Radar detection?

My new co car, a Mondeo Titanium X, has Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward
Alert, described as...

"Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) has been developed for more relaxed,
confident motorway driving. Using sophisticated radar technology it
constantly monitors the gap between you and the vehicle ahead, automatically
adjusting your speed to keep you at a safe distance. Forward Alert provides
an audible and visual warning if there is a risk of colliding with the
vehicle in front."

.... which is all very interesting and quite fun to play with.

However, having had the car less than a week I've had three seperate
instances of some very strange behavior from other vehicles when I've come
up behind them with the system operating. The drivers (one car and a couple
of vans) each made an obvious mirror check, braked and pulled into the
nearside lane [1] as if I was a full-dress janitor with blues-n-twos, and
they then give me a filthy look as I drive passed.

The only thing I can think of is that these vehicles have radar detectors
that sounded-off as if they are being illuminated by a speed camera or
hand-held speedgun. Would the frequency, pulse-rate, whatever be similar?
Would the detectors be triggered by something from behind?


[1] This being on dual-carriageways.

 

I've often wondered if it's possible to tailgate close enough to set off
parking sensors.

 

The rear parking sensors are only activated when you engage reverse.

 

I feared that might be the case.

 

It's my daily goal to back out of my drive in such a fashain so as to
set off my parking sensors on passing cars..

Phil

 

I imagine that, if you're designing a radar systemn for detecting
other vehicles and working out if they're getting closer, you'd
probably want to use a very similar system to one you'de design for
detecting other vehicles and working out how fast they're going.

I'd also imagine that if you were designing a radar-detector, you'd
probably want it to include a wide band of frequencies to ensure that
all possible types are detected.

So yes, it sounds plausible to me, but of course it could have just
been that you were driving like a ****.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Istr from somewher the police guns are 'K' band. A quick goggle
indicates that your system might radiate at 76 GHz, so no, I'd say not.

Maybe they're just scared of you.

 

K band is 18-27Ghz, right?

I know that the Ford Blind-spot radar system operates at 24Ghz and that the
"Eaton VORAD: Integrated Adaptive Cruise Control & Collision Warning System"
that Jaguar were playing with back in 2001 ran at 24.725 GHz, so that would
make them K band.

Can't find any specific info on the Mondeo system, though Ford US systems do
operate, as you say, around 76 GHz.

The Forward Alert system can operate independently of the ACC, so I don't
know if it uses the same hardware.

Why? They weren't scared of my when I was driving the Focus ST3
(Performance Blue) up until last week.

Maybe some drivers around here have heard that the janitors are using
unmarked Mondeos (Thunder Grey) - personally I think they're having too much
fun in their new Evos and Scubbies - see C5.

BTW It happened again twice on the way home this evening on the A127. Once
with a Porsche who pulled over and later with a tarted-up Pug 207 who had
nowhere to go but slowed to the point that the inside lane was undertaking.
All very strange.

 

That's always a possibility.

 

You're lacking imagination Platy. A quick re-wire and it's game on. As for
the front ones, I've had Passat sensors tell me I'm about to smack something
when I was too close to the car in front but therre wasn't a lot I could do
about it, being on a tow-rope an' all. It gets fucking annoying though, I
can tell you that.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

You can just **** right orf.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

*Could be*, I drove an XJ technology demonstrator in 2001 and it totally
ignored a Citroen BX.

The test engineer recon'ed it was due to the plastic tail-gate and bumper
combined with a major coating of dirt that acted like the paint on a stealth
fighter - "There's more work before it goes into production"!!!

 

Err... I wouldn't be best placed to rewire the sensors of the car in front.

My view is that the best parking sensor is a big solid tow-hitch.

 

I've got a Witter parking sensor fitted. Works perfectly without all
that annoying beeping.

 

Is that the sort that witters endlessly from the passenger seat?

 

Get a man in. YKIMS.

Absolutely.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Sounds like a good reason to never clean a bike, that does.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

You obviously have thought of pulling them over and ask them what
happened?

If they do have a radar detector, they might even tell you what model,
once they are convinced you are not plod.

 

How the **** do you 'pull someone over'? Especially on a motorway.
--
Champ

ZX10R | GPz750turbo | GSX-R 600 racer
My advice as your attorney is to buy a motorcycle
To email me, neal at my domain should work.

 

Did end up alongside one stopping in traffic and thought about putting the
window down and trying to communicate.

It occurred to me that the first vehicle to do this was a white Transit with
signwriting, which almost certainly included a mobile number. Trouble is, I
hadn't realised there was a pattern until too late.

Flash the headlights and pull out the hi-vis jacket from behind the back
seat?