What violations are recorded by the Strelka radar, an overview of the complex

One of the most advanced devices available today to the domestic traffic police is the “Strelka” (radar). For many people who do not understand such equipment, this device is better known as the “Arrow”. Until recently, it was customary to use such equipment exclusively in the field of military aviation, where it was used for high-speed, and at the same time absolutely invisible interception of targets, since no anti-radar detector could detect it.

Today, “Strelka” (radar) is actively used by modern traffic police and traffic police officers, and in some cases it can even be found among patrol officers who need to quickly detect an intruder at a fairly large distance.

How does such a device work?

The most modern police complex with the abbreviation KKDDAS is equipped with a specialized video recording camera, with which you can monitor violations that occur within a radius of up to a kilometer. This happens when the driver does not have the opportunity to see where the “Arrow” (radar) is located, as a result of which he is not able to get rid of responsibility for the violation. Of course, the only choice in this case is to simply avoid the possibility of violation.

Cheaply avoiding the radar

There are a fairly large number of options on how to properly protect yourself from being detected by Strelka (radar). Of course, such methods vary in terms of financial investment, but the simplest and cheapest is to use a specialized film on license plates, with the help of which one or two letters of the number are duplicated, as a result of which they become invisible. Functionally, this is possible through the use of a specialized polymer coating with a light filter that allows you to distort the black digits of the license plate, making them unreadable. This way, you eliminate the risk of being recorded by the Strelka radar simply because it will only see about half of the symbols and numbers present in your number.

Considering how quickly traffic fines have been rising lately, and how expensive truly powerful radar detectors are, the cost of using film is simply minimal.

What types of radars are there?

The notorious Strelka is not the only type of equipment used. Currently, Russian traffic police use the following main systems:

Merlin

1.) Gyrfalcon. Its small size allows it to be hidden from drivers, and the device has stationary and mobile options. It can even detect overtaking in areas prohibited for this maneuver.

Cordon

2.) Cordon. The triple emitter even adjusts to road markings and the road surface, which makes it possible to react to lane crossings or pulling off to the side of the road.

Rapier-1

3.) Rapier-1. It is somewhat similar to a surveillance camera, which lulls the vigilance of drivers. The armored body protects it from vandalism.

Robot

4.) Robot. It resembles a switching box, so motorists for a long time cannot understand where the fixation comes from. It has a round frequency emitter and a lens.

Scat

5.) Scat. It looks like a birdhouse, and under the tripod there is a powerful self-powered battery. Usually they try to use it in warm weather, otherwise the charge quickly sags. There is also a stationary version mounted on poles.

Arena C

6.) Arena S. A device very similar to an arrow that gives all-round detection. In frosty weather it can malfunction, so it is gradually abandoned.

PKS-4

7.) PKS-4. This is a complex device, which is a stationary post with a powerful computer on board. Any computing system that increases accuracy can be connected to it.

CRIS-P

8.) CHRIS-P. It is installed on a tripod on the side of the road, automatically aligned with the horizon, and then begins its work. Outwardly, it resembles a video camera used by reporters.

These types of radars are not the only ones in the arsenal of the traffic police. Each variety considered is a hybrid of an emitter and a camera. They include a photo part when a moving object exceeds the speed limit. The fixation range for all models is in the range of 200-400m, and their range coincides with the arrow. Also, almost all of them can notice violations of road markings and the order of movement on secondary and main roads.

Strelka features

It is worth noting the fact that with the help of an automated stationary device, unlike the vast majority of other devices, it is not a specific vehicle that is tracked, but the entire traffic flow at once, thus ensuring the simultaneous processing of a section of the roadway at a distance of up to a kilometer around the place where there is a “Strelka” radar (the photo above will tell you what it is). And these are just a few of the advantages that distinguish such a modern set of equipment.

"Strelka Radar Anti-Radar": forewarned is forearmed

All drivers know what a radar detector is and why it is needed, even those who do not use it. Previously, this word meant a certain device that picked up a police radar signal. Such devices still exist, but their capabilities are limited - in addition to radars, which can be “seen,” there are many other unpleasant surprises on the road that do not manifest themselves at a distance. Only mobile applications with access to a specialized database, such as Strelka Radar Detector, can help here.

Before the review itself, a short digression on the legality and ethics of using such devices and applications. To begin with, it is necessary to distinguish between radar detectors themselves and radar detectors, which are also very often (and completely incorrectly) called radar detectors. A radar detector is an active device that creates interference, as a result of which the response signal to the radar does not arrive or arrives in a distorted form, and correct speed measurement is impossible. The use, as well as the sale and import of such “gadgets” are quite rightly prohibited in most countries of the world, since their task, in essence, is to hide evidence of a violation. Radar detectors are another matter - passive devices that only warn the driver about an ambush and force him to reduce speed, that is, they prevent violations and increase traffic safety, at least on controlled sections of the road. Accordingly, in most countries of the world, including Ukraine and Russia, radar detectors are prohibited, and the attitude towards radar detectors is more loyal; they can be used almost everywhere. In Germany, they even distributed them to drivers free of charge as an experiment, and then conducted a study that showed that the number of accidents among cars with a radar detector is significantly lower than without it.

So, software “radar detectors” are, in fact, radar detectors, since they only notify about the presence of radars and cameras, without interfering with their operation in any way. And drivers are disciplined in the same way. It is unreasonable and unrealistic to ban such applications, because then it is necessary to ban navigators, laptops, smartphones and tablets with navigation software that supports POI (Points Of Interest - a layer with various objects on the map).

Software radar detectors (perhaps it would be more correct to call them GPS informants) have many advantages over hardware ones. Firstly, the reliability of hardware detectors is far from one hundred percent. Speed ​​control methods are constantly being improved. For example, the Avtodoriya speed measurement complex is not detected by car radar detectors. And when using a mobile radar, the beam of which is easily “caught” by the detector, a traffic police officer can first visually find the offender in the traffic, and only then, from a close distance, point the device at him. The driver will receive a notification about the radar, but will not have time to reduce the speed. In addition, a camera or patrol can record not speed, but running a red light, failure to comply with lanes and parking rules, driving in a public transport lane, etc. But no detector will detect such things as a traffic police post in an unfamiliar city, a speed bump, a pothole in the road, a sharp turn or an emergency intersection. And the GPS informer will not only warn you a kilometer away, but will also allow you to view all the dangers on the map in advance, at the stage of choosing a route.

One of these applications is Strelka Radar Detector, which exists in versions for iOS, Android and (suddenly) Tizen, and in the near future - for Windows Phone. We’ll leave the incorrect term in the title to the conscience of marketers, however, competitors also use it – it sounds very attractive. In addition, users search for such software most often using the query “radar detector”. We will look at the Android version.

Where to get?

Strelka can be installed from Google Play, but there is only a paid version. A free trial with limited functionality can be downloaded from the developer’s website, and then activated; how to do this is described in the application itself. There are no hidden purchases, paid subscriptions, etc.; updating the database is free. There is also a paid version in the App Store.

What does it look like

The design of the Android version of Strelka is simple, purely functional (the application was tested on Huawei Acsend Mate with a display resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which is common today).

Three widgets are installed along with the application - small (1x1) and medium (2x2) are used to start, stop and control the state of the background service, and the large one, in addition, is also for selecting a profile (more on this below) and for quickly adding a new object.

What can he do?

The application uses a database from the site speedcamonline.ru, which is kept up to date thanks to the communities CityGID, w3bsit3-dns.com, Radar Jammer Forum, GPS-BAIKAL, n39map, Nizhny Novgorod GPS Club, travelGPS. Information is updated manually or automatically (once a day), Internet traffic is used only for this, all other work of the program occurs offline using the previously loaded database.

In the “Object Database” menu there is a “Download Database” item; by default, the main application database is connected there. Loading of hazards and custom objects can be enabled/disabled separately. You can also upload a third-party file with a database of warnings in iGO, Navitel and iGO Primo formats. You can find them on specialized forums or on Google by searching “speedcam database”.

For more detailed settings, you will need to obtain a password to access the “My List of Databases” setting; it is free, fast and simple. After which you can create your own set of information sources, if necessary creating new databases based on files or links to them.

The main application window is used only for setting up and adding/removing data, and object tracking occurs in the background, without interfering with the work of other programs. If desired, you can display a button on top of all windows to quickly add an object.

Minimum and maximum size of the add object button

Here is a complete list of objects that Strelka Radar Anti-Radar can alert about:

And for each of them you can separately configure:

• up to three alerts about approaching an object at different distances (with different types of pop-up windows, different sound signals and beeper parameters, with or without voice and vibration);
• two-level speed warning (for example, for exceeding 5 and 15 km/h);
• maintaining speeding statistics (the speed limit is configurable);
• all of the above separately for each of the three profiles – “Highway”, “City” and “Megapolis”;
• own notification template for all objects, if you are not satisfied with the default settings (so as not to edit them separately for each object).

Notifications can be issued in a high-quality recorded female voice (you can also upload an alternative file), a sound signal, a beeper and a pop-up window on top of all applications (the latter option is not available for the iOS version). The choice of alert melodies is large, all parameters for the beeper are adjustable, and the size and location of windows are adjusted for each of the 4 types, and separately for portrait and landscape screen orientations.

The only thing for which there are not enough settings is for the interface, it is only this and no other. Here, from the “checkers” and “go”, the “go” option is clearly chosen. However, if you configure all the parameters once and forget, then you can put up with it. The profiles mentioned above differ from each other in the width of the “beam”, that is, the virtual viewing angle - the wider it is, the more objects fall into it, which is fraught with false positives at a high density of objects. Therefore, for a metropolis the beam is the narrowest, for the city it is medium, and for the highway it is the widest. You can configure automatic profile switching when changing speed mode.

Having discovered a new object, the user can quickly add it to the database in one of two ways: using a widget, for which you can set the four most popular types of objects in the settings, and using the optional “red button”, which can be placed anywhere, but only around the perimeter of the screen. In the first case, an object of the selected type with standard settings and current coordinates is added with one touch, which is notified by a pop-up notification. You can configure it in detail later. The only pity is that the buttons themselves on the widget do not visually confirm the touch; it is not clear whether the button is pressed or not.

In the second case, a window for selecting the type of object is displayed (in this case, it is necessary that GPS is turned on and the speed is different from zero). Touching the desired icon displays a complete card of the object, into which the coordinates are automatically inserted. This method requires more attention from the driver, so it would be better if one of the passengers does this. Or you can remember the place and add an object at the end of the trip using the corresponding button on the main page of the application. If only the Strelka program is installed, then the window for adding/editing a new object looks like this:

If the additional free application StrelkaMap is installed (for viewing objects on the map), then a map appears in the window with the ability to select the position and direction of operation of the object. However, in this case the window structure spreads out, and the icons for object type and speed limit are heavily overlapped by the map:

By the way, if GPS is turned off or an object is added indoors where the satellite signal is not received, then Moscow will always be shown on the map in this window. I didn't find any settings for selecting a default city.

Objects added by the user fall into a separate list; if desired, they can be shared with all users by adding them to a common database, or stored on the server, but only for yourself, for synchronization with your other devices.

The location of the car and objects can be tracked in the additionally installed free StrelkaMap application, which is based on Yandex maps. StrelkaMap, in addition to objects from the database, can show traffic jams (from the same Yandex). Day and night color schemes are provided. The map is loaded from the Internet in real time, so mobile traffic is already consumed here.

Any of the objects on the map can be blocked in the main application database, and notifications about it will not be issued. This is convenient if you know for sure that such an object does not actually exist, or it is located on your usual route, where you do not need unnecessary notifications.

Strelka allows you to automate many operations - update databases on a schedule, turn on/off based on various events, and also launch any application of your choice along with it. For example, settings such as in the screenshot below will start tracking objects when connecting power via the USB port and turning the smartphone to a horizontal position, or when connecting a Bluetooth device (in this case, a headset, but it is more convenient to link to a car radio or speakerphone device connection), and Google maps will launch at the same time:

How does it work

Several test trips around Kyiv showed the following. There is little information on the objects. Apparently they are simply no longer in the city. Automatic video recording of violations in Ukraine did not work long and was canceled, therefore, the infrastructure did not develop. On my 10-kilometer route from home to work, I didn’t find a single object at all; I had to make a special trip to the city center. These are not complaints about the application - when I passed objects marked on the map, notifications worked as expected.

At first, I was disappointed by the fact that for Kyiv the database contains only three types of data - traffic police posts, stationary cameras on large avenues, and cameras at traffic lights that record driving through red lights.

But there are no warnings about other dangers! Objects such as signs “Give way”, “Children”, “Dangerous turn”, “Move over”, etc. are absent on the Strelka Map and there are no notifications about them. Maybe something else needs to be enabled in the settings? As it turned out, only the main database is enabled by default, and user points are loaded separately, since they are not verified and may be duplicated, inaccurate or irrelevant. Unfortunately, loading them did not yield anything; there were no more objects on the map. In the “My list of bases” section there was an option “Road hazards”, but turning it on also had no effect. Perhaps a more thorough search and study of specialized forums can help. Offhand, I managed to find the website mapcam.info, from which I downloaded the speedcam database in iGO format - and mobile “ambush” cameras were added to the stationary cameras. It’s unlikely that all of them were actually there at that time (such information quickly becomes outdated); rather, these are the favorite places of hunters for violators, so it won’t hurt to bring your driving style into line with the traffic rules in such places.

The application works stably, no slowdowns or freezes were noticed. Energy consumption (due to autonomous operation) is insignificant, at the level of a tweeter client. Traffic consumption by the main application can be reduced to zero if you update the databases before traveling via Wi-Fi. In extreme cases, a couple of hundred kilobytes via the mobile Internet will definitely not ruin you. But the card “ate” about 15 megabytes during testing.

Bottom line

"Strelka Radar Detector" is an interesting application with rich functionality and good technical implementation. Pleasant voice notifications, fine-tuning of all types of notifications, automation, clear identification of objects and timely termination of notifications smooth out the first impression of an unpretentious design. I was pleasantly surprised by the meticulousness of the application’s authors, who provided such nuances as outputting sound notifications to a monophonic Bluetooth headset and launching the application by connecting power not via the USB port, which ensures full operation of the application for the maximum number of smartphones and tablets. It is clear that work on the program continues, the wishes of users are taken into account.

In Ukraine, “chain letters” are still illegal, so today “Strelka” is more relevant for residents of Russia, where automatic video recording has been operating since 2008, and other CIS countries. For example, active work is now underway to fill the base for Kazakhstan, next in line is Belarus, where about 50 cameras have already been installed throughout the country. But in Ukraine, posts and “ambushes” with live traffic police officers have not been canceled, and the introduction of video recording is a matter of time. Moreover, there are user reviews about the successful operation of the application in European countries.

Among the alternatives, we can note the very nice free MapcamDroid application with similar functionality, but it cannot boast such a variety of settings and operating modes. In addition, unlike Strelka, Mapcam’s database is divided into free and paid parts. Alternatively, if you have one of the popular navigation programs (CityGuide, iGo or Navitel) installed in your navigator or smartphone, you can load the same database of objects into it and receive both navigation and warnings in one device.

How does such a radar work?

This equipment constantly emits pulses that gradually spread along the road surface. The signal, which is reflected from cars within a radius of about 1000 m, returns to the fast conversion block, where data regarding the speed, as well as the range of this vehicle from the place where the Strelka radar is located, begins to be formed (what this is, the photo above shows in all variants execution).

At the same time, using a digital television camera, a separate signal is transmitted to a specialized image recognition program, as a result of which the Strelka video recorder-radar identifies all moving cars, clarifies their coordinates, calculates the trajectory of movement, and then accurately determines the speed of movement.

Information from the radar and analyzer is subsequently transferred to a specialized cross-correlation program, through which the correlation of indicators is carried out and the determination of a speeding vehicle is carried out. If such a vehicle approaches the radar at a distance of less than 50 meters, the Strelka radar signal is triggered, activating the function of photographing the intruder.

It is worth noting the fact that with the help of such a complex the situation is analyzed in detail regardless of the current weather conditions (it is worth noting only the temperature range, which ranges from +60 °C to -40 °C, as well as the ability to work at 98% air humidity). Among other things, the equipment is sufficiently protected from various mechanical shocks, as it is manufactured in a specialized anti-vandal housing.

What are its advantages?

Today, the Strelka radar is recognized as one of the most advanced devices in the traffic police. We have already figured out how this device works, now let’s look at its main advantages:

• violations are recognized at a distance of up to 1000 meters, which is very, very impressive when compared with similar equipment;
• speed can be measured at a minimum range of 50 meters, with accuracy reaching 2 km/h;
• a fairly wide range of speeds is recognized (up to 180 km/h);
• the camera is used to record video of the vehicle while driving, and the quality of such video is 12 frames per second;
• in automatic mode, those objects are highlighted whose movement occurs with certain violations;
• A command is fully automatically issued to detect and further recognize the vehicle license plate in accordance with the video material if the intruder has approached closer than 50 meters.

What violations are recorded?

The radar and camera of the Strelka video recording system have the main purpose of controlling the speed limit on the road in both directions. Over a long distance, the system begins to correlate the speed of movement with a specific vehicle. When recording an offense, the camera takes a photo of the car from an accessible distance.

This video recording system has an advanced image recognition system, which allows it to solve not only speed control issues, but also others:

• travel in a special lane for public transport;
• driving under a prohibiting traffic light signal;
• driving with unfastened seat belts;
• broken or disabled headlights;
• maintaining traffic priority and allowing pedestrians to pass.

The Strelka complex allows you to track the movement of offenders and more effectively search for stolen cars. For this purpose, the number of the vehicle that needs to be found is loaded into the system, and as soon as it falls within the radar field, it is recorded.

Accuracy

Automated police radar completely eliminates the possibility of error in determining the correct speed of cars, and therefore is considered very, very effective in terms of efficiency. Installation of such a device is relatively cheap, which, with extremely reliable operation, makes it one of the most optimal options. In this case, special attention should be paid to the fact that the device does not change its performance during its operation, regardless of what equipment is acting on it.

Due to this, traffic police or traffic police officers have the opportunity not only to extremely reliably record violations on the roads, but also to provide the driver with a full package of reliable evidence of the violation committed. Moreover, the use of a mobile device is beneficial for the drivers themselves, since they can be confident that traffic police officers have not brought any false charges against them and are not forcing them to pay a fine for something they did not do. Recently, the Strelka application (radar for Android) has become widespread, but in fact its operation is not as effective as the original device.

Sho-Me G-STR

Syktyvkar

2016-06-26 14:05:39

Hello, can you tell me what kind of arrows are on the radar detector display when the car is moving (they change directions)?

Answer

Answers 4

The arrow, this is a compass, shows in which direction of the world you are currently moving.

Answer

Reply to Alexey

Answer

Reply to User_r88248

The arrow always points north

Answer

It's not good to deceive little ones. This arrow does not point to the north, but shows the direction of movement relative to the north.

Anonymous 1 year ago

Imagine a map on your windshield and draw an arrow on it. Up indicates you are going north, down indicates you are going south, etc. The map always hangs on the board like in school and doesn’t move anywhere. The arrow shows where the car is moving relative to the imaginary map. Even when you're driving backwards.

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Are there any disadvantages?

If we talk about the disadvantages that distinguish this device, we can only note its cost, which, taking into account the cost of attached video recording equipment, amounts to more than one and a half million rubles. It is the extremely high cost of this radar that is the main factor why the network of such devices has not yet spread across all police equipment. Of course, over time, the number of such devices will constantly increase, because they are constantly trying to introduce them into the modern traffic police system, and this is not at all surprising, given the income generated by such devices.

Also, many do not like the way the Strelka radar looks, but this drawback is insignificant, because first of all, it is important to get practical advantages from such equipment, and only then think about the appearance of the device.

Is it possible to use a radar detector?

It’s worth mentioning right away that in the vast majority of cases, even the latest modifications of radar detectors cannot jam the signal of this device, because the Strelka pulses are short-lived and are emitted at an extremely low repetition rate, although the frequency of the Strelka (radar) is in the standard range. Also, do not forget that the power of this device reaches only 0.5 W, as a result of which modern models of radar detectors detect it only under the mast, that is, long after photographic recording of the committed violation.

Rating of the best radar detectors: top 5

Options for fighting

But of course, modern car enthusiasts have developed several effective ways to cope with such a radar:

• Somehow cover the license plate. Of course, such measures are punishable by law, so it is best, as mentioned above, to use a specialized film applied to the license plate.
• Use a radar detector. Of course, today there are already some devices capable of recognizing Strelka, but such a pleasure will cost you a lot.
• Drive under the camera unnoticed. If you know where exactly the Strelka is located, you can drive under the camera in such a way that the license plate cannot be captured by this device. For example, many people prefer to hide behind large cars or simply drive around the video capture zone on the side of the road. Some even manage to drive around in the oncoming lane, but this should not be done, since, most likely, such actions will only result in new problems.

Of course, such methods differ in the required financial investments, but in any case, the best option is to apply film to license plates.

Methods for drivers to deal with fines from Strelka

Enterprising drivers never give up hope of getting around restrictions. There are several ways to do this that are different in cost and punishment.

The first is a special film that is applied to the two characters of the license plate. The infrared beam of the camera, hitting it, cannot read the information, and the camera takes a photo with a missing number and letter.

Important. This is a serious violation that can result in your rooms being removed.

The second way is to purchase a radar detector, of which there are many on the market for every budget and taste. They pick up short pulses from Strelka using a high-tech radio module already at a distance of one and a half kilometers. It is quite enough to slow down.

The third way is to find out where the radars are located and put them on your map in the navigator. “Strelka” is immobile, it always stands in one place.

The fourth way is the safest and most economical. Observe the speed limit, and then you won’t have to waste time and money on buying additional devices, sticking films, or putting radars on the map.

The development of technological innovations does not stand still. Every year new directions appear. Once drivers figure out how to outwit the new radar, something new appears.

Take precautions

It is also worth noting the fact that even if you do not have radars against Strelka, but at the same time you came into the system’s coverage area at an excessive speed, this does not mean that you will receive a receipt in any case. In fact, such devices initially take the car into circulation, that is, they identify it at the entrance to the place where the shooting will take place, while it sees absolutely every vehicle, guiding it from the boundaries of the detection zone to the area where the shooting is taking place. That is why you can simply drive around the device within a radius of more than 50 meters and not be recorded on camera.