Radars

Probably a dumb question but what are the Radar Detectors used for?

Used by Cops to catch you speeding...

so why would you put one in your car?

You mean the Radar detectors, which you can buy and use in your car. He misunderstood you. What he was refering to was the actual Radar and laser guns officers use to track your speed, not a Radar detector.

Cops use radar and laser guns (among other things) to track your speed in and effect to enforce the speed laws. There are several different frequency bands in which the radar guns and laser guns operate.

Now, a radar detector (which is what you asked about) is bought and used to "detect" the police radar. They look for radar and laser signals in use across several bands and they notify you when it is detected. This way, in theroy, you will know when there is an officer using radar or laser nearby.

The problem, is other things use radar and laser frequencys too. Garage door openers can set it off, traffic lights on a sensor, etc. Not all radar dectors are eqaul, so it's important to look for a good one. Also, some can detect from further away than others. If can't detect from far enough away (or you are simply going too fast), it will notice the radar/laser band in use and notify you, but by the time you react and slow down...wham...your on radar...they have your speed.

Now, there is such a thing as Radar/Laser jammers, they jam the signal and prevent the radar/laser gun from getting a speed reading on you. This is done by Jamming the signal (think of it as similer to how a stealth jet works, because they jam the radar and laser signal). Now, these, however, are generally illegel, but they do exist.

I hope this helps answer your question a bit.

now what is a good one to buy?

depends on how much you have to spend, one ive heard alot about but havnt been able to try is the valentine one....its about 400 bucks though, minus installation costs

I dont really believe in radar detectors simply because it only tells you when your caught. Also, when the officer asks how fast you were going, you cannot give an honest answer because you were trying to slow down.