Ok guys, what do the symbols on a radar detector mean?

Question

I bought a whistler xtr-255 and the symbols on it are X, K, Ka, and V...when i looked in the user manual, all it says is "X will light when an X band is noticed"...well no shhh...I've tried looking on the net to find out and apparently all i've heard is that they are the different bands...so let me rephrase the question...

I bought this detector so i don't get a speeding ticket...which light do i need to slow down on when it lights up?

Answer 1

If anything lights up, slow down. You have no way of knowing what band of radar the police are using.

Answer 2

X, K and Ka are different radar frequencies. Lazer (laser) is an indication that the police officer is using a laser gun to measure speed. POP is a radar gun that emits a short burst (POP!) of radar at your vehicle instead of the constant emission of a standard radar gun. Those are different radar bands used by police in different areas. Not all radar guns use the same radar band(s). They ALL mean a radar gun of some type has been detected and you should check your speed. Nearly all radar detectors can detect standard radar bands. The best radar detectors (probably not the XTR-255) will detect POP or instant-on before it hits you. But...

The only protection against police laser is a laser jammer, which jams the laser gun speed reading while alerting you, allowing you to adjust your speed if necessary, before turning off the jammer. Although most radar detectors will alert to laser pointed at your vehicle, you then have less than 0.2 seconds (2 tenths of a second) to adjust your speed if necessary. Like radar detectors, laser jammers are legal in nearly every state.