What radar frequency do cops use in NZ?

New Zealand police use a different types of radar depending on the type of device being used.

• Ka band radar: This is the most common type of radar used by police in New Zealand. It operates at a frequency of 34.7 GHz. Ka band radar is very accurate and can be used to measure speeds up to 250 km/h.  Modern radar detectors have very specific segmention meaning you can narrow down what the radar is looking for, which in turn means fewer false alerts (if any).
• K band radar: This type of radar is also used by police in New Zealand 24.1 GHz. K band radar is used exclusively in speed camera vans and static fixed speed camera poles.  Few radar detectors can accuratly defend you on K band.

Understanding K band vs Ka band in radar is really no different to AM vs FM radio.  They’re all forms of radio broadcast, just a different ange of frequencies.

Police radar in patrol cars using KA band is generally using a much more powerful transmitter compared to the K band radar in camera vans.  Because of this, KA in patrol cars is easier to pick up from further away.  Comparing this to vans using such a low power radar, it’s virtually impossible until you’re right on top of them.  Read more about camera van detection.

False alerts

Unless you’re using the Stinger VIP, you’re going to get a lot of false alerts if you have K band on.  You’d only use K band if you wanted to have any chance of detecting speed camera vans, and as they utilise such a low power radar, you generally get warning at the very last minute.  Will you get enough warning?  Maybe, sometimes. And more often maybe not.  Will you get false aerts with K band left on?  Yes.  Lots and lots of false alerts.  The Stinger is the exception, it’s smart enough to know the difference, it’s smart enough to ONLY look at low power radar as seen in the camera vans.  The Singer is in a category of it’s own, so not something you can fairly compare to portable window-mounted detectors.

If you forget about camera vans and turn off the K band options in your radar detector, the chances of getting a radar false alert are very slim (assuming you’ve got KA segmentation set correctly).

Often customers get a blip or two on Ka and then nothing and assume it’s a false alert.  Modern radar detectors that are set up correctly will rarely false on Ka.  A couple of random alerts are most likely an actual legitimate polce radar threat, just far far away in the distance.  Just because you don’t see the patrol car, doesn’t mean it’s not there.  It could be the next road over, or so far off (several kilometres) that the sensitve radar detector only just picks it up at maximum range.  That’s why false alerts on Ka band are often short blips, or weak and brief.  More on false alerts here.