The extreme long-range laser detector has become the must have detector for anyone wishing to avoid speed traps and expensive speeding tickets. Uniden, the long time leader in laser radar detectors, has two fantastic entries in the genre, the R3 and the R7.
So which unit should you buy the Uniden R3 or the R7? Read on to see the key differences between these two detectors. In the end, we like the added features of the R7 and don’t mind the additional cost. >>>Check its pricing on Uniden.com
Uniden R3 vs R7 Side by Side:
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Uniden R3 | Uniden R7 | |
| Range | Extreme Long Range | Insane Long Range |
| Built-in GPS | No | No |
| Display | Multi-color OLED | Multi-color OLED |
| False Filter | Advanced K /KA Band Filter | Advanced K /KA Band Filter |
| Red Light & Speed Camera Alerts | No | No |
| Speed-based Auto Mute | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Find on Uniden.com Find on Amazon | Find on Uniden.com Find on Amazon |
While intentionally driving faster than the legal limit is never condoned if you are accidentally going to fast you need a way to keep from being surprised by a police car running radar. Millions of speeding tickets are issued by police departments each year and when you get your day in court you can expect to pay on average $150. A well-performing laser detector can make the difference between enjoying a quiet drive and forking out a bundle of your hard earned cash to the courts.
Must Have Features of Laser Detectors
Multiple Band & Direction Detection – the detector you choose should be capable of sensing all bands of radar that police departments use these days: X-band, K-band, Ka-band, and lasers. It is also important that your detector can sense what is coming from in front of you and as well as behind you.
Best for Bands & Direction of Detection: Uniden R7
GPS Capability – the absolute best way to block out everyday false alerts is to be able to program the false alert locations into your detector. The are so many radar applications these days, on automatic storefront door opening systems, some home security systems now use radar, garage door and security light motion detectors also use them. Is it any small wonder that detectors without GPS capability are always giving off false alerts? With GPS capability you can find these spots and program your detector to ignore them.
Best for GPS Features: Uniden R7
Voice and Visual Alerting – visual alerts are a necessity but it is also nice not to have to take your eyes off the road to see why your detector is alerting. This is especially true when you are traveling at higher speeds where at a speed of just 65mph you can travel approximately 500 feet in just 5 seconds. A lot of nasty things can happen in 500 feet.
Best for Voice and Visual Alerting: Tie
VG-2/Spectre Shielding – in some states and towns across our country, using a radar detector is illegal. So as you enter into one of these areas are you supposed to pull your car over and put your radar detector in the trunk? The notion seems kind of silly to us. Because police in these areas now use a radar detector, it is important for your choice of detector to be able to “hide”, or be undetectable to these detectors. Your unit needs to have VG-2/Spectre shielding technology to eliminate being detected.
Best for VG-2/Spectre Shielding: Tie
Uniden R3 vs R7 Full Reviews
Uniden R3
Long-time laser/radar detector users prefer this unit due to its performance against police department speed guns. It has a no-frills black case and comes with two mounting brackets. The OLED display is large, bright, and easy to read. But it also comes with a “dark” mode where that bright display remains off.
The R3 is able to detect radars from miles away and costs less than most others that can only come close to the R3’s sensitivity and range. It has great capability when it comes to filtering out the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) and Collision Avoidance System (CAS) features that come standard on many newer model cars.
With the R3’s built-it GPS, you can program out up to 200 locations where false alerting continually happen. No more being warned that you are passing the local drugstore or grocery store (unless of course, you can’t remember that that is where you wanted to go in the first place).
There are three sensitivity settings on the R3; CITY, CITY 2, and HIGHWAY. CITY 2 mode eliminates X-band detection and reduces K-band sensitivity to help eliminate false alerting while driving in town.
Pros
- Great bang for your buck
- 360-degree digital signal processing GPS chip
- Invisible to VG2, Spectre I, IV, or IV+
- OLED display brightness
- Red light and speed camera alerting
Cons
- Highly sensitive to false alerting on K-band
- Audio reliability issues
Uniden R7
The R7 is Uniden’s answer to their competition’s top of the line radar detectors. Not only is it more sensitive (estimated at 12% better sensitivity) than Uniden’s older models, the R7’s use of directional arrows to indicate where the alert is positioned relative to your vehicle is an outstanding bonus.
The OLED display is tilted toward the driver and has large, easy-to-read text. It also has a light sensor that will automatically dim the display to account for different lighting conditions. There is a GPS feature that allows you to lockout and program up to 2000 locations to limit false alerting.
Because this detector comes equipped with dual antennas, it can easily detect radars even when the radar is behind you. Although no detector is perfect when it comes to seeing radar detector detectors, the R7 is very good at “hiding” from VG-2 and Spectre detection devices. Our more detailed review of the Uniden R7 can be found here.
Pros
- Easy to read full OLED display
- Signal strength indicators and directional arrows
- Invisible to VG2, Spectre I, IV, or IV+
- 2000 automatic GPS lockouts
Cons
- Larger size
- Not as great at detecting lasers
- Requires configuring to lessen false alerting
Summing It All Up
While the R3 provides great range detection at a better price, the R7 adds to that performance with directional arrows to show the radar’s location and 10 times as many GPS lockouts. You can’t go wrong with either detector, but if you don’t mind paying about $150 more, the Uniden R7 is the better choice. >>> Check current price on Amazon