Fun_People Archive
13 Oct
The Zapper

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 12:26:35 PDT
To: Fun_People
Subject: The Zapper

 From: rec.bicycles.misc #8799
 From: Don Davis <dgdhome!ddavis@meaddata.com>

mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson) writes:
>The Zapper from Electronic Rainbow is a 10 GHz oscillator, designed to
>trigger auto radar detectors.  It is a small black box with a big
>red button on it, powered by a 9V battery.  It is about $40 as a kit or
>$50 assembled.
>
>The unit works as advertised -- it easily sets off radar detectors from
>both in front of or behind the car.  The only disappointment is that
>not many people seem to own radar detectors, maybe 1 in 25.  Generally
>speaking, radar detector owners seem to be men driving late-model cars
>like Mercedes, Lexus, or Corvette.
>
>Electronic Rainbow, 6254 Lapas Trail, Indianapolis, IN 46268
>(317) 291-7262      fax (317) 291-7269

I've had mine for about a year, and I've given some away as gifts (which
were considered strange, but always turned out to be fun).  I refer to
them as "brake light remote controls" -- somebody blazes past you at
about 80mph, and you look quick to see the telltale LED on their visor
or the hardware suction-cupped to the windshield.  You whip out your
remote control (it really does look like a garage-door opener), hit
the button, and a moment later their brake lights come on!

Most impressive.

Important safety tip:  do not zap 18-wheelers *while they are passing you* !!
They sometimes try to dive back into the slow lane while they're hitting the
brakes, and this could have an unpleasant impact (crunch!) on your car.

© 1993 Peter Langston