radar detection weirdness

[jhugh]

I took my 911 camping in Yosemite this weekend, and she did just great. Driving from the East Bay to Yosemite, then from Yosemite to Santa Cruz, then back to the East Bay all at odd hours gave us plenty of opportunities to stretch her legs. My Valentine One came in handy.

There was one very weird thing that happened, though. On either highway 140 or 120 (can't remember which), I was caught for a minute or so behind two slower drivers, one in a Taurus, the other in a Crown Vic. When I was ultimately able to pass, I really got on it. I was up over 100 again when the V1 picked up a very strong Ka signal from directly behind. I thought, oh man, I'm dead meat -- one of those guys was an out of uniform unmarked instant-on stealth cop. So I slowed down and waited for the Crown Vic guy to catch up. But when he did, he just went on by, on old man with a crotchedy look and some big old radar detector-like device duct-taped to his dashboard. I knew from the directional arrows that the Ka signal had come from this thing he had, so I took off again. A couple more times, when cresting the next few hills I'd pick up a fainter signal from him.

Big relief. But what was that thing? I thought CA-legal detectors were totally passive. Why would I have gotten such a strong Ka signal?

Cheers,

[Jim Sims]

All radar detectors have a tuned circuit operating at the frequencies they are monitoring; hence they'll all leak to some degree depending on shielding and direction. The crappy one's or units that have been "messed with" can leak a lot and will give a false signal when you pass them. It is sometimes possible (and illegal) to make a system that will put out a high power signal with the right shift for a false speed indication. The FCC will come get you though. Cheers, Jim

[HawgRyder]

The effect that you experienced is the same "leakage" that is used to detect radar detector units!
This oscillator leakage is what the police use to detect whether you have an "illegal" detector.
There are several states and provinces (Canada) that have outlawed detectors for different reasons.
Some of the very new (and expensive) detectors hide the oscillators deeper inside the units and shield them from prying by the police.
You can also get false hits from anything that sends RF signals into the air at the same or multiples of the frequency.
In other words...if you are listening on 12Ghz and there is a signal at 6Ghz or 3Ghz you can get a false response from your detector.
I used to pass an ambulance building avery day going to work..and their radio signal affected my detector for about 6 blocks in each direction.
Have fun
Bob

[Plays with cars]

Yeah, this one took a while for me to figure out. Every time I was way out in the middle of no where my V1 would pick up a weak K band signal that would circle the car. Can't tell you how many times I was hard on the brakes and all eyes looking for the police car with the radar. Found lots of cows and barns, but not police.

Took a couple of weeks but I finally figured out it was my Sprint PCS phone searching for a signal. Must of leaked something that the detector that was picking up on. Once it found a station, no problems. Just when it was searching.

[NYSCAR]

Hehe I've also heard of gadgets that you can buy to 'scare' people you see on the road with radar detectors. I don't know if they're really FCC legal, but supposedly you hit a button and everyone's radar detector goes off. I guess for those 'wannnabe' highway patrol officers??

Brad

[HawgRyder]

Got a much better gimic here....a unit that when pointed at someone on the cel phone...dissconnects them.
Looks like a ray gun from the 1950's.....more fun than a barrel of dead monkeys on the freeway at rush hour!
Method....see person on phone just ahead pf me....point gun....one quick burst of power...watch as they redial...and redial...and redial !!!
Damn...I have a wierd sense of humour.
Bob