Basic Question About Gun Range

[jcdc]

Total Noob style question, but if your RD picks up a signal(regardless) which band), does that mean that the gun is displaying a reading?

Example being picking up a one bar signal from 1.5 miles away, if the radar is reaching you, is the gun going to display your speed???

I know the "law" is 1/4 mile maximum allowed for ticket writing purposes...Just curious.

BTW, long time away. It's cool to be able to come back to such a cool resource as radardetector.net!!

[hookem202]

No, it just means the officers radar is transmitting radar waves off "in space" trying to pick up a reflection from hitting an object.

[aradarnut]

Out of the radar guns that I own, the one that has the longest range is an old Decatur MV-724 K-band. It can clock and track a car at a distance just over a mile on an open stretch of road in moving mode. I don't have any late model guns, so I can't answer for them. My other units (Kustom & MPH) have less range: 1/4 to 1/3 mile depending on terrain. They may need to be repaired though.

[Orbital75]

I'd say it depends if your in line of sight. That has a lot to do with it.
Around a curve, he wouldn't have your speed locked.

[Suf Daddy]

Some of the older Decatur units (like aradarnuts -whose avitar is very cool) put out a signal "to the moon"

That being said, the X bands generally give longer range.

Tracking a target away from the unit will have a longer range than approaching the unit, ONLY because once the electronics "lock" into the doppler return signal, the circuitry "holds" onto it as long as it can.

This is also seen by the lo doppler return producing the "patrol speed".
When another, stronger reflection, comes into play the electronics "fight" to keep the original signal vs the newer stronger one.
An example I've seen is overtaking a larger (truck Vehicle) and getting the patrol speed as the closing rate vs the vehicles true speed.

Both the Kustom units I have do this easily in certain situations.
All the analog units (older vs newer) seem to have a slower refresh rate, where the newer DSP (digital) units update the readings much faster and refresh them faster too. IMHO is a faster sampling rate.

ONE other items of importance.

The angle of the antenna.
With the vehicle straight on to the antenna, I seem to get a weird invisible region dead ahead of the antenna. The readings come in stronger when the vehicle reflection seems to be along the "edge" of the antenna angle.

Take the antenna and its "V" shaped cone.

When the reflections are collected by the V cone walls, directing the signal into the antenna, the reading comes faster than when its dead straight ahead. My GUESS is that the cone walls of the antenna "collect" more signal, channeling it back into the receiver vs straight in, no bounce.

Range will depend on the noise in the background / multiple returns reflected back tot he unit.

Wide open interstate in Kansas? Longer range approaching vs. urban area and traffic surrounding you.

-Suf Daddy