The Cheetah C100 red light camera detector is supplied with a windshield bracket whose triple suction cups grip the glass tenaciously. The bracket release is located on the bottom of the C100's housing and when I mounted the unit low on the dash, there wasn't room to slide a finger underneath to press it.
Featherweight construction means it can be easily bent and at speed, it bounces uncontrollably on all but the smoothest roads.
A better alternative is to dash-mount the unit. An anti-slip pad is supplied for this purpose and works surprisingly well. Just flop the pad down on a flat surface and place the unit atop it. Unless you typically execute each corner in a four-wheel drift, it'll probably still be there at the end of the trip. Velcro (not supplied) works equally well.
Controls
Like with the Navalert and the Cheetah GPS mirror, the C100's design suggests that it hails from a region where they drive on the wrong side of the road. The volume adjustment, for instance, is located on the right side of the unit, farthest from the driver, and is best manipulated using the tip of the forefinger, rather than the heel of the thumb, as on the Whistler. Additional confirmation of the Cheetah's national origin is provided by a female voice whose dulcet tones are clearly upper-class British.
Review Summary
Pro
- Cheetah GPSmirror's virtues
- User-friendly
- Interfaces with detectors, laser jammers
Con
- Insubstantial windshield mount
- Generates windshield reflections
Alert system
The large amber LED display provides road speed and distance-to-camera, in meters. It offers good daytime visibility in a range of lighting conditions. But it's way too bright at night in open country and could benefit from a dimmer switch. It's flanked on the left by the same 16-point compass to be found in the Cheetah GPS mirror and its other icons look very familiar as well.
User programming is simplified compared to the Cheetah GPSmirror and benefits from its more easily reached and closely-spaced controls. Its compact size and flexibility of mounting greatly simplify installation chores in comparison to its larger sibling.
The C100 supports Cheetah's wireless interface modules, enabling it to be linked to a detector, a jammer or both at once. In this role the C100 supplies the audible and visual alerts.
Driving impressions
On the road it behaves identically to its big brother, reliably alerting only to cameras deemed to be a threat. Its more wieldy size and simpler operation make it the easier of the two to install and to use. Like the Cheetah mirror, the C100 comes with lifetime access to database updates.
