Back in 2003, yours truly, along with then-Editor Jim Campisano, got to sample some of the products from K40 Electronics, namely its radar detector and Laser Defuser ("Defusing a Time Bomb," Jan. '03, p. 140). The radar detector proved to be quite good, and the Laser Defuser was fantastic.
K40's Calibre DL with Laser...
K40's Calibre DL with Laser Defuser has a suggested retail price of $2,018, but prices vary greatly depending on the dealer and installation requirements. Calibre will pick up all of the latest radar frequencies as well as VG-2 radar detection, and the Laser Defuser has you covered against the LIDAR laser guns.
Move ahead four years, and technology has improved in leaps and bounds. K40 has moved ahead also. Its newest product, Calibre, utilizes Bluetooth technology to provide a virtually wireless radar and laser protection installation.
Since our last test, K40 also upgraded its super heterodyne radar receivers with a new Datadyne Technology that is designed to provide a significant increase in sensitivity and more consistency with regard to police radar frequencies, including the newer DSP Ka band radar guns.
"Don't fix what isn't broke" are good words to live by, and with the Laser Defuser working so well already, K40 left it alone. To bring you up to speed, though, the Laser Defuser prevents detection by LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), more commonly know as laser. The Laser Defuser emits a powerful infrared signal back to the gun at a pulse rate the gun can't understand, thus deactivating the ability of the laser gun to measure speed, while you are audibly and visually warned to react and reduce your speed.
We decided the best place...
We decided the best place to mount the front radar receiver was behind the stock grille. To gain access to the area, we need to remove the core support cover.
This comes in handy, as LIDAR guns are capable of snagging speeders at distances up to 1,000 feet away, not to mention speed traps are often deviously disguised as construction and power-company workers these days, which we discovered while in Florida.
Knowing the K40 components had proved themselves, it was a no-brainer to try out K40's new Bluetooth radar receivers and Laser Defuser. This time, we installed it in our raucous 621-rwhp Project Icebox. With Bluetooth technology, you can mount the radar receivers just about anywhere on the exterior of the car without having to run wires all through it. You just need to tap into some power sources and install the control module inside the cockpit. The warning LED lights and small remote control are out of sight, while providing you radar and laser detection and protection. Installation is fairly easy if you know your way around a stereo system. We decided to go to one of K40's professional installers this time, although we later installed another K40 system on our own.
The front radar receiver gets...
The front radar receiver gets mounted to the provided bracket and is then mounted in its final location.
The Laser Defuser is next....
The Laser Defuser is next. We removed it from the provided license plate frame so as not to draw attention. Obstructing the license plate is against New Jersey law, so check into your state's requirements regarding this.
The red square and rectangle...
The red square and rectangle on the front of the unit must not be obstructed. We attached ours to the license plate, though some opt to mold them into the bumper cover and paint them to match the body color. You also want to make sure the Defuser is level and pointing straight ahead for optimum performance.
Zippo's Rob Kopf routed the...
Zippo's Rob Kopf routed the two wires from the Defuser, and the harness from the radar receiver up to the fuse box in the engine compartment, and cut them to the appropriate length.
The radar receiver and Laser...
The radar receiver and Laser Defuser are wired together as per the instructions, with the remaining loose wires connecting to a 12-volt battery/ignition source and ground.