soupcraze's Full Review: Whistler DE-1743 Radar Detector
The Whistler DE-1743 is built on the same frame as the more expensive Whistler DE-1753. The Whistler DE-1743 is one of the cheaper detectors in the new Whistler line-up. The main difference between the Whistler DE-1743 and the more expensive Whistler DE-1753 is the display. After using the Whistler DE-1743, here's what I found.
-Price-
*The Whistler DE-1743 can be purchased for about $70. Wow, that's very cheap! So would you be expecting crap performance from such a detector? Don't count on it! The Whistler DE-1743 gives you every cent's worth of performance that you could expect from it. The cost to using the Whistler DE-1743 however is the fact that it has its much crappier display than the better red text display on the Whistler DE-1753. However, both units have the same radar sensitivity. I'd only buy the latter since the text display gives you a better sense of the actual band strenhth, it's easier to read, and also K and Ka band are distinguished from each other in the more expensive model. It's a $20 difference, and it's up to you. Butr if you want to have a better shot up against the cops, you need to be more aware, and to be more aware, you need a better display. The Whistler DE-1743 manages to blow away the Cobra competition by proving overall better sensitivity which is all that matters in the end. The Whistler DE-1743 is a very sexy looking unit with it's silver on black finish. There's no way that anyone would think you only paid about $70 for it! However, the $20 extra for the Whistler DE-1753 will go a long way.
-Performance-
*The Whistler DE-1743 has about the same performance as the Whistler DE-1753. The only difference is that you have to use the more annoying icon display of this detector. When it came to K-band performance, the Whistler DE-1743 outdid the Cobra ESD-9210 which I had it mounted up against. The Whistler DE-1743 was definitely able to provide ample warning in slowing down if you're going up to 10-15mph over the speed limit. If you go much faster than that, you might want to take a more expensive radar detector such as a Beltronics Vector series to suffice. When it came to Ka-band performance, the Whistler DE-1743 gave just about enough warning time to slow down again. It completely outdid the Cobra which was almost unable to even pick it up at all. However, the Ka-band performance is a far cry as to what you can get from a Beltronics Vector series, Escort Passport 8500, or Valentine One radar detector(s). The performance comes out to this... If you're an occassional speeder or one who goes up to 15mph over the speedlimit MAXIMUM, then the Whistler DE-1743 should provide adequate sensitivity. However, if you go way faster than that, then you should consider a much more expensive radar detector.
-Ease of Use & Features-
*The Whistler DE-1743 has some pretty nice features to it. It's one of the cheapest radar detectors that uses voice alerts, and those are pretty neat and effective. Then comes the display. It's far worse than what you'd get for about an extra $20 with the Whistler DE-1753. It uses one of those annoying icon-based displays. This won't give a good representation of the band strength compared to what you get with the text display on the more expensive model. Also, I can't believe that Whistler didn't differentiate between K and Ka bands on the Whistler DE-1743. The icon for those two separate bands says 'K/Ka'. This can help you distinguish between falses (K-band) versus real threats (Ka-band) in some very commercialized areas. If you're one that works visually with a radar detector, then you'd be much better off with the more expensive model. Having both of the bands integrated can really diminish strategics in some areas, and this can lead to a ticket! Other than that, the Whistler DE-1743 is a good detector. It has SWS warning which can be effective in warning you of any hazards. The Whistler DE-1743 is a very simple to use radar detector. There are four buttons on top of the detector which allow you to adjust volume, mute it, and turn it on and off! If you're detector-illiterate, this maybe a very nice choice.
-The Verdict-
*The Whistler DE-1743 puts itself on the map with it's excellent performance, especially for the incredibly low price of about $70. However, the icon display is much worse than the text display that you'd find on the Whistler DE-1753 at $90. If you just want the all-out best protection for the lowest price, then the Whistler DE-1743 is a great choice. It's a real Cobra killer, and will save you from cops. However, if you're more of a strategist, go the extra mile, and get the Whistler DE-1753.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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