I purchased my cordless Pni Sensoro Traveller due to one main factor; impulse. Since I already own a Beltronics 985 and an Escort Passport 8500 I didn't exactly need another radar detector, however my excellent experience with
Pni Inc. products and the unbelievably low price of the Sensoro Traveller inevitably lead to the purchase of this unit. I have owned my Sensoro Traveller for almost 2 years now and have found that it stacks up very well against the more expensive competition.
The Pni Sensoro Traveller is not your next generation looking cordless radar detector; it's your typical flat and black radar/laser detector. If you are looking for a radar detector with bling bling you best look elsewhere. While not at all flashy, the Sensoro Traveller still looks great and doesn't draw attention; an excellent attribute if you don't want your radar detector stolen.
Features:
The Sensoro Traveller cordless radar detector comes with a ton of advanced features, especially for a radar detector in this price range. Some features of the Pni Sensoro Traveller include...
* Protection against X, K, and Superwide Ka bands.
* A bi-laminar antenna (patent pending) which is constructed of two sheets of copper, which is supposed to dramatically intensify the incoming band signal.
* 360 degree laser coverage
* VG-2 Alert (makes the PNI Sensoro Traveller invisible to radar detector detectors).
* A total of 4 city modes to help eliminate false radar alerts during city driving. The convenience to delete X-band reports can be used by selecting city mode 4.
* Adjustable brightness, sound, and the option of mute.
* A numbered LED signal strength meter.
* A tutorial mode to demonstrate operations
*
Memory to retain set modes after the power of the Sensoro Traveller is shut off. The Sensoro also offers a hands free ear piece connection for motorcycles (the ear piece is not included).
* The luxury of a cordless connection; 2 AA batteries are included.
* The convenience of battery saving power cord
Installation:
The Sensoro Traveller is extremely easy to setup; at least once you get this unit out of the almost impossible to open plastic package. The compact Sensoro can be mounted to your windshield or dashboard using the convenient plastic mounting bracket or the hook and loop fastener provided. The Sensoro can also be removed from the mounting bracket very easily for those times when there is a high risk of theft or when your vehicle is parked in extreme heat. If you have any problems with the setup of your Pni Sensoro it comes with a very informative operation manual.
On The Road:
The real test of this product comes into play on the highway. Even though I hardly exceed the maximum speed limit by 5 MPH, I always like to have a radar detector in my vehicle just in case my foot turns to lead. I mostly do freeway driving, so my radar detectors become the most useful on these types of roads. The Sensoro does an amazing job detecting X, K, and superwide Ka bands. While the Escort Passport 8500 does seem to detect Ka band (what the state troopers in California use) about 20 yards sooner than the Traveller, the cordless Sensoro Traveller has proved to be much better than my Beltronics 985 at detecting both K and Superwide Ka bands.
Since the Sensoro Traveller is very sensitive to all bands, it has the option of 4 city sensitivity modes. City modes help eliminate those dreaded and most annoying false alarms AKA
X band (X band can usually be blamed on things as simple as household microwave ovens). I usually always drive in
city mode 4 which will completely eliminate X band alerts. In addition to excellent Ka band protection, the Traveller Sensoro also offers superior K band protection. The local police in my city only use K band. My Sensoro can literally detect K band almost 1 mile away (this strong sensitivity has saved me quite a few tickets). In a
very amateur road test, the Sensoro Traveller detected K band from a local police vehicle almost 100 yards sooner than my more expensive Beltronics 985 and equaled the K band sensitivity offered from my Escort Passport 8500.
Note: Since California and most states in the US do not use VG-2 I have never had to take advantage of this feature. Also one should take note that the PNI works just as well without the power cord as it does with the power cord; something fairly rare with cordless radar detectors.
Reliability:
One of my major concerns when purchasing a radar detector under $200 was reliability. No worries; the Pni Sensoro Traveller has been one of the most reliable units I have ever owned. After 2 years of neglecting this unit by leaving it in my vehicle with inside temps above 140 degrees and directly in the summer sun for hours, nothing has went haywire with this radar detector. My Sensoro Traveller works just as well
now as it did the first day I purchased the unit back in 2002 (something that can't be said about my Beltronics Vector 985). The only gripes I have with my Sensoros' reliability would have to do with the battery life. Though Pni claims that the Sensoro Traveller can be used for 51 hours without the power cord, I usually can only get about 20 hours of use or less before I need new batteries.
Price/Warranty:
The Pni Sensoro Traveller can be purchased at most electronic stores for around $149.00 (about $70 less than the Beltronics 985, and more than $150.00 less than the Escort Passport 8500). If anything goes wrong with your Pni Sensoro Traveller, Pni Inc. backs this radar detector up with a 1 year warranty to the original purchaser.
Final Thoughts:
The Pni Sensoro Traveller is an excellent radar detector. The Sensoro has proved to be more effective than my Beltronics 985 and almost as effective as my expensive Escort Passport 8500; not bad for only 150 bucks! With superior effectiveness, excellent reliability, advanced features, and good looks to boot, I recommend the cordless Pni Sensoro Traveller 100%.
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-Thanks for reading.
