Radar Detectors Tech Center

Why Buy a Radar Detector?

First things first: a radar detector is not a “cop detector”. It won’t alert you every time there is a police officer in your area. But it will detect stray radar signals, which can help you determine that an officer or a speed trap is nearby. This can save you from costly fines, defensive driving classes and insurance premium hikes, but to get the most benefit, you need to understand how a radar detector works.

A guide to selecting the right radar detector for your vehicle

Radar detectors, while all performing essentially the same functions, come equipped with a variety of unique features that make one unit right for your vehicle. All modern radar detectors will pick up radar in the X, K, Ka bands, along & When searching for the right detector, you should consider:

• The laws regarding radar detectors in your local area and state
• What you need to be alerted to? Is radar & laser enough? Do you also have photo red light or speed cameras in your area?
• If you want integration with your smartphone, like the Apple iPhone (iOS) or Google Android
• Your budget. Radar detectors are available in a wide range of prices, but like most things, you get what you pay for
• Whether a standard dash-mounted radar detector unit or high-tech hidden "stealth" system is right for you

Before you research radar detectors

It's important to know your local and state laws pertaining to radar detectors before you buy. Many areas have strict enforcement of their anti-detector laws with stiff penalties for their use. Not only is the fine for illegal detector use more costly than a speeding ticket, police can and will confiscate your detector, too – a nasty double whammy.

Radar detectors are illegal for all vehicles in the following areas:

• The Commonwealth of Virginia
• The District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)
• Most provinces in Canada
• U.S. Military bases

Radar detectors are illegal in commercial vehicles in most areas, including:

• The State of New York (over 18,000lbs.)
• The State of Illinois
• The State of Michigan

Be sure to check out your area's laws before buying. Traffic laws are constantly changing, so stay abreast of any news regarding radar detectors in your state and county.

How does a radar detector keep you out of trouble? With many features that pickup speed traps and traffic cops on the prowl, including:

• Multi-band radar detection for accurate alerts, no matter what the local police use
• Outstanding range that gives you time to slow down
• Sensing of the latest police detection methods including laser
• Alerts to modern police "pop" speed detection
• Smart radar programming that eliminates false alarms
• Immunity to some police detector-detector devices
• The portability to use in any vehicle

A guide to the multi-band detection power of radar detectors

Let's get down to the real "how it works" of a radar detector. When police use radar to detect speed, they cast a beam across the section of road they want to monitor. These beams are essentially a police broadcast across a band — either X, K, or super wide Ka bands. These radar bands, like AM or FM radio bands, vary in wave shape and frequency.

X band is a short range radar wave. At your local supermarket, the automatic doors likely use X band to detect customers approaching the doors. Unfortunately, this can set off your radar detector, AKA a false positive. K band is a longer range radar wave, and Ka is even longer. Due to their improved accuracy, K and Ka are the most commonly used bands by police radar guns.

As the radar transmission hits a moving object, it returns to the source gun with a different frequency. Based on the difference in frequency, the radar gun can determine your overall speed. If it's 5mph or more past the speed limit — depending on the officer — you're toast.

Radar detectors perform a simple function: listening for broadcasts on these bands that are likely police speed-reading signals. They don't in any way jam or alter radar signals — that's a different, much more expensive and highly illegal device. Radar detectors simply let the driver know which band they're receiving and the signal strength, which directly relates to the distance of the police at the other end. In most cases, a radar detector allows you plenty of time to hit the brakes and cruise by the police at the speed limit.

A quick reference to radar detector range

Detecting police radar early is key to avoiding a ticket. If radar gets your speed before you slow down, your detector becomes nothing more than an embarrassing dash ornament for when the officer is at your window.

That's why you need a radar detector which boasts an incredible range. In a straight line with wide-open areas around you, a cool 1-mile advanced warning of police radar is possible. Urban areas can provide less warning, though a 1/4 mile heads-up is common for high-end detectors. With that much time to hit the brakes and look innocent, avoiding hefty traffic fines gets easier.

Radar detectors versus the latest police radar and laser technology

It's a classic game of cat and mouse. Each time new speed-detecting technology is developed for law enforcement, radar detector companies are right behind with the latest way to avoid getting caught.

When detecting speed with radar, police were once limited to X band. Now rarely used in the U.S., X band has been replaced in popularity by the more-effective K and Ka bands. Every detector we offer provides alerts for police radar across all known radar detection bands.

When effective radar detection hit the market, police upped the ante with laser speed detection, also known as "LIDAR". Each of the radar detectors AutoAnything offers provide alerts for laser, including the latest police gun models. As technology evolves on both the detection and prevention sides, law enforcement agencies are acquiring and using more laser detection gun models.

A quick guide: laser speed detection-The fastest-growing speed-detecting technology is laser (LIDAR)

The fastest-growing speed-detecting technology is laser (LIDAR). Why? A few reasons. Laser is much harder to detect than radar. While radar sweeps across traffic, hitting multiple vehicles and causing sometimes inaccurate readings, LIDAR guns feature a narrow beam that can target specific parts of your vehicle. At 1000 feet, most LIDAR guns can reach their target in 2 microseconds and have a beam spread of just 3 feet (square). By comparison, a Ka-band radar gun measuring a target 300 feet away would have a beam spread around 300 feet wide and 75 feet tall! LIDAR is all about long-distance accuracy.

Police frequently target the front or rear license plate with a laser beam. With a dash-mounted radar detector at a short distance from the officer, it's possible for your speed can be detected by laser without sounding any alarms.

To detect and slow down in time against police laser, you need distance and other vehicles around. Your best chance at advanced warning against laser are other cars being targeted ahead of you, because the beam is a little easier to sense from longer distances.

Or, you can prevent the police from seeing your speed by using a Laser Shifter unit. This device sends an error message to the police gun, giving you time to slow down. See the AutoAnything quick guide on laser shifting for more about these "shifty" devices.

The basics on police "pop detection" methods

Pop detection is a tricky trap to avoid. Also known as "instant on radar", pop detection method leaves the police radar gun on hold until a specific car is targeted. This differs from standard always-on radar, which is easier to detect.

Because pop detection cannot be sensed by your unit until the police gun is taken off hold, you get significantly reduced advanced warning to its presence. And, if you're the first car targeted by a pop detection speed trap, it's time to put your blinker on, dig for your registration and practice your best innocent face.

Fortunately, pop radar is easier to detect than police laser guns. These beams have the same wide properties as standard radar units, which can be detected from greater distances. Beating pop radar requires paying attention to your visual/audio alerts, a few more speedy drivers ahead of you, and a touch of luck. Manufacturers arm your detector to combat pop detection by increasing range and sensitivity on the K and Ka bands.

The basics of police "detector detectors" and detector unit immunity

In states and areas where radar detector use is illegal, law enforcement is looking to see if you're operating a detector unit. That's why they're using technology known as a Radar Detector Detector (RDD), identified by brand name as VG-2 or Spectre I/II/III/IV.

These units scan for the small frequencies emitted by your radar detector's tuning oscillator. VG-2 Detector-Detectors, the first ones introduced, looked for a specific tuning frequency. Most all radar detectors have since moved their tuners outside the VG-2 detection range making them immune to these units.

Continuing the cat & mouse game, the "Spectre I" was born, scanning a wider range and picking-up many radar detectors. As detector makers have upgraded their technology, Spectres II, III & IV have been developed for police. In turn, radar detector manufacturers have updated their devices to counter these efforts. If you own an old detector, you might want to check which RDD's it can thwart.

Detector detecting is an inexact science at best. GPS units and satellite radios can trigger false alerts. Detector detectors also only detect the presence of a unit in the general area, and cannot pinpoint their use to a specific vehicle. If you receive a Spectre alert, your best bet is to slow down to the speed limit and avoid being pulled over and/or searched (in radar-illegal areas).