Your Melbourne, FL Police Radar Detector Experts
Enjoy Your Performance Responsibly
European vehicle owners love the performance that their vehicles offer. Whether you’re enjoying the high redline in your Porsche 911 or the low throaty sound of your Aston Martin, getting the most out of every drive is what makes owning a performance vehicle so much fun. That being said, driving speeds may sometimes slightly exceed the posted speed limit, which can result in high fines from your local municipality. That’s where police radar detectors come in.
To be clear, we are in no way condoning reckless driving or excessive speeds on public roads. As owners of various European vehicles, we do, however, understand that many posted speed limits are very low, and it’s easy to lose track of how fast you are going. In some areas, even going five or ten miles over the posted limit can result in hundreds of dollars in speeding fines. A police radar detector is a great tool to help remind you to check your speeds when you’re alerted that a radar is being used in the area.
What is a Police Radar Detector
A police radar detector is a device for your vehicle, much like a portable GPS or camera system, that typically mounts on your windshield with suction cups and ideally with a custom mirror mount. This device is designed to pick up on radar and laser wavelengths that are commonly used by police when tracking the speed of vehicles on the road.
Although it may not work or notify you with enough time to reduce your speed in all situations, a high-quality detector can easily pay for itself by preventing even one speeding ticket. Keep the mantra “You get what you pay for,” in the back of your mind when shopping for a police radar detector. Lower-end units will often be inaccurate and alert you when there is no radar being used. Even worse, a less expensive unit may not alert you until it’s too late for you to slow down.
POLICE RADAR DETECTOR RESOURCE
Common Terminology
When you are comparing radar detectors before you make a purchase, it’s important to understand the terminology that accompanies them. Here are some common terms you should be familiar with:
- DSP: DSP stands for digital signal processing. DSP uses microchips to quickly determine what type of radar is being used in the area. It also helps prioritize identifying those bands that police frequently use when monitoring speed.
- Ka Band: Ka Band refers to the frequencies between 33.4 and 36.0 GHz. Ka Band is the most popular frequency used by police today.
K Band: This common frequency is generally used by handheld radar guns when used by police. - Laser: To be more accurate and less likely to be detected, many police forces have switched from radar to laser. Lasers are incredibly accurate and difficult to detect in advance.
- Laser Defuser: Also known as a jammer, this feature actually jams the lasers police use so they cannot detect your speed with their equipment. Laser defusers are illegal in some states.
- X-Band: This is the most common frequency and can be used by other devices such as stop lights and traffic sensors.
Setup and Use of Radar Detectors
You Space Coast Resource
When you’re ready to purchase a police radar detector for your vehicle, Melbourne Motorsports is your trusted Space Coast resource. We can help you understand the difference between units, and even help install a custom solution for you.