Radar Guns Blog

Fighting Back Against Trapster

2008-06-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

The ongoing battle between speeders and cops has recently entered the Web 2.0 Internet age. A new Internet start-up has been in the news lately called Trapster. It's Facebook meets radar detection.

Trapster is a user-generated database of known speed traps throughout the country, as well as red light cameras and other traffic enforcement techniques. This is not a new concept for a website. What they do differently is notify a user via text message whenever they get near a speed trap using cell phone GPS.

Since the invention of radar guns, cops and speeders have been playing a cat and mouse game, trying to continually outsmart each other. Radar detectors led to speed measuring technology that couldn't be detected by a radar detector. The volume of speeders led to the development of speed detecting cameras. Red light runners spurred the development of red light cameras.

So, how can cops fight back against Trapster?

They can start by signing up for the service themselves. This way they will have all the information that clever motorists have as well.

Check out the map that Trapster features and find out where people have reported seeing cops hiding. Adapt. Find new places to hide.

Cops can also fill it with false information. Strategically find locations on a map where you can report that cops like to sit and place your cops nearby, preferably before the spot so that they won't have already slowed down. Even if you don't have a cop stationed nearby, it will have the knock on effect of making people slow down because they think there's a speed trap.

Cities could also fill it with false reports of red light camera locations. That way, people will be more likely to heed red lights if their phone tells them there's a red light camera there. If you're using a mobile speed camera system, then vary it's location every couple of days so the Trapster report is always outdated.

The key is to be smarter than the speeder. With careful planning a municipality can use a nuisance like Trapster to their own traffic safety ends. Eventually the data from services like Trapster will become so unreliable that people will stop using the service or develop other techniques to evade police radar. The cat and mouse game will surely continue.

When It's Time To Upgrade

2008-05-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Radar Speed tracking technology was quick to catch on when it was first developed. It revolutionized the ability to catch speeders and effectively fine them. Before, officers had to rely on sight speed detection, which to say the least, is quite inaccurate. There have been many exciting developments in police radar guns in the last few years. That's why now it's a better time than ever to upgrade your radar equipment.

We've gotten calls from some police departments that have been using the same radar guns for thirty years. They're practically using antiques that belong in a museum. While they still do the job, there have been huge advancements in radar accuracy as well as new technologies such as LIDAR and VASCAR.

We recommend that law enforcement agencies upgrade their radar equipment every few years to keep up with the latest technology and to maintain their good traffic safety statistics. The most important aspect of all is saving more lives by catching more reckless drivers and correcting the behavior.

To that end, it's important to keep up with the latest technology in police radar guns. The best recommendation we can make is to invest in police radar equipment that can be hooked up to a computer and analyzed with traffic analysis software. It's a great tool to spot traffic trends in your community and will help you in making decisions on where to allocate your scarce resources.

Many smaller police departments that have had the same police radar gun equipment for several decades are weary of investing in new equipment because of the cost. They have distant memories of their equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars. That's not the case these days. Traffic Radar equipment has come down substantially in cost and is now more affordable, even for smaller, resource conscious police departments.

And everyone loves a new toy, the officers in your department will love playing around with the latest technology.

When You Might Need a Speed Trailer

2008-05-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

A difficult choice for a police department to make is where to allocate officers to monitor traffic speeders. Ideally they need to be placed in areas with a high instance of speeding or places where speeding trends are moving upwards.

The resources of a police department are finite and cops can't be everywhere at all times so it can be difficult to find out this information. So what is a resource stretched police department to do?

A traffic radar speed trailer may the solution their looking for.

Recently a Police Department in Utah got their hands on a traffic radar trailer. They placed it in areas where they were getting increasing reports of wreckless driving. The trailer allowed them to track traffic and store the data. The data was later analyzed and the department discovered where it was best to send their officers to catch wreckless drivers. Once they placed the officers in key locations, instances of speeding steadily decreased.

The police department in question paid too much for their trailer, though the Federal Government picked up the tab. We have an affordable solution for police departments without deep pockets.

The Decatur Radar Trailer features radar detecting equipment, large display board and solid construction. When it catches a speeder it will instruct them to slow down. The data can be analyzed with Decatur Stat Pak to help you know where to allocate your scarce resources.

The Decatur Radar Trailer is the perfect solution for your local town to make it's roads safer to drive on.

Best Massage Chair to Relieve Pains of Baseball Season

2008-05-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Baseball season is in full swing and most likely, ballplayers out there are getting pretty exhausted. Well, having a Human Touch massage chair is like having relief pitcher or a pitch hitter in your own living room.

Relax with the state of the art robotic massage chair technology that learns your body up and down and manages it's massage to give you the most fulfilling massage you can get around. This is perfect if your team's masseuse was too busy to fit you in. No need to wait in line.

The full line of Human Touch massage chairs are perfect for working the soreness out of the muscles in your back and giving your feet the care they deserve. Every athlete knows the most important piece of equipment he has is his own body. So, treat it right with a great massage chair.

After a long day out on the field, get yourself a quality massage from Human Touch.

Top 10 Radar Gun Myths

2008-04-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about Radar and about how Radar Guns work. Below is a list of the most frequent questions we get by people hoping to get out of their speeding tickets. So, without further adieu, here are the most commons myths about radar, misconceptions about radar guns and the cops that wield them. If you have any radar gun myths you'd like to add to this list of Radar Detector Facts, feel free to post them in the comments.

Myth #1 - Radar doesn't work accurately in bad weather - Many people think that if it's raining, cloudy or cold that radar equipment won't work correctly. This is simply not true. Look at it this way. Air traffic controllers can still track airplanes in the sky when it's foggy or cloudy. The equipment a radar gun uses is substantially scaled down compared to an airport but the same principles of radar technology and the laws of physics still apply. Bad weather as an argument will not get you out of a speeding ticket. Besides, if the weather is bad, it might be a good idea to drive more carefully anyway.

Myth #2 - Radar Detectors will prevent me from getting a speeding ticket - A Radar detector does not make you bulletproof. Radar detectors are simply tools; tools that can be used correctly or incorrectly and can perform differently under different circumstances. There's a good chance it won't detect a cop on the prowl and there's an even better chance of it going off when there is no cop around at all. There are also new and changing radar technologies that your fancy radar detector may not be able to pick up.

Myth #3 - Cops can't hide when running Radar - Cops can park wherever they want to nail speeders. There is no law saying they can't hide when searching for speeders. Some people call this entrapment, but that defense won't get you very far in traffic court.

Myth #4 - The Officer has to show me the Radar readout if I ask - Cops don't have to do anything for you. They're the ones with the authority over you. If he refuses to show you the readout, you can't use that as a defense in court. The officer is not obligated to show you his equipment. The judge will always believe the cop's word over yours. Cops can even ticket you for speeding with a visual inspection without radar. You can tell when someone is going a 100 mph and cops are trained to pick it up, even if their radar equipment is off.

Myth #5 - Cops give more speeding tickets to red cars - Cops give tickets to speeders and don't discriminate on car color. This theory probably arises from the corollary that people who own red cars are more likely to speed and thus get nailed more often for speeding. There are no magic properties in red car paint that make them more targeted by radar guns.

Myth #6 - Why did I get a ticket, I was only going 5mph over? - Generally it's up to the cop and the jurisdiction he represents to decide how much speeding warrants a ticket. There are no laws that say this much over is or isn't speeding. Speeding is 1 mph over the posted limit, period. He has grounds to ticket you for going 1mph just as much as if you were going 50 mph over. "But judge, I was only going five miles over" will not make a good defense in court. Five miles over is five miles over.

Myth #7 - I only got a ticket because cops have a quota - This is a common myth about police departments. They don't set quotas for how many tickets a cop needs to write. Officers can write as little or as many tickets as they wish. You can't establish a quota based on who might break the law. That'd be like telling cops they have to solve 5 murders in the next month when murders may or may not even occur.

Myth #8 - I didn't sign the ticket so it's not valid and I don't have to show up in court because it will be dismissed - Signing the ticket is not an admission of guilt. It's usually an acknowledgement you have to appear in court. If you don't show up to court based on this logic, the judge will likely rule against you automatically, you'll be levied a fine in addition to the ticket and have a warrant issued for your arrest. Some states will even suspend your license.

Myth #9 - There's an error on my ticket so the judge will have to dismiss it - People make mistakes. The judge will not dismiss a speeding ticket if the cop got your eye color wrong on the ticket.

Myth #10 - If I place tinfoil on my car's hubcaps or hang a CD from my rear-view mirror, I will become invisible to police radar - This was the subject of a recent Mythbuster's episode. All these methods were proved to be ineffective. There's nothing you can put on your car that will prevent it from being detected by polic radar. Maybe if they started building cars out of the stuff they make stealth bombers out of...

Editor's Note: None of the above information should be considered legal advice.

8 Tips to Get out of a Speeding Ticket while saving your driving record

2008-04-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

We've all been there. You’re cruising down the highway at a good clip; you're in the Driving Zone, completely unaware of your surroundings. And BAM! You see blue lights in your rearview mirror. I know, I know; you didn't even realize you were speeding, but the Cop nailed ya anyway. We get a lot of questions about the accuracy of Radar Guns and how to get out of speeding tickets. Many people have their own unique ways to get out of a speeding ticket. Some never work, while some do. This advice is just that, advice. I make no guarantees that these methods will actually work in your favor. In no way should this be considered legal advice.

1. Don't Speed - The obvious solution is to just watch your speed. I know, I know, this a cop-out (pun intended) of a reason. But generally obeying the speed limit will ensure that you don't get pulled over and ticketed. It will also have the knock on effect of making you a safer driver.

2. Kindness Counts - Cops see a lot of crap in the line of duty, the least you can do is not add to it. When you're pulled over, turn the engine off, have your license and registration ready, roll down the window and keep your hands on the wheel when he approaches. If you're wearing a hat or sunglasses, take it off. Never get out of your car or be provocative in any way. Simple courtesies like this will work in your favor. When he starts talking to you, kill him with kindness and be very polite. Remember, he has the high ground.

3. Admit fault immediately - This is usually the best way to get out of a speeding ticket. When the cop asks, “do you know why I pulled you over?” Or something along those lines. Simply respond "Yes, I was speeding." Usually this will catch the cop off guard. People try to come up with a million excuses as to why they were speeding, but unless you’re speeding to the hospital there really isn't a good excuse.

Don’t forget that cops are human. Don't you hate it when people give you excuse after excuse? Cops hear excuses all day and they could care less about yours. Simply admit speeding was the reason you were pulled over. That’s it. Often times, you'll find yourself on your way in a few minutes with a written warning. This also depends on your driving record as well. If you have a lot of tickets on your record, especially with the traffic authority the officer represents, he'll be more likely to issue you a ticket.

4. Fight it in court - There are as many strategies for fighting a ticket as the sky is blue. Here are some common tips. Show up to the court date, preferably in a suit and tie. Often times the cop will not show up, often times they have to appear in court on their own time and they have so many possible court dates that there's a good chance he won't show up at all. Usually this means the judge will rule in your favor. If the cop does show up, challenge the validity of the radar equipment. Ask when the last time the equipment was calibrated, ask to see the logs. This will create lots of delay and can work in your favor. Create as much delay as possible.

Another strategy is to file continuing motions to string things out for as long as possible. Most people would rather avoid this method; you'll end up with as much in court costs as the ticket would have cost you, plus the cost of a lawyer if you don't feel you are up to fighting it. Also be sure to be very respectful of the judge and the officer. Don’t be a jerk. That will not help you.

5. Pay it and take defensive driving - Sometimes it's best to just suck it up and deal with it. Get the money order and just pay the ticket. If you're worried about your insurance going up, most municipalities have programs where you can take a defensive driving course and the ticket won't show up on your driving record at all. Nowadays most of these courses amount to a 4 hour video and a test you can take online. Paying the ticket and the cost of the course is a lot cheaper in the long run against higher insurance premiums. Look at the bright side; it might actually make you a better driver.

6. It's about who you now - This is where your extended network of friends and family comes in handy. It's called six degrees of separation. You've got to be able to connect to someone you know in the court of city government that can simply make the ticket 'go away' or help the court rule in your favor. If you know someone who knows the cop, perhaps they can get the cop to drop it once that personal connection is made. It never hurts to be friends with a cop. However, in some cases this is not exactly the right thing to do.

7. Don’t Pout - If you're a girl, don't expect to be able to use your good looks and whatnot to get out of a ticket. Cops are generally impervious to your charms, especially if the officer in question is a woman. Do not play dumb to the cop or pull down your top a little to show off your assets. It won't work and may actually work against you.

8. If you’re Drunk – You’re screwed. Don’t drink and drive.

Have your own tips? Post it in the comments or send us an e-mail.

Bushnell Speedster II versus Bushnell Velocity

2008-03-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Get a lot of cutomers wanting to know the difference between the Bushnell Speedster II and the Bushnell Velocity. The answer is simple. There is no difference! Both versions now read in miles per hour and kilometers per hour. The Speedster II is an eclusive version of the Bushnell Velocity made for OpticsPlanet. Same gun, but slightly lower price. Great radar guns for the money.

Spring Will Be Here in No Time Part 2

2008-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

It may be the dark days of February, but spring is inching ever closer. In the second article in this series, I'm going to tell you about the best sports equipment available in our store to help you get the most out of Spring Training.

Every Baseball team needs a good pitching machine. Check out the JUGS MVP Pitching Machine. It's a great, affordable option for the local little league team or the local high school. It comes with a digital readout that allows you to vary the speed from 15 to 52 mph. Give your pitchers a rest!

If you don't want to outlay the costs for a pitching machine but want mechanize your practices in some way, check out the JUGS Baseball Deluxe Toss Pack. It comes with a low speed baseball or softball tosser, a backstop, remote for tosser, home plate and a dozen Sting-Free baseballs. It's great for doing offensive and defensive drills with your infield and outfield players.

If you have the next Babe Ruth on your hands and you want to provide a place for him to practice all the time, then consider the JUGS Backyard Net Package. It includes twine netting, installation kit and screens. This coupled with the pitching machine would be the ultimate home baseball training kit.

If baseball isn't your thing, we also carry the JUGS Soccer Machine which will help you perfect your goal kicking. We've also got the JUGS Football Passing machine if you can't wait to get started prepping for the next football season.

And don't forget a radar gun! Check out the last entry for my recommendations on the best Spring Training radar guns.

Spring Will Be Here in No Time Part 1

2008-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

With the Super Bowl this weekend, it marks the end of the football season and the beginning of the long build-up to the beginning of the Baseball season in April. The Major Leagues aren’t the only ones starting up in the Spring, thousands of little leagues across the country begin their seasons as well as thousands of school based baseball teams.

Now is the time to get a great deal on the very best speed related equipment for your team before the busy Spring training season starts.

JUGS Brand Equipment is the industry standard to sports speed measurement. The JUGS Speed Cordless Radar Gun is the best professional radar gun for measuring baseball pitch speed and bat swings. On the Higher End of the market we have the JUGSpeed Radar Gun Package. This package includes a JUGS Radar Gun, Large Readout Display and a sturdy tripod for the most accurate measurements.

For the local little league team, I recommend the Bushnell Speedster II. It’s a great, inexpensive way to get accurate speed measurements for the team. Having a good way to measure the speed of your pitchers is a great way to identify talent and strategize for the season ahead.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of ''Spring Will Be Here in No Time," where I will talk about all the great baseball training equipment we have on offer.

Best Radar Guns for Christmas

2007-12-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

We've been getting asked quite a bit lately which radar gun makes the best gift for Christmas. Generally this question is followed by the question asking what's the most affordable. Don't worry, it's easy to pursue your hobbies that requires a radar gun without unloading a large amount of money.

The best value radar gun that we carry is the Bushnell Speedster II. It's perfect for use in sports and amateur speed checking. It supports MPH and KPH as well as being very simple to use. It's has a great range for both sports applications and motoring applications. The Bushnell Speedster II is the perfect gift for the budding Nolan Ryan in your family.

The Bushnell Speedster II makes a perfect gift and we offer many great accessories to help you get the most out of it. Happy Holidays!

How Far and Fast Can you Go?

2007-11-13T10:08:00.002-08:00

Nothing is more exhilarating than testing out your car to see what it can do speed wise. We all know the kind of danger inherent in doing this, but we do it anyway. But what about testing the limits of your bike and by proxy yourself? It's a much safer proposition.

Fancy yourself a long distance bike rider? Ever wondered how fast and how far you can go on a bike? Some people are capable of riding a bike a speeds comparable to a car. The current land bike speed record is nearly 160 mph! I'm not suggesting you'll be able to do that, but it might be fun to see how fast you can ride. This is a great number to have if your planning a long distance journey by bike. By knowing which speed you can average, you will know how far you'll be able to travel and at what constant speed.

The process is simple but you'll need the help of a friend. You'll need to buy an affordable Sports Radar Gun such as the SpeedTrac X or the Bushnell Speedster II. Now, plan a route that takes you around your block or a similar small area. Have your friend stand stationary with the Radar Gun. Then, well, ride. But don't ride at a sprint, ride at a rate you can expect yourself to ride on a long distance trip. Have your friend write down your speed every time you ride by him. Do this for about an hour.

Then, do some simple math. Add up all the readings written down from the Radar Gun and divide by the total number of measurements. This will give you your average speed. Once you have the measurement, you should be able to estimate how far and how fast you will be able to go in a day on a long distance bike journey. You will also have to take into account what you think your capable of.

Once, you're done with that, hop back on the bike and see how fast you can really go. Remember to have fun and be safe!

Who Watches the Watchers?

2007-10-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing angers regular people more than seeing a cop speeding down their street without his lights flashing, being above the law.

According to a recent article about a couple in Atlanta, Georgia, who were sick of people speeding down their street and endangering their children; set up their own radar gun with a camera to catch would be speeders and report them to the police. They caught the biggest fish of them all speeding and it landed them in hot water.

When Officer Richard Perrone sped through their neighborhood, they thought it would be a good opportunity to make an example of him. So, they reported him to his employers in the next county, the County Police. They pursued the issue to the point where they were accused of stalking Officer Perrone and ended up in court, fighting for their rights.

According to Lee Sipple quoted from the article: “I was under the impression that I wasn’t supposed to be scared of the police, but this officer…he’s trying to poke at me, trying to intimidate me, trying to harass me,” Lee said. “I live here, I can’t retreat, I can’t go no further back. I mean, what am I to do?”

The story has a happy ending, though. Richard Perrone eventually dropped the charges and it was pursued no further.

For those that wish to set up their own speed checkpoints in the their neighborhood, I recommend the Bushnell Speedster II. It's a great entry level radar gun that is versatile and easy to use.

Did You Know?

2007-10-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know it’s illegal for local law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania to use Radar Guns to catch speeders?

A state law in Pennsylvania prevents local authorities from having the right to use Radar Guns to catch speeders, only the Pennsylvania State Police are allowed the privilege.

Why is the law like that? It doesn’t really make much sense. According to a CBS News 21 in Harrisburg, the state government doesn’t trust that local authorities will use the devices properly. In addition they don’t want cash strapped municipalities using them simply raise easy money.

The question that ran through my mind when I read this was, how do they catch speeders, then? Well, the old fashioned way. They set up two white lines on the road, park between them, hold a stopwatch and time every car that goes through. If it goes through too quickly, then they are speeding. Obviously this method is unreliable. I’m not very good at math, who’s to say the cop nailing you for speeding is?

There’s change on the horizon, though. Pennsylvania State House Bill 1957 would give local law enforcement the right to use radar guns, effectively ending the State Police Monopoly on radar gun usage.

Radarguns.com would like to welcome local law enforcement agencies from Pennsylvania. We hope your state changes the law soon. When they do, check out our Radar Gun Buying Guide to help you pick out the best radar gun for your organization.

Snitch on your neighbors with a Radar Gun:

2007-10-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

I read an interesting article in a Minnesota newspaper the other day. A neighborhood was having a problem with speeders. So, the local town gave ordinary people radar guns and had them stakeout, recording speeders and their license plate numbers as they sped by. There was no authority to actually write a ticket, but stern warnings were mailed to the offenders after the information was collected by the Police Department.

Wondering how fast the idiot who thinks he is driving a racecar is going? Consider purchasing an inexpensive Bushnell Radar Gun and stakeout your neighborhood. Simply write down the license plate number and send the info off to your local police department. Don’t let unsafe speeders get away with their actions!

Who knows, maybe constantly bothering them with speeders will have them do a speed crackdown in your neighborhood. I’m not advocating running after speeders and yelling at them to slow down, clutching your Bushnell Radar Gun. That would be incredibly dangerous.

And when you’re done tattling on your speedy neighbors, go out into the backyard and play catch with your kid. Aim the Bushnell Radar Gun at his pitch and see if you have the next Nolan Ryan on your hands. Civil and Sports applications of Bushnell Radar Guns are equally as much fun.

Stalker Sport II

2007-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

The Stalker Sport II Radar Gun is soon to be our newest addition to our radargun lineup. This Baseball specific radar gun measures both the peak speed (at the pitch release) and the plate speed and can display both at the same time on the LCD. The Sport II is tripod mountable, has two transmit modes (pull to transmit & pull-on/pull-off) and it has an RS-232 communications port to connect the radargun to a PC. The Stalker Sport II has a speed range of 5-250 MPH and a detection range of up to 350 feet thanks to a powerful radar antenna. This unit runs on standard AA batteries for up to a 4 ½ hour run time.

Available soon from Radarguns.com

Ryan

Minimum Speed Rating

2007-09-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

There have been many recent questions regarding the minimum speed rating on the Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun and the Bushnell Speedster II radar gun. Some websites are advertising 10mph and others are rating it as low as 6mph. So what’s the deal?

If you call Bushnell and ask them, one person will say that it is rated at 10mph but they personally clocked another person running at 8mph. My personal Speedster II will not read anything slower than 12mph, so there must be some issues with the software of the unit. 10mph is a good average rating for the low end, but in all honesty, if you are trying to clock with precision at those slow speeds, get a more professional radargun. If you need slow speed precision, get the Decatur Prospeed Professional Sports Radar GunCR-1K. This unit will clock accurately down to 5mph.

Ryan

Coming Soon???

2007-09-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who might be looking for a little more variety in your radar gun selection, things may be changing soon. Radarguns.com will hopefully be adding the additional lines of Sports Radar Guns and possibly even some additional brands of Police Radar Guns. One of the brands we are looking at is the Stalker brand. Stalker radar guns are currently in use by many law enforcement branches nationwide, and their sports radarguns are popular with the professional baseball scouts. We’re definitely looking forward to adding another line of quality radar guns to our selection.

Ryan

What’s with the data port on my radar gun?

2007-09-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

It seems this is an increasingly popular question lately. Many radar guns have an RJ45 or RJ11 port on the side or back. Some models of radar gun such as the Sports Radar SR3600 and the JUGSpeed radar gun are compatible with external displays for reading the data from a distance. Some units like the Decatur Genesis GHD police radar gun have the ability to transfer data in live feed to a PC if you care to write your own data acquisition software for the computer. Some units, like the Decatur Genesis GVP-D and the Speedtrac X have data ports that are not active and do absolutely nothing. So, there you have it. Just because your radargun has a data port, doesn’t mean you can use it.

Ryan

Sports Radar Guns and Radar Detectors

2007-08-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked about whether or not a radar detector would pick up a sports radar gun. The customer stated that their Hot Wheels brand radargun would not set off their radar detector, and they wanted to know if the Bushnell Velocity would set it off or not.

All radar guns, including sports radar guns, can be picked up by a radar detector. It just depends on the model of radar detector vs. the model of radargun. Some radarguns, like the Sports Radar SR3600 uses the X band microwave frequencies. Other radar guns, like the Decatur Prospeed CR-1K use the K band frequencies. X band is very rarely used in Police radar guns now, and so many of the radar detectors may be phasing out the detection of X band frequencies. Radar detectors that detect X, K, and Ka band frequencies will be able to pick up all sports radar and police radar guns.

Ryan

We Sell Radar Guns, Not Legal Advice

2007-08-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Almost every day, I get a call from one person or another asking about specs on a radar gun. After a couple questions about Police Radar Guns and what they can do, they start to ask more and more detailed questions of a specific scenario. Don’t think we don’t know what you’re doing. While we do sell sports radar guns to the public and to some private organizations, remember that we also sell Traffic Radar Guns to Law Enforcement Agencies nationwide, and sometimes worldwide.

We do not give out advice on how to get out of your speeding ticket. While we have many experts on staff who know more about the radarguns that the people who use them, we are not lawyers. We are not electrical engineers… okay some of us are. We do not offer legal advice or counsel. It’s time to just suck it up and pay the fine, because we can’t help you. The only advice I can give you to get out of a ticket is this: STOP SPEEDING.

Ryan

SpeedTrac X Radar Gun Accessories

2007-08-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote about the SpeedTrac X Radar Gun and the selection of power cords to use in different countries. Since then, I have received many questions regarding other accessories for this radargun. In truth, the only accessories we are aware of are the power cords, tuning fork, and the carrying case.

The SpeedTrac X does have a communications port on the back of the unit next to the power port. Please note that there are NO accessories for this radar gun that plug into this port. The only way to make use of this communications port is to get creative and design your own LCD display and program this display to read any data coming from the communication port. Please do not ask me how to do this. I am not a programmer and I am not an electrical engineer.

If you want a radar gun to hook up to a display, go with the Sports Radar SR3600 Kits.

Ryan

Do Radar Guns Work in the Rain?

2007-08-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

A question that I have to answer pretty frequently is “How far does a Radargun work?” My standard response to this question is “That depends on the radar gun, the object you are tracking, and the weather conditions.” So what does weather really do to a radar gun?

Weather conditions such as humidity, fog, dust, pollution, and rain all dump particles into the atmosphere that create a “barrier” for the microwave emissions of radars. I decided to test and see what kind of “barrier” rain would produce.

In my previous tests of the Bushnell Speedster II, I was able to get a clear and accurate reading of a car at distances of up to 330 yards before I ran out of road. Today just happened to be one of the most torrential storms the Chicago area has seen all year, if not longer, so it was a good day to test the “worst conditions possible” scenario. Streets are flooding, trees are blowing around like tinker toys, and I am soaking wet standing on the side of the road with my Bushnell Radar Gun.

There were plenty of cars on the road, so the test was very quick. I discovered that I could not get a reading from a car at a distance of over 75 yards. This distance was calculated by pacing out the distance, because the rain was so heavy that my Laser Rangefinder would not pick up a reading, either. I was, however, able to clock the speed of rain. It was falling at a rate of 17mph downward, and up to 25mph in a, easterly direction.

You should have seen the look on my co-workers’ faces when I came back inside soaked.

Ryan

Refurbished Radar Guns

2007-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun is available in two versions from radarguns.com, NEW and DEMO. There are very few differences between the two models, and it is mostly the packaging.

The NEW radargun comes in clear clam pack packaging and includes a black nylon carry bag that closes with a draw cord. New units come with a full two year factory warranty.

The DEMO version of the radar gun is a Bushnell factory refurbished unit. It may be a slightly used and reconditioned unit, or it may be an older version that was updated to the newer circuitry to handle both mph and kph. Either way, it functions (and looks) exactly like the NEW model, and still comes with the full two year factory warranty. The DEMO comes in a generic cardboard box that Bushnell uses for factory refurbished models of equal sizes, that is actually much more aesthetic looking than the clam pack. The DEMO does not come with the carry bag.

Ryan

Worldwide Radar

2007-08-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am frequently asked about radar guns traveling internationally. This is usually not an issue, considering the majority of them run on batteries. Some of the units do have A/C adapters for battery free operation, but they are mainly for 110v US use. The easiest solution to this is to use a transformer to convert to 220v with adapters for international plugs. This is fine and dandy for vacationers who intend on bringing the unit back to the US, but what about native Europeans? You can’t expect them to use a transformer every time they want to plug in their radargun.

The Speedtrac X Radar Gun has the solution. Speedtrac produces different power adapters for different regions. They make a Euro Power Supply, a US Power Supply, and a UK Power Supply for their radargun. Throw these all in with the Speedtrac Sport Radar Carrying Bag, and you’re ready to travel.

Ryan

Neighborhood Watch Essentials

2007-08-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you who wish to spend a couple hours a day sitting street side with a radar gun to monitor neighborhood car speeds, there are a few essentials you don’t want to leave at home. Since a neighborhood watch cannot issue speeding tickets, you don’t need anything super fancy.

For your radar gun, I recommend the Bushnell Velocity Radar Gun. This inexpensive unit is very accurate, easy to use, and has the easiest to read LCD display of all the radarguns we sell.

You also might want a laser rangefinder in your arsenal. This will help you to determine how far away the cars are, and more specifically, where the cars are if they are too far away to see what street they turned on. Something nice and simple like the Leupold RX-I will do the trick nicely.

In my opinion, the most important item to have with you is the Brunton Widemouth Beverage Flask. These beverage containers have a great epoxy coating on the inside that prevents your libation from touching the aluminum and transferring taste. These flasks are even suitable for acidic juices and alcoholic beverages.

Now that you’re set up, you can go monitor the speeders in your neighborhood. Just don’t forget a pen and paper to record your findings.

Ryan