Remote Radar Market Goes Wireless

By Amy Gilroy On Aug 7 2006 - 6:00am

As it is in other markets, Bluetooth is infiltrating the radar detector segment.

After introducing one of the first Bluetooth radar detectors, K40 said that June was the company's biggest sales month in its history. This was directly due to the popularity of its Calibre — a remote detector that uses Bluetooth to eliminate wires running from the front to the rear of the car, it said. Remote detectors are those that are permanently installed in the car.

Now Cobra plans to introduce a wireless remote detector at International CES in January, although it will not specify which wireless technology it will offer.

Cobra said it had been investigating the remote detector market, but remained on the sidelines until now because the products require relatively complex installation. New wireless technology such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, however, allows simpler installation, explained sales and marketing senior VP Tony Mirabelli.

K40 claims that Bluetooth cut installation time for its remote system by 50 percent. While initially retailers were reluctant to trust Bluetooth, they have been favoring the product since January and it now accounts for 80 percent of the company's remote detector sales, said marketing director Kevin Fryer.

As the selling season for radar gets into full swing, here are some of the best selling products as identified by each supplier.