New Technology -- Better Than Radar Detectors

[ionbeam]

Looks like Valentine has finally started making another team player which can stand beside their long running V1.


Next generation technology in radio detection

Federal law prohibits drivers of commercial motor vehicles from using radar detectors. In fact, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulation 392.71 prohibits these drivers from even possessing a radar detector. Plus, radar detectors are illegal in all vehicles in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and on all U.S. military installations.

The Valentine ELITE detects police cars by sensing electromagnetic “leakage” from a component common to every radio equipped patrol vehicle, the local oscillator. No manufacturers tries to avoid detection by suppressing local oscillator leakage with shielding; the radio frequencies that the ELITE is designed to detect are rigidly defined by FCC allocation. In most cases, the ELITE can detect these radios before the patrol car can be seen.

Sensitivity adjustment adapts to the environment

Where radar patrolling is common, the Valentine ELITE has the added advantage of automatic signal attenuation and the selectable filter switch. Since the ELITE can detect many brands of police radios at nearly 3,000 feet away this degree of sensitivity and adaptability offers better identification of spurious signals from multiple radios in “target-rich” environments – and assists operators in distinguishing among multiple signals.

In that situation, the filter reduces sensitivity in frequencies used by side band radios while maintaining heightened sensitivity in frequencies used by police in state and local communications. This selectable sensitivity, combined with proper detector orientation and setup in the vehicle, limits the detection threshold to much closer to the patrol vehicle and allows the driver to “scan” traffic for unmarked vehicles.

The Valentine ELITE is about the size of today’s radar detectors and mounts to the windshield of the vehicle. It can be rotated 360 degrees to detect police radio at all angles relative to the vehicle.

Valentine, the world leader in radar and now radio detection, is the exclusive United States distributor.

FEATURES:

• New selectable Filter Switch for better target acquisition in “target rich” environments

• One-touch audio mute button to silence audio alerts and then restore audio volume automatically 5 seconds after the signal is last detected

• Automatic LED dimming for discrete night operation

• A high-volume audible alert

• A temperature compensated front local oscillator for improved accuracy in detecting known radio bands
__________

Standard features on all Valentine models:
• Simplicity of operation
• Instantaneous multi-band reception
• Cloaking system
• Bargraph proximity display
• Geiger counter style audio alarm
• Small, compact, and light (roughly 1 pound with windshield mount)
• Unique 360-degree mount for easy targeting in all directions.
• Shielded power cable
• FCC/ Industry Canada/ ACMA approved for use in vehicles
_________

Equipment features unmatched by any other commercially available radar detector:
• Digital RFI/ low volt and voltage spike detection with indicator and auto audio mute
• Digital over temperature sensor with audio mute and automatic reset
• User adjustable gain control with low gain warning indicator
• Eaton Vorad™ compatible
• Compatible with all standard police traffic radio systems
• Will not detect satellite radios, and anti-collision systems such as Distronic™ found in the USA, Canada, and Europe

Environmental considerations:
• All Valentine ELITE models are now lead free (RoHS) compliant
• Products are packed and shipped in recycled packaging

Specifications
• Operating Frequency:
10 GHz - 25 GHz
• Temperature Range:
14° to 176° F (-10° to 80° C)
• Power Requirement:
11.5 - 14.5 VDC
• Current Requirement:
300 - 500 ma
• Weight: 1 lb.
• Sensitivity:
-110 dBm @ 25 GHz typical
• Detects: Almost all common police radios
• Dimensions:
6.1” D x 3.5” W x 1.4” H

 

[RossKean]

This wouldn't have anything to do with the posting date, would it? Love the new avatar!

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Could be the date... but I know a few years ago the OPP was using a device that picked up the signal from the beat feedback oscillator on radar detectors to nab folks that had them in Ontario (where they are verboten)... so in theory the device noted is entirely possible. Same as the pods we carried on the fighters to passively detect hostile RF emitters.

But yeah... I think you're right about the date

Griff

 

[beerme]

Very nice cast, indeed.

In context, i thought the article was going to be about a new radar detector detector detector, until i saw a picture of the unit. I used one of those Spectre radar detector detectors to good effect for a coupla years before leaving the Patrol.

 

[Fontanaman]

Guaranteed to work even when LEO has his radar turned off.

 

[ionbeam]

Guaranteed to work even when LEO has his radar turned off.

The LEO may have his radar off but his eyes are still on and watching. I have heard tales of NERDS feats of daring-do with double yellow lines and no radar would detect that but roving LEO eyes would. There is more to violating every known traffic law than just speeding

 

[Fairlaner]

ummmmmm

R

 

[bwv]

I prefer the holmdel horn, as it has far greater range, a larger rejection bandwidth, and superior resolution to any local oscillator based leak detection device currently available.

I prefer the garden shed mountable unit with optional long range wireless remote, as the full size fender mounted unit can be unbecoming and heavy when mounted on such a gorgeous machine as the FJR

 

[Chuck35]

I dunno if this is a hoax, but I have seen ads for similar units for years now.

 

[JamesK]

Nice April Fool's post Alan, and one only a few peeps on here could pull of as effectively

I am confused about a couple of points however:

1. The listed frequency operating range would indicate that this unit can't "see" the Ka-band at all and miss a good chunk of the K-band.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka_band

2. It was/is my understanding that the whole point behind units like the Bell STi Driver/Magnum and now the Escort Redline is that their local oscillators are fully shielded, such that the roadside tax collectors running RDDs will not be able to pick them up. I once saw a vid where they had an STi Driver sitting right in front of a cop car running an RDD and it had zero signal of an RD being present.

A radar detector detector (RDD) is a device used in areas where radar detectors are declared illegal.Radar detectors are built around a superheterodyne receiver, which has a local oscillator that radiates slightly. It is therefore possible to build a radar-detector detector, which detects such emissions (usually the frequency of the radar type being detected, plus about 10 MHz for the intermediate frequency). Some radar guns are equipped with such a device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_detector_detector

3. Since RDDs, by definition have to be so much more sensitive to radar signals, be equipped with good filtering technology to prevent constant false alarms and in theory should have some kind of signal directional identification circuitry, would it not make sense that the best RD out there would in fact be an RDD? So why aren't we all using RDDs for protection from being fleeced by the cops.

 

[JamesK]

Superhet is your friend.

I prefer the holmdel horn, as it has far greater range, a larger rejection bandwidth, and superior resolution to any local oscillator based leak detection device currently available.I prefer the garden shed mountable unit with optional long range wireless remote, as the full size fender mounted unit can be unbecoming and heavy when mounted on such a gorgeous machine as the FJR

 

[Fontanaman]

I prefer the holmdel horn, as it has far greater range, a larger rejection bandwidth, and superior resolution to any local oscillator based leak detection device currently available.I prefer the garden shed mountable unit with optional long range wireless remote, as the full size fender mounted unit can be unbecoming and heavy when mounted on such a gorgeous machine as the FJR

Well maybe we could mount it on a Harley? Oh yeah I forgot they don't even like regular horns but rather loud pipes.....

 

[HotRodZilla]

Isn't that the horn on Patriot's slider??

 

[Iris]

I fell for this one!

 

[majicmaker]

I fell for this one!

I have to admit. Me Too!

 

[ionbeam]

Wellalrightynow. I had hoped that this would have gone a bit longer before someone outed me. I also had hoped that it would seem undeniably plausible because it is.

The concept is absolutely possible and this type of radio sensing is easy. Unfortunately the police radio is in the Public Safety bands and would be hard to dig it out of the general spectrum. Making it more difficult is police radio use in the split bands of VHF and UHF.

All radios that have quality receivers use a form of superheterodyne and a phase locked loop detector to receive signals. The key part of the superhet is a very high power oscillator that 'leaks' out and can be picked up by an antenna. This is how police radar detector detectors (RDD) work. In fact, the majority of the content is from Spectre's RDD ad. Beerme recognized the unit as a tool that he used in police work. Detecting police radios would work this exact same way.

I wondered if Patriot knew that someone had stolen the horn off his bike while the engine was out.

JamesK had the tech part down. To his points:

1. Don't complain about what this RDD unit misses, everything it misses is all good

All RDDs are different and differ in what they detect.

2. Shielded and Zero are different, let's split the difference and call the oscillator significantly attenuated. A different RDD and/or a different setup may produce different results.

3. This gets a bit complicated. The superhet's local oscillator (LO) operates at a different frequency than the received frequency. The output of the mixer will always be a fixed frequency, like 21 MHz when the antenna frequency and LO frequency are tuned correctly. A RDD actually looks for the LO frequency of the radar detector. The superhet beats the antenna frequency against the LO frequency in the mixer and outputs the difference (blocking the multiple, divided and additive frequencies). To be more detailed or accurate will be PM material because this is already past Forum Fodder.

Just goes to show that on April 1st you can tell nothing but the truth and it can still be a lie

 

[bwv]

Oh... so I was wrong... The device you spoke of isn't a "local oscillator based leak detection device" as I originally thought, it is a device that detects the local oscillator leakage of other devices... I get it now. Thank you!

I also wanted to clarify... the Holmdel Horn is an antenna for a radio frequency receiver, and is not designed to create any output, as the "Horn" in the name would imply. It is highly directional, (although it can easily be aimed) has a gain of about 43.3 dBi and a beamwidth of about 1.5° at 2.39 GHz. and an aperture efficiency of 76%.

However, while initially desiged to look for deep space alien radio signals, and maybe a little heavier than the FJR subframe could support... with a little bit of bracing, altered driving habits, and some modern superhet technology, it could easily pinpoint any LEO RDD LO Leakage Emmissions.

That all being said, I do beleive, with some machining, a custom mount, and some ABS Cement, we could attach it to Patriots exisiting horn as an output enhancing device for astonishing results (after all, it is parabolic).... or, it could be redisigned to be the Pirate version of the FJR tailpipe cone.

What is truly surprising, is the NEPRT and/or COTD rejection ability of this thread up to this point.

 

[CAJW]

Alan, with your standing as one of the top sparkys here on the forum, I would have expected better!

You sucked in way too many of us, myself included until I got about half way down the article and remembered the date. Good one!

 

[Fred W]

You had to know this was a hoax. Everyone knows that nothing is better than the V1.

I mean, this contraption didn't even have any arrows!