Radar detectors have been helping drivers for quite some time now, but very few of them have come up with an effective solution to one problem: they take up the cigarette lighter power outlet.  For many people, they don’t like having wires running everywhere in their cars cockpit, and others require the power outlet for another use (phone, mp3 player, etc.).  The Radarhawk SM aims to remove the need for the 12v outlet by utilizing solar power.  This is an efficient, eco-friendly solution to a common problem.  On top of that, the SM is a full-featured detector, detecting all radar bands as well as Lasers.

Appearance-wise, the SM is recognizable to anyone who’s had a radar detector before.  Color-coded LEDs indicate what band is being detected, and flashing blue “police lights” on the sides indicate detection.  This is accompanied by a series of beeps and chirps, making it easy to notice when you’re being watched with minimal distraction from driving.  While the unit does require 12v power for its initial charge (the manual suggests 10 days), it is able to maintain a charge from there on utilizing only its solar panel.  This is a feature most worthy of mention.

On the downside, the SM could use an LED screen for such things as remembering if you’re in highway or city mode (this selection adjusts the sensitivity of the device, as there are a lot of other sources of signals in a city).  Also, to conserve power, the enthusiasm of notifications drops dramatically when the 12v cable is unplugged.  Instead of a vigorous flashing of lights and a loud auditory signal, it is much more subdued.  It is all still easily noticeable, however.  The only time this could be a problem is if you’re driving into bright sunlight (making the lights hard to see) or if you like to play your stereo extra-loud (making the sounds hard to notice).  All in all, however, this is not much of a downside, barely even a personality quirk.

Another notable feature of the Radarhawk SM is its price tag.  The options for people seeking a radar detector are nearly endless, with countless features and price tags even more varied.  The SM gives you every necessary feature (laser detection is of course included) in a compact, self-powered package that is easy to use and even easier to read.  Careful drivers now have a fantastic tool at their disposal, with minimal headaches to boot.

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Tags: radar dector, radarhawk

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 7:20 pm and is filed under Car Devices, Featured Product, Green & Environment Tech, Personal Gadgets . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.