Anyone ever look inside a radar detector?

[zerbey]

Yes, plenty of pictures here but they're really not very interesting to look at inside. I've never ventured to dismantle my own, too afraid I'll damage it or send it out of tune.

[EscortRadar]

Has anyone here every pried their very expensive radar detector apart to look inside? Surely someone here has. I'm curious to know what the RF front-end looks like. Is it an IC, a hybrid, or discrete components? If it's a hybrid (which would likely look like a small gold or silver box) or integrated circuit I'd like to know who makes it. There are still only a few companies that can make integrated millimeter-wave components.
Thanks,
apchar

We design and manufacture our detectors entirely in-house, including the antenna/receiver.

[CJR238]

9500I patent pictures:








older 8500/X50


X50



STi internals with various parts of the LO board's circuitry labled by jimbonzzz:


Internal pictures of Bel Vector 985 and Passport X50 rev3







V1 internals= http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...ntine-one.html

[nosbusa]

CJR238, thanks for posting these pics.

[apchar]

Thanks for the pics and replies.
Rolling your own X-band RD was possible. I knew a couple of ham radio guys that did it back in the 90's. They actually got excited every time a door opener set them off ("Look! It works! I can detect grocery stores!".)
But it looks like rolling your own ka/k-band RD is hopeless. Surface-mount components that are smaller than a bug turd mounted on alumina substrates with gold metallization. fuggetaboutit. Test equipment at those frequencies is a little pricey anyway. Too bad.
But I'm impressed that Escort/Bell make their own out of discrete components. RD's have sure come a long way since horn+diode+annoying buzzer.

[Cadbury]

Mine looks very similar on the inside.

[apchar]

Anyone know how the VCO is built? Gunn diode, HBT, LC, something else ?
Apchar

[jimbonzzz]

Anyone know how the VCO is built? Gunn diode, HBT, LC, something else ?
Apchar

The Belscorts use a push-push oscillator, with a pair of bipolar transistors. As of the S7s they were BJTs, I used to have part numbers... unknown if they have changed since that time.

[aa2033]

i opened a RMR once.. all i found was a piece of paper that said "sucker"

[QuickTrigger]

i opened a RMR once.. all i found was a piece of paper that said "sucker"

What a coincidence!! i opened up a cobra once and it said "Thank You for buying a cobra but for 250 dollars you can only get 12 bands please upgrade to 15 bands for complete protection"