From: utzoo!watmath!decvax!harpo!floyd!gjw Newsgroups: net.auto Title: Re:Radar Detectors Article-I.D.: floyd.336 Posted: Wed Jun 30 14:01:32 1982 Received: Thu Jul 1 00:45:56 1982 Over the last few years Car & Driver have been doing some very comprehensive tests of radar detectors. Unfortunately I can't recall the dates of the issuses but they started their reports about four years ago. I will breifly recap some of the things they've said and some of my findings: Radar detectors fall into two categories, passive detectors (some RF engineers sometimes refer to them as video detectors) and superheterodyne types. The passive detectors generally cost less than half the price of the superhet types but the performance of the superhets is of course much superior. The police are allowed to use only two frequencies for their radar units; the X band frequency 10.525 GHz and K band 24.150 GHz +/- 50 MHz tolerance on each of the bands. These frequencies are assigned by the FCC specifically for police radar and commercial intrusion alarms. Don't pay attention to any balony a salesman may tell you about experimental bands. The superhet detectors are tuned to the above frequencies with a relative- ly narrow bandwidth of a couple of hundred MHz. The passive types have much wider bandwidths on the order of several GHz. These bandwidth differences generally make the superhets less prone to giving false alarms. The superhets have sensitivities that are about two orders of magnitude greater than the passive detectors. This translates into a much greater range of warning to contact with the radar source. However, this high sensitivity makes the superhets respond to distant supermarkets, stores, or warehouses with micro- wave burgler alarms. The passive units are set off by a larger number of sources such as nearby TV and radio stations and terrestial microwave communication links. I've had experience with both types of detectors. Four years ago I purchased a Fuzzbuster II which has since then been superceded by the model III. At the time it was a top rated passive unit and I've found its range barely adequate for medium size and larger cars. At the time I was driving a small fiberglass bodied sports car (Saab Sonett III) and its per formance was fine. Recently I purchased an ESCORT made by Cinncinati Micro- wave and this unit, by any standards, is first class. It's been a top rated unit by Car and Driver in their last two tests. The cost is $245 and it includes a very nice carrying case and handy visor clip. It is available only direct from the factory by mail order so you don't pay any middlemen. There are other superhet units available from electronic specialty stores discounted into the $230 - $250 price range from Whistler, Fox, Bel, and K40, but none of them approaches the features and quality of the ESCORT. There is a new unit out by Fuzzbuster called the SUPERHET. Although its quality doesn't seem as good as the ESCORT it has the same features; vari- able rate beep, volume control, automatic indicator light intensity adjust- ment, signal strength indicator and city/highway sensitivity switch. If its sensitivity is good it would be an excellent alternative to the ESCORT. I've seen it dicounted to the $180 price range. The range at which a police radar can clock you is a function of a car's radar profile. Larger cars generally have a greater profile and vice versa. If you drive a small car a passive detector's sensitivity may be adequate for you. All the above mentioned manufacturers,except Cincinn- ati Microwave also sell passive detectors. Most passive detectors can be found discounted to the $75 to $100 price range. The passive unit I would recommend would be either the model III or ELITE made by Fuzzbuster. Elec- trolert Inc. (the manufacturer of Fuzzbusters) is established and has a good reputation. I've had good experience with one of their earlier models as I mentioed before. A good price for the model III is around $80 and for the ELITE $100. Happy Motoring, Greg Wroclawski BTL Whippany