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What are the Differences between Ka, K, and X Bands?

“Do you know how fast you were going back there?”

You actually don’t know how fast you were going because you didn’t even think about there being a police car lying in wait along the road. Now you have a ticket to pay for speeding. What if we told you that you could have avoided that entire situation?

So, what if you were driving down the road and your newly installed Escort Max 360C Radar Detector gives you the alert that you may be approaching a speed trap. You look down and notice that you are speeding and take your foot off the accelerator.

Your detector has alerted you to the presence of X band, K band, or Ka bands in the area. The crisis has been averted! You casually wave at the police officer sitting just off the roadway and go about your business.

See how your day can change completely by installing a radar detector?

What Does a Radar Detector Do?

Radar detectors are used to detect police radar guns that are in use in your vicinity so that you can slow down in time to avoid a speeding ticket.

Radar uses radio waves to “see” distant objects by bouncing the waves off an object and seeing how long it takes for the wave to return. The radio waves of the police radar gun put out different types of radar bands – X band, K band, or Ka bands. These bands can be compared to three different radio stations. That is why radar detectors are tuned to detecting these specific bands. When the detector detects these bands, it emanates a “beep” that alerts the user of radar presence.

When a radar detector detects a police officer’s radar gun, it alerts you with messages about X band, K band, or Ka bands. These are the bands that the police officer’s radar guns operate on.

Radar Detector Alerts - what do they mean?

What is an X band?

X band alert?

If you are driving in the city, it is almost certainly not valid. In a rural area, it could be a false alert or a police radar.

X band radar is a type of radar wave that falls between 8.0 GHz and 12 GHz, with law enforcement radar guns operating around 10.5 GHz. X band is the oldest type of police radar frequency, but it is not used as frequently today as it used to be. Even though some people prefer to turn off the X band detection on their radar detectors, it is wise to leave it on as some older radar guns still operate on the X band.

What is a K band?

K band alert?

Slow down, but it may be a false alert.

K band radar are radar waves that fall between 18 GHz and 27 GHz, with most of the law enforcement radar guns operating at 24.125 GHz and 24.15 GHz. Police radar began detecting with K band a few decades after X band was introduced. The biggest problem with the K band is that it leads to a lot of false alerts given.

What is a Ka band?

Ka band alert?

Slow down! It is almost certainly the police.

Ka band radar are radar waves between 33 .4 GHz and 36.0 GHz. These are the most recent and the best radar band frequencies that law enforcement can operate on. There are as many as five different frequencies that these waves can operate on. The Ka is the hardest frequency to detect, and only the best radar detectors can do so.

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Add a Radar Detector to Your Dash Cam Setup

You want to be safe on the road. BlackboxMyCar makes it possible through the use of dash cams and radar detectors with the BlackboxMyCar Signature Bundles. Each BlackboxMyCar Signature Bundle is curated to offer you and your drive the ultimate protection from the very best dash cams, battery packs, and other essential accessories and the option to add on the Escort Max 360C radar detector.

The Escort Max 360C Radar Detector with dash cam add-on allows drivers to drive smarter! Escort offers the Ticket-Free Guarantee, Lightning Fast Response, and False Alert Filtering. Let the technology help eliminate false alerts through an award-winning app.

Not sure if dash cams and radar detectors are legal in your area? We have an article on that, too! Learn about the laws and guidelines in your province and when crossing the border.

Thinkware Dash Cam Bundles [Signature Bundle] Thinkware U1000 Dual Channel  + Cellink NEO Battery Pack + Bonus 1-Year Warranty [Signature Bundle] Thinkware U1000 Dual Channel + BlackboxMyCar BI-750 + Bonus 1-Year Warranty

What is a Radar Detector?

Learn about radar detectors and how it works

False Alerts

The solution to false alerts on radar detectors

Traffic Cameras?

Differences between traffic, red light, and speed cameras

Mounting Tips

The best way to mount your radar detector