Monday, December 1, 2008

Police Fighting Back Against Radar Jammers

By Todd j Scott

When driving, most people tend to follow simple rules such as speed limits, stop signs and traffic lights. There are, however, others who feel as though every road is nothing less than another quarter-mile stretch for racing. These are the people you see driving down the highway as if their life depends on them arriving at their destination in the next ten seconds or so. While they may be illegal in most places, many of these people use radar jammers to avoid getting a speeding ticket.

Radar jammers, as the name signifies, are compact devices used primarily to scramble detector radar signals, particularly those emanating from speed guns used by policemen. Now that you know, you'll probably ask, "Are they legal?" While purchase of a radar detector jammer is permissible by law, the now amended Communications Act of 1934 clearly stipulates that intentional use of a radar detector jammer will be construed as malicious interference. Contravention of these laws can invite heavy fines and/or imprisonment.

Before investing in a radar jamming unit, it would be advisable to first check state laws governing their ownership and use, as well as the models and types permitted. There are basically two types of car radar jamming devices available; active and passive. Several models are available with approximately 90% of the models falling within the latter category. Active jammers constitute a mere 10%; however, it is important to note that this type is considered illegal by the US federal government since December 1997.

Contrary to what advertisements claim, passive radar jamming devices are quite ineffective against the digital speed guns used by traffic policemen in the US today. One major reason for their ineffectiveness is that signals from passive devices can be intercepted by policemen from a distance exceeding 1,000 feet. While these signals can scramble the policeman's detection unit, one would need to be within 100 feet away for it to work. On the other hand, active devices are much more effective from a greater distance. Moreover, such radar jammers transmit their own signal to a speed gun, blocking the radar. How much does a radar jamming device cost?

There are several models on the market, which can even be purchased online. Prices reach upwards of $1,500 or more for an 'active' radar jammer versus the cheaper, less effective 'passive' models.

So how are police fighting back against this technology? Many policemen and state patrol are now able to detect when radar jammers are being used, and are able to pull a driver over for this. Additionally, the speed guns used nowadays are extremely advanced and much more difficult to jam. For most, testing their unit's effectiveness by speeding past a state patrolman probably doesn't seem like the wisest option. - 16747

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