While radar/laser detectors are legal for use in all states except Virginia and Washington, D.C., commercial trucks are prohibited universally from using these devices. In fact, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulation 392.71 prohibits these drivers from even possessing a radar detector. This statute has prompted law enforcement officials to purchase devices to detect radar detectors. These devices are called—take a deep breath—Radar Detector Detectors (RDDs).

RDDs work on the principal that all radar detectors leak a small amount of signal and these signals can be detected and the police officer alerted to the presence of a radar detector. The first RDD unit was the VG-2 Interceptor, manufactured by Kustom Signals Inc., which looked for leakage within the 11-11.4-GHz frequency band.

Before long, radar detector companies began using oscillators that were of higher frequency, thereby defeating VG-2. Fighting back, the RDD people came up with a newer technology called Spectre, developed in Australia. The Spectre not only looks for leakage in the 11-GHz. band, but also covers the higher 13-15-GHz bands. In 2003 the Spectre units used in North America were updated to the Spectre II model, and in 2004, Spectre II was, in turn, updated to the current model, Spectre III. Similarly the VG-2 RDD has been supplanted by the newer VG-4.

As you’d expect, radar detector manufacturers are ready with a counter-move. Beltronics’ newest receiver design, called TotalShield and found in its STi Driver model, has been optimized to eliminate RF leakage, providing what the company claims is zero leakage to defeat all RDDs. On top of that, the unit employs low-noise amplifier technology to optimize detection of lower frequency X-band range while dual front antennas increase sensitivity in the higher-frequency K and Ka radar bands.

Possession and use of a radar jamming device is prohibited nationwide and is regulated by the FCC. However, there are no federal laws restricting the use of laser jammers as lasers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Some states do prohibit or restrict their use (California, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Utah).

Laser jammers, also referred to as “shifters” or “blockers”, work on the principal of scrambling the laser signal that usually is aimed at a car’s front license plate or headlight reflector. When the scrambled signal reflects back to the operator’s laser gun, the officer sees an error message and can’t get an accurate reading.

The Escort ZR3 Laser Shifter, for example, senses incoming police signals and returns a confusing pulse that conceals the car’s speed. It is designed for stealth installation under the vehicle’s hood and dash, as well as on the rear end of a car. In all it is equipped with three laser transceivers: two front-mounted units for under-hood installation and one rear-mounted sensor. The Laser Shifter ZR3 can be linked to the company’s Passport 8500 radar detector, providing protection against all forms of radar and laser encounters.

The emergence of K40’s Calibre is a reminder of how far Bluetooth has come in the 12-volt market. Installed remotely from the driver, the Calibre radar detector system relies on Bluetooth for signal connections to the front and rear detectors, positioned behind the front grill and rear bumper for faster capture of the radar signal.

Meanwhile, Cobra’s XRS9930 and XRS9830 are two new digital radar/laser detectors that feature the industry's first color video displays. The DataGrafix color display on the units features alert screens and useful icons such as car battery voltage, signal strength and eight-point digital compass. The XRS9930’s full-color display can be programmed to match the vehicle's instrument illumination and, the company claims, has complete immunity to VG-2 and Spectre 1 radar detector-detectors.