Page 3 - History of Radar
Fuzzbuster - First Radar Detector
When the national speed limit was reduced due to the Arab Oil Embargo of the early 1970s, Dale Smith invented the first radar detector, the "Fuzzbuster".
The "Fuzzbuster" became so popular that it became a synonym for all radar detectors. Snooper's "Super Snooper" radar detector was released a short time later.
X Band
These early radar detectors were very primitive in their functions. They only had the ability to search for the X band, which was introduced in 1965.
S Band
Its successor, the S band, took two fully trained officers to operate the first S band traffic radar system in Glastonbury, CT. Radar for speed enforcement got its biggest boost when the national 55 mph speed limit was initiated.
K-Band: The Second Milestone
Kustom Signals announced the first moving K band radar gun, the MR-7, in 1972, which is considered as the second milestone in radar gun history.
"Instant On" and Ka Band
The "Instant-On" transmission trigger soon followed as an anti-radar detector feature. In the early 1990's, a third radar band, Ka, saw a gigantic leap as Applied Concepts Inc, (Stalker Radar) introduced the first "digital" radar gun at 34.7 GHz.
Laser Guns
Laser guns entered the law enforcement arsenal in the late 1980's with Laser Technologies Inc. release of the LTI 20/20 signal shot device.
Official Standards Adopted
In January of 1994, The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued revised standards for radar gun accuracy and officer training.
The "Model Minimum Performance Specifications of Police Traffic Radar Devices" was issued after the National Bureau of Standards looked at police radar guns and found dismal accuracy and performance results.
The International Association of Chief's of Police (IACP) now must approve and test police radar and laser guns to insure quality and accuracy.
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