Consumer electronics: Helping speeders beat the radar rap: Moving radar and dual-band detectors constitute a miniature ECM race between enforcement-minded authorities and motoring outlaws

Radar for catching speeders has been around since the late 1940s. But now U.S. motorists are really beginning to feel the “pinch” with the advent of two recent developments: the 55-mi/h national speed limit, and “moving” radar that allows police cars to single out speeding drivers while maintaining normal patrol of highways (no need to hide bulky equipment along the roadside and tie up another officer). And as police efficiency has risen, so too has the demand for a reliable radar detector that gives advance warning of an impending summons. Dozens of new “garage shop” companies have attempted to produce a workable, low-cost detector, and a handful (so far) have succeeded. These small microwave receivers work at signal levels that would challenge the resolving power of a laboratory spectrum analyzer, yet they are priced around $100 each. And the legality of detector use and ownership is becoming more widespread as those few state/local laws that outlaw the device crumble in court.