A radar detector is a specialized electromagnetic device used by motorists to get information concerning their driving speed. Radar detectors are able to detect the presence of a traffic police who is monitoring your speed enabling you to make necessary adjustment hence preventing a driver from falling into traffic police speed traps, getting tickets and even risking losing one’s driving license. Discussed below is how radar detectors work for an effective understanding.
Radar detectors are composed of a system of detecting speed, presence, distance, and direction of an object. In this case, they enable motorists to detect traffic police cars and speed guns. Depending on the uniqueness, manufacturer, and function, it is important to compare the best radar detectors before considering a purchase. Some radar detectors apply light waves instead of radio waves such as the police speed gun. Some radar detectors also vary in the type of radar they can detect such as X-band Radar and K-band radar.
Stationery Object Identification
The radar detector is pointed toward an object of choice. In this case, it is mounted on the car windscreen hence focusing on the forward direction that the car is heading. It produces radio waves that travel at very high speeds closely related to light speed. The waves hit any close related object and immediately bounce back informing on the distance and presence. If the device records information of an object through a short time period, the object is located at a shorter distance closer to the motorist’s car compared to when the device takes a longer time period.
Speed Detection
Radar detectors can be used to detect and identify the speed of a car in comparison to distance and location of the radar detector. In case of a moving police car towards the motorists, the radar detector will produce regular radio waves that will hit and return back. The difference in speed detection is that the returning radio wave frequency will appear altered compared to the radio wave frequency of a stationary police car.
Rate Detection
In relation to the time taken by the returning radio waves frequency, an approaching police car will be recorded by an increased rate of radio wave frequencies. The faster the speed the police car is moving towards the motorist’s car the shorter the radio waves from the radar detector travel hence increased recorded radio wave frequencies and vice versa. The recorded average change in radio wave frequency is used by the radar detector to calculate the accurate speed of the car moving towards the motorist’s car.
Detection of Other Radars/Police
An individual’s radar detector is equipped to identify a police speed gun and other radar detectors. Apart from producing radio waves to the nearby surrounding area, the motorist radar detectors function as radio receivers. As receivers, they are able to pick up any emitted frequencies such as the ones produced by police speed guns.
The police radar produces a huge net of radio waves focused on a single vehicle. This enables other motorist radar detectors to record the signal and inform the motorist before entering a police speed trap.
Advanced Radar Detectors
These devices are capable of distorting the radar signals by police and other devices through a process called jamming. Jamming involves a bending the genuine signal by adding incorrect signal hence the police radar detector is unable to produce an accurate measure of motorist speed.
In conclusion, radar detectors functions are of great importance to motorists specifically in monitoring their self-speed and prevention of getting trapped in police speed traps. Radar detectors produce radio waves while others produce light waves. The detector is pointed towards a specific direction. The waves hit a specific designated object and bounce back at specific frequency and rate. This is used by the device to calculate the existence of a stationary object, distance, speed, rate of an approaching vehicle, and detection of other radar devices.
