MPH Industries of Owensboro, KY introduced POP mode in its 33.8 GHz two piece Bee III radar gun several years ago. It was an attempt by the radar gun maker to offer a radar gun that would defeat radar detectors. Such introductions are not new. Kustom Signals, Inc. offered the first instant on switch on its radar guns in the 1970’s as a means to defeat radar detectors after radar detectors were first appeared in 1972 with Dale Smith’s Fuzzbuster and Snooper’s SuperSnooper. Radar detectors were born with the nation-wide 55 mph speed limit and the arab oil embargo.
     However, radar detector use in cars is legal in all states except Virginia, Washington, D.C. and U.S. Military bases. In Canada, radar detectors in cars are legal in only three Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Section 79 (2) of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act states, “No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle that is equipped with or that carries or contains a speed measuring warning device (radar detector). (3) A police officer may at any time, without a warrant, stop, enter, and search a motor vehicle...on reasonable ground to believe is equipped with or carries or contains a speed measuring warning device and may seize and take away the speed measuring warning device.” However, in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission in its Public Notice DA 96-2040 states it does not regulate radar detectors as they are not transmitters and does not consider them to be illegal. However, the FCC does require detectors not to radiate microwave that would interfere with other devices. Labels are placed on the back of radar detectors with a FCC ID number and statement that the device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules subject to two conditions: 1) The device must not cause harmful interference and 2) The device must accept any interference including interference that may cause un-desired operation. Radar detector use in commercial vehicles, i.e. in excess of 10,000 pounds was banned by U.S. DOT directive in 1995. Although banned in 18 wheelers in all states, truckers still buy and use them. Approximately 9% of truckers still use radar detectors. One radar detector marketed by a radar jammer manufacturer was cited recently by the FCC as offering a radar detector that was improperly certified and emitted radiation in excess of that allowed by the FCC., FCC DA 07-299. In Europe, radar detectors use is not permitted in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. Detectors are not allowed in Australia, Israel or South Africa. South America is devoid of anti-radar detector laws. Detectors are allowed in Japan and England. In Europe, Ku band is used at 13.45 GHz along with K and Ka bands.One Russian radar gun maker, Simicon, www.simicon.com, offers both radar guns and radar detectors. No U.S. radar gun maker has ever offered radar detectors and radar guns.
     MPH offers three POP mode radar guns, i.e. Bee III at Ka 33.8 GHZ, Bee III Enforcer K at 24.150 GHz, and the hand held Z-25 K at 24.150 GHz. The POP mode, according to the MPH manual, can’t be used to issue tickets by itself and can’t be used in the moving mode, only stationary. It can’t be used to establish a legal “visual tracking history” which is required by the courts and POP mode assumes the officer knows a group of cars contains a radar detector. Don’t expect to see much POP in your driving future. The POP mode’s transmission is very short, less than 67 ms, and most radar detectors take pot luck in seeing it. For POP testing, all test vehicles were placed at a cone 1,000 feet from the POP radar guns. Manufacturer’s representatives were told to place their product in the POP mode if applicable. All detectors were given three tries at each of the three POP guns driving toward the POP radar guns at 30 mph. To verify transmission of the POP radar guns, the officer confirmed the speed of the test vehicle as displayed in the “target speed” window of the radar gun. The test vehicle then radioed the transmission van if the detector alerted to POP modes. All detectors had success against POP radar guns, but some didn’t see all POP transmissions. Seeing POP trasmissions is largely pot luck. However, two saw the POP transmissions from all three POP guns each time. The Valentine 1 and the Whistler 690 saw all nine POP transmissions. These were followed by Whistler’s Pro 78 with 6 of 9 transmissions or 67%, Cobra with 6 of 9 transmissions or 67%.  All other models were below 50%. Nevada and Iowa have state contracts for the MPH Bee III two piece radar gun with POP.