Radar Detectors <merged Topic>

[mickq]

BUT, Laser is light. Light travels in straight lines. Thus the laser jammer must be within line of sight to work as it is effectively shining an invisible light back at the lidar unit the cop is holding. It cant do that from under your dash which is why they usually are placed on the dashboard. Even then they can not work as the cops radar gun may be obscured by the cars pillars etc so whilst it may detect the laser the fake return jammer signal may not work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jammer>>>Dashboard??

The detectors in question here are not Jammers and only detect Laser if the detector is close enough to the point at which the laser is directed I.e. The number plate at which point the dash mounted laser detector in question would not even show a reading.

An example of this is say a STD K band radar used by mobile police will spread say some 85 feet at a distance of 300 feet whereas a laser will only spread 10.8 inches from 300feet.

So a dash mounted Laser Jammer or laser detector is nothing more than an ornament.

The laser relies on a reflective surface to work efficiently and as such the ideal surface is the number plate and the first point the officer will target but in effect during the day he can target your headlights. The bonnet windscreen etc is not targeted as they will not return a reading.

So in short you can have your dash mounted RX65 Bell detector and be pulled over and booked without the detector even sounding a warning!!!!!

In USA they now use a product called Veil and paint it on the number plate cover and the headlights and would seem quite effective until close range when it punched through the veil., but from a distance quite effective.

Here is a calculator for laser beam spread just for people’s interest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not quite.

The reason I mentioned jammers is because the person I quoted said he was looking at next getting a jammer, and that it was hidden (like in the dash or similar). I was simply highlighting an inherent problem in laser jammers - they are line of sight. That means they have to be visble to the naked eye unless you are very devious indeed. Not to mention the jammer must also be visible from all angles to work well. Not easy to do.

Lasers are much more directional than plain light. However they still are not perfect beams. You still get light going off in other directions just like you do with a torch. Partly because light does that, and partly because the light is not in a vacuum - its flowing through cruddy air full of crap that reflects light.

The Lidar is smart and will reject small readings coming back and focus on the large one, which it uses to determine speed. (Otherwise a signal bouncing back faster off the numberplate would get confused with the one just behind it coming off the headlight...see below). However laser detectors are also smart - they know if they even get a hint of laser they trigger off the alarm. They dont wait for a strong signal. You could aim a laser at something 10 feet away and detect it from 1 metre to the side of the gun, even if you block any possibility of the signal hitting the target and scattering. The laser will "leak" and spread out and it will also reflect of partcles in the air. Each of which is all a detector needs.

And remember something else: the front of cops LIDAR units is made to recieve a signal and its nowhere near as directional as the laser being sent out - its a big "catcher" for return signals. It will easily detect something transmitted from on your dashboard even though the cop is aiming at your numberplate. If the cop can "see" the transmitting diode of the jammer from where he is standing, then the jammer can theoretically jam the laser.

Laser detectors dont work at all well on the *direct* signal hitting your car. Sure they detect it, but its generally useless. Even if you mount the detector on your numberplate and guarantee to detect laser every time a cop aims it at you. You simply can not slow your car sown faster than a LIDAR unit can display your speed. It takes about 1/4 of a second to determine your speed, and your unit may just start to beep by then. You sure as hell wont have slowed down any. By the time you have heard the beep, the cop already has your speed. (that's where jammers *may* offer a bit more protection as they delay the speed reading).

Its for that exact reason, and due to the large number of radar detectors in use that Pop-Up radar has been invented. Its only on for a very brief time, so by the time your unit detects it, its too late unless you are lucky and its aiming at a car a bit ahead of you. Pop-up radars can only partially be dealt with by detectors no matter what the detector makers say. A cop 100m away who hasnt used it in the last few minutes will have your speed about the same time your unit beeps.

And on the dash detectors and jammers both CAN be of use. I have been done by laser at 1013 metres (Greensborough) and a second time there at 987 metres, and even using your calculator that's a 108 inch beam, more than enough to light up more than the whole front of the car. It would light up the entire front of a semi trailor!

I thought I made it pretty clear in what I wrote that the way they are really useful is from back scatter NOT from a direct hit. Its too late once a cop has aimed a lidar at your car. I dont care how good your detector may be it wont increase the time it takes you to slow down! When the cops light up a car way ahead of you (even kms away) and the beam splits and scatters and *some* of it relfects back to the cop, and the rest can be detected from all over the place....THAT is where a laser detector is useful as it will give you warning a laser is in the area AND ample time to stop because the cop hasnt aimed the lidar at you yet.

But if its a quiet road and the cop doesnt use his laser until he is aiming at your exact car, you can have the best detector in the world, and all its going to do is beep to signify you are about to be booked as he now has your speed.

Edited 17/06/05 03:56 PM by mickq

[Guest Senator]

Radar detectors have become obsolete with the introduction of Lidar and it s 9 demerit points for having one in NSW, called "Drive vehicle with speed evasion article" and about $1100 fine.

[ZAP]

Senator,

RD's are not obsolete, you guys still use radar's on the mobile highway patrol cars and also on the non fixed cameras, these can still be detected.

LIDAR is a major pain to combat, but if you know where they are used and also have some pasive protection it makes it more difficult to lock onto the car from a long range. LIDAR jammers also work very well and will give you several seconds to wipe some speed before they can lock on.

Oh and police cannot bust you for a radar detector if they cant find it

[dingah2]

...a tip for those concerned about LIDAR is to try and make sure that your rego plate is convex and not flat or slightly concave in shape in order that it will provide little or no return when targetted - there is little othe than convex reflective covers on can do about headlights. If the fine is now only $1100 then I observe that it has gone down over the last couple of years.

[ZAP]

In NSW it's the 9 points that is the killer for being in possesion of a detector.

There is a new coating for your headlights and numberplate that does not reflect LIDAR, it's called VEIL and from what I have read it does work.

It can give you enough time to brake if you are lasered, but you would need to also be running a LIDAR detector or Jammer to be effective.

If you are after a Jammer the Blinder X20 seems to be the best on the market, its a detector/jammer in one.

[Guest jaskel]

Man there is some crap flying around here regarding detectors etc..

RX65 is a very effective radar detector, However it can be detected and will be detected.... I have been involved in the uSA with Spectre testing and Laser jammers.... There is a new detector coming out in next few months that is 100% UNDETECTABLE to spectre/scalar RDD units, so keep your eyes out....

Laser mimic is another good laser jammer and applied together with VEIL it will 100% jam the lidar gun.

POP mode isnt used in Aust, 99% of radar is K Band. A K band radar can be detected from 2km away on a good road.

Like I said, RX65 is very good, id suggest trying to get one from the USA, they are like $230 US.

Cheers

[Power]

I have a solid grounding in RF as I've said. I have no doubt that you can detect any RF receiver incl. radar detectors and we have spoken about them.

Still, no one can come up with a single example of a real life 'gotcha'. No press, no police bragging, nothing.

Lab tests, who cares.

I had someone follow up with a senior NSW Highway Patrol officer, 26 years in. He is not aware of a single instance of someone being caught by a radar detector detector. Not some stupid bufoon like a mate who copped it but was actually pulled over for something else and had the detector in plain view. An example of someone detected, pulled over, searched and charged. I am asking everyone & everywhere but NOTHING!

I remain sceptical - no! hopeful & optimistic!

[Guest jaskel]

well I know of at least 5 cases of people busted.....the hume hwy from Syd to Mel is littered with RDD,s

But turn it off and you are clear....just hope that a cop with his RDD on and Radar off doesnt come by..

RDD can detect a radar at 1.5 KM...

[Power]

well I know of at least 5 cases of people busted.....the hume hwy from Syd to Mel is littered with RDD,s

<snip>

You are serious? I've been asking all over the World (lol)! Seriously this is the first whisper of that nasty technology in action that I've heard. How did you hear about it can I ask?

[ZAP]

It is known that the Police do have a few RDD's in use, but only in the country areas.

While a RDD "may" detect a RD for up to 1.5km, unless you are the only person on the road, they will have no idea who has it.

While you can say that you know of 5 instances, I know about 10 people who use them all the time for over 10 years and have never been busted for using one.

The important thing to know is what the penalty is if caught, knowing the laws to avoid being unlawfully searched and knowing how to use the RD to avoid being caught.

If you know the whole story, you can make a decision on if you want to "risk" using one.