Radar - what is it? Principle of operation

The radar is a compact electronic gadget that is able to detect and inform the owner about the presence of the tracking systems of the traffic police in the course of travel. Such systems emit laser beams or radio waves, the definition of which it is tuned. That is, the radar is a kind of receiver that works with incoming signals.

There are passive and active models. The latter are called antiradars and their main feature is the generation of high-power interference for GIBDD detection systems. Such devices operate in certain radio frequency spectra or directly modulate the response signal, which by far exceeds the original bearing power.

As a result, on systems / radar traffic police there will be either a modulated result, or nothing will be tracked at all. Such a radar is a direct violation of the law, where at best you are fined with confiscation of the gadget, and at worst - criminal liability. Therefore, we will not consider them, but let's talk about the allowed models, which are called detectors.

A conventional detector-radar is a passive receiver that does not muffle or modulate signals from the GIBDD's bearing direction systems, as an anti-radar, but only lets the owner know about their approach / presence.

Manufacturers

In the market of this type of equipment for the car, less than a dozen brands are leading. Here you can note the company Whistler, Escort, radar detector Sho Me, Cobra and Beltronix. This, in fact, is the backbone of manufacturers with a decent story, whose name has become a household name for gadgets of this kind.

There are other less well-known companies, in the range of which come sensible devices, but here you need to look carefully and weigh a lot before buying. These include "Uniden", radar STR (Street Storm), Rocky Mountain and PNI.

As for our territory, the domestic consumer prefers more or less qualitatively adapted models for our realities from Moongoose, Simikon, Nevedimka and past generations of the Cobra mastiff. Rapidly gaining popularity in the Russian Federation brand Radartech, whose devices can detect the notorious "Arrow".

There are also more exotic examples of such gadgets, which for the motorist and the role of something special do not play, like the model of the radar 24-Flight, capable of tracking the online mode of aircraft. The thing is useful in some situations, but too narrowly focused.

Principle of operation

The GIBDD bearing systems work according to the reflection scheme, that is, the speed is measured by the radiation that is reflected from your car. Such a signal is much slower than a straight line, which uses a radar detector, which means that the driver will be notified in advance of the presence of bearing in the course of travel.

If the weather is good, as well as the terrain, you can find the traffic police system at a distance of up to 5000 meters, and the best premium radar is able to catch the signal and up to 10,000 meters, even on hilly terrain.

Considering the fact that the majority of traffic police finders are designed for 300-500 meters for steady readings, the radar, you can say, without straining, will warn you about the presence of the DPS post.

There is also another kind of this kind of equipment - a GPS-radar. Here the principle of work is completely different. If the detector is dealing directly with the forward detection system of the GIBDD, the GPS device takes into account the cartographic data, that is, precise marks about the posts and cameras along the way of the car on-line.

This radar requires a constant (well, or close to it) connection with the satellite to display the most reliable data. The variant is quite workable, but only if the signal is stable and does not disappear for a long time, when you are moving along the route. If the connection with the satellite is often interrupted or there is none at all, then you just get a pretty gadget on the panel, not a radar.

The owners' responses to such equipment are diverse, and depend mainly on the climatic nuances of this or that region. You have a sunny and steppe terrain - almost any radar detector is suitable, you often drive through the mountains or in the rain - the GPS device will be the best option.

As for feedback on specific radar models, it is very difficult to classify them because of the variety of manufacturers, lines, series and gadgets themselves. Nevertheless, it is possible to trace one tendency of the reviews, which is best expressed by the expression: "The more expensive, the better."

Amplifiers

All radar-detectors (on radio waves), by their characteristics, use signal amplifiers, which greatly increase the range of their operation. In total, you can designate 2 types of such amplification - direct and on the basis of the local oscillator (sometimes with the prefix "super").

Direct amplification

This is the oldest and most customary way for the budget sector to strengthen. One of the advantages of this method is absolute passivity, that is, the radiation of the module itself is maximally close to zero. In countries where such equipment is prohibited, a gadget with such an amplifier does not require any kind of blocking protocols, such as VG-2, on board the vehicle.

In addition, direct amplification of the detector eliminates most of the interference, which is due to a slight sensitivity of the device. The devices of such a plan are very easy to configure and have a very democratic price tag.

European manufacturers have long begun to abandon such solutions, because of their low efficiency, but domestic figures are still continuing to replenish the automotive market with gadgets with such amplifiers.

Heterodyne amplifier

This method of amplification is much more progressive and the most advanced in technical terms. Such modules are commonly seen in the mid-budget and premium models of radar detectors. The undeniable advantage of such amplification is high sensitivity and a good sample of operating frequencies.

Critical is the fact that the device with such a heterodyne module is active, that is, the radar starts emitting characteristic waves during operation. In addition, the presence of interference during use sometimes seriously interferes with the normal functionality of the device. Setting up such a device turns into a real adventure along a branch of complex circuits and frequency selectivity.

Also, it should be separately noted that the devices of such a plan are prohibited by law in a number of countries. Before Russia such trends have not yet reached, therefore in our territory the heterodyne radar detector can be used without fear of being fined. They cost such gadgets cheaply, but, which is noteworthy, pay off very quickly, especially if you very often go on routes, autobahns and generally travel around the country.

Signal Processing Unit

This block, in fact, is the heart of any radar. Here, the incoming signals from the antennas and sensors are processed. That is, relying on some of their algorithms, the device processes the information and gives it to the user in the proper way. Today, several variants of such signal classifiers are used: analogue, digital and hybrid.

Analog

The simplest analog method slowly goes to the past, giving way to hybrids and digital devices. Such processing is based on the already laid out schemes in the chip, that is, according to the prescribed algorithms.

The disadvantages here are obvious and critical: a high rate of interference and errors, very low speed and high current consumption.

Digital

The digital method is most promising in terms of universality. Radars-detectors of such a plan are equipped with a microprocessor and a lot of VLSIs (super-large integrated circuits), where a lot of variants of the development of events are laid along with a set of algorithms, and the operation of such a device is based on heuristics, which allows several times to increase the speed of the device.

The software that is used in digital radars can be updated, and therefore also improve the performance of the detector, adding new algorithms to the already existing list. In addition, the method is characterized by minimal false positives, and the amount of interference is reduced to zero. Here you can add a significantly increased application scope and parallel processing (up to eight simultaneous signals). According to drivers, this type of devices is much more efficient than analogue ones.

Hybrid

Hybrid gadgets are the most common in our territory. The principle of operation of such a device is quite simple and understandable from the title. That is, we have an analog block, but with the possibilities of "numbers". Such devices are distinguished by a more or less rapid response and a small number of false signals, that is, interference.

Virtually all radars on the shelves of domestic stores in the medium-budget sector are working on hybrid technology. As many users say, the "figure" is, of course, good, but it is expensive and should be serviced more often, and hybrids are unpretentious and versatile.