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5
UNDERSTANDING RADAR & LASER
Radar Speed
Monitoring Systems
Three band frequencies have been approved
by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) for use by speed monitoring radar
equipment:
X band 10.525 GHz
K band 24.150 GHz
Ka band 33.400-36.00 GHz
Your ESD-9230 WX detects signals in all
three radar bands.
VG-2
VG-2 is a "detector detector" that works
by detecting low-level signals emitted by
most radar detectors. Your ESD-9230 WX
does not emit signals that can be detected
by VG-2, but does detect VG-2 signals and
will alert you when a device is in use
near your vehicle.
Safety Alert
®
Traffic
Warning System
FCC-approved Safety
Alert
®
transmitters emit
microwave radar signals that indicate the
presence of a safety-related concern.
Depending on the frequency of the signal
emitted, it can indicate a speeding
emergency vehicle or train, or a stationary
road hazard.
Because these microwave signals are within
the K band frequency, most conventional
radar detectors will detect Safety Alert
®
signals as standard K band radar. Your
ESD-9230 WX, however, is designed to
differentiate between standard K band
and Safety Alert
®
signals, and give separate
alerts for each.
Safety Alert
®
technology is relatively new.
Safety Alert
®
transmitters can be found in
limited numbers in all 50 states, but the
number is growing. Depending on your
location, you may not receive these alerts
regularly and may often encounter
emergency vehicles, trains, and road
hazards without being alerted. As the
number of transmitters increases, these
alerts will become more common.
When you receive such an alert, please
watch for emergency vehicles ahead of you,
on cross streets, and behind you. If you see
an emergency vehicle approaching, please
pull over to the right side of the road and
allow it to pass.
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18
Does weather have any affect
on LIDAR?
Yes. Rain, snow, smoke, fog, or airborne
dust particles will reduce the effective
range of LIDAR and can, if dense enough,
prevent its operation.
Can LIDAR operate through glass?
Yes. Newer LIDAR guns can obtain
readings through most types of glass.
However, the laser pulse also can be
received through glass to trigger an alarm
by your ESD-9230 WX.
Can LIDAR operate while in motion?
No. Because LIDAR operates by line of sight,
the person using it cannot drive the vehicle,
aim, and operate the gun all at the same time
.
Is LIDAR legal to use?
Yes. It is legal in all 50 states.
Some common questions about LIDAR include:
UNDERSTANDING RADAR & LASER
Strobe Alert
™
Special strobes mounted on the light bars of
authorized emergency vehicles (fire trucks,
police cars, ambulances) automatically change
traffic signals as the vehicle approaches an
intersection. These strobes and the special
strobe detectors located on the traffic signals,
introduced fairly recently by 3M and Tomar,
are already in use in more than 1000 cities
nationwide. Cobra’s exclusive Strobe Alert™
detector will detect these special strobes and
give an Emergency Vehicle alert.
When you receive such an alert, please watch
for an approaching emergency vehicle and pull
over to allow it to pass. To inquire about
coverage in your area, contact your local fire
and police departments.
LIDAR (laser)
The correct name for the technology that most
people refer to as laser is actually LIDAR,
which stands for Light Detection and Ranging.
LIDAR operates much like radar. Its signal
spreads out like a radar signal, though not as
quickly. Unlike radar, LIDAR must have a clear
line of sight to its target vehicle throughout
the entire measurement interval. Obstructions
such as sign posts, utility poles, tree branches,
etc., will prevent valid speed measurement.