![]() ![]() It may not save you on its own, but coupled with a jammer, community threat-sharing apps like Waze and Escort Live, proper strategy, and constant vigilance on the road, it can help you be better prepared and forewarned. However, it is still better to have a laser alert feature than none since the use of the newer LIDAR technology is becoming prevalent already in many state police departments. ![]() The lightning-fast accuracy of a LIDAR speed gun makes it nearly impossible for a radar detector to do its job effectively. Models with 360-degree laser detection have two sensors that can also detect laser pulses behind and on either side of your vehicle. Once a LIDAR gun has been aimed at you, that’s the only time your radar detector can give you a laser alert, which may already be too late for you to take action as your speed has already been measured.Ī detector with one laser sensor, though more costly, can detect laser beams in front of you but not behind you or off to the sides. If such is the case, what does laser alert mean on a radar detector, and how can it alert you beforehand?Ī laser alert is simply a feature in radar detectors that alerts a driver when it detects LIDAR. Unlike traffic radar, LIDAR can only be used in the “instant-on” mode, which means that a radar detector with laser alert cannot detect LIDAR until the officer pulls the trigger to clock it, usually when the target vehicle is already nearby. Now that we know the different bands transmitted by speed guns, we can now better understand how radar detectors pick up these bands, specifically LIDAR. What Does Laser Alert Mean on a Radar Detector? Compared to radar, LIDAR emits a narrower beam, making it easier for police officers to target a speeding vehicle. Unlike the four bands mentioned above, which are transmitted through radio waves, laser speed guns, also referred to as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), use light to detect an object’s speed. This is more commonly used in Europe and is common in the USA. This band ranges from 12 to 18 GHz, though it is usually set at 13.45 GHz for radar enforcement. That is why police officers are more inclined to use speed radar guns operating on the Ka-band, and this is also why you should send your radar detector for an update or upgrade to a more high-tech one. So if your radar detector is obsolete, it may find it hard to detect Ka bands. With a frequency ranging from 26.5 to 40 GHz, this band is the latest type of band. As such, radar detectors may send false K band alerts, but unlike the X band, it is not that common, so police continue to operate on this band together with the Ka-band. This band is in the 18 to 26.5 GHz range and was formerly a reliable warning of the radar until supermarket door sensors and other equipment operating on K bands began corrupting it. This is because some police departments know that many people turn it off for the same reason, and so they use X band radar guns on purpose to catch speed violators. However, unless you drive around a territory that you know very well or had made sure that police officers in the area are not using the old X band radar anymore, it is not recommended to turn it off just yet. Since many establishments use equipment, such as burglar alarms and supermarket doors, which also operate on this band and create frequent false alarms, many people now advocate turning the X band alerts off on their radar detectors. ![]() What Are the Different Bands Used by Police Officers?īefore we dive into the world of laser-operated speed detection, it is important to understand the different bands used by police officers before this new technology was introduced. Hence, Here’s an overview of the five different bands in which police speed guns operate, then provide you the different meanings of laser alert. Nowadays, most modern detectors come with a laser alert feature that detects when police use laser technology to catch speeders. Before laser alerts, radar detectors only sensed police activity on the X, K, Ka, or Ku bands. ![]()
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