Is Something Wrong or Does My Radar Detector Suck?
You’re driving down the interstate an a mile down the road you see a trooper with their reds and blues flashing with someone pulled over.
Then when you’re within a quarter of a mile of the officer, your radar detector starts alerting and you start ask, “Is something wrong or does my radar detector suck”?
I can assure you that neither are the case, let me explain.
Police radar guns are directional, meaning that the RF (radio frequency) they transmit travel in one direction.
So in many cases as you approach an officer that has someone pulled over, the antenna of the radar gun is pointed in the opposite direction that you’re traveling, as illustrated in this graphic.
Therefore any RF that you radar detector is detecting until you pass the officer, is the reflected signal ricocheting off of other objects such as signposts, vehicles and other reflective surfaces within the radar signal path.
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5 Responses to “Is Something Wrong or Does My Radar Detector Suck?”
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Also keep in mind that the officer may very well have placed his radar transmitter back into the “HOLD” mode after locking in a speed so that he doesn’t have to keep hearing the doppler tone whining in his ears. (assuming of course they actually have it turned up like they are supposed to). This explains why you can pass many cars with radar equipment and never get a signal.
@Rob, you are correct and thank you. When I was a LEO I used a hand held Kustom radar gun and I would lay it down on the seat when I pulled someone over so God knows what direction it was pointing in.
I’ve absolutely experienced this first hand many times, Rob above is spot on too, great read!
i just got a 9500ix to replace my 8500×50 black edition. so far I do not trust it at all. The range on it is horrible. Usually in this senario my x50 would at least give me a hint of warning but last night on my 9500 I actually had to be next to the car to get a full Ka. I switched back to the x50 and went down the same road and it went off way before the cop car……. im torn between trusting it or going back to the old one. I feel like the 9500 is taking too long to see it.
Dat, believe it or not the range between the 9500ix and the 8500×50 is identical as they use the same exact antenna, the M4
Make sure that you’re not running both in the same vehicle as they will interfere with each other