RDs are great now.
- longer range
- less false alarms
- more features
However, they are mighty big compared to some of the "tinies" available during the 80's.
Would dropping X-Band detection make the antenna significantly smaller and hence produce a more compact, lighter device?
Remember when the original Escort used to be considered small?
1978: Compared to the original Snooper, Fuzzbuster et al.
1982: The original Passport made a big deal of being the same size as an audio cassette case. It really was "compact".
Then the Uniden XL made us exclaim, "honey I shrunk the radar detector".
That thing was minuscule!!! Of course it was just X and K and no Ka or Laser. But the big difference was the power supply design. Old timers will recall the "downsizing" was made possible by dedicated power plugs. The voltage regulation circuitry was in the "lighter" and "hardwired" power supplies. Those units (actual RD) ran "cool".
Now all RDs are "biggish". Why don't manufacturers go the external power supply route and make the units a bit smaller. Less heat would mean better reliability too.
With "stealth" (Bel STi, Escort Redline technology), a smaller less noticeable unit would be hard to spot (eyeballing) by Mr LEO.
Just thinkin'.
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