I tested a couple of items to protect jammer heads...

[MEM-TEK]

Hi everyone,

Today, finally, the rain is gone from my area, and the late afternoon conditions were overcast. This was perfect for testing a few items which you can use to protect the front of your jammer heads from damage by sand and road rocks.

My test setup was simple: I used my home built laser gun simulator to first find the maximum range at which it will alert the rear 9500ci shifter. The maximum alert distance which consistently produced an alert was 9 feet. I then tested a couple of items which could be used to protect the fronts of jammer heads.

First, I tested two layers of Scotch brand clear Long Lasting Storage Tape. These two layers of tape reduced the maximum detection range for my laser simulator by about 5%. So it seems that this stuff is a quick and convenient way to protect the fronts of your jammer heads from sand and other small road debris.

Next, I tested a 1/16" thick sheet of clear acrylic which would provide better protection. The results were virtually identical as the results for the two layers of storage tape.

One note about potentially installing clear acrylic in front of your jammer heads:

It occurs to me that if the clear acrylic sheet is mounted such that there is a gap between the front of the jammer head and the acrylic sheet, then a strong potential exists for feedback from the jammer's IR LED or laser emitters into the jammer's IR sensor(s). Thus it would be best to mount a protective clear acrylic sheet such that it is either in contact with the front of the jammer head, or very nearly in contact with the front of the jammer head. This should greatly minimize the possibility of any feedback.

[Lucky225]

My question would be how these methods effect your laser jammers JAMMING capability rather then impact receiving capabilities.

[MEM-TEK]

My question would be how these methods effect your laser jammers JAMMING capability rather then impact receiving capabilities.

Well, I will find out at the next Atlanta Jammerfest.

[andy]

Thats some good investigative points and boy could my blinder lens have benefited from removable/replaceable protection over the 250,000 miles i've done with them to date

[hoben]

please let us know what you find out at the jammerfest

[nys464]

How about placing the heads inside your headlamp assemblies (if they are big enough)?

[MEM-TEK]

How about placing the heads inside your headlamp assemblies (if they are big enough)?

Neat idea, but not good for a few reasons...

First, the heat from the headlamps probably is enough to cook the electronics.

Second, the heads would be too far away from the center of the front bumper and grille to provide adequate coverage for those areas at closer lidar gun shooting distances.

Third, some headlights have front covers which have built-in dispersing prisms. This would significantly degrade the performance of the jammers.

Fourth, the 10% to 14% total reflections off of both surfaces of the headlight covers would not only reduce the effectiveness of the jammers, but also could cause feedback into the jammers which would further reduce their performance.

[lostidentity]

MEM-TEK how do you know all this? Its mind boggling, did you use to work in a field involving electronics?

[MEM-TEK]

MEM-TEK how do you know all this? Its mind boggling, did you use to work in a field involving electronics?

I've worked in a few fields.

[carter840]

I think GOL and other members have found that clear plastic can have a dramatic effect on jamming. I believe at a GOL test a few years ago one of the new jammers still had clear plastic protecting it's lens and it killed its performance. I might be wrong thought, it will be interesting to see what you find out.