Over the past few months, we’ve talked about how radar detectors and laser defense systems work. Now it’s time to talk about the dreaded and often controversial DragonEye ECCM-equipped lidar guns and why they’re so difficult to jam.

What Is DragonEye ECCM?

Let’s break this down a bit. Based in Norcross, Georgia, DragonEye Technology is a company that develops electro-optical systems for the law enforcement industry. What does this mean? They make police lidar guns. They have two basic product categories: lidar speed measurement guns with and without a built-in camera.

Aside from the quality, accuracy and reliability of their products, DragonEye’s claim to fame is their anti-jamming technology called the Electronic Counter-Counter Measure (ECCM) system. ECCM was designed to prevent a conventional laser defense system from being able to disable DragonEye’s measurement system.

What Is ECCM?

In a conventional lidar gun, the emitting laser produces pulses of light and measures the time it takes for those pulses to be reflected back to the gun. Knowing the speed of light, the gun can calculate the speed of an object by analyzing the changes in reflection time for each pulse. For our discussion, let’s say that the gun sends out 150 pulses per second and expects to see that same frequency of pulses returned.

Laser defense systems on our cars and trucks are designed to detect these pulses of light and transmit additional pulses and varying timing patterns to prevent a lidar gun from being able to make a calculation.

When ECCM is in use, the spacing between the light pulses is somewhat random. We specify that is it only “somewhat” random because the gun needs to know when it emitted a pulse and be able to measure its reflection time. As such, there is a pattern, even though it’s complicated.

Again, purely as an example, a DragonEye Gun may start transmitting at 150 Hz (pulses per second), then ramp up to 1,500 Hz and back down.

Defending Against Variable Pulse Rate Lidar

A simpler name for lidar guns like the DragonEye Compact and DragonEye Speed LIDAR with ECCM enabled is Variable Pulse Rate (VPR) radar. Other guns like the Stalker X-Series, the Laser Ally lidar and the LTI TruSpeed also offer VPR anti-jamming modes.

It’s worth clarifying: It’s the frequency of the pulses that is changed, not the frequency or wavelength of the beam being transmitted. For most lidar guns, that beam remains in the 905 nanometer/331.26 terahertz range.

In order for your laser defense system to prevent a reading, the system needs to detect the algorithm used to modulate the laser pulse frequency and transmit a compatible yet scrambled pattern. The transmitted pulses can’t simply be random.

The Cat-and-Mouse Game

Manufacturers of laser defense systems such as Escort, AL Priority, Stinger and K40 are constantly working on updating their firmware to maintain compatibility with new firmware from the lidar gun manufacturers. Statements about which defense systems defend against which guns should be qualified with confirmation of the firmware on the gun. A four-year-old DragonEye gun that has never had an update is going to be easier to jam than one that just came off the assembly line or has just returned from recertification and updates.

If you are shopping for a laser defense system, visit your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer and talk with them about where and how you drive. If they are truly experienced in the laser defense market, they will be able to tell you what radar and lidar guns are in use in your area and help you select a solution that will meet your needs. As always, we want to remind our readers that the performance of a laser defense system depends significantly on the installation. A reliable and accurate installation isn’t cheap but it can be the difference between getting a speeding ticket and arriving at your destination without delays.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Sold as a means of preventing police officers from measuring the speed of your vehicle, laser shifter systems are amazing feats of engineering. Laser-based speed measurement guns measure distances very accurately and very quickly. Police use these hand-held guns to pick out a single vehicle in heavy traffic and find out in a split second how fast it’s going. With no time to slow down, a laser shifter system is your only hope of not getting a ticket – assuming you are traveling above the speed limit.

How Do Police Laser Systems Work?

Police laser guns emit a series of narrowly focused light pulses at a target. The system measures the time it takes for those pulses to reflect back to the gun. Knowing the speed of light, the gun can calculate how far away the object is. If the series of pulses arrives back to the gun at an increasingly faster rate, the object is getting closer to the gun. If the time between pulse reflections is slower, the object is moving away. Using calculus (that math you learned in high school but never thought was necessary), the gun can calculate the vehicle speed, often in less than 0.3 of a second.

How Do Laser Defusers Work?

The laser defuser system uses a pair (or more) of transceivers on the front (and optionally the rear) of your vehicle to detect the light pulses from the laser gun. The transceivers have IR receivers that are similar to those used to detect signals from your TV remote control. As soon as the system detects a signal, it sets to work analyzing the pattern of pulses to determine what type of laser gun is being used. It compares the pattern to a look-up table and immediately starts broadcasting light pulses that are similar, but not identical, to those it received. This process happens in less time than it takes the gun to measure the vehicle speed. The pattern of confusing light signals and reflections from the vehicle prevents the laser gun from accurately determining your distance or speed.

How Do We Use Laser Defuser Systems?

The key to being able to continue driving without interruption lies in how your laser shifter system is used, more than what it does. As soon as the system detects a signal, you will receive an alert so that you can start to slow down. Once at a safe speed, you can cancel the shifted signal transmission and allow the officer to take a reading.

The speed at which you complete the “slow and cancel” process is crucial to your success. If you lollygag and drive past the officer with the laser signal shifted, he or she will know what you are up to and may choose to follow you.

A smooth but efficient application of the brakes to prevent the nose of the car or truck from dipping, then a subsequent tap on the Mute (or similar) button should take no more than a few seconds. The officer will likely be in the process of taking a second measurement of your vehicle and, if you’ve done your job, will get a reading that won’t raise an eyebrow.

Expert Installation Is Required

One final point we want to highlight is the importance of proper installation. Laser defusers, shifters, sensors, transceivers or whatever you choose to call them require very accurate installation. If they aren’t aligned perfectly and positioned according to manufacturer guidelines, the system may not function properly. Done wrong, your investment in protection will be rendered useless.

As with most premium automotive enhancements, choosing a retailer who has the tools, training and materials to complete the installation properly should take significant precedence over any other aspect of the project. Ask to see examples of their work and, if possible, have a look behind the scenes at how they mount components, run wiring and make connections. If it doesn’t look right to you, it probably isn’t.

Our team asks that you always obey all traffic laws and drive carefully at all times.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.