Happy Holidays Everyone!
Apparently I was on the nice list this year and I received a Uniden R8 Radar Detector! I am super stoked! Decided I would share my thoughts and first impressions with fellow speed enthusiasts and anyone considering this unit for their Giulia.
First Impression: The detector comes very nicely packaged. Cardboard product box includes the hard carry case with all necessities and the instruction manual. Inside the hard carry is as follows:
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Setup: I began by downloading the Uniden R Series Tool and updated the unit to the most recent firmware using the USB to Micro USB cord. This software also allows you to change all your settings on your computer which is nice. I set up my expert settings according to VortexRadar's guide on his website and his Youtube video. I am located in Northern California, greater Sacramento area, where we mainly get hit with KA segment 5 (34.587 – 34.803, mainly 34.7), and very rarely KA segment 8 (35.379 – 35.613, rural counties). Laser is extremely hot in the area too from California Highway Patrol so laser jammers are fairly high on my wish list. I wanted to set up my KA segments rather wide so I can manually narrow them down over time as I become more acquainted with the frequencies in my area. This is a bit unnecessary as California Law Enforcement is pretty spot on with their equipment being in spec but this is the route I went. I set my Ka Band Segmentations to the broad suggested settings as follows, enabled: 2 (33.705 – 33.903), 4 (34.191 – 34.58), 5 (34.587 – 34.803), 6 (34.803 – 35.163), and 8 (35.379 – 35.613). Segments 4 and 6 are usually enabled to catch those radar guns that fall out of spec for segment 5. All other settings were set according to the guide.
First Drive: I took a short 25 minute drive to get a quick quick feel for the unit. Unfortunately, I did not run into any law enforcement so I didn't get a taste for any Ka Band pops but I did pick up a couple false alerts on K band from local medical imaging buildings I passed to which I marked on GPS with the mark button. My intent is to follow up with this post as I commute to work with the Quad on occasion.
![Image]()
Summary: As my first radar detector, I am looking forward to my overall and long term experience with this high end unit. The Uniden R8 is packed with features and seems very high quality based on the build quality and OLED display. Expert Mode allows you complete control of your unit and to dial it in based on your area. This gift could not come at a better time as I just had a law enforcement interaction the night before (Christmas Eve and he let me go). A question to my fellow Giulia and radar detector owners, with the cigarette style power port being in the center console storage area, how do you have your units powered as the included cord is a bit shorter than I would like? Feel free to share your thoughts and set ups!
Kind Regards,
Apparently I was on the nice list this year and I received a Uniden R8 Radar Detector! I am super stoked! Decided I would share my thoughts and first impressions with fellow speed enthusiasts and anyone considering this unit for their Giulia.
First Impression: The detector comes very nicely packaged. Cardboard product box includes the hard carry case with all necessities and the instruction manual. Inside the hard carry is as follows:
- Detector within a soft cover pouch
- Windshield suction cup mount
- Dashboard Mount
- USB to Micro USB cord
- Cigarette Style Power Connection
Setup: I began by downloading the Uniden R Series Tool and updated the unit to the most recent firmware using the USB to Micro USB cord. This software also allows you to change all your settings on your computer which is nice. I set up my expert settings according to VortexRadar's guide on his website and his Youtube video. I am located in Northern California, greater Sacramento area, where we mainly get hit with KA segment 5 (34.587 – 34.803, mainly 34.7), and very rarely KA segment 8 (35.379 – 35.613, rural counties). Laser is extremely hot in the area too from California Highway Patrol so laser jammers are fairly high on my wish list. I wanted to set up my KA segments rather wide so I can manually narrow them down over time as I become more acquainted with the frequencies in my area. This is a bit unnecessary as California Law Enforcement is pretty spot on with their equipment being in spec but this is the route I went. I set my Ka Band Segmentations to the broad suggested settings as follows, enabled: 2 (33.705 – 33.903), 4 (34.191 – 34.58), 5 (34.587 – 34.803), 6 (34.803 – 35.163), and 8 (35.379 – 35.613). Segments 4 and 6 are usually enabled to catch those radar guns that fall out of spec for segment 5. All other settings were set according to the guide.
First Drive: I took a short 25 minute drive to get a quick quick feel for the unit. Unfortunately, I did not run into any law enforcement so I didn't get a taste for any Ka Band pops but I did pick up a couple false alerts on K band from local medical imaging buildings I passed to which I marked on GPS with the mark button. My intent is to follow up with this post as I commute to work with the Quad on occasion.
Summary: As my first radar detector, I am looking forward to my overall and long term experience with this high end unit. The Uniden R8 is packed with features and seems very high quality based on the build quality and OLED display. Expert Mode allows you complete control of your unit and to dial it in based on your area. This gift could not come at a better time as I just had a law enforcement interaction the night before (Christmas Eve and he let me go). A question to my fellow Giulia and radar detector owners, with the cigarette style power port being in the center console storage area, how do you have your units powered as the included cord is a bit shorter than I would like? Feel free to share your thoughts and set ups!
Kind Regards,
