GRP shells - Radar Gatsos?
Discussion
dilbert said:
I was just wondering if the use of a GRP bodyshell has any detrimental effect on the performance of a Radar based Gatso?
Anyone have any ideas?
Many years ago one of the American car mags did a load of research on this and discovered that there was a huge difference, car to car, on the distance when lock on was possible. They found that a sloping front like say a Cerb was far closer before it could be caught than a more upright front like say a Range Rover. IIRC they also found that GRP helped, using a Lotus to experiment with. This research led to some companies making radar ablative bras which fit the front of the car and further reduce detection range.
Personally I find it far less trouble to just scrupulously observe the speed limits at all times. As if.
Facetting - as in the F-117, is one way of reducing a radar signature. I reckon cars like the TVR "Wedge" and the Triumph TR7 might have lower radar profiles than many others. Ny Seven has a vertical front which is filled with a metal grill and metal radiator so I'm sure it presented a nice juicy target to the BiBs.
I wonder could I pick up some surplus anti-radar Shrike or ALAARM missiles anywhere?
I wonder could I pick up some surplus anti-radar Shrike or ALAARM missiles anywhere?
Eric Mc said:
I wonder could I pick up some surplus anti-radar Shrike or ALAARM missiles anywhere?
Good idea. Make them auto-firing as well.
I heard a tale that a Lotus was clocked at 100mph when it was stationery because the radar picked up the cooling fan going round. However, if Plod gets you fair and square, a GRP car is no defence
White noise radar jammer. That's the way to go, but the military will probably have yo' ass locked up for messing with their weapons systems 
I actually looked into the feasibility and structure of such a thing. If I remember there was a component which was very expensive (although I could be confusing it with another one of my crazy ideas!
Better idea:- If everyone who hates speed cameras actually mounts a paramilitary terrorist operation (as that's how the law will consider you) against the cameras with thermite and disc cutters, they might get the message.
NB:-I do not advocate doing any of the above as it is antisocial, irresponsible as well as a threat to public safety.
PS:- Anyone want some high explosives, give me a shout!
>> Edited by love machine on Saturday 2nd April 10:40
I actually looked into the feasibility and structure of such a thing. If I remember there was a component which was very expensive (although I could be confusing it with another one of my crazy ideas! Better idea:- If everyone who hates speed cameras actually mounts a paramilitary terrorist operation (as that's how the law will consider you) against the cameras with thermite and disc cutters, they might get the message.
NB:-I do not advocate doing any of the above as it is antisocial, irresponsible as well as a threat to public safety.
PS:- Anyone want some high explosives, give me a shout!
>> Edited by love machine on Saturday 2nd April 10:40
dilbert said:
Is it a terrorist act if a smallish number of people place bags over the heads of all known speed cameras?
It wouldn't take THAT many people to do. No harm done. I would have thought a standard black bin bag should do the trick, although I'm just guessing.
you need to sell it as a campaign of civil disobedience.
if you were putting black sacks over the cameras and taping them up then its easier to play the sympathy card. once you start damaging things you leave yourself open.
My Dad does this stuff for a living.
VW beetle (original) is as close to stelth as possible. This car is actually lower in radar cross section than a pedal bike.
The big thing that matters is the first big vertical piece of metal.
In a typical hatchback that will be the engine block and radiator.
All modern cars have either a small, but transverse and therefore significant, engine or a big fat radiator or both at the front. Bad news for radar.
The original beetle has a sloping front and the first big metal object is the transaxle. But to get to it the radar has to pass lots of angled metal bits which tend to deflect the signal.
So the solution is to drive an air cooled 911 or fit a 911 engine to a beetle.
VW beetle (original) is as close to stelth as possible. This car is actually lower in radar cross section than a pedal bike.
The big thing that matters is the first big vertical piece of metal.
In a typical hatchback that will be the engine block and radiator.
All modern cars have either a small, but transverse and therefore significant, engine or a big fat radiator or both at the front. Bad news for radar.
The original beetle has a sloping front and the first big metal object is the transaxle. But to get to it the radar has to pass lots of angled metal bits which tend to deflect the signal.
So the solution is to drive an air cooled 911 or fit a 911 engine to a beetle.
bruciebabie said:
This research led to some companies making radar ablative bras which fit the front of the car and further reduce detection range.
Oddly enough my uncle worked with a company in the states developing these until legal regulation made them stop.
First and foremost Jammers.
There are two types of radar jammers I have come across that are available on the civilian market. One is the type the military use where radio waves are emitted at a wide range of frequencies which just generally make anything using electromagnetic waves useless in the vicinity when switched on. The scamera will go haywire but so will the radio in your car (can you live with no more radio 4?) and any satellite navigation systems you have. The second kind is passive waiting until it detects a scamera’s radiation at which point it records the wavelength and frequency of the first wave to reach the car and emits a series of waves at the same length for a set period effectively making the speed camera see the car traveling at some ridiculous speed. The latter are easily defeatable by the Plod who can broadcast there waves on 2 different wavelengths.
Now as for you stealth car.
As mentioned before you want primarily a low metal mass in your car (particularly that which provides a radar cross section). However I doubt this is going to help most people so I suggest radar absorbing tiles would be the way to go for a “stealth car”.
Personally I still like the idea of spray pain because it cheap and effective.
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