Mysterious RADAR alerts.

**Ray** · 04-01-2007, 12:01 AM

I have seen posts in the past where someone says they got an alert on their RD out in the middle of nowhere and no LEO in sight. I might have one possible answer out of many. I was looking around ebay and ran across a Dickey John RADAR unit. I did a search and found that this particular unit is used on agricultural tractors as a speedometer. It operates in the K band but could not find the specific frequency.

So, if you are out in farm land and get an alert and no LEO in sight, look around and see if there is a tractor nearby.

**insidercw3** · 04-01-2007, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by Ray

I have seen posts in the past where someone says they got an alert on their RD out in the middle of nowhere and no LEO in sight. I might have one possible answer out of many. I was looking around ebay and ran across a Dickey John RADAR unit. I did a search and found that this particular unit is used on agricultural tractors as a speedometer. It operates in the K band but could not find the specific frequency.

So, if you are out in farm land and get an alert and no LEO in sight, look around and see if there is a tractor nearby.

Yep, I live in the boonies and I have come to accept the mysterious K bands from the big tractors that are used out here. The frequency is surprisingly enough the same as police radar 24.15, almost always.

**Switchback** · 04-01-2007, 12:25 PM

the radar system you are referring to is used in high-end agricultural tractors and locomotives to interpolate ground speed as compared to wheel speed to determine how much slippage is happening so the operator can adjust the power to the drivetrain to compensate.

there is an explanation of this somewhere else in this forum

**Ray** · 04-01-2007, 04:25 PM

I was wondering why they would use a RADAR system to determine speed on a tractor. I only searched Dickey John on here, I didn't get indepth. Thanks for the information.

**asianfire** · 04-01-2007, 04:28 PM

Sorta like what they use for trains, to monitor slippage.

**GTO_04** · 04-01-2007, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Switchback

the radar system you are referring to is used in high-end agricultural tractors and locomotives to interpolate ground speed as compared to wheel speed to determine how much slippage is happening so the operator can adjust the power to the drivetrain to compensate.

there is an explanation of this somewhere else in this forum

That's another instance of where V1 arrows come in handy. Forward, side, back............gone!

GTO_04

**bart99gt** · 04-01-2007, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by asianfire

Sorta like what they use for trains, to monitor slippage.

Yup. Although newer AC locomotives are able to monitor wheel slippage by other means. However, if you pull up alongside a EMD GP-59 or -60, you'll probably get a K band alert on your detector.

**Ray** · 04-01-2007, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by bart99gt

Originally Posted by asianfire

Sorta like what they use for trains, to monitor slippage.

Yup. Although newer AC locomotives are able to monitor wheel slippage by other means. However, if you pull up alongside a EMD GP-59 or -60, you'll probably get a K band alert on your detector.

I drive along train tracks all the time and whenever there is a train there, my RD always alerts.