Nov. 29, 2007 -- The same microwave radiation that reheats pizza can be used to fry the electrical systems in cars, stopping them dead in their tracks.

This struck me as a bit odd, because what microwave ovens do is vaporize water, and anything powerful enough to kill a car by vaporizing the water in it would probably kill it's passengers. So I dug deeper.

The technology uses the same kind of energy used in microwave ovens, but at a different frequency. Ovens typically operate at 2.45 Ghz, whereas the high-power car-stopping system is at 300 megahertz. In both cases, the radiation is above common radio frequencies and is not harmful to humans.

OK, technically a 300 megahertz signal is called "microwave" because anything from 300 megahertz to 300 gigahertz is considered "microwave." However, there is almost no real technical relationship between whatever this 300 megahertz signal is doing to your car, and what microwave ovens do. There is also no relationship between the reason microwave ovens are safe and the reason this car blaster is safe. Microwave ovens are safe because they are sheilded. This blaster is safe because it operates at a completely different frequency that has totally different characteristics. I'm also not sure what they mean by "In both cases, the radiation is above common radio frequencies." 300 Megahertz is in a band reserved in the United States by the government for 2 way radios and meterology. All kinds of radios operate at 2.5 gig, including 802.11b and lots of cordless telephones.

Having said that, this is kind of like a HERF gun. Its a focused radio beam with high enough power and frequency that it has the capacity to fry electronics. Its a cool idea. Its just being presented in a way that seems ridiculous to anyone who understands radios.

Tatoian thinks that with the proper funding, Eureka Aerospace can shrink the device in less than two years to a 50-pound appliance that looks like a plasma television and can disable cars from 600 feet away.

I wonder how big it is now and what it's current range is...

RE: Discovery News : Silly ideas about radio waves