Radar Detectors
 

I have been told a few stories about radar detectors in W.A:

1. You can have one as long as it is not plugged in.......WTF???

2. You can have a radar detector not a radar jammer.

As I used to live in N.S.W all radar detectors etc...were completely illegal....

So whats the story over here boys and girls.....

Cheers,

Daren

You can have one, you can use one, it is NOT illegal..... yet

Jammers however will land you in a spot of bother.

Bel RX65 is what I use, I have had a shit load of detectors over the years and the RX65 is definitely the best so far.

Grant or Dan at Alberts Morley 9276 5678 can hook you up with one at a very competitive price.

Yup radar detectors are perfectly legal. Jammers aren't legal anywhere in Australia.

Be prepared to be pulled up if its in the middle of your windscreen. Since they are not illegal, a lot of police like to tell you its in the way of your vision and to pull it down (whilst 100 people go past with a GPS in the middle of the windscreen!)

Just a warning though. Having a detector is not a license to speed. On the typical Multanova, you might get 100m warning if you are lucky.

Appreciate the warning guys....... I don't seem to see many cops or multinovas on Gnagara Rd :o

the ones you see are not the problem :)

[QUOTE=evo4clubspec]I have been told a few stories about radar detectors in W.A:

1. You can have one as long as it is not plugged in.......WTF???

2. You can have a radar detector not a radar jammer.

As I used to live in N.S.W all radar detectors etc...were completely illegal....

So whats the story over here boys and girls.....

Cheers,

Daren[/QUOTE]

You can own and use no problems, so long as it is not obstructing your view on the windscreen (a fine-able offence)

Jammers are not illegal to own, but are illegal to use.

But disagree on the Bel RX65 being the best. I used to be a Beltronics zombie for years until I actually tried other units.

The problem is the RX65 was designed for North America, which is why they perform average (at best) against Multanova speed cameras here in WA. The [url="http://www.robot.de/english/6f.php"]Multanova 6F speed camera[/url] is made by a european company and operates at 34.3GHz (Ka band) range.

North America uses 3 main Ka-band frequencies, which range from 33.8 to 36GHz whereas the [url="http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD//pc=PC_1298#infrared"]Australian Communications & Media Authority[/url] has only licensed 34.2 - 35.2 GHz for use in traffic radar in Aus. Therefore the RX65 (and all "Ka wide band" detectors) are scanning the entire 2.6GHz Ka range looking for radar signals that don't/can't exist here.

It would be better if these so-called AUS/NZ detectors were limited in their Ka-band scan range to just 34.2 - 35.2 GHz but they too scan the entire U.S. Ka-band range - scanning parts of the Ka spectrum not even licensed here!

The best detectors, therefore limit their scan to smaller sections of the frequency spectrum, and in particular for here in WA, centered around 34.3GHz. Models that can do this are the Bel 990i, the Bel 966 remote, 975 remote, Stinger DSI, target Euro 330, Target Euro 550 and the Valentine One.

I have found through many tests (most videoed) that the Bel RX65 and even the Bel STi are inconsistent with their warning on speed cameras. You can smooth this inconsistency out by mounting the radar detector vertically instead of (normal) horizontally because the Multanova 6F speed camera is horizontally polarised, where the antennas in radar detectors are vertically polarised. If you match the polarisation by turning the radar detector 90 degrees so it sits
like this: |
instead of this: -
then you increase the range of detection, and I have found it smoothes out the inconsistencies in the Bels, and even Escorts.

I have found the Valentine One gives 20 - 30 seconds warning on Multanovas when they are set up facing you, and 10-20 seconds when they are set up facing away (photograph your rear as you drive past).

The Bel RX65 (in my experience) is the worst at these rear facing set-ups, as it normally only alerts when you are pretty much in line with it (as documented with videos).

that was very informative dude, thanks very much!!

[QUOTE=bdazzld]that was very informative dude, thanks very much!![/QUOTE]

+2 looks like I will look at other detectors at the next upgrade

Vertical Brackets came in this arvo, have posted in Group buy section, first in first served.

actually this is bollox as radar is circularly polorised.. so what gives? this mounting vertically should make no difference..
Electro-Magnetic Compatibility is my trade... so guys what gives???