Radar Definitions....

[GLHWCU]

I may be retarded but what are all the bandwiths on my radar detector? Like which ones do i watch for and which ones do i ignor?

X
KA
K
Train (i think i understand that one....i hope)
and so forth.

[undercover]

actaully i have no clue, i use to always have a radar detector in my car, until i gave it to a friend of mine and never got it back. I never had a clue what all these things were, i just slowed down when the stupid thing would beep. Sorry i have no clue what the different bands are.

[undercover]

Police radar guns transmit radio waves at a specific frequency. A portion of the beam reflects from the target vehicle and returns to the radar gun. If the target is moving, the frequency changes slightly, a phenomenon known as the Doppler shift. By measuring this altered frequency, the radar calculates target speeds.

X, K, Super Wideband Ka.
Police radar operates on three bands: X band (10.525 GHz), K band (24.150 GHz) and Ka band (33.4 - 36.0 GHz). X band dates back to the 1960's and is rarely used today. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other devices like automatic door openers and industrial burglar alarms that continue to use X band. And an increasing number of these devices are beginning to use K band. These are the most common source of false alarms in urban areas.

The Importance of K and Ka bands.
Remember that alerts on K band, and more importantly Ka band, are more than likely to be real traffic radar and not "false" alerts. Consequently, K and Ka alerts demand immediate attention. For this reason, it's important for a detector to have long range detection capabilities as well as a clear means of identifying K and Ka band detection.

Q: What is POP Radar?
A: POP Radar is the newest radar police are using to detect your speed. POP radar consists of a lightning-quick radar burst that can go from “off” to “on” detect you speed then back “off” again in less than one tenth of a second. Although it is still K band radar, it is so fast it is undetectable by most detectors.

Q: What is the difference between radar and laser?
A: Radar and laser technologies are radically different. Radar uses radio waves while laser transmits a beam of invisible infrared light. A radar beam can be 100 feet wide at typical target range. At the same distance, the laser beam will be barely 1.5 feet in diameter. This pinpoint beam width is what makes the laser so difficult to detect.

There are also significant differences in how the two types of speed-measuring equipment are used by police. Radar can be used from a moving patrol car. Laser must be used from a stationary position. For this reason, laser is more likely to be used by police in metropolitan areas rather than the open highway where moving radar remains the tool of choice for state troopers.

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What do the multiple bands mean?
No matter what number is used, there are only 3 radar bands and 1 laser in use by traffic law enforcement in North America. The four bands are X, K, Ka, and Laser band. Some manufacturers, in an attempt to make their detectors seem "better," quote several traffic monitoring devices as "bands."

What frequencies are used for radar?
X band (10.525 GHz) was used for police radar until the mid 1970s. In 1976 radar guns using K band (24.150 GHz) were introduced, then came 2.6 GHz Ka band (33.4~36.0 GHz). This was followed in 1987 by radar guns using 34.3 GHz, in 1991 using 34.2~35.2 GHz, and in 1992 using 33.4~34.4 GHz.

What frequency do laser speed guns transmit on?
Laser transmits an invisible light beam at a wavelength of 904 nanometers (the measurement unit for light waves, similar to megahertz for radio waves).

What is pulse, instant-on or POP radar?
A police radar transmitter can be placed on hold, ready to fire but not yet producing a signal for detectors to hear. The officer waits until his target is very close, releases the radar from standby mode, and gets a speed reading within a second or so. In this situation no detector can offer much warning.