Cobra Electronics ESD 6050 Radar Detector
- Mute: With Mute
- Detection Mode: City / Highway modes
- Detection Area: Front
- VG-2/VG-3 Alert: VG-2 Alert
- Detection Bands: X Band K Band Ka Band Laser
- Alert type: Audible
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Hal's Cobra ESD 6050 Review
Pros
Good Radar/Laser Detector if stealth not needed in your area (like VA or DC).
Cons
Doesn't Protect from Upgraded VG-2 & any Spectre RDD. RDD Stealth poor in VA/DC.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Decent unit with easy basic operation & standard features if protection from RDD detection isn't needed. Otherwise, newer models & brands provide much better stealth protection.
Generally good radar & laser detector. Radar drones on bridges and construction signs still set off alarm. Unit good if stealth from police such as in VA and DC isn't needed. Reasons I say this: I managed to get out of two non-moving violations for illegal radar detector in VA. The second time I used the Cobra ESD 6050 and I barely got out of the conviction, but still had to pay the fine (with no court costs) to make the prosecutor happy (local black mail out of town thing). When I asked state trooper if he detected my Cobra with a Spectre Radar Detector Detector (RDD), he said no, but said he wished he had one. He said he only had a VG-2 RDD when his unit detected my Cobra ESD 6050. State trooper didn't say or not if his VG-2 was upgraded or not. Either way, this unit of mine was detected by a VG-2. Owner's manual says unit is undetectable by VG-2, but it is now detectable. So, beware!
By the way, according to Radar Roy at radarbusters, only the new Beltronics STI Driver (expensive too. about $450) can defect and not be detected by any all RDD including upgraded VG-2's, VG-4's and Spectre I-III. It's well shielded and filtered. Even then, you'd need to hide it from view.
As for my Cobra ESD 6050 being spotted, if I can detect and react to what is obviously an alert to police radar first, and turn off my Cobra ESD 6050 before any possible VG-2, VG-4 or Spectre can detect me, then I'm ok. You can't detect a turned off radar detector. That happened tonight in fact. Did he have a VG-2, VG-4 or Spectre? I don't know! If he had any of these, I turned off my Cobra ESD 6050 before he could detect me. I was traveling alone in that area too. This assumes the police radar is putting out a stronger RF signal for me to detect first with a radar detector, then a weaker RF signal leaking from the radar detector's oscillator that a RDD could detect (but later with enough time for me to turn my unit off before it's detection).
By the way, according to Radar Roy at radarbusters, only the new Beltronics STI Driver (expensive too. about $450) can defect and not be detected by any all RDD including upgraded VG-2's, VG-4's and Spectre I-III. It's well shielded and filtered. Even then, you'd need to hide it from view.
As for my Cobra ESD 6050 being spotted, if I can detect and react to what is obviously an alert to police radar first, and turn off my Cobra ESD 6050 before any possible VG-2, VG-4 or Spectre can detect me, then I'm ok. You can't detect a turned off radar detector. That happened tonight in fact. Did he have a VG-2, VG-4 or Spectre? I don't know! If he had any of these, I turned off my Cobra ESD 6050 before he could detect me. I was traveling alone in that area too. This assumes the police radar is putting out a stronger RF signal for me to detect first with a radar detector, then a weaker RF signal leaking from the radar detector's oscillator that a RDD could detect (but later with enough time for me to turn my unit off before it's detection).
