Old days of radar/radar detectors?

[jimbonzzz]

Hello,

Wasn't it funny, CMI made the Speedgun for LEO's and made Escort detectors for the civilian population to find radar traps.

Take care,

Spin

As far as I know this is an URBAN myth. CMI, that's Cincinnati Microwave Inc. never made RADAR guns for speed enforcement. CMI made satellite receivers, radar detectors, they had a cell phone line (Motorola OEM). Later CMI made Cellular Digital Packet Data modems (CDPD) and cordless phones along with their Radar/Laser detector lines. The Cobras that worked so well in the "old" days, were made by CMI under contract to Cobra. KPH made the "Speedgun" and it's still one of their trademarked retail names.

X2

The CMI that made the radar guns was a different company than "Cincinnati Microwave Incorporated". Cincinnati Microwave went bankrupt and the assets were bought by Escort Inc. The CMI that made the radar guns was bought out by MPH Industries.

[Tambourine-Man]

I had one of the original Fuzzbusters, but as they say the mind is the first thing to go, so I don't remember those days too well.

[computersoc]

What caused X and K falses in the late 70's/early 80's?

[MMeteor]

Trains and automatic door openers were the major cause of "falses" in the early 80's, that I remember where I lived anyway (rural Utah). I don't think there were many others really that you could pinpoint it was the source of the false. Some of my buddies used to say microwaves and automatic garage door openers set thier detectors off but I don't really think they did. Other than that, I don't really remember too many "falses" if you bought a decent radar detector. 95+% or more were LEO's.

[CactusMan]

I think my favorite old detector was the original Passport although it could only detect X and K band.

[CactusMan]

Got one in late 70's. I don't remember the brand, but that thing was about 3"x3"x4"! It was HUGE! It had a small speaker, a hole actually, in the top center. I remember when automatic door openers got prolific I just put it on the shelf. I finally threw it out a year or so ago. This is about what I had minus the on/off switch and "mode" selection:

OMG! I had one of those too!!! Some protection on X band against the ever powerful MR-7. I got my first RD in 1979. It was a Road Patrol (Radio Shack) XK. Not bad for a passive unit. It was actually better than the Micro Scan. X band predominated for awhile. The Kustom MR7 did not have instant on, but shortly thereafter the K-55 X band came out. It was low powered, had instant on and was harder to detect. But the CMI Escort (thanks to Mike V) made quick work of the K-55.

There were plenty of false alerts, but they were all X band and the passive RDs could not pick them up as far away.

K band was being used more and more in the early 80s. The GUL Micro Scan was horrible against K band, specifically the Kustom KR-11 K band radar. It could only pick up the KR-11 within a 200-300 ft. The Radio Shack was not so good against it either. That was when I invested in the CMI Escort. Needless to say, it was a night and day difference! It picked up the door openers from a longer distance, but that was the price for good sensitivity! My first X band trap with it was a Wisconsin State Trooper running an MR-7, and I picked it up 3-4 miles away!

Constant on X band! Life was good!

GTO_04

Now there is a name from the past GUL.

[Won Hunglo]

I really loved my Maxon RD 1 until Ka & laser came along. Switched to the brand new Escort 4500 in 1992 or so. What a POS. Ran it until I got my V1 in 1998. No turning back then. Still running it today.

[MEM-TEK]

*****

[spyder2000]

Using a Fuzzbuster II I got over a six mile warning in Louisiana - it was hilltopping at the time. I used it up until I got stopped (and received a warning) from a trooper using IO X-band. He knew I had a detector because the stupid thing lit up the inside of the car as well as the dome light did. Used the (then) infamous Super Snooper a bit but it was huge (and better).

Graduated to an Escort as soon as K band was available. Moved to a Passoprt and kept that until Ka was in use in this area.

Early X falses seemed to come near bridges for me.

[Bookm]

Bought a Fuzzbuster in 1981/82 when I was just 2 points away from losing my lisence. Not one ticket while using / many saves!! Without a doubt, it saved my lisence.

Gave it to a cop using a Spectre in place of the expensive one I was using many years later. Wish I still had it just as an antique.