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Monthly Archives: April 2010

  • Time for a New Buy Radar Detectors Contest!

    I have more free t-shirts to give away! This contest is rather simple, just send an email to contest @ buyradardetectors.com (no spaces!) and let us know what type of speed detection or camera detection product you would like to see someone produce. If you win, I will send you a Buy Radar Detectors t-shirt! Make sure to lets us know where to ship the t-shirt to and the size (small, medium, large, x-large). Speculate away, the more original the better. Our crack team of radar detector experts will pick their favorite three as winners. I may even post an entry here on our radar detector blog.

  • The Whistler Pro 68SE may be the Best Radar Detector for the Money!

    If you are trying to find the best radar detector around for under $100, then the Whistler Pro 68SE may be what you have been searching for. The new Pro 68SE is based on a very proven design, the Pro 68 (previously our pick for the best under $100). The new model has retained the performance of the venerable Pro 68 and added a few updates.

    One new feature we like a lot is the ability to use Whistler's IntelliCord Power Cable. The Pro 68SE retains the popular display of the Pro 68 and the LED warning periscopes. The Whistler radar detector also comes with a hardwire kit and dash pad in addition to the traditional power cord and windshield mount. We have them here ready to go for $99.99 with free shipping!

  • Another City Caught Shortening Yellow Lights at Intersections

    An article about a city shortening yellow lights in order to boost fines from red light cameras is in the news again. An interesting point brought up in comments to the article, some cities are removing the cameras after they are no longer generating enough money. So much for having the cameras in place for safety.

    We carry a growing line of red light camera products designed to protect you from being a victim to some town's money making scheme. From red light camera detectors to items offering a more direct defense, we have what you are looking for!

  • Our Most Recent Contest is Over

    Our recent contest winners should be getting a package in the next few days. I also went ahead and tossed in a Buy Radar Detectors t-shirt. Congratulations to the winners, and keep checking out our radar detector blog for future contest!

  • A Ticket for Going One Mile Over the Speed Limit?

    I am sure that many of you have read the news articles that have recently been showing up. There is a big cash crunch out there and your local government wants your money. Police used to give a 5 mile or so cushion to drivers, because in truth the speedometer on some vehicles is a bit off, often the speed limit is not clearly posted, and no one is capable of always driving the exact speed. Most police would give us some room for human error, or just out of courtesy. Well no longer, with times being what they are many states now want to make things worse on all of us.

    The same politicians that are bemoaning the lack of jobs and how bad off we are, now want to raise money for their own pet projects by having police give you a ticket for even going over the limit by one mile per hour. I used to joke that a speeding ticket was just a road tax we all get from time to time, now sadly it is very true.

    For now on, we will all need to pay a bit more attention to our speed. You might also want to consider a radar detector. They are great at reminding you to watch your speed, to pay attention to your surroundings, and in turn makes you a better driver. Check out our guide to radar detectors and let us know if you have any questions.

  • What is X, K, Ka, and Ku Radar?

    Radar is short for RAdio Detection And Ranging and is the use of radio waves to determine the range, location, and speed of an object. Police use radar by focusing radio waves at an area (or object such as a car) and then measuring the radio wave that is reflected back. By using the Doppler effect they can then determine an objects speed.

    Police use a radar "gun" that was invented by Bryce K. Brown in March 1954. Most radar guns used by law enforcement today are a basic variation on the original design.

    A radar gun is a simple radio transmitter and receiver. The radio waves sent have a frequency measured in Gigahertz (GHz). When the radio waves reflect and bounce off of an object there is a slight change in frequency. The frequency shift (Doppler effect) is measured by the radar gun and the objects speed is determined.

    The frequencies used by the radar guns are called radar bands. X band was once the most common but is becoming rather rare since it is very easily detected by radar detectors. K and Ka bands use frequencies that are much more difficult to detect and are now more common. Ku band is mostly found in Europe.

    • X Band is in the 8.0 to 12.0 GHz range (most common is 10.5 in the US / 9.4-10.6 in Europe)
    • K Band is in the 18 to 26.5 GHz range (most common is 24.12 - 24.17 in the US / 24.12 - 25.15 in Europe)
    • Ka Band is in the 26.5 to 40 GHz range (most common is 33.8, 34.6, 34.7, 35.5, 35.7 GHz in the US / 34.0, 34.3, 35.5 in Europe)
    • Ku Band is in the 12 to 18 GHz range (Ku is not used in the US, most common is 13.45 in Europe)

    A radar detector is a radio receiver designed to scan for these frequencies. When it detects radio waves in the X, K, Ka, or Ku band it sends out an alert, and many detectors will even tell you how strong (close) the signal is. High performance detectors usually are able to alert faster, detect radar at a greater distance, and also filter out false radio signals better than entry level designs, but they all perform essentially the same function.

    In the US most radar guns used by police are K or Ka band, however some police departments still use X band. We know that a lot of people advocate turning X band off, but before you do we recommend driving around for a while with it on to make certain you do not encounter any police still using the band in your area. In fact, some departments now purposefully use X band because so many people treat it as a false alert and turn it off.

    In addition to being used by police, many automatic doors and some car navigation systems emit radar as well. This results in false alerts. The signal from an automatic door, etc... is often rather weak so most radar detectors have a city mode to lessen the detectors sensitivity. A few radar detector models also allow you to manually lock out false signals, or will even block them for you automatically.

    How you setup your radar detector can also be a determining factor in how effective it is. First, the detector should be placed so that the forward sensor has an unobstructed "view" ahead. For a windshield mount detector, the best location is in the center, and middle of the windshield. The detector should also be level and not pointing up, or down. You may want to turn off X band depending on where you live. Next, in town set the detector to city mode to lessen the number of false alerts, and switch back to highway when outside of urban areas. There are compromises in setting up your detector related to how tolerant you are of false alerts. Some prefer to use highway mode constantly, others will never turn off X band. As you use your detector you will be able to decide what you want to change from the basic settings.

    Certain radar detector models are better for highway use where you want long range, and very quick detection, but they tend to have a lot of false alerts in urban area. There are other models that tend to be much better at filtering out false alerts but may not alert fast enough for someone that travels mostly on the interstate. Because of this, here at Buy Radar Detectors we work with you to find the radar detector that fits your specific needs.

  • Trying to Find A Good CB Radio?

    Here at Buy Radar Detectors we do not consider you a true road warrior until unless you have a CB radio. Well it is a good thing we carry a nice selection of CB radios along with CB radio accessories so we can help you out!

    If you are looking for a quality, traditional CB radio, give the Cobra 25 LTD Classic CB Radio a look. While not as advanced as its big brother the Cobra 148 GTL SSB CB Radio, it still has everything you expect to find in a CB. It has a switchable noise blanker, which will block unwanted engine noise, Cobra's Dynamike gain control and adjustable squelch control, and it can also be used as a public address (PA) system when combined with an external speaker.

    We have the Cobra 25 LTD Classic CB Radio here and ready to ship from our warehouse for $77.95. You will also want to add Cobra HG A1000 CB Radio Antenna for $19.95. Give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 if you have any questions!

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