Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!purdue!i.cc.purdue.edu!j.cc.purdue.edu!pur-ee!iuvax!silver!commgrp
From: commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Robocop spotted (Photo radar)
Message-ID: <829@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Date: 10 Feb 88 15:23:02 GMT
Sender: commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
Lines: 51


John Moore (NJ7E)   hao!noao!mcdsun!nud!anasaz!john   writes:

>Here in Paradise Valley, Arizona, we have the dubious distinction of
>being the only place in the US where speeding tickets are given by
>mail after an automatic device snaps your picture and speed!...

An Austrian friend bought a X- and K-band radar detector at a U.S. 
hamfest during a visit last summer.  He smuggled it back to his 
homeland (took it apart and mixed it up with other electronic junk), 
but says it doesn't work there; European radars apparently use 
different frequenc(ies).  Non-enforcement of speed limits is a 
European tradition, however, they have automatic roadside radars which 
photograph violators.

>I find this pretty offensive...

So do the Austrians.  My friend says that most of the photo-radars are 
fake; the real ones tend to get riddled with bullets--  Pretty good 
for a place where radar detectors are illegal and gun laws are 
extremely restrictive!

>Today I spotted this beast...

A model 666, no doubt.  :-)

> ...The person running the device said that it operates on Ka band 
>(34 gHz). Most radar detectors only operate on X (10 gHz) and Ku (24 
>gHz) bands. Also, he said that it only runs 1/2 milliwatt of power, 
>making it detectable for about 1 second if you can receive Ka band. 
 
Yesterday I saw for the first time a magazine ad for a 3-band radar 
detector which does 34 GHz.

(I understand that 24 GHz is called K band, and Ku band is 12 GHz.  
Would someone please post or e-mail a list of microwave frequencies by 
their letter designations?  Is it true that the bands were named 
randomly during WW II to confuse the enemy?)

>Finally, it will in the future use a laser, making it totally 
>undetectable with microwave radar detectors.

ECM receivers for coherent light already exist, since when a laser 
beam hits a military vehicle, it usually means that a missle is close 
behind.  We'll probably see civilian versions for cars.

-- 

Frank     W9MKV
reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu.arpa
reid@iubacs.bitnet