Radar guns

[Brett Dikeman]

On Aug 9, 2006, at 8:59 AM, David Kase wrote:

> Well there are several things going on here...
>
> Camera radar I believe is K-band, most gun radar is X-band.  And there
> is also ladar (laser) guns (although I don't think they are used with
> cameras).

MA State police are mostly Ka and don't really bother with instant-on  
unless they're doing an actual trap, from what I've seen, which isn't  
much, admittedly.  Locals are K/Ka, mostly depending on how rich they  
are, and use a variety of constant and instant on; I've "seen" moving  
patrols go instant-on when seeing oncoming traffic, and I've also  
"seen" them just cruising with it on constantly.  Radar signboards,  
which are almost a plague around here, are K-band.  I don't think I  
have seen a single Ka signboard.  X-band is almost unheard of- never  
seen it except as interference.

Speed cameras are not used anywhere in the US, to the best of my  
knowledge.  I've never heard of LIDAR being used with speed cameras  
elsewhere; among other things, the gun has to be aimed by hand since  
the beam isn't very wide until you get -really- far out.  Scott D has  
several lidar/radar guns and brings them with him to events on a  
fairly regular basis.  With a camcorder with nightshot turned on  
during twilight, you can see a reflection off a sign hundreds of  
yards away is only a foot or two wide.

Last night at the Unos GTG, I clocked one of Waltham's finest doing  
35mph in a 20mph zone on Bear Hill Road, at a distance of roughly 400  
feet.  How 'bout that.

Brett