Comparison StreetStorm STR-9000BT vs Stinger S550 ST

The types of pulse signals that a radar detector can detect. Modern police radars, usually, do not use a constant exposure mode, but short (fraction of a second) pulses, and even if the detector supports the appropriate range, it does not mean that it will be able to detect a pulsed signal in this range.

Here are the main types of such signals that are relevant for modern radar detectors:

— Instant On. Name for the general mode of operation used in most modern police radars. A radar operating in this mode emits radio waves only directly when measuring speed, for a very short period (less than a second).

— P.O.P. Mode of operation used primarily in K- and Ka-band radars (see above). Provides a single pulse of extremely short length — about 0.07 s.

— Ultra-K (K-Pulse). The standard pulse mode of operation of the radar in the K band. Unlike POP, it provides measurement using several pulses and a longer total measurement duration — up to 0.4 s. Thus, the requirements for detectors under Ultra-K are somewhat softer than under POP, however, for correct recognition, support for this mode must still be claimed directly.

— Ultra Ka. The standard pulse mode of the radar in the Ka band. In terms of its main features, it is completely similar to the Ultra-K described above, differing only in operatin...g frequencies.

— Ultra Ku. The standard pulse mode of the radar in the Ku band. In terms of its main features, it is completely similar to the Ultra-K described above, differing only in operating frequencies. It occurs very rarely, due to the gradual exit of the Ku range itself from use (for more details, see "Ranges of operation").

— UltraX. The standard pulse mode of the radar in the X band. Like the X band itself, this mode is considered obsolete and is provided more “just in case” and as a tribute to tradition than for practical reasons.

Models of police radars that are guaranteed to be able to recognize the detector.

In addition to general characteristics (range, pulse length and configuration, etc.), different radar models may have various specific features that make detection difficult. In addition, manufacturers indicate this parameter for marketing reasons: choosing a radar detector for compatibility with specific radars is easier than delving into the details of ranges and pulse modes.

Here are some of the most popular models of modern police radars:

— Autohurricane. An automated system, the main component of which is video cameras — according to the data from them, Avtohuragan can even recognize speed and record violations of the speed limit. The radar itself in the Avtohuragan systems is used optionally, so even if compatibility is claimed for the detector, this is not a guarantee of detection (the complex can work without a radar). Some models may have a database of Autohurricane coordinates and automatic GPS-based warnings (see below), but this is also not perfect.

— Arrow. A fairly advanced automated complex with a detection range of about 1 km. It is this complex that is often associated with "letters of happiness" — written notices of violations and fines, which began to be sent to drivers in some countries. "Arrow" can operate at frequencies that differ from the standard, which makes...it difficult to detect by traditional radar detectors; for a guaranteed response to Strelka, such a possibility must be explicitly stated in the characteristics.

— Robot. Automated devices that originally appeared in the EU countries. They are colloquially referred to as "birdhouses" for their characteristic shape and installation mainly on poles. Like the Strelka described above, the Robot radar operates in its own range, which is not related to the standard ones.

— Avtodoriya. An integrated system for obtaining road information, which provides, among other things, speed control. When measuring the speed, the car is fixed by cameras of two sensors — at the beginning and at the end of the control section; the speed of movement is calculated by the time it takes to pass this section, and the video allows you to recognize numbers. The Avtodoria system does not use radars, so the only way to "oppose" it is to use databases with coordinates of control areas. In some detectors, such databases can be automatically updated, including according to data from the marks put on the map by other drivers.

— LISD. Radars operating in the laser range ("laser speed and range metres"), with a wavelength in the range of 800 – 1100 nm. Can be supplemented with photo fixation blocks. Note that for many detectors that are claimed to be compatible with LISD, the recognizable wavelength range may be narrower; therefore, even such devices do not give an absolute guarantee from the laser metre.

— Gyrfalcon. Complex systems (usually stationary) combining a video camera and a K-band radar. Usually, they are mounted on poles or other similar supports, at a height of several metres.

— Chris. A photoradar system including a K-band radar. Usually used from a tripod mounted on the side of the road.

— Arena. A photoradar complex used both stationary and mobile — from a tripod or even from hands. Works in K-band. Installation at a distance of up to 1.5 km from the main post is possible, with data transmission via a wireless channel.

— Vizier. One of the most popular complexes for measuring speed and photographic fixation in the countries of the former USSR. Uses K-band radar.

— Spark. A hand-held radar with a characteristic shape ("hair dryer"), operating in a pulsed mode in the K-band; one of the few models in the CIS that operate in POP mode (see "Support for pulse signals"). The range is about 800 m, but in fact it is limited by the accuracy of pointing the device.

— Falcon. An obsolete X-band handheld radar, discontinued in 2008 but still in service in some countries. Range — up to 600 m.

— Berkut, Radis. Popular hand-held K-band radars, with a range of up to 800 m.

— Binar. A hand-held device that combines a radar with a photofixator for two cameras — wide-angle and "long-range". The radar module operates in the K-band.

— Rapier. Stationary device used both separately and as a component of other systems. Equipped with a camera and a highly focused K-band radar.

— Amata. A laser speed metre with a photofixator, similar to the LISD described above, but surpassing it in "range" (up to 700 m).

— Protection against VG-2. VG-2 is the name of the direction finder device that determines the presence of a radar detector in a car by the accompanying radiation from the superheterodyne (see "Receiver type"). Such devices are used by the police in countries where radar detectors are prohibited by law. Accordingly, protection against VG-2 makes it possible to determine the presence of this device on the road (by the direction finder's own radiation) and automatically turn off the superheterodyne in order to avoid detection of the detector and unpleasant communication between the driver and the inspector. In general, this function is very ambiguous: where it is relevant, the radar detectors themselves are illegal, and in countries where there is no ban on such devices, it is better to turn off the VG-2 protection to avoid false positives from interference.

— Protection from Specter. Protection against detection of a radar detector by a direction finder of the Specter type. These direction finders are completely similar to the VG-2 described above, but they have one unpleasant feature: the lack of a fixed operating frequency. In fact, this means that it is impossible to detect the "Spektr" in advance, and you can protect yourself from it only by shielding the local oscillator and other methods aimed at reducing the intensity of radiation from the radar detector.

— False positive filter.... A system that prevents the radar detector from being triggered by extraneous interference that is not related to police radars. Usually, the filtering of such interference is carried out by reducing the sensitivity of the receiver, as well as by electronic filters that distinguish the interference from the radar pulse due to signal features. Some models may also provide maintaining a database of false positives using GPS coordinates: at the first trigger, the point is entered manually by the driver into the database, and if after that interference is recorded in this place several more times, the radar detector finally “remembers” the point of interference and does not respond to her.

— Signature recognition. Support by the device of signature recognition of signals of a radar. Its principle is that the device does not simply react to the presence of radiation in a particular range (as with conventional recognition), but analyzes this radiation and determines whether it corresponds to the characteristic features (signature) of the radar. Thus, the number of false alarms is significantly reduced: the device gives a signal only when it detects the characteristic radiation of the radar. In addition, this technology even allows you to recognize specific radar models and inform the driver about it. Among the disadvantages of signature recognition, in addition to the increased cost of radars, one can note a reduced (on average by 10–20%) response speed. In addition, the signature memory is limited, it usually contains data only from the radars of a certain region. So when buying a device with this function, it is worth considering for which region the radar detector was originally intended.

— Anti-sleep function. A safety system that prevents the driver from falling asleep at the wheel. When anti-sleep is turned on, the radar detector beeps from time to time, to which the driver must respond — usually by pressing a button. If the button is not pressed, an alarm is activated, which also plays the role of an alarm clock.

— SWS mode. The ability of the radar to receive SWS signals — a warning system that warns the driver about approaching an emergency section, a narrowing of the road, the scene of a traffic accident or roadworks, etc. For such alerts, special beacons installed by road services are used. Note that in the CIS countries the SWS system has not yet received distribution.

— Auto mode. The presence of an automatic mode in the radar detector, in which the device independently captures the level of ambient interference and determines the measures necessary to compensate for them (reducing sensitivity, applying filters). Operating in Auto mode is more convenient for the driver than manually switching between City and Highway (see below). On the other hand, this mode is less reliable: even the highest quality automation is not always able to recognize changes in environmental conditions, and only human participation can give a full guarantee.

— Route mode. The presence in the radar detector of a separate mode "Track". This mode is intended for driving on roads outside of settlements; in such places there is little extraneous interference, and the sensitivity of the receiver can be increased in order to guarantee not to miss the signal of the police radar

— City mode Availability of a separate “City” mode in the radar detector, designed for driving within large settlements. In large cities, there are many sources of electromagnetic interference that can lead to false alarms; to avoid such operations in the "City" mode, the sensitivity of the receiver is reduced and noise filters are turned on.

— Setting the speed limit. The ability to set a speed limit on the radar detector. The meaning of this function is that when driving at a speed not exceeding the set one, the device does not give sound signals and does not distract the driver once again (although the light signals or notification on the display are still displayed). If the limit is exceeded, the radar detector will “scream out loud” when triggered. The best way to use this feature is to set the speed limit according to the current road limit. Typically, a GPS module is used for speed tracking (see below).

— Adjust the brightness of the display. Ability to change the brightness of the radar detector display. This function allows you to optimally adjust the screen to the characteristics of the environment. For example, on a clear sunny day, the brightness should be maximum, otherwise the image on the screen cannot be seen normally; and at dusk it can be lowered so as not to tyre the eyes and not impair the visibility of the road.

— Mute. The ability to turn off the sound alerts of the radar detector. This feature will be very useful in situations where loud sharp sounds (and the signals of modern detectors are usually exactly like that) are undesirable — for example, if a small child is sleeping in the cabin.

— Voice notification. The ability to "voice" the sound notifications issued by the radar detector using voice. Such notifications are more convenient than traditional sound signals (beep, buzzer, etc.), they usually provide extended information — for example, the device can say aloud the type or range of the radar. Such data can also be displayed on the display/indicators; however, voice guidance keeps the driver focused on the device.

— Disabling ranges. The ability to disable individual operating ranges of the radar detector at the request of the user. This function allows you to optimally adjust the device to the situation in a particular country: if the range is not used by the local police, it is better to turn it off to avoid false positives and to speed up the detector.

The presence of a GPS satellite navigation module in the design of the radar detector.

GPS is the main satellite navigation system in the world today. The navigation module allows you to determine the geographic coordinates of the radar detector at the current moment, but the methods of using this data may be different, depending on the model of the device. So, in some devices, GPS is responsible for working with the base of stationary radars and cameras, in others it ensures the operation of the speed limiter (see "Functions"), in others it can transmit location data to the car's on-board computer, playing the role of an external GPS receiver, etc. However, anyway, this function, usually, indicates a rather high class of a radar detector.

The current nominally consumed by the radar detector during operation. Usually, with a regular connection to the cigarette lighter socket with the engine running, this parameter does not play a special role — even the most advanced models do not “eat” so much that this noticeably affects the operation of the on-board network. In fact, current consumption data may be useful only in some specific situations — for example, battery operation.