MythBusters Episode 18: Beat the Radar Detector
Air Date: October 13, 2004
Holding a large sheet of plywood will slow a fall from a building enough to make it survivable.
busted
The fall was almost completely uncontrollable and the impact was still deadly. Even under the best possible conditions the fall was not survivable. Even when the myth was stretched to custom-built constructions of the five individual plys of the plywood, neither Adam’s nor Jamie’s designs were any improvement.
Opening an umbrella will slow a fall from a building enough to make it survivable.
busted
Though different umbrellas did slow a fall, the impact was still deadly. A real parachute was also tested but found to be unable to properly arrest a fall from only 60 feet (18 metres). The best an umbrella can do is hold the person somewhat upright, causing less damage to the head.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by jingling a set of keys.
busted
The keys had no effect at all.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by dangling a disco ball from the rear-view mirror.
busted
The disco ball had no effect at all. It is also illegal to have anything large and obstructive hanging off the rear-view mirror.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by dangling CDs from the rear-view mirror.
busted
The CDs had no effect at all, and are also illegal.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by covering the hubcaps in tin foil.
busted
The tin foil did not have any noticeable effect.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by covering the entire car in tin foil.
busted
The tin foil acted as a massive reflector and actually enhanced the detection ability of the radar.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by jamming the lidar by lining the front license plate with light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
busted
The LEDs were not strong enough to interfere with the lidar.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by jamming the lidar by covering the entire car with LEDs.
not tested
While the idea did come up in the brainstorming phase it was simply too impractical to test on the full-scale car.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by jamming the radar by bouncing microwaves at it.
busted
Kari’s magnetron failed to jam the police radar.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by shooting scraps of tin foil behind the car as chaff.
busted
There were just too many rogue variables to get the system to work properly, especially wind. The car was still detectable and the chaff did nothing to disrupt the radar. This solution would also likely result in a much stiffer penalty for littering.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by spinning a wheel of mirrors on top of the car slower than the actual speed of your car.
partly busted
Tory’s "Wheel of Death" actually tricked the radar into thinking the car was going one or two miles per hour slower, but not enough to help. The device itself was highly impractical. Unlike the rear-view mirror attachments, the roof mounted device was actually not illegal.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by painting the car matte-black to absorb the radar and light beams.
busted
The all black paint did nothing to reduce the detectability of the car.
It is possible to legally beat the police speed radar and/or lidar by painting the car with special radar absorbing paint, like a stealth aircraft.
not tested
The special paint is loaded with iron and goes on like frosting. It was so heavy that the toy car used in the preliminary tests could barely move. It was never properly tested on the full scale car, because it would be more expensive than just paying off any speeding tickets.
the plywood myth, the construction worker cought a gust of wind? ive been on the top of a large building with a open area around it with gusty winds. i had to take a sheet of plywood to the other end, while draging, the sheet rose off the roof and a co-worker was carring his above his head, he could not hold it any longer and the sheet took off to the other end of the building. with no updraft i can not see how it would support the weight of a human, but with the right wind condision i can see being lifted and falling, to another level.
September 16, 2007 at 6:56 PMabout episode 18. Beating a speed camera at all. There is a way to beat a speed camera with a car, but you have to put a mirror on the back of your car. There was a show on channel nine (What happened next?)I think It aired in the late nineties.If you put a giant mirror on the back of a ute then drive it past a speed camera, the number plate will be unable to be read.
yours sincerely
Paul smith, Victoria
September 24, 2007 at 8:48 PMTop Gear (tv programme in the UK) actually managed to speed past a speed camera and not have it go off. They had to breach 175mph or so to do it though!
November 20, 2007 at 6:51 AMIs it possible to beat a radar gun by dragging a chain below the car there by grounding the vehicle ?
December 31, 2007 at 2:36 PMThis is the most popular solution that I have ever heard for beating radar.
I do not know if it actually works, have you guys never heard of this before. ?
Will a flash aimed at a photo radar camera blind the camera? Using a flash extender.
January 23, 2008 at 4:31 PMRegarding beating Lidar, according to radartest.com, a coating of Laser Veil will reduce the effective range of Lidar. I would like to see mythbusters revisit this myth by testing lidar beating techniques. These techniques include coating a license plate cover and headlights with Lazer vail, and installing an Escort Shifter ZR-3 laser jammer or a Blinder M-20 Extreme laser jammer.
January 27, 2008 at 12:02 AMCome on guys tell us what will work!!!
How about laser Jammers, they’re outlawed in some states???
January 31, 2008 at 2:19 AMEpisode 18. In the plywood myth, where a worker is blown off a building, your concept of the problem seems flawed. Tory couldn’t hold the plywood back, but could he have held his own weight, supported underneith the plywood?
February 24, 2008 at 2:03 PMIf the sheet of plywood were tethered to the truck, so it wouldn’t be blown away, and Tory, seperately tethered to the truck, were to cling to the bottom of the plywood, the test would be more realistic.
All that would be necessary to confirm the myth is for Tory to support his own weight from the tethered plywood, as it’s lifted by the wind.
The myth wasn’t to see if a man could hold back a piece of wind blown wood, but rather, to see if he could glide under that wood, bearing only his own weight, not the force of the wind.
You guys aren’t testing Lidar/Laser myth correctly. Why don’t you guys use something that MIGHT actually work.. like an Escort laser jammer, not your pathetic foil or LEDs. After all, it is meant for the purpose.
July 18, 2008 at 11:20 AMIn one of his movies Jacky Chan tied a few umbrellas together and it slowed his fall from a tall building.. so maybe one umbrella may not help, but three or four may.
August 1, 2008 at 4:56 AMthe laser and radar test are pretty cool, I’m kind of addicted to the radar and laser stuff. I also purchase all my products from 1stradardetectors.com Those folks are very knowledgeable about all radar and laser countermeasures and could be considered a source for your information.
August 28, 2008 at 11:29 AMI didn’t see tested using aluminum foil, in strips, hanging by a string not be their edge, dangling from the lid of the trunk. Since they dangle, they are constantly in motion, twirling, swaying side to side, etc. This should deflect some portion of the radar waves in some other direction causing fewer to actually be received which will give slower or an indeterminate speed reading.
September 2, 2008 at 11:00 AMThis site http://www.phantomplate.com/reflector.html sells The Reflector™ Cover and claims Fox31, ABC, NBC, Techtv and CBS News say it works to stop traffic cameras from seeing your plate. However, Mythbusters claim they are Busted and do not work. What is the truth and how can I beleive it the source?
September 27, 2008 at 12:19 PMWith the speed camera’s:
I heard a story where the car owner had installed hydrolics on his boot, so when he saw the camera/radar, he flipped the switch, his boot went up, and when he got a chance he pulled over a pulled the boot back down.
Impractical but possible.
And only works for rear numberplate reading, not front.
November 17, 2008 at 9:14 AMIs it possible for a police radar gun to detect if you are speeding while their vehicle is in movement coming toward you or should they have to be at a complete stop for the radar gun to work.
February 8, 2009 at 11:30 AMFelix – Yes, it is possible for a police officer to radar you while in motion. (to my knowledge, at least) – Cops have an active radar that I think reports two numbers. one for each reading.. maybe one for each direction… I’m not entirely sure. But yeah, they run radar while in motion. They usually shoot laser while stationary or just sit there with their radar running.
March 13, 2009 at 5:23 PMWon’t the plate, with glitter glas and the magnifying plas, be reflected by night? (also cut the light from the car that enlights the plate). The flash on the camera has no effect by day because there is already enough light . By night you need a flash and this lightsource can be distorded .
March 20, 2010 at 2:43 AMRadar Jammers? You can buy one that is the same size as normal radar detector, and there are liscense plate mounted ones.
March 20, 2010 at 6:22 PMdo laser jammers work how bout photoradar work?
March 28, 2010 at 9:57 PMYou guys should save your money and just obey the law and not speed.
May 14, 2010 at 12:04 AMWhy not just shape the car so that it reflects at the wrong angles like with stealth aircraft?
May 19, 2010 at 9:50 AMI have been saved from a ticket using my BEL 940 Laser -Radar5 detector…My own designed license plate cover that stops reflection of the plate.Blacked out chome..black pickup truck..headlights on..The police shoot lidar at my plate & get NO reading..My detector warns me & I HIT THE BRAKES..I dont intend on speeding BUT some times your going down a hill in a 25MPH zone and dont know your going 35MPG or more !!!!
June 25, 2010 at 2:16 PMGET A bubble type plate cover & a report-folder cover from staples office supply ..the smoked kind that looks distorted when you look though it. use 2 pieces doubled(you will have to make holes for the bolts.cover the plate then put clear plate cover over the plate..take some fine steel wool & dull the plastic cover..(Warning!! Plate cover may be Illegal in your area !!) but is not a Moving violation…
June 25, 2010 at 2:30 PMHello, I saw a technique that millitary ships use to scatter incoming radar waves, they have sprayers, (well more like big water jets called monitors), that create a wide curtain or water that surround the ship. the incoming radio wave hits the water first and is either absorbed and dissipated as heat, or is reflected at random angles.
The impracticalities of this may would be the water and the pump, transporting it ect.
The other tried and tested method would be a smoke screen. this will foil the camera ever reading the number plate. This can be achived by injecting antifreeze into the hot exhaust manifold of an engine.
July 17, 2010 at 2:20 PM