Product Evaluation Dates: 24-26 February 00, El Paso, TX Products Evaluated: Phantom RCD™ Active X, K band countermeasure.
SML Staff Participants: Dave Adams, E.E., Craig Pit™an, B.S., Carl Fors, B.S., M.S., David Summers, Dana White, John White, Rod Sidney.
Report #: SML0300-27
Evaluation Methodology: The RCD is an active radar countermeasure with a built-in radar detector.
The device is designed to be mounted on  the dashboard or the sun visor. It claims to jam X and K band radar by rapidly changing the microwave return Doppler shift of the radar gun. It also claims to give advanced warning to radar gun use with a built-in radar detector.
SML staff used the Kustom Falcon K (24.150 GHz) band analog gun, the MPH K-15 X (10.525 GHz) band analog radar gun, and a new Stalker Basic digital K band radar gun in testing the effectiveness of the RCD.
The test vehicle containing the RCD was run at the radar gun source without the RCD operating to determine target range acquisition by each radar gun. The test vehicle was in commercial radio communication with the radar source location. After initial ranging without the RCD operating, the RCD drove toward the radar gun source from a distance of one mile. SML staff drove the test vehicle and the radar guns were operated by police officers. The officers first left the radar guns in the "constant on" test, the test vehicle was driven toward the radar source, and the radar guns were triggered in the "instant on" mode for one second at the 1,000 foot distance cone from the radar source.
Officers and SML staff at the radar source observed the speed displays of the radar guns and listened for changes in Doppler audio from each radar gun. After radar gun testing, the RCD was subjected to the VG-2. The VG-2 is known as the "radar detector/detector" and is used to find radar detectors operated in commercial vehicles.
Operating a radar detector in a commercial vehicle, i.e., an 18-wheeler, is illegal in all states per a Federal government directive of February, 1995. Operating a radar detector in a car is legal in all states except Virginia and Washington, DC.
The test car containing the RCD was driven toward the VG-2 from a distance of 2,000 feet to see if the device could indicate its use. SML staff in the test vehicle also observed if the radar detection section of the RCD gave ample advanced warning of radar.
Results: The RCD was found to be totally invisible to the VG-2 "detector-detector."
SML staff reported it gave ample warning of radar gun use up to 1/2 mile from the radar gun location on both X and K bands. Radar jamming efficiency was measured on both X and K bands with both analog and digital X and K band radar guns.
The RCD totally jammed both the MPH K-15 analog X band radar gun, and the Kustom Signals Falcon analog K band radar gun, from one mile to approximately 200 feet in front of the radar gun location in both the "constant on" and "instant on" modes of radar gun operation.
The performance of the RCD against the digital Stalker Basic K band was another story. The Doppler audio on both the MPH X band gun and the Kustom Falcon K band guns fluctuated wildly as the radar guns could not get a solid Doppler shift return lock on the RCD emission, and their speed display windows remained blank. It must be noted that none of the radar guns used told the officers that the radar guns were being jammed.
The Stalker digital K band gun intermittently displayed the correct speed of the test vehicle of 50 mph, but also displayed a speed of 92 mph, which an officer would disregard. The speed readings moved rapidly back and forth between 50 mph and 92 mph in the speed display window of the radar gun. This occurrence would lead the officer to question the accuracy of such a speed display.
Conclusions: The Phantom RCD XP performed as advertised, successfully jamming both X and K band analog radar guns. It did have an effect on the Stalker K band gun. It must be noted that 95% of the 250,000 radar guns used in North America are analog and not digital. The RCD was also invisible to the VG-2 radar detector/detector and gave more than adequate advance warning to the use of radar.
SML does not condone the use of radar or laser countermeasures, but offers this report as an evaluation of the product's actual field performance.
Results Attested To:
Carl Fors, B.S., M.S.
President
Speed Measurement Laboratories, Inc.
Fort Worth, Texas.
(Report copyright 2000 by Speed Measurement Laboratories, reproduced by permission.) |
