Whistler XTR-140 Radar Detector Review

Driver Experience Test

Early this morning afternoon we took the Whistler XTR-140 out for its road test on my 85 mile test route for my “Low Priced Radar Detector Review.”

The XTR-140 retails for $79.95 and is a corded all band radar detector. 

As I had a flight class scheduled at Buckeye airport at 8:00 and as the airport adds only a few miles to my normal test route, I took this time as a perfect opportunity to test out the XTR-140.

Installing the Whistler on my windshield I noticed that it had the dual blue LED periscope making the detector easier to notice during alerts. However I also observed that the main display of the detector had the same LED readout as XTR-185, one that I found very hard to read in bright sunlight.

Heading south from Wickenburg, I had an opportunity to see if the detector registered any false alerts in a sparsely populated area that is free of microwave towers and other devices that could set off a detector.

During this 25 mile leg, the XTR-140 shouted out over 11 X and K/Ka alerts that I would all suspect as being falses. As false alerts continue to be the chief complaint of radar detector owners, I enabled the detectors city mode III as we approached the Interstate. This mode disables X band, however as I passed a large truck stop in the area, I did receive a few chirps on K/Ka band that may had been false alerts.

The wind was picking up and being a student pilot, I was grounded at the airport; however I did get to practice a few pre-flight checklists with my instructor.

After a couple hours of ground school, I headed out to the downtown area of Buckeye for breakfast. Prior to passing a convenience store the XTR-140 started alerting K/Ka. A few moments later I observed a Buckeye Patrol car parked nose in.

I felt that this alert was a little better than expected, considering that the nose of the patrol car was facing away from my direction of travel.

However during this alert, the sun was very bright washing out the main display and if it wasn’t for the Blue LED lights on top of the detector I may had missed the visual display alert.

Heading back home, I did have two more encounters.

One the 101 loop the Whistler gave a K/Ka alert a few moments before I spotted an approaching Maricopa County Sheriff’s Patrol car heading the opposite side.

Then on US 60 the Whistler alerted K/Ka and within seconds, I observed an Arizona Trooper parked in the left turning lane in the median toward my direction.

In both these encounters I had seconds to react and slow down. So I feel that it is an important to mention that if you’re considering purchasing a lower priced detector to save money, you maybe spending that money you saved and more on a speeding ticket if you don’t react fast enough.

Higher ended detectors while costing more do provide much greater range and sensitivity while also providing better filtering.

Given the overall price of this detector I feel that it performed admirably, however it would not be a detector that I would count on if I was one to drive over the 10 M.P.H. posted speed limit.

Radar Roy’s Badge Rating – Two Badges