How to set up a radar detector to detect cameras

Where and how to install correctly

For the gadget to work effectively, you need to install it correctly. It is recommended to place it either on the windshield or on the dashboard of the car. There is no difference, you can install it wherever it is convenient. In this case, the main requirement must be met - the radar detector should not block the view of the road.

There is one more rule - you need to install the device in the car parallel to the road.

In addition, the installation of the radar detector must be such that it can easily detect electromagnetic radiation.

Most often, the device is installed near the rearview mirror, but away from windshield wiper blades, sun strips and other metal parts (this can cause distorted results).

You can install the radar without using any special tools. It comes complete with suction cups

Sho-Me G-475 STR

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Answers 7

Drivers are available on the official website:

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The effectiveness of using a device such as a radar detector depends on the quality of the product itself, correct installation and accuracy of settings. To be sure of the quality when purchasing, it is worth checking the functionality of the device and all accompanying documents, including the presence of instructions that tell in detail how to set up the radar detector.

How to connect

You can connect the radar detector yourself. The simplest option is to connect through the cigarette lighter. But this method has disadvantages, for example, the power cable will always be visible.

If this is essential, then hidden installation is also possible. In this case, you can do without a cigarette lighter. To do this, the radar detector must be connected either to the ignition or to the lampshade. When choosing the second option, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:

How to properly install and configure a radar detector in a car

insulating tape;
fuse;
screwdriver.

Now you can start working directly (it is advisable to have the connection diagram at hand):

Remove the lamp housing, then disassemble it to get to the hardware.
Strip the cables of the device, which must first be stretched under the ceiling upholstery, and then connect to the corresponding “minus” and “plus” of the lampshade.
Reinstall the lampshade.

You can also connect the radar detector to the ignition yourself, but it’s a little more difficult to do:

Install the gadget (in this case, it is better on the windshield).
Remove the upholstery from the side pillar and, if necessary, from the threshold.
Pull the power wire through the channel that is in the rack, then bring it out at the bottom of the dashboard and route it to the block.
Now you can put the upholstery back in place, and then connect the wires to the block, or rather to the 12-volt cable through the fuse.
After this, the block must be hidden, and then the threshold trim must be installed back.

RADAR4

Is a radarless complex (such as Avtodoriya, etc.) a step forward compared to conventional microwave technology?

In technology there are almost no steps forward - mostly in a spiral. A hundred years ago, two hoses with water were placed across the road at a distance of several tens of meters, and a policeman with a stopwatch measured the time interval between the “fountains” when a car passed through the hoses. The next version implied two cameras at a distance of 1 km and a bunch of operators who determined the numbers of the “racers” by eye. And these days, “Avtodoria” has appeared: video cameras record the vehicle as it enters and exits the measured section of the road. Having calculated the travel time, the system displays the speed at which the car covered this distance. The system itself is not new: similar systems have been used for many years in a number of European countries. It can be used on highway sections from 500 m to 10 km.

Do license plates “sealed” with a special film save you from photo/video recording complexes? Smartphones do not see anything in these cases...

Detailed materials on this topic can be found here and here.

Let us briefly note that serious measuring systems use so-called machine vision cameras, and not household “telephone” toys. They record even the minimal difference between the background and the taped-on number. And recent developments make it possible to cope with more complex tasks, such as reading completely contaminated license plates. However, we will not disclose the technical features of such devices, so as not to provoke another “arms race” between guardians of the law and its violators.

[ All about radar detectors ] [ Radar detectors: results of Zarulev tests ]

[ Why a radar detector needs GPS ] [ How to hide from speed detectors ]

Radar detectors: main questions and answers

How to setup

The radar detector must be configured only once, as a result of which the selected parameters are saved in memory.

Police speed control devices operate in 2 ranges:

range “x” (typical for Sokol radars - it has already been discontinued, but is still used in some regions);
range “k” - all modern speed meters operate in this range.

This gradation does not apply to the laser meter. It does not work in any one range. Its functionality is based on changing the wavelength of light.

There are other ranges (radar detectors can pick them up), but in Russia they are not used, so they need to be turned off during setup. This should be done in order to prevent false positives and increase the performance of the device.

How to configure the Cobra TM radar detector correctly?

To effectively detect cameras, configure the following parameters:

distance to the radar;
backlight brightness;
sensitivity level (if the parameter is high, false positives are possible);
sound notification.

You also need to select the operating mode:

Instant On - the device is in ready mode, but does not emit waves;
POP - measure speed in pulses;
Route - the device operates at maximum performance;
City - allows you to connect different frequency bands.

The “Highway” and “City” modes can be periodically switched to reduce the number of false alarms.

How to choose the right radar detector for your car: selection criteria, varieties, characteristics

When choosing a radar detector, you should take into account several important criteria.

Supported frequency bands

Today in Russia radar detectors are used that support operation in the following frequencies:

X-band - 10.525 GHz;
K-band - 24.15 GHz;
Ku-band - 13.45 GHz;
Ka-band - 34.7 GHz;
La-band is the range of modern laser devices.

When choosing a radar detector, it is better to give preference to devices that support the maximum number of frequency ranges, as well as the ability to detect short-pulse and laser waves.

Sensitivity and selectivity

The sensitivity of the detector affects the detection range of the radar, and the higher it is, the more time the car owner has to react and reduce speed.

However, as sensitivity increases, the number of false positives increases. To avoid this, you need to choose models with a radio signal selectivity or filtering function, which allows you to distinguish and filter out various devices operating in ranges similar to radars.

Information display method

Currently, there are radar detectors on the market with three types of information display: character, digital and OLED screens. Accordingly, the devices of the last group are considered the most informative, and the most primitive - the first.

Availability of GPS

Unfortunately, when choosing a radar detector, many car owners do not attach much importance to models with a built-in GPS receiver and do it completely in vain. In practice, the presence of GPS allows the device to remember places with interference, and subsequently ignore the signal coming from there.

How to use a radar detector?

Instructions for use are included with each radar detector. Features depend on the model, but there are general recommendations. People who constantly use the detector can read the symbols on the display and understand the sound signal without prompting:

if you turn on the device in the “City” mode, the letter “C” will appear on the display and will light up in yellow;
green letters “K/Ka” and red “X” indicate the corresponding mode;
“L” will warn about laser radar;
The red numbers indicate the detection strength of the radar.

You also need to pay attention to the sound signal. For example, when operating in the K-band, a weak, short-lived signal may indicate a false alarm.

How to set up a radar detector?

Video:
It is customary to configure the radar detector once, after which the selected parameters are saved in memory. Today in our country there are mainly two bands used in which police radars operate:

X - the Sokol type radar operates in this range, which has long been discontinued, but in some regions they are still found.
K-band – this is where modern speed meters operate.
Separately, we can distinguish laser radars, which do not operate in any specific range, but operate at the expense of the light wavelength, which is measured in nanometers.

There are other frequency ranges:

Ka;
Ku;
VG 2;
Specter I-IV;
POP.

Frequency ranges

These ranges are not yet used in our country, so we recommend turning them off. First of all, this will reduce the frequency of false positives. Regardless of the fact that there is no measuring equipment in such ranges in our country, triggering from other sources cannot be ruled out. The speed of the gadget's processor also increases, since it will work to recognize only certain ranges.

It should be noted that in the new Cobra radar detectors, the Ka band is enabled by default and cannot be turned off. X-band is enabled in the settings and you can disable it if necessary. Frequency ranges not used in our country are disabled by default. In other words, modern models of Cobra radar detectors are configured for use in Russia. In the factory settings, the Highway driving mode is selected - it is optimal in many cases.

In the urban mode of operation in the Cobra RU 935, 945, 955 and 745, 755 and 775 ST radar detector models, the signal strength of one and two is not announced, so we do not recommend using the mode in unfamiliar areas. City and City Max are good for cities where the cops are mostly armed with Marksmen.

Operating principle of a radar detector

Radar detectors are the previous generation of means of combating radars and video cameras on the roads, which are used by State Traffic Inspectorate employees. These are active devices that create frequency interference and prevent police radars from accurately detecting speeding violations. They operate in a wide range of frequencies and disrupt the operation of not only traffic police equipment, but also surrounding frequency devices (including ABS systems and GPS equipment). Therefore, these devices are dangerous and prohibited for use in the Russian Federation.

Radar detectors are new generation devices that use the principle of signatures (that is, they recognize the individual handwriting of police radars, separating it from extraneous noise, and warning the driver that they need to slow down). This equipment is passive, it simply recognizes the radiation of traffic police radars and video cameras, without affecting the operation of high-frequency devices around it. Therefore, they do not yet have restrictions on their use, and there is no need to hide them in the car.

The operating principle of the radar detector is simple: two databases are loaded into its memory (signature module): the frequency base of radar equipment and the database of foreign frequency devices (door opening systems, signal translators of mobile operators, ABS systems, etc.). Receiving a signal, the radar detector checks it with data from both databases and GPS navigation maps, cuts out extraneous noise and responds only to traffic police radars. The driver receives a signal and slows down on the desired section of the road.

In a radar detector model that is installed in a car, the following are important:

availability of the most complete database of police frequency equipment with the option of updating via the Internet;
ability to work with any type of high-frequency signals;
high speed of receiving and processing the incoming signal;
noise immunity and minimal level of false positives;
continuity and reliability;
built-in functions for adjusting the range of receiving incoming signals, switching received frequencies and operating modes, GPS navigation;
available and additionally customizable options (timer, voice assistant, etc.).

It is also important that the signature radar detector can be quickly connected to the power supply through the cigarette lighter in the car.

How to use?

For the convenience of using the detector and getting the maximum result from it, you will need to get used to the gadget over a certain period of time and learn to correctly recognize information. For example, the appearance of a short and weak signal in the K-band almost certainly indicates a false positive. In this case, a stable signal almost certainly indicates radar detection.

Video:

Do not forget that in addition to police radars, other equipment operating in the above ranges has weaker radiation that the detector can trigger. These could be sensors for opening sliding doors at gas stations or in stores, power lines, cruise control in cars, cell towers, satellite dishes, etc.

To reduce the frequency of unnecessary triggering, we recommend doing the following:

Disable bands that are not used in our country.
Switch between City and Highway modes. In the first case, the received signals are coarsened and the number of false positives is reduced. In this case, the sensitivity of the sensor decreases.

To increase comfort, you can use the IntelliMute option, which is not available on all radar detectors. Setting the function makes it possible to muffle the functioning of the gadget at low speeds. These are the cases when using a detector turns out to be irrelevant. Let's say you're stuck in traffic or pulling into a shopping center where there are door sensors and you just can't speed in the parking lot.

RADAR6

Why were laser radars needed? Don't the “ordinary” ones cope?

The laser beam allows you to “capture” a specific car in a flow of any density, while the Doppler beam works with a wider signal beam and therefore must determine a faster target in order to clearly identify the intruder.

How do Strelki work? Why did the radar detectors sold for a long time not take them?

The Strelka system analyzes both radar and video data. The radar determines the range and speed, and the computer uses the video image to determine the lane along which the intruder is traveling. All this happens at a distance of a couple of hundred meters. When the violator approaches the camera, he is photographed at close range to record the license plate number, although the fact of the violation was established 200 meters away. The system measures at one moment in time and far away, and photographs at another moment and close. Moreover, the radar is not Doppler, but pulsed. Based on the delay time of the sent pulse, the distance to the object is determined, and after several measurements, the derivative of the distance with respect to time is calculated and the speed is obtained. In this radar, the pulse duration is about 30 nanoseconds, and the pause between pulses is slightly longer. The average power emitted by it is very small, and therefore widely used radar detectors at one time “did not see” it. However, creating such a device did not pose any technical difficulty, and therefore soon all radar detectors began to detect Strelka without problems.

What determines the operating range?

Cobra in the cabin

Please note that the detection range of the radar detector largely depends on factors such as:

geography of the area (winding or hilly road, lack of reflective objects and surfaces);
weather, traffic on the road.

It is impossible to determine in advance the maximum range of the antiradar, since in each specific case the combination of factors influencing the range may be different.

Also, you should not use two radar detectors at the same time, since the heterodyne background of one device can interfere with the operation of the other.

Do not bring the radar detector close to a functioning police radar - up to five meters. This is not normal for its use and the detector board may simply be damaged.

VidSyst.ruFor car Radar detectorsCorrect setup of the radar detector: how to use the device in the city and on the highway4minute(s)

The radar detector allows you to passively detect sources of radio waves and lasers from police radars.

Warning the driver in a timely manner helps reduce speed. The operating principle of the device is based on converting the signal from police speed detection devices and amplifying it.

Installation and location features

It is recommended to install the device on the windshield or dashboard.

The main requirement is that the device should not interfere with the driver’s view of the road.

The radar detector is mounted parallel to the road surface.

The easiest way to connect a radar detector is through the cigarette lighter.

However, in this case the power cable will be constantly visible.

For hidden installation of the wire, you can connect the device to the ignition or lampshade.

In the second case, you will need electrical tape, a fuse and a screwdriver.

The installation procedure for the radar detector is not difficult:

Fix the device in the desired place.
Remove the lamp cover.
Disassemble the lampshade, getting to the hardware part.
Find the “minus” and “plus” wires, and then connect to them the pre-stripped device cable stretched under the ceiling trim.
Reinstall the lampshade.

Connecting a radar detector to the ignition is more difficult.

For this job you will need a multimeter and a fuse.

Connection procedure:

Attach the radar detector to the windshield.
Remove the door sill and side pillar trim.
Pass the power cord through the channel in the rack, bring it out at the bottom of the dashboard and bring it to the block.
Place the pillar trim in place and connect the wires to the block, using a multimeter to identify the 12-volt cable.
Solder and insulate one wire of the device's power cord to the 12-volt cable.

The connection is made through a fuse. Hide the block and install the threshold trim in its place.

Hidden wiring does not take much time.

Initial setup of the radar detector (radar detector)

Setting up the radar detector is necessary for trouble-free operation of the device at different levels of interference.

The main reasons for false positives:

Motion sensors installed in stores and on barriers.
Distronic system sensors (cruise control, blind spot assistance) used in various VAG, BMW and Mercedes vehicles.
Short-pulse signals appearing during pulses from powerful transmitters (usually SB radios).
Strong electromagnetic fields. Such interference is rejected by most modern radar detectors.

To effectively detect police scanners and alert the driver, you need to configure:

distance to the speed control device,
backlight brightness,
device sensitivity level
and sound notification.

It is also important to choose the right mode so that the device does not distract the driver with display flickering and other signals.

Operating modes

Modern radar detectors have several operating modes:

Instant-On.

In this mode, the police radar is in standby mode, but does not emit radio waves.

If it is necessary to measure the vehicle's speed, aiming is performed and the radar instantly produces a pulse signal.

It takes 1 second to measure.

If the radar detector does not work in this mode, it will not be able to instantly detect the signal from the speed control device and the driver will not be able to react in time.

POP.

Many radars measure a target's speed in 1/15 second pulses.

This mode is necessary to detect Iskra radars.

The “Highway” and “City” modes are used to reduce the number of false alarms. When the “Highway” mode is turned on, the device operates at maximum performance.

There are several City modes (City1, City2). They differ in their operation in different frequency ranges.

Frequency ranges

When the device operates in the X-band, the pulse reading frequency is 10.525 GHz. The first radars emitted signals in this range.

Some Russian speed control devices (Sokol, Barrier) still use this range.

K-band (with a receiving frequency of 24.150 GHz) is the base for most speed control devices.

L-band (1-2 GHz) radars are less common.

Some speed monitoring devices use the VG-2 band (16000 MHz), which allows them to identify vehicles that have radar detectors installed.

Laser radars (lidars) emit short pulses in the infrared spectrum, which are reflected from the machine at a distance of up to 500 m and received by the measuring device.

When setting up a radar detector, it is worth turning on the K and POP bands.

How to use a radar detector?

For ease of use, many radar detectors have buttons with the names of ranges and operating modes.

The display shows information about the operating functions.

Meaning of indicators on the display

The display of the device shows the enabled modes and frequency ranges of radar detection.

Basic designations:

When City mode is on, the letter “C” appears on the display. Lights up yellow.
The inscription “K/Ka” (green) appears when the K and Ka ranges are turned on.
An “X” appears on the display when the X band is in operation mode (lit in red).
"L" appears when laser radars are detected.
The red numbers “2 3 4” indicate the detection strength of the speed control device.

These inscriptions ensure ease of use of the device.

Playme Soft radar detector review

The signature radar detector does not troll the driver once again - where others shout, Playme Soft is silent with dignity and waits for the real target, Strelka or Avtodoriya...

Contents of delivery

Radar detector
Fastening
Rug
Charger in car
USB cable
Documentation

Design, construction

It is difficult to evaluate the appearance of such a device; after all, Soft is not bought for image, but for quite practical purposes - to try to protect itself from the ubiquitous radars. Nevertheless, the Soft looks quite good, it is assembled firmly, and the gray plastic does not attract the eye or fingerprints. The area next to the antenna is glossy, on the back there is a screen, you can’t call it super informative, the most important information is displayed here - information about the camera in front, the distance to the camera, your speed and direction of movement. On top there is a speaker grille (by the way, the speaker is loud), a laser receiver lens, on the right side there is a miniUSB connector, needed to update the radar map. There are also buttons at the top for switching modes, turning on and adding POI points; if you press it near an unidentified camera, the device will remember and issue a warning next time. The sound can be turned off using the Mute button, the brightness of the screen is adjustable.

You can figure out the device very quickly, even if you have never had a radar detector, the main thing is to install Soft correctly in the car. There are two ways, either put it on the mat or use Velcro, I like the mat better, even with sudden braking the gadget does not fly into the cabin, the device is easy to take with you. Well, Velcro is just Velcro, it attracts unnecessary attention, and it’s more difficult to install Soft.

The radar detector has a battery installed, but I would advise you to always keep the Soft connected to the power adapter.

The exact characteristics are:

Radar

Receiver type: double frequency conversion superheterodyne
Detector type: frequency discriminator
Operating ranges a) X-band: 10.525 GHz (±50 MHz) b) K-band: 24.150 GHz (±150 MHz) c) Ka-band: 34.700 GHz (±1300 MHz)
Laser
Spectral sensitivity: 800-1100 nm, 360° laser detection

Are common

Power: +12 - 15 V, 250 mA
Dimensions: 67 x 109 x 26 mm
Weight: 117 g

Operating modes

For those who are not familiar with such devices, a little clarification is needed. What are operating modes? Essentially, this is the sensitivity of the device for different situations. For example, in the “Track” mode, the radar detector tries to catch the maximum number of signals in order to warn you in advance about cameras hidden in birdhouses. But is this necessary in a city where there are a lot of signals around - barriers in parking lots, cars stuffed with electronics, with a bunch of sensors, a variety of devices. Some radar detectors do nothing but beep and beep incessantly. You turn down the volume and miss the camera notification.

The new generation of radar detectors, including Playme Soft, work differently. Signature detection technologies help to accurately identify the radar and not react to spurious signals. It sounds like magic, but in fact signatures are something like signatures for each camera, the device literally knows them by sight, and over time - and with software updates - the knowledge base will be updated.

In short, Playme Soft does not troll the user and does not pay attention to other cars and other safe things, it is only interested in the real threat.

Therefore, you can go through the modes, these are “Track” with maximum sensitivity”, “Smart”, when the device works both with signatures and in normal mode. There is also a “Signatures” mode, signatures are read. Think of it as maximum sensitivity, medium and signature mode. I often traveled with the latter, as it was interesting to understand what Playme Soft is capable of.

Detection modes change cyclically when you press the City button. New POIs can be added only when the GPS signal is active, coordinates are recorded in the device, and the device stores 99 points. You can not only add, but also delete POIs; to do this, you need to drive near this point, press and hold the POI button. It sounds complicated, but in reality everything is very, very simple.

Display and operation

The display may be small, but it is informative. I want to tell you a little about the information that is displayed here - I didn’t take pictures of everything, there’s no need for that. The screen is quite readable in the sun, the information can be divided into two types, these are cameras recorded by a radar detector - STRELKA-ST, ROBOT, KRIS, ISKRA, CORDON, KRECHET, ROBOT, BINAR, plus cameras are detected in X/K/Ka -ranges. There are also cameras determined using GPS, these are “Avtodoriya”, “Strelka” and others.

The combined operation of the detector helps to avoid many troubles. You can update the device software here. If you bought Soft at the beginning of sales, be sure to go in and check if your version is up to date.

In the settings you can set a warning about the maximum speed for different modes (city, highway, etc.), turn on or off the detection of various ranges and individual cameras, adjust the GPS alert distance, I think it’s better to leave “Auto”. The gadget is smart, let it decide for itself.

Now a little about work. I used Playme Soft with Smart mode and drove about fifty kilometers around the city, on the highway and in other interesting places in one weekend. It was interesting to see how the “signature maker” would cope with its task. Firstly, where the other detector screams, Soft is silent. Personally, the volume of notifications is quite enough for me. Secondly, the automatically selected warning range is quite comfortable. Thirdly, the gadget does not respond to any advanced cars! It is amazing. You can see what it looks like here, very good examples.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be very difficult to take photos - the screen is updated, and there are stripes in the photos. But believe me, even in bright sunshine the information is easy to read.

There are some shortcomings, I’ll try to list the well-known ones:

I didn’t like that Soft shows the name of the identified camera only once, then only the distance to it, it’s worth repeating the name after some interval. Just for information.
By default, ROBOT detection is disabled; when enabled, an increase in false positives may be observed (an increase of 10 - 15%).
Hand-held radars “Binar” and “Falcon” are detected only in the “Track” mode, they say that in the next firmware they will be detected in the “Signatures” mode - I’ll check with the next Playme device.
The databases are currently updated once a month, but soon updates will occur twice a month.

If you have your own comments, you are welcome to comment.

conclusions

In retail, the device costs an average of 10,000 rubles, in my opinion, it turned out to be an interesting, useful and modern device - for me, this is the first radar detector that does not make me want to throw the device out the window. Probably, Soft also has false alarms or misses, another question is that the device simply cannot be compared with conventional detectors, this is heaven and earth. Naturally, the price may confuse many, but the capabilities of Playme Soft are also unique. It’s gratifying that the product has not been abandoned and engineers are actively working on improvements; I definitely advise owners to update the firmware of the radar detector.

The Band v7 radar detector is very easy to use. It has 3 control keys: turning on and switching modes. No additional configuration required. Just turn on the device and it is ready to go. Sound alerts and voice messages begin to work at a distance of 600 meters from the object. The display also shows information about the type of camera detected and the distance to it.

Remember. You will not find the product in a pharmacy or store. The original medicine can only be purchased on the manufacturer’s website! Thanks to this, the company constantly monitors the quality of the product, its price and, of course, customer reviews.

The display of the model is small, but quite informative. It allows you to evaluate the strength of the radar and the distance at which it is located. There is enough time to reduce speed after the sound warning is activated to smoothly slow down and not be caught violating traffic rules. It takes 600 meters along the highway, and 300-400 meters around the city, I always have time to make a decision.