Applied Concepts Inc. today made it official: the new
Spectre IV RDD, and
Spectre IV + RDD is now being made available for sale to U.S. law enforcement.
The latest Spectre IV and Spectre IV + RDDs incorporates a number of enhancements over their previous
Spectre III models. Exclusive to the Spectre IV + is the automatic reduction in target range of the exceptionally noisy BG Tech radar detectors (private-labeled as
Cobra, Radio Shack and
Early Warning models, among others).
Now instead of detecting them at 5,000 feet and driving the officer nuts with an interminably long audio/visual alert, the Spectre IV + singles out these radar detectors and dials back sensitivity. This translates into several hundred feet of range, more than enough, and a much briefer alert. Sensitivity and target range of other radar detector models are unaffected.
Both the
Spectre IV and IV + have upgraded software enabling them to detect all U.S. radar detectors save for the BEL STi Driver and presumably, the flagship models of the BEL STi-R and Escort Passport 9500ci, remote model scheduled to appear soon.
In my test of the prototype Spectre IV and Spectre IV + RDDs last year I also learned that the Escort Passport 9500i is practically undetectable as well (30 feet). But those driving with any other model are definitely at risk.
Expect to see the Spectre IV + in Virginia soon, augmenting their existing Spectres. The Spectre IV targets state highway patrol
commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) units in the other 49 states, where radar detectors are legal. CVE units monitor big rigs and other commercial vehicles in which radar detector use is still illegal.
Craig