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So, you have been caught by a few speeding cameras and after paying a couple of nasty fines you have learned your lesson and you are now fully aware of where the cameras are. But what can you do when the police are out with their radar guns? They could be sat in an unidentified car or attach the radar guns to objects. These radar guns can have a range of 100 feet to more than a kilometer. And their only job is to catch you speeding!
A lot of people are now choosing to buy laser or radar detectors. These units can sit in your car and alert you when a police radar gun is near. Speeding fines in the US can range from $50 to $2,500 and even jail time. So, a radar detector is a sensible investment.
Today, we are going to look at two radar detectors from Uniden; the Uniden R1 vs R3. We will examine their features, functions, appearance, and value for money. We will put all of the specifics in a comparison chart and add some pros and cons to help you decide which one is right for you.
We will begin by looking at what the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 have in common.
Uniden R1 vs R3 – Similarities
Quick Glance
Detection
The Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 are two of the most powerful radar detectors on the market, capturing more than 12 times the distance of a police radar gun. They have three main settings, highway, city and advanced. The radars will detect K Band, Ka Band, X Band, Laser, KPOP, MRCD, and K Narrow/Wide. They have additional K filter, Ka filter ad Traffic Sensor Filter. You can set up to 5 different tomes for various alerts.
Advanced K and Ka Band Filtering
With the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3, the advanced K and Ka filtering allow for the least number of false alerts. These false alerts can come from anything like automatic shop doors or even new smartphones. It will also filter out radars from new car systems such as blind spots, lane departure systems, and collision avoidance.
Voice Alerts
Each possible threat will be alerted by voice control for handsfree use. The voice alerts will tell you the type of threat too. The Uniden R1 and Uniden R3 have volume buttons for voice alerts.
Spectre Elite Undetectable
Different countries and even states will have alternative laws on the use of radar detectors. Thanks to the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 being Spectre Elite Undetectable, you are less likely to get caught using one. They are both invisible to VG2, Spectre I, Spectre IV, and Spectre IV+, as well as being Spectre I and Spectre IV undetectable.
360º Protection
It’s not only the threats in front of us that we should be aware of. The Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 have 360º protection, so you are covered from all directions.
What’s Included
If you choose the Uniden R1 or the Uniden R3, you will receive a carry case. They come with a cigarette charger with a Mute Key and USB Jack to charge your phone. You will also get two suction mounts (one single cup and one double cup), so you can mount the unit on the dashboard or on the windscreen.
Now that the similarities have been covered, we will move on to how the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 radar detectors are different.
Differences Between Uniden R1 and Uniden R3
Appearance
Both are compact units with a screen on the front for you to see the alerts. The control buttons are on the top. The is just a slight difference in their sizes.
Uniden R1
It is quite a bit smaller at 1.2 x 2.2 x 6.9 inches. It weighs very little, just 1.1 pounds.
Uniden R3
This unit is 3.2 x 7.1 x 8.3 inches and it weighs 1.4 pounds.
The Winner Is- The Uniden R1
Read next: Uniden R3 vs DFR9: Which Radar Detector is Better?
OLED Displays
OLED Displays are both multi-colored, but you have different display options.
Uniden R1
You can see the X, K, and Ka detection levels. You can adjust the brightness of the screen.
Uniden R3
As with the Uniden R1, you can adjust the brightness of the screen and you can see the X, K and Ka readings. Additionally, you can see the current speed, the battery voltage, the altitude, and the time. You can also set speed alarms.
The Winner Is- The Uniden R3
Read next: Uniden R3 vs Escort Max 360: Which Radar Detector is Better?
Additional Detection Settings
Some people would like to know more than just where police radars are.
Uniden R1
Apart from having some of the most advanced radar detection on the market, the Uniden R1 doesn’t have any additional settings.
Uniden R3
The main advantage of the Uniden R3 is that it comes with GPS Technology. This allows you to remember false alerts that have been detected and mute them. With the ‘User Mark Ahead’, you can add your own alerts for known red light areas or for areas where police tend to use radar guns. Finally, you can use the red light and speed camera alerts with a free database and firmware so that your unit is up to date.
The Winner Is- The Uniden R3
Value for Money
Depending on the range of the radar detector and the technology that it comes with, prices can range from $150 to $650.
Uniden R1
It sits just about the middle of our price range. Considering its advanced detection, it is good value for money. It comes with a one-year limited warranty.
Uniden R3
Surprisingly, it is not that much more than the Uniden R1, so we felt that it was much better value for money and excellent value compared with other brands. It also has a one-year limited warranty.
The Winner Is- The Uniden R3
Pros and Cons
Before our final verdict, we will finish up with some of the pros and cons for the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3.
Uniden R1
Pros:
- The Ka-band detection is absolutely amazing with some people detecting police at over 2 miles away
- You are notified with plenty of time to reduce your speed
- Highway and city modes are handy to change between
Cons:
- The suction cups aren’t the best quality
Uniden R3
Pros:
- The mounting system has been improved
- It has a massive range of settings
- The digital readout of your speed is an excellent feature
Cons:
- The speaker is not very durable
The Final Verdict
At first, we thought there was going to be a clear winner. When looking at the specifications, the Uniden R3 is by far the better radar detector. But after testing the two products for some time we had our doubts.
We soon learned that advanced filters do really help with the false alerts you get, mainly from other cars that you drive past, although with the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3 you will still get some. With the Uniden R3, it really does pay to get used to the settings. As soon as you start to make the most of the GPS technology, you will notice a greater reduction in false alerts, so take the time to program in areas you frequently drive through.
It is true that the detection range is fantastic with the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3. They will easily detect police radars from over two miles away and even hilly areas. Just watch out for police radars that sit on the brow of a hill, the radar detectors might not pick up the alert depending on the angle. Still, if you have used other radar detectors, you will be blown away by these two.
The appearance is very similar, and you receive the same items with the Uniden R1 and the Uniden R3, so this didn’t affect our decision. Finally, we chose the Uniden R3. We had no issues with durability. However, GPS Technology meant that we had more settings and the OLED display provided us with much more information too. Overall, the Uniden R3 is an excellent buy.
Last update on 2024-04-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
