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How Radar Detectors Work

It is considered natural for motorist to sometimes step on the gas and speed up beyond the acceptable limit. The temptation of widely free roads, the feeling of excitement by how fast your car can be pushed, the feeling of adrenalin rush, and other circumstances that result to over speeding. The most important thing is to avoid being caught by the authorities. It is known amongst the drivers that tickets for over speeding are quite expensive as well as very inconvenient. That is where radar detectors come in handy.

What are radar detectors and how it works?

The best radar detector is a device used to identify if a moving object is approaching a radar device. It collects the frequencies of a returned signal release by a radar device that effectively enables the users to determine if their speed limits are being monitored.

Radar detectors are commonly used by motorists to keep their speed limits in check as not to be caught by law enforcement officers using radar guns. Radar guns are devices that can detect an over speeding vehicles at the distance.

To avoid being caught, drivers uses radar detectors to alert them about the presence of a radar device and will have enough time to reduce their speed down to the acceptable limit.

There are detection systems or emitting technologies that can be sense by radar detectors such as Doppler radar and LIDAR.

A specialized radar like Doppler radar uses the change in velocity and radio waves from a distant object and produce a velocity data from the source of the waves. It can identify if the frequency of the returned signal is altering an object’s motion by bouncing off a microwave signal from its source.

Doppler radar works by beaming radio waves at vehicles to determine the alteration in frequency through the measurement of reflective waves that bounces off from the vehicle.

Most advance added technology in radar detectors nowadays are the use of Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS works to determine the places or areas where law enforcement officers monitored the most. Through this technology, drivers will have enough time to make adjustment on their current speed limit.

The benefit of having built-in GPS network in a radar detector device is that drivers who are connected to the same network can provide updates for each other on the areas where police officers usually are. The GPS give warnings about speed alerts. Advance GPS can also mute false alerts that gives precision on the presence of radar guns. This feature provides ultimate protection to the drivers as not to get caught by surprise.

What are LIDAR detectors?

A LIDAR also known as Light Detection and Ranging on the other hand is a detection system that uses light through a pulsed laser to measure the ranges of an object at a distance. It illuminates the object with a laser light and uses a sensor to measure its reflections. It is the new speed detection device which are also use by authorities as alternate to radio waves.

LIDAR guns are being use to emit infrared light that cannot be detected by a radar detector. The downside of this kind of system detection against the radio waves however is that LIDAR required a focused beam for it to work.
How laser detector works compare to radar detectors and which are more effective?

Compare to the range of radio waves coverage, the distance where the LIDAR light beams covered is much shorter thus required a focused beam. The focused beam will only sense a single vehicle through its headlight in a much shorter distance.

Because of this, motorist can easily get pass the detection by using LIDAR jammers that transmit mix signals to the LIDAR which mostly affect the detected frequencies. However, any kind of jammers be it radar’s or LIDAR’s will pose a big problem to motorist if caught by the authorities. Motorist new technique is to reduce their speed to acceptable limit before turning off the jammer equipment.

Radar and Laser Detector Features

There are different kinds of radar detectors available in the market. Some are cordless for easy installation and can be move from one vehicle to another, some can be mounted on the windshield using suctions, and there are also remote-mounted detectors with permanent installation and safely hidden.

Laser detectors can detect laser beams on different angles depending on the kind of sensor you have installed. Sensitivity, reliability, and range are considered most important features of a detector. These could determine how good a device is in receiving frequencies of returned signals from police radar guns.

It is also very important that you can rely on your device in discerning the signals coming from the radar guns from those coming from other sources so that confusions from mixed signals can be avoided.

Radar detectors also have K Band Filter and KA Band Filter that can be relied upon in determining the false alerts from blind spot areas. Compare to LIDAR detectors, radio detectors are commonly being use by motorist due to its price being cheaper in the market.

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