Laser Defense

Blinder has finally released their much anticipated new models! The new Blinder M25 and Blinder M45 are now in stock and shipping. Both laser jammers are identical, performance-wise, the only difference is the number of jamming heads (transceivers) that are included. The M25 includes two transceivers, which would provide coverage for the front of a typical vehicle. The M45 includes four transceivers, which would typically cover the front and the rear. A large majority of laser hits are from the front, but they do occasionally occur from the rear. Vehicles that have an extremely large front end, such as some trucks and SUV's, may require four transceivers to cover the front of the vehicle.

The following is a list of the updated features:

• New laser detector, with wider and more optimal detection of all the police laser systems.
• New custom made jamming LED™s, to give optimal jamming output, from the transponders.
• New interface, to supply the new high power jammers with higher voltage.
• New software to detect and jam all the latest new laser systems.

These new models replace the M20 and M40, which have been discontinued.

Bel is discontinuing the LaserPro 905, and they will not be replacing it. After they're gone, the only product available from Bel that will offer laser blocking is the RX75 Plus. If you are in the market for a laser jammer that will interface with your high end Bel radar detector, get one while you still can!

The use of LIDAR (laser) guns by police to detect vehicles speed is growing rapidly throughout the United States, as well as the world. With this growing threat, it is very important that drivers realize that a radar detector alone should not be trusted to protect them from laser. In this post, I want to explain in basic terms how police laser works and why it is difficult to successfully detect. I will also point out several products that are effective at slowing down or stopping this threat.

How Police LIDAR Guns Work
Before you can defend yourself against LIDAR, it helps to have a basic understanding of how it works. Police laser guns release a narrow beam of light at a targeted vehicle. Portions of this light are reflected off the vehicle and back to the laser gun. From this reflected light, the laser gun can calculate the speed of the vehicle.

In order for the laser gun to calculate a vehicles speed, the light has to be reflected back to the gun. Because of this, police are trained to target the more reflective areas of the vehicle. Typically this is the front license plate, headlights, or perhaps a shiny front grill.

Why Is Laser A Problem For Radar Detectors?
With regular old police radar guns, the actual radar signal is very wide and it bounces off just about any obstacle in its path. This makes radar comparatively easy to detect because, even with instant-on radar, your detector will typically "catch a bounce" when the officer targets another vehicle around you.

At 1000 feet the laser beam is only 2 feet wide and, unlike radar, it doesn't "bounce". This narrow beam has to actually hit your radar detector before it will produce an alert. In most cases, the police officer will be targeting your car before your detector alerts you and, since the laser gun can calculate your speed in less than a second, you will not have time to respond before getting a ticket.

Luckily, there are several choices, both active and passive, available for those looking for a solution to police laser.

Laser Jammers
The best defense against police laser is a laser jammer. Laser jammers are an active defense against laser, actually interfering with the light from the laser gun. A laser jammer will block the light from the laser gun, preventing the gun from calculating a speed.

According to recent tests, the best laser jammers currently available are made by Blinder. The Blinder HP-905 Compact Laser Jammer provides 2 transceivers, which will provide coverage for the front of a vehicle or both the front and rear of a motorcycle. Additional sensors can be connected for a total of 4 transceivers, enough to cover both the front and rear of a typical vehicle.

We also offer the Cincinnati Microwave Laser ShifterPro - Laser Defense System. It replaced the Shifter ZR4, which also tested very well. The Laser ShifterPro integrates with your high end Beltronics and Escort radar detectors.

Passive Solutions
If the laser gun can't find a reflective surface, it can't provide the vehicle's speed. It's as simple as that. Passive laser defense products work to make your vehicle less reflective. If the police officer needs to hit your vehicle for several seconds before he can get your speed, that is time for you to respond to your radar detector's "LASER" alert and slow down.

Laser Veil G5 is the best passive solution available, and is far less expensive than a laser jammer. Laser Veil is a translucent paint-like substance that you apply to the reflective areas of your car, such as the headlights, fog lights and license plate. It makes these areas much less reflective, which could significantly reduce the range of a laser gun.

Laser Veil has been tested and was found to be quite effective. It can even be used in combination with a laser jammer to reduce laser punch-through, making your jammer even more effective.

The Laser Shield is a non-reflective license plate cover. Since police are trained to first aim the laser gun at a license plate, using a Laser Shield could buy you a couple of seconds if you have a good radar detector. However, you have to keep in mind that it only covers the license plate, so the police officer will usually pan right to the headlight if he isn't getting a speed from the license plate.

We have found that the best passive solution involves a combination of Veil and a Laser Shield. The manufacturers of Veil recommend against applying Veil directly to a license plate, so the Laser Shield is a perfect compliment. Apply Veil to the headlights and fog lights of your vehicle, then to a Laser shield. Place the Laser Shield over your license plate, and you're in business.

The Republican newspaper from Springfield, MA has a nice article about police laser. Several police officers are interviewed about LIDAR, so it's interesting to see a police officer's perspective. Here are a few quotes:

Northampton police officer Michael J. Allard has never lost an appeal when a speeder has been caught with lidar, a laser-based high-tech method for catching speeders.
...
Allard, who writes hundreds of tickets each year, said one woman he stopped for speeding ... came to court prepared with extensive Internet research, which she presented to the Northampton District Court clerk magistrate.
...
"Basically, I was challenged on the device, and I won," he said.

First of all, it struck me that this officer seemed almost suprised that someone came in prepared and lost. This just shows the normal value of such "extensive Internet research". Secondly, this guy loves laser. He feels like he finally has something that speeders can't stop:

"If a lidar detector goes off, it means you've had it," Allard said.
The beam of the laser is so narrow, unlike the wide band of the radar, that it makes it very easy to hit a specific target, even if it is in a crowd of fast-moving vehicles. It can even be used on a jogger or bicycle rider.

"I shoot the license plate or the grill. I'm looking for the best reflective surface," Allard said.

In a way, he's right. Normal radar detectors simply cannot be trusted to protect you against police laser. The laser beam usually has to hit your radar / laser detector before it will produce an alert, and that usually means he's already gotten your speed.

Fortunately, there are devices like laser jammers and Laser Veil available to offer some defense to the motorist.

Laser jammers actually block the laser gun from getting the speed of your vehicle. Unlike passive radar jammers, laser jammers have been proven to work great. The Blinder HP-905 Compact Laser Jammer has been shown to jam all laser guns in use by police.

Laser Veil is a great alternative if you aren't willing to spend $350 and up for a jammer. It also works great along side a jammer, improving its performance. Laser Veil works to make those "reflective surfaces" that officer Allard was talking about less reflective. It is a translucent paint like substance that you apply to the reflective areas of your car. If your car isn't reflective, the laser gun has a harder time getting your speed. This gives you time to react to your radar / laser detector's alert, before you've gotten a ticket.

If you live in or travel through states where police use laser, be careful! And definitely consider protecting yourself with Veil, or a jammer.