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From: johnr@tekig.UUCP (John Rettig)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: (A Sermon on) Radar Surveillance
Message-ID: <2689@tekig.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 00:02:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekig.2689
Posted: Mon Aug 19 00:02:14 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 13:44:18 EDT
References: <2493@pegasus.UUCP> <1456@peora.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 45

>                 ... It seems to me that laws like this make the police
>         look foolish, since they are nearly unenforceable.  How  would
>         they  show  probable  cause for searching your car for a radar
>         detector, or even pulling you over?

	  
	  The technology is there.  Simply look for the local oscillator
	  leakage that all superheterodyne units emit (albeit within 
	  FCC compliance "as of the date of manufacture".  Most good
	  detectors, for example, have what is referred to as a "Radio
	  Shack filter"; this is special circuitry to recognize the 
	  (excessive) leakage in the Radio Shack unit, which tends to 
	  trigger false alarms in other units, for example.  It would 
	  not be difficult to turn such technology to other uses such 
	  as the author suggests, though I must admit I am not qualified
	  to comment on the legal aspects.

	  
>	   				   ... How much time should  the
>         police  spend  looking for illegal radar detectors?


          A more appropriate question is "How much time * will * the
	  police spend ...?"  Speed traps are a major source of revenue 
	  for many small to medium municipalities or counties throughout
	  the U.S., and radar detectors are one of the most effective
	  means of avoiding citations.  Given the legal basis for
	  detection, confiscation, and arrest, I have no doubt that a
	  significant effort would (at least initially) be used for
	  exactly this.
						           
							   
>							   ... How would
>         they prove that a device was for detecting radar and  not  the
>   	  leakage from your microwave oven for instance?


          With the exception of some motor homes (which in my prejudiced
	  viewpoint couldn't get a speeding ticket if you dropped them
	  out of a C5-A), cars don't carry operating microwave ovens.
	  More seriously, if an operating detector * was * sensed, an
	  officer could probably get a search warrant and look through 
	  your car.  If operation only was illegal, it might be a stickler
	  to prove you * were * using it, however if posession as well
	  were illegal, you've had it.