Radar Detectors: Pros and Cons?
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 19
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From: Republic of Texas
I run a built-in K40 w/ laser jamming & love it. Thing detects LONG before a LEO can get a legitimate signal.
As far as LIDAR goes, it's not a narrow beam as described above, but it's damn sure sold that way. It's a different light frequency than radar & it spreads similar. Depts are trained that it's like a laser pointer/laser gun sight, but that's all marketing/propoganda.
As far as LIDAR goes, it's not a narrow beam as described above, but it's damn sure sold that way. It's a different light frequency than radar & it spreads similar. Depts are trained that it's like a laser pointer/laser gun sight, but that's all marketing/propoganda.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
As far as LIDAR goes, it's not a narrow beam as described above, but it's damn sure sold that way. It's a different light frequency than radar & it spreads similar. Depts are trained that it's like a laser pointer/laser gun sight, but that's all marketing/propoganda.
Also, radar (which is radio waves not light) reflects off of almost anything solid whereas the laser does not reflect well off of surfaces that don't have reflective coatings. That's why laser is targeted at license plates, headlights, and chrome trim for the best reflectivity. Add to that the fact that the 905nm laser is in the range that can be damaging to the eye at high power forces the use of only a low power beam that also makes detection difficult.
The end result is that laser is many times more difficult to detect for warning purposes than radar. The detector has to pick up the beam while aimed at someone else because if it only picks up when you are targeted, you can't possibly slow down faster than the (less than a) second or so it takes to read your speed.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Laser jammers are legal in most states and the good ones are quite effective at a distance (certainly far enough to give you time to slow down). That is because light emissions are not regulated by the federal government through the FCC.
There are two types of radar jammers - passive and active. Passive jammers basically do nothing except waste your money. I remember a time when they used to say put wadded up aluminum foil behind your wheel covers to confuse radar.
Active radar jamming can be quite effective if you have the budget of the US military to set it up. And active jamming involves radar (radio) emissions which are under the jurisdiction of the FCC and are highly illegal under federal law. I'm talking cart you off to jail illegal not just a ticket.
I used to have a nice K40 SonarRadar remote setup that worked very well but it didn't have any display showing signal band (it used only an LED and different alert tones to differentiate for X, K, and Ka).
There are two types of radar jammers - passive and active. Passive jammers basically do nothing except waste your money. I remember a time when they used to say put wadded up aluminum foil behind your wheel covers to confuse radar.
Active radar jamming can be quite effective if you have the budget of the US military to set it up. And active jamming involves radar (radio) emissions which are under the jurisdiction of the FCC and are highly illegal under federal law. I'm talking cart you off to jail illegal not just a ticket.I used to have a nice K40 SonarRadar remote setup that worked very well but it didn't have any display showing signal band (it used only an LED and different alert tones to differentiate for X, K, and Ka).
