Radar Question

[03CobraDude]

I got pulled over today going 74 in a 65. The trooper let me off lightly with just a written warning. As a side note, he was driving a mean lookin charger.

Anyway, back on subject. The trooper and I were driving in opposite directions. After we had passed each other, I looked in my mirror and saw him flip a U, so at this point, I figured that I was going to get pulled over.

My question is: can LEOs scan your speed while they are moving now? The officer told me the speed and I was baffled. I was under the impression that they must be sitting still to do this.

Also, is it some new mechanism set up in the car so the officer doesn't have to use their hands to operate the speed gun?

Thanks...

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

Moving,stationary radar...The two basic levels of it.An officer will have to use one hand to operate the remote.
So yes,you can be clocked going to opposite direction

 

[03CobraDude]

That's interesting. How does this work?

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

Depends on what unit it is.Most units include a stationary and moving capability.I do not know the exact specifics

 

[SHAKER3]

It's very easy to do, depending on what model radar is in use all that is needed is a front facing antenna and a "moving" mode.

 

[LSUstang05]

As far as I know, the only type of speed detection that requires a LEO to be stationary is the Laser.

 

[KILRSVT]

what band is it Ka band L band ? What band is your radar detector.

 

[Lt. ZO6]

OP, what you experienced is rather old technology that has been available to law enforcement for years now.

 

[03CobraDude]

OP, what you experienced is rather old technology that has been available to law enforcement for years now.

Hmm... It seems I'm a little behind the power curve....

I did a ride along in Colorado Springs last summer and the officer didn't seem to have any speed detecting technology.

 

[Hlistr_07RR]

I was on a ridealong with my brother and we backed up an undercover guy with a radar unit set up permanently, and it had a readout of everyones speeds, in front and behind him. So ya, come up fast on him, bam...go past him...bam. Many radars can do this

 

[Iceman II]

In-car moving radar has been around for a long time. Probably since the 1960-70's at least here in Texas.
It uses the Doppler Principle. In a nut shell, it sends out a signal against a known speed. It then computes the target speed.

 

[fiveohpoepoe]

To technically put it in correct wording[how it works] I would have to read it directly from the books.Short version is the radar sends out energy[signal] or whatever you want to call it.Hits the intended target and bounces back to the radar.The radar does its thing and shows the speed of the target

 

[Lawfficer]

That's interesting. How does this work?

In a nutshell.....


Patrol car is moving with the antenna aimed forward in a parrallel path with the squad car. The radar beam is wide enough to get cars on the sides as most produce about a 15 dgree angle.

The Radar bounces off the road in front of the patrol car and gets the patrol car speed. "Patrol Speed"

The radar also picks up the return of waves(Compression) of cars that are oncoming. This is the "returned value"

The Radar unit then subtracts the "Patrol Speed" from "returned value" to produce the "Target Speed", which is the other cars true speed.


There is a little more to it but that is it in a nutshell.

 

[Smokin04]

You know what's even cooler...most units have rear heads as well that you can flip to on the fly. I know the Stalker's do, that's what we use. So if you pass me at the speed limit and then gun it to be an ass, I can flip to the rear head and see you speed away. Then pull you over for doing it...:banana:

 

[carnut101]

How do you aim with a fixed unit?

 

[Smokin04]

Try not to think of it as aiming with radar. With a Laser, yeah you have to target a specific vehicle. With modern radars (I used the Stalker Dual back in 03, so it's been around) they track everything (vehicles) moving in their field. It's up to the officer to determine which vehicle is travelling at what speed. You can actually track 3 vehicles at one time if you're parked, 2 if you're moving. Not very hard to determine though if you're travelling faster than traffic. So say you're passing a large truck as you pass a cop going the other way...he knows how fast you're going AND how fast the truck is going. When a radar transciever unit is placed on the dashboard of a car, it can sense the movement of any vehicle in an approximate 150 degree cone shaped field of vision. Same if the unit is placed in the rear window. So the officers only real blind spot is when you are next to the police car. But as soon as you pass him (like going to other way), he can flip the switch to the rear antenna and capture your vehicle speed that way too. I've caught plenty of "smart asses" that swore that once they passed me, I wouldn't know how fast they were going, only to notice them speed up as we crossed paths...so instead of a ticket for 85 as he was going by, she (in this case) got one for 98 as she sped away. Can't out run the radio.