Radar Detector :: Speeding Technology Essays

Radar Detector Radar, which stands for Radio Detection and Ranging, was developed for military purposes. The British and US military used radar to locate ships and airplanes. However, when they were using this technology annoying blips consistently appeared on its screen. It turned out that these blips were raindrops. They saw this hindrance as a wonderful opportunity and in 1957 created the WSR-57 (weather surveillance, 1957), which became the primary radar for the weather service for nearly 40 years. This technology was later further developed and used for other purposes such as air traffic control. They use radar to track planes both on ground and air, and also to guide planes in for smooth landings. NASA uses radar to map the earth and other planes, to track satellites and space debris and to help with things like docking and maneuvering. The military uses it to detect the enemy and guide weapons. Police use radar detector to detect the speed of passing motorist. In conclusion, radar is something that is used all around us even though it is normally invisible. When people use radar, they are usually trying to accomplish one of three things; detecting the presence of an object at a distance, detect the speed of an object, or to map something. All three of these activities can be accomplished simply by using echo and Doppler shift. These two concepts are easy to understand because your ear hears echo and Doppler shift every day. Radar makes use of the same techniques using radio waves. One particular usage of this radar technology is for transportation purposes. For many people, speeding is a normal part of daily life. This law bending is so common and also so accepted that there is even a special electronic equipment to help drivers get away with it. Since their introduction in 1970s by Mike Churchman, radar detectors have become a must have accessories for high-speed drivers. To understand how radar detector work, you first have to know what they are detecting. The concept of measuring vehicle speed is very simple. A basic speed gun is just a radio Transmitter and receiver combined into one unit. A radio transmitter is a device that oscillates an electrical current so that the voltage goes up and down at a certain frequency.