Do Radar Detectors Really Work?

Question

I am thinking about buying a radar detector (a device that warns you of speed traps and corps) for my car, but I heard some people say they don’t work and some say they do. What do you think? And if they work, what kind of features would I want it to have?

Answer 1

Radar Detectors do work great, execpt when you are driving and trying to get speeds. Radar Detectors work only when they are standing still, or else you won't get a good reading. You could put it in you car and be like a cop, but it would only work if the car is not moving, or else it will try to get your speed more than the other cars speed.

Answer 2

Yes, they do work to the extent of the policeman running the radar. The oldest band that a radar detector detects is the X band. Next, came the K band. Then, the K2 band. All of these are detected the most common detectors. The newest is the laser, which I have not seen a detector that catches that.
Plus, cops now a days tend to side with motion guns. The older guns (usually called the Bee) are ones that stay on all the time. Therefore, radar detectors can see them. With the guns, the only time radar detectors catch them is when the cop presses the button. So, you could be screaming down the highway, and won't catch the cop down the road because he hasn't "gunned" you yet. Then, all of the sudden, your radar detector goes from 0 to 10 in about a second. Guess what? It's too late at that point.

The gun is usually a device where the cop has to be stationary and gun it outside the confines of the vehicle. The gun usually will give false readings if you attempt to "gun" anyone while moving. These are the cops you usually see on bridges.
The Bee is usually car mounted and used during motion. These are the type that a radar detector catches while a cop is coming down the road.
The newer Bees have a cord coming out of the device where the cop basically turns it on when he wants to "gun". Again, if that happens, it's too late.
It's okay to have a radar detector. Just keep in mind that it will not save you 100% of the time. Be vigilant and alert and still watch out for cops when speeding. It'll save you a majority of the time.

Answer 3

Radar detectors do work. You simply detecting a radio signal. The rule of thumb is that you can detect a signal at twice the distance they can detect you. The catch is that it is line of sight. They're also illegal in many states.

Most of today's radar detectors detect signals across a variety of wavelength bands - usually X, K, and Ka bands (and Ku, in Europe, also recently approved for use in the U.S) and laser (LIDAR).

Because RADAR detectors are built around a superheterodyne receiver, which has a local oscillator that radiates slightly, it is possible to build a radar detector-detector which detects such emissions (usually the frequency of the radar type being detected, plus about 10 MHz). Some police radar guns are equipped with such a device, typically a VG-2 Interceptor. This form of electronic warfare cuts both ways and since detector-detectors use a similar superheterodyne receiver , many radar detectors are equipped with a radar detector-detector-detector circuit, which shuts down the main radar receiver when the detector-detector's signal is sensed, thus preventing detection by such equipment.

Answer 4

Some radar detectors (Valentine One is best) do work very well, but only against radar. They are not effective against the newer instant-on radar guns, laser devices, or instant photo radar. That's because by the time they warn you, you'll already be close enough to be caught.

Answer 5

They don't work, cause by the time it reacts they've already got you (most use laser and no radar detector picks that up before they get you).