Uniden R1 VS Uniden DFR7
Uniden did a comeback with the R1; Uniden DFR7 is from the same brand but from another series.
Both radar detectors come with the trademark long range radar sensitivity and performance of the Uniden brand. They share similarities, but at the end of the day, one certainly packs more handy features than the other.
The DFR7 is an upgrade and successor to many other detectors. The R1 finds itself at the foot of the ladder in terms of ranking. Nevertheless, it’s a good detector and its extreme radar sensitivity (which most devices of its kind lack) is something we can’t take away from it.
Let’s see how both devices compare starting with their advantages.
Table of Contents
- Extreme radar sensitivity
- Color OLED display
- 360° degree laser protection
- Crisp clear voice alerts for hands-free seamless operation
- Fast processor for quick results
- Relatively affordable
- Voice alerts for hands-free operation
- Built-in GPS for low speed muting and false alert lockouts
- Dual antenna for directional alerts
- Bright digital OLED display
- Free firmware updates
- Red light and speed camera alerts
- RDD immunity
Features of Both Radar Detectors
Now let’s delve right into the Uniden R1 vs DFR7 comparison and see how you can make a choice between both.
Voice Alerts
Both radar detectors come with the voice alert feature. With the voice alerts, both detectors can inform you of the threats it finds on the way while you concentrate on the journey.
GPS-based Lockouts
The Uniden DFR7 comes with a GPS-based lockout system. With the aid of the GPS, the DFR7 can scan false alerts within your vicinity and you can lock them out yourself.
False alerts can be downright infuriating and this feature takes care of the problem manually. Unfortunately, this is one of the major drawbacks of the Uniden R1. It lacks a GPS functionality.
Color OLED Display
The Uniden R1 and the DFR7 come with a crisp clear colored display screen that provides you with the basic information you need on the radar threats around. Band frequency, numeric signal strength, battery voltage and maximum speed [1] alerts are all displayed.
Blindspot Filtering
Both radar detectors can accurately filter blindspots on the way from other vehicles.
The DFR7 comes with an advance K/Ka band filtering to eliminate false alerts that might arise from collision avoidance systems of other vehicles as well as blindspots monitoring systems.
Uniden R1 is also equipped with the technology to filter out blindspots and a lot contemporary digital features embedded in mordern vehicles.
Both are great with BSM filtering, thanks to the Uniden brand.
Long Range Sensitivity
Both devices boast of extreme long range sensitivity which is something remarkable about the Uniden line of radar detectors. It’s almost a tie here with the extreme long range sensitivity, only that the R1 slightly edges over the DFR7 since it’s less likely to provide false alerts than the DFR7. The accuracy of the R1 is superb.
Red Light Camera Filtering on Highways
With the DFR7, you can filter off Red Light Camera alerts on the highway as well as speed camera alerts.
Red Light Cameras on the highway are built in a stealth way that can be very difficult to pinpont.
Since the DFR7 is overly sensitive, it can pick them up as alerts but the RLC filtering feature is present to seive them out. This feature is lacking on the Uniden R1 possibly because it’s an older model and that’s why the GPS feature too is absent.
Updates
Both these high performing radar detectors come with firmware and hardware updates. For the DFR7 with more features like the RLC alerts, database updates are available for it and these updates are free of charges.
Pricing
The R1 is relatively affordable and can be seen as awfully cheap when compared to radar detectors from other brands. Its low price comes as a reasonable compromise for buyers when you look at the GPS feature it lacks.
The DFR7 is on the average side of pricing but is more expensive than the Uniden R1.
Uniden R1 vs DFR7 - Performance
When it comes to detecting radars at long ranges, the sensitivity of both radar detectors are very high and will keep you off the tickets of the police.
So if what you ultimately want as a serious driver is to avoid the radars of the police and also avoid getting booked by all means, the Uniden R1 can serve that purpose very well. Although you will have to put up with the lack of GPS functionality that it comes ladened with.
But if you want to avoid the tickets and still avoid noisy false alerts while driving as a committed driver, then the GPS feature of the DFR7 does this pretty well for you.
Conclusion: Uniden R1 or Uniden DFR7
Both radar detectors are high up in their performance ratings.
The Uniden R1 is best if you are looking for an extreme long range sensitive radar detector as a serious driver. Of course, it is worth considering the lack of a GPS system to minimize false alerts and a tight budget.
The DFR7 is best if you are a serious driver with a sufficient budget. It is a high performing detector that offers amazing features like the GPS and RLC filtering.
Read some more comparisons of these products:
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
