Re: Radar Jammers

[John Greenstreet <jgreenst@motown.ge.com>]

> From quattro-owner@swiss.ans.net Fri Nov 11 13:37:11 1994
> Date: Fri, 11 Nov 94 12:52:55 EST
> From: drobbins@wellfleet.com (David Robbins)
> To: quattro@swiss.ans.net
> Subject: Re: Radar Jammers
> Reply-To: quattro@swiss.ans.net
> 
> Date: 11 Nov 1994 17:11:49 GMT
> Message-Id: <127266782.40878494@wellfleet.com>
> Organization: Bay Networks, Inc.
> 
> Come on, people.  I have never seen or read anything that shows that Radar
> Jammers are effective in any way.  As has been mentioned, the active jammers
> send out a signal saying you are either moving at a fixed rate of speed (i.e
> always 65 MPH) or a percentage of your real speed (80 MPH *.8 = 64 MPH, 70
> MPH *.8 = 56 MPH, etc).  In either case, a cop is perceptive enough to know
> there is something funny going on.

Not only that, but by turning on a jammer, you'll also cause other radar-
equipped cars to slow down, possibly plugging up the road ahead of you.

> 
> As far as passive jammers go, I have read tests that show they do absolutely
> nothing.  The people selling them are betting on the fact that you have no
> way of knowing if it does what it should or not (there are lots of
> explanations in the literature about how it is not foolproof - a concept they
> call "punch-through").  They figure the'll sell more than they get returned,
> and end up making money in the end (haven't we heard this before - can you
> say Superchips?) .  If you think about the concept of a passive jammer, it
> doesn't make much sense.

Right, there was a test of various jammers in the STAR, and you'd get the
same effect from putting a coffee mug on your dash!

> 
> If you're going to waste your money on a radar jammer, I would suggest buying
> a better detector.  Better yet, send the money to me, I have some spare
> computer boards and a black box I can send in return ;-)

While we're at it, don't forget to buy some Slick50(TM) oil and gas
treatment and send in your computer to SuperChips!

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John Greenstreet, Senior Engineer           (jgreenst@motown.ge.com)
Martin Marietta Government Electronic Systems    Moorestown NJ 08057
WPI Class of '75, Temple Class of '94

My new car history:
  1975    1978    1982       1986        1989      1992      1995
   VW ->  Audi -> Audi  -> Mercedes -> Mercedes -> Audi -> Mercedes
Scirocco Fox GTI  4000S    190E 2.3    190E 2.6    100CS     S320

POSSLQ's* new car history:
         1978       1981       1985      1988        1990     1993
       Triumph ->  Toyota ->  Toyota  ->  VW    ->   Audi  -> Audi
       Spitfire    Tercel     Corolla   Jetta GL      80      90S

*POSSLQ = Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
Note: All Audis and Mercedes above were sold to friends or family.
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