean, easy-to-view solution to understanding the incoming information. The display will indicate the type of radar and the strength both in a numerical display and in a graphic bar. This makes it easy to quickly understand the information so you can change your speed before you get in trouble.
Range
The Rad 450 has the ability to identify radar sources from up to two miles away under ideal conditions. In real conditions, you’ll typically have anywhere from half a mile or more to adjust your behavior. Users who have lots of experience with this detector say the range is more than enough for the average driver under normal driving circumstances.
Voice Alerts
Lights and tones are great for giving you the information you need, but nothing beats voice alerts. The Rad 450 will alert you to the presence of laser or radar signals with a spoken alert, so you aren’t bothered with beeps and tones that you have to interpret.
Conclusion
The Cobra Rad 450 is a good entry-level detector with many useful features at a competitive price (>>> Check the current on Amazon). It does a good job of alerting you to stationary threats and is on the cutting edge of detecting mobile threats like LIDAR. The display is easy to read quickly and easily, and the voice alerts make it even easier to quickly hear and react to threats. This is a good pick for the casual user who simply wants a heads-up.