Speed Measurement Labs Test
Client: Beltronics USA, Inc.
Products Evaluated: Bell STi Driver radar
Evaluation Criteria: RF Leakage & Detection by police RDD's
Evaluation Date: 22/10/05
Evaluation Location: El Paso Texas USA
Evaluation Personnel: Carl Fors, SML, Dave Adams E.E., and local law enforcement officers.
Report Date/Number: 31 October 2005/SML0404-11
Overvie
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission), voiced its concern of radio frequency (RF) leakage by radar detection devices beginning in its notice of 19th July 2002. The FCC furthermore now requires all radar detectors to comply with “unintentional radiators” necessities in several parts of CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 47 and subparts of Part 15 therein. The FCC declared RD's must not surpass energy levels of a field strength of 500 uV/m calculated at 3 meters away from the RD. The FCC further required all RD's be submitted for appraisal of this energy standard. The FCC further insists all radar detectors be labeled as satisfying with the policy. The label should display a FCC ID # of the RD and contain the words “This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.” The FCC has time and again stated radar detectors to be a legal device most notably in the FCC’s Public Notice, DA96-2040, issued 9 December 1996. But, this dictate allows states and other federal agencies to consider RD's in their jurisdiction illegal as did the US Department of Transportation - outlawing the use of radar detectors in commercial vehicles from February in 1995. This ban includes 18 wheelers, but does not apply to passenger cars. RD's in cars are illegal only in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and on US military bases.
Beginning in the latter of 1990 a device designed to alert to the presence of an (illegally operated) radar detector was released to law enforcement staff. It was named a radar detector detector, or RDD. Kustom Signals Inc. released this device under the name of VG-2 as it was scanning for RF local oscillator leakage around the 11.55 GHz frequency. Following to the VG-2, the "Spectre" RDD was introduced to the US market by a company called Microstealth Technologies of Australia, known locally as the Stalcar. The Spectre alerted to a wider range of local oscillator frequencies as radar detector manufacturers shifted the frequency of their LO emissions outside of the VG-2 range. A new VG-4 RDD has now entered the market from Hills Country Research of Fredericksburg, TX. The distance at which the RDD’s detected a RD's LO leakage is a assessment of its compliance with the aforementioned FCC requirements for “unintentional radiators.” Several high leakage brands of RD's will interfere with other radar detectors in the opposite lane. The opposite lane radar detector will alert the driver, of a radar presence, but in reality it’s detecting the high leakage signal of the oncoming radar detector.
Radar detectors constantly make every effort to design their detectors to minimize emissions with better shielding. During Speed Measurement Labs yearly RD Test in June, all radar detectors were challenged to all RDDs including the newest versions of the Spectre, the Spectre III. Every radar detector was alerted to by the Spectre III. Some were even alerted to at long distances past 1/4 mile!
Beltronics, Inc. contracted with SML to establish the detectablity of their new STi Driver radar detector. Detectabilty is defined as not emitting any signal complying with the FCC “unintentional radiator” provisions of CFR 47, Part 15 as referred to previously and to being detected by RDDs.
Methodology
As with all SML tests, the standard practice of operating all radar guns and other enforcement equipment by radar/laser certified police officers using the devices in accordance with guidelines of the IACP was applied. The police officers themselves also took down the results of tested products along with riding in the test vehicle with the representatives of the respective radar detector maker as observers. These “ride along” officers are the ones that report to the test vehicle the performance of the tested products. This standard practice eliminates any bias from the results. Beltronics provided Ron Gividen as a representative of their company and he brought the STi Driver sample, unit to the field for testing. The STi Driver is a solid build made with a finely detailed black, metal case. It feels heavy and substantial because it is. You could hit it with a hammer and it would just smile back at you. It’s designed for durability, longevity and the abuse of dropping it out of your SUV on a four wheel camping trip. We were tempted to drag it attached to the bumper of the test vehicle for a mile before putting it into operation. In 20 years of testing radar detectors, we’ve never seen such a solid construction.
Prior to testing for RF leakage, the sample, i.e. Beltronics STi Driver, was tested for reception of normal radar bands from 1/2 and 1/4 mile distances. Orange cones were placed at these locations and distance confirmed using a Kustom Signals Pro Laser III laser gun set to the range mode. This assures accuracy to 1/10th of a foot. A white Ford Taurus was used as a test vehicle and the STi Driver was mounted per the instruction manual of the product Mr. Gividen brought with him. The pavement was dry with an ambient temperature ranging from 57F to 74F. Humidity as reported by National Weather Service Radio was 13%. Testing began at 0900 hrs. and ended at 1500 hrs. The testing location has an elevation of 3,216 feet above sea level and is devoid of any RF signals in the radar bands to be evaluated. A RF sweep was made of the test course prior to testing insuring no competing RF signals were present. During the 1/2 and 1/4 mile test, the sample was exposed to radar guns transmitting on X band at 10.525 GHz, K band at 24.150 GHz, and Ka band at 34.7 GHz. The sample correctly identified each transmitted frequency at each distance cone. For re-verification, other radar detectors were also included in this common distance reception test including a Valentine One and a Whistler 1778 model. All models were also exposed to a Kustom Signals Pro Laser III transmitting at 904 nanometers. When aimed at the detectors, all models correctly reported laser reception.
The RDD test began at the completion of the radar gun verification evaluation. The test vehicle containing the detectors began approaching the van containing the RDDs from the 1/4 mile cone at 30 mph. Once detected, the driver was told to stop and the detection distance was recorded by the laser gun in the range mode. The detection distance was re-verified by a second laser reading while the test vehicle was stopped. All detectors were given five runs at four different RDDs including the VG-2, VG-4, Spectre II, and Spectre III. The Spectre III was provided by the police officers as they brought it to the test site. The five detection distances were then averaged. If the test vehicle did not stop immediately when told to do so by the van’s radio operator, that particular run was cancelled and it was run again.
Results
The STi Driver was completely invisible to all RDDs down to point blank range with the noses of the test vehicle and the test van touching. It’s the black hole of signal leakage. The only way to detect the Driver is to see it! The other two tested detectors were easily detected by both the Spectre II and the Spectre III.
Detection Distances of Radar Detectors by Make & Distance
- distance reported in feet from the RDD
- ND denotes not detected |
Detector |
VG-2 |
VG-4 |
Spectre II |
Spectre III |
Valentine One |
ND |
ND |
644 ft. |
544 ft. |
Whistler 1788 |
1456 ft. |
155 ft. |
630 ft. |
4655 ft. |
STi Driver |
ND |
ND |
ND |
ND |
As a final test we drove the test vehicle with the STi Driver operational to the front of the test van containing the RDDs to see if we could electronically detect it. We couldn’t. At this close distance the STi Driver actually detected the RF leakage of the Spectre’s while the Spectre units were blind to the presence of the STi Driver.
Conclusion
The field testing confirms the advertising claims of the STi Driver.
The Driver is the only radar detector completely invisible to all radar detector detectors with blistering sensitivity to all radar bands. It did not “key” up other radar detectors attesting to its strict compliance wearing the "white hat" good guy award with FCC regulations regarding “unintentional radiation” of RF signals.
This evaluation was conducted in accordance with accepted police practices for operation of radar and laser speed measurement devices as outlined by the International Association of Chiefs (IACP) and NHTSA.
Police officers observed, reported, and verified the testing procedures.
Attested To This 31th Day of October 2005
FIELD EVALUATION REPORT
BY SPEED MEASUREMENT LABORATORIES, INC.
Evaluated Product: Laser Blinder
Evaluation Date: 8 August 2003
Evaluation Location: Stan Roberts Senior Road, El Paso, TX
Personnel: Sgt. Victor Araiza, El Paso ISD Police, Officer Patrick Linam, El Paso ISD Police, Carl Fors, SML, Dave Adams E.E., SML, Cory Jensen, SML, Liz Hermida, SML, Torben Andersen, Blinder, Leon Gruner, Blinder,
Conditions: Clear, 92-100 F°
Report Number: SML0803:17
Report Date: 12 August 2003
Certifications: Sgt. Araiza, Officer Linam, and Carl Fors Certified Laser Gun Operators, NHTSA, standard
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