Cosine Effect, Math Wiazrds - (Speeding Ticket)

[Dave Glubrecht]

The cosine effect is referring to when the radar gun locks on a stationary
target to establish the police vehicle's speed and if that target (road
sign) is off at an angle then it will underreport the police vehicle's
speed.  Then when it calculates the closing speed on the target (your car)
it will overreport.
  (I read this a while ago)
   Just an idea here, but if the radar gun calculated the police vehicle's
speed based on a moving target (vehicle in front of cop traveling at same
speed and direction) the radar gun would think the police vehicle is stopped
and then the entire closing speed would be listed as your speed.
   (My very own idea based upon what I remember how a moving radar gun
works)
  Dave G   (Math wisard in training)






----- Original Message -----
From: "Huw Powell" <audi at mediaone.net>
To: "Alexander van Gerbig" <Audi_80 at email.msn.com>
Cc: "Quattro list list" <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2001 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: Cosine Effect, Math Wiazrds - (Speeding Ticket)


>
> > >   Well I was just reading some very interesting info on
> > > http://www.copradar.com/preview/chapt4/ch4d1.html .
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > >  Ah glorious math, or not?
> > >
> >
> > Well, seems to me that this only _under_ estimates the speed. Meaning
that
> > if a car is traveling at 50mph, and the radar is off at an angle, the
> > readout will be less, say 45mph.
> >
> > Not something you want to mention in court.
>
> Actually, having read some of the free stuff at some motorists web site,
> an intersting point does come up.  If the radar would have in Alex'
> case, say, read 1/2 of his real speed, then he was going 140 mph...
> which probalby would not have given the officer time to pick him up on
> radar for long enough in the first place... also the estimated speed the
> officer may have figured prior to actually tracking Alex with the gun
> will be nowhere near this "real" speed.
>
> Anyway, maybe we should all fight our tickets, etc., but making a hobby
> of fighting tickets is like becoming an expert in the legal
> ramifications of your alleged crime and trial conditions while studying
> at the jailhouse library.
>
> If the laws are wrong, unjust, just to raise money, etc., why not fight
> them directly?  After all, most of the countries served by this list
> have some form of representative democracy.  If enough people with clean
> records turned up at the government's legislative offices maybe
> something would be done.
>
> I think it takes a lot more time to fight a ticket than the time lost by
> driving slower.
>
> There are also the problems of driving cars capable of going a *lot*
> faster than any local limits, that handle better than the "average" car
> the road is speed limited for, drivers "thinking" their reactions and
> judgements are good enough to drive that fast on roads shared with other
> cars and drivers of unknown ability, and that the most fun places to
> speed are corners and hills, where your vision ahead is limited and
> speed traps are easy to set up...
>
> That said, if anyone ever manages to get the speed limit laws repealed,
> I will certainly be one to enjoy the benefits at times!
>
> Awaiting your voluminous replies...
>
> --
> Huw Powell
>
> http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/
>
> http://www.humanthoughts.org/
>