PRIMARY FUNCTION OF RADAR DETECTORS
First of all, to the uninformed, the primary function of radar detectors it to do just that; to detect and warn you of upcoming police radar so that you can check your speed and avoid a fine.

HOW DO THEY DETECT SPEED CAMERAS?
They are able to do this because radars (such as the Multanova used in W.A) are constantly on, and constantly emitting a signal that can be detected. This signal is continually emitted down the road, and can bounce off things in its path, and ultimately be detected by your detector some time before you are in the gun's range. Therein lies the key to radar detectors. How sensitive a detector is to the signals being emitted. The better the detector, the earlier the detection, and the more time you have to check your speed.

WHAT ARE BANDS AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
The next thing you need to know about radar detectors is that different devices used by police emit different signals. There are 4 different frequencies (bands) of radio waves detectors will pick up. They are outlined below.

X Band – NOT USED in Western Australia
K band – USED by police in Western Australia - Car Mounted Radar
Ka Band – USED by police in Western Australia - Multanova (Multi-Nova)
Ku Band – NOT USED in Western Australia

FALSE ALERTS AND HOW TO REDUCE THEM
Many other common devices emit signals with frequencies similar to radar guns. Devices such as garage doors, service stations, shopping centre automatic doors can all emit signals which your radar detector will pick up. Most of these sources of false alarms are emitting signals in the X band. 

This band is not used by police in Australia, but is in America, so the detectors are still made to detect it. The solution to this problem is to be able to select the bands you want to detect. Only the best detectors will have this feature, but it can be worth spending the extra bit of money to avoid annoying false X Band false alarms. Our detectors allow you to choose which bands you would like to detect, so you can minimise or reduce false alerts.

HOW RELIABLE ARE RADAR DETECTORS? WHAT AFFECTS THEIR PERFORMANCE?
It should also be noted that the world of radar detectors can often be somewhat be a hit and miss affair. There are a wide range of factors that can affect the performance of a radar detector. You really do get what you pay for. We were frustrated at seeing mediocre radar detectors that could just not do the job in W.A being sold at ridiculous prices. We did our testing and our research, and discovered that the Escort X50 and V1 Radar Locator were the best detectors for West Australian conditions.

Unless the speed camera is on a flat open plane, every speed camera placement is going to be different and every detection by your detector is going to be different. It can depend on the angle of the gun, where it is placed, objects blocking the signal, objects on the other side of the road, even cloud cover can affect the transmission of these radio waves. 

In general, with our top quality detectors, some times you will get ample warning (15-20 seconds), other times less, but often enough time to slow down. It should be noted that a multanova's maximum range is very limited. Both the Escort Passport 8500 X50 and the V1 are capable of giving 300+ meters warning, giving you pleanty of time to slow down. Take a look at our videos.

Every one of us is guilty of not paying enough attention to our speed and accidentally creeping above the speed limit at some point or another. The lower your speed, the more warning you are going to get. They are not going to save you if you refuse to drive sensibly. Radar detectors are meant as a tool to keep you concentrating on your driving, not a means to break the law.

RADAR DETECTORS: MENACE TO SOCIETY? OR ACTUALLY A SAFETY DEVICE?
Radar detectors have copped a lot of bad press in W.A this year and many people believe that they are menace to society and they feel it gives people a license to speed. We can assure you for the vast majority of owners this is definitely not the case. Of course the government is not going to like radar detectors as they detract from the revenue provided by speeding fines. From what has been said by people speaking out against radar detectors, it is obvious that they have not properly informed themselves on the real situation. Laws against detectors in other countries are actually being peeled back rather than becoming stricter, as reports are coming out showing that they actually promote safer driving; examples of such reports can be read here: http://www.adrawa.com.au/UseRadarD.htm or http://www.adrawa.com.au/radarban.htm. In the US, detectors are now only illegal in 1 or 2 states due to this fact. We are unaware of and study that claims radar detectors increase the incident of road accidents.

Its easy to say radar detectors give drivers a license to speed, but there is an extremely important factor that people who claim this are not taking into consideration. As we have discussed on another page, radar detectors cannot physically give you advanced warning of up coming hand held laser. While this point seems trivial, its not until you actually use a detector that you realise its impact. The argument against radar detectors is that the driver feels as though he is safe to speed and therefore will. But the threat of hand held laser is always on the drivers mind. We have found that after using a detector for a while, you become constantly on the lookout for police with hand held lasers, and are constantly worried of that upcoming threat. This makes radar detector users even more worried of being caught than a normal driver, and results in the driver being much more speed conscious and aware of their surroundings. We at NoMoreFines believe that anything that makes you conscious of your speed, more aware of your surroundings and sub consciously or consciously worried about the treat of being caught, all lead to safer, more attentive driving.

With every alert (be it false or real), the drivers attention is directly focused back on the road and their speed. I think everyone would agree that the majority of times when we speed, is when we aren't concentrating on our driving. Radar detectors are constantly bring our awareness back to the road, and as a result, make us safer drivers. Many radar detectors also have "safety warning system", which warns you of upcoming road works and the need to slow down.

We at NoMoreFines believe radar detectors do not only assist drivers in avoiding costly fines and losing their license, but also act as a tool to keep your attention focused on the road, and make you a safer, more aware driver.