Radar Detectors: You deserve some peace of mind.
The freedom to truly relax and safely drive with the feeling of security, that's what you get when investing on a radar detector. Today's modern designs combine simple, ergonomic styles with up-to-date technology. These detectors can offer an affordable and convenient protection, not only from the dreadful speeding tickets but also from other driving hazards.
How Do Radar Detectors Work?
Visualize a radar signal, as a beam of light from a light source, such as a flashlight. When you aim the flashlight's beam at an object, your eyes detect the light reflected from the surface of the object; this is how our eyes work. Then visualize yourself as the object being shone upon by the flashlight. Surely you can see the light coming from the flashlight from a significantly much farther distance than the person holding the flashlight could even attempt to see you. This is because the beam of light loses energy as it travels further. In the example, while the beam has sufficient energy to reach you, the light you reflect doesn't have enough of the energy to travel the distance back to the person holding the flashlight.
This is the same principle as police radar guns, but instead, they "see" a vehicle by transmitting a pulse of microwave energy. Then they utilize the Doppler Effect, a formula calculating various physical factors, using physics equations. In the Doppler Effect, the frequency of the pulse transmitted is compared to the reflected frequency, resulting in the precise calculation of the vehicle's current speed.
This is the principal idea behind car radar detectors. The detectors track down radar signals and alert the driver on their presence before they can reflect a strong enough return signal to accurately calculate your speed. Radar detectors are basically microwave signal receivers that produce noise or blink their lights when they detect an incoming signal on particular frequencies. Superheterodyne reception, an enhanced version of the basic principle and currently used by many radar detector manufacturers, allows the detection of radar signals over hills or around curves, and dramatically extends detection range within a straight line.
Features to look for when buying a car radar detector:
. Type of detector
There are generally three types of radar detector, the corded, cordless, and the remote-mount. Corded detectors are often mounted on the windshield by using suction cups, and these provide the best detection range. Cordless detectors have the advantage of easy transportation between vehicles, and render allow for a cleaner installation than the corded models. The remote-mount radar detectors are custom installed, or permanently mounted in your vehicle by a professional, providing a very neat installation that would make your car virtually unattractive to thieves.
. City Modes
City modes alter the levels and range the detector's sensitivity, so that you are riddled with fewer false alerts; urban drivers benefit mostly from these modes.
. Laser detection
A detector fitted with one laser sensor is able to detect laser signals in front of the vehicle, but cannot detect signals from the rear or off from the sides. A 360-degree laser detection makes use of two or more sensors to sniff out laser pulses along the sides and the rear. Car radar detectors with 360-degrees of signal detection are more reliable, but the added features also mean additional costs.
. Full VG-2 and Spectre protection
These are called shielding technologies that inform the driver when law enforcement is using radar "detector detectors", or RDD. The Spectre model is a more recent, and advanced RDD technology that is now being used in several states and around Canada. Some detectors also offer Stealth protection, which alerts you of an RDD and then automatically turns off the detector, the more expensive detectors however, also offer Invisible protection, which renders them fully shielded from VG-2, Spectre, or both, allowing the detectors to continually operate without being discovered.
. Digital voice prompts/alerts
A voice alert informs you on the particular frequency the radar detector has detected. Voice alerts let's you keep your eyes focused on the road while you receive warnings.
. "Instant-On" Protection
In all honesty, no existing technology can give you 100% protection against Instant-On radar; if it's already aimed at your vehicle, it is likely that your speed has already been measured by the time the detector issues an alert. On the other hand, if the radar was aimed at the car in front of you, a detector equipped with a sensitive K-band reception is capable of giving a warning before you get caught. A high level of K-band sensitivity is what permits manufacturers to market a detector as giving Instant-On Protection.
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