Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!uwm.edu!linac!tellab5!laidbak!obdient!vpnet!cgordon
From: cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us (Gordon Hlavenka)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Detecting Radar Detectors
Message-ID: <26c63bee-32e.10sci.electronics-1@vpnet.chi.il.us>
Date: 13 Aug 90 05:55:06 GMT
References: <324@bally.Bally.COM> <229@dynasys.UUCP>
Lines: 30


>One other note here.  The way radars work is that waves are bounced off of
>cars and the frequency is changed depending on how fast the car is going.
>The radar measures the shift and approxiamates how fast the car was going
>according to how much of a shift occurred.  Conceivably, you could build
>a AECM unit that would detect the incoming frequency and broadcast back
>some other frequency to fool the detector.  Of course, you would still have
>the bounced frequency mixed in, so I'm not sure how well it would work.

This is called a "gate stealer."

     A-   The military is already using it.
     B-   Civilian versions have been advertised as well.

The civilian versions which I saw advertised (a couple years ago, no I don't
have the address) called themselves "calibrators" for radar repair shop use,
and the largest print in the ad was the warning that this equipment "will
interfere with police radar units, causing erroneous low readings."

If the output power of the gate stealer is sufficient, the actual return
will be completely masked.  By calibrating to your vehicle's speed, it is
possible to set the unit to produce any desired reading on the radar gun.

The problem with this is that most cops can "eyeball" your speed within 5
mph anyway, and if the gun doesn't agree they'll probably pull you over for
something else.  (There's  _always_ something!)

----------------------------------------------------------
Gordon S. Hlavenka                 cgordon@vpnet.chi.il.us
Disclaimer: He's lying