Radar Detector Interference?

[John Gregory]

Can a radar detector reporting the speed of a car from 1000 feet away get an
accurate reading if it has to be aimed in line of vision with huge
construction I-beams 100 feet away? There's also a guide wire from a utility
pole that's in the line of vision.

 

[Jim Justus]

The I beam is not moving. It would have no effect.

"John Gregory" <jaygreg90@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ef6nc.108870$Vp5.56016@fe2.columbus.rr.com...

Can a radar detector reporting the speed of a car from 1000 feet away get
an
accurate reading if it has to be aimed in line of vision with huge
construction I-beams 100 feet away? There's also a guide wire from a
utility
pole that's in the line of vision.

 

[Bill Vajk]

John Gregory wrote:

Can a radar detector reporting the speed of a car from 1000 feet away get an
accurate reading if it has to be aimed in line of vision with huge
construction I-beams 100 feet away? There's also a guide wire from a utility
pole that's in the line of vision.

Read about the reflections that sometimes slip into the
path. 60 minutes or one of the other news magazine TV
programs demonstrated a stationary house near a highway
showing a speed of 60 mph.

If you're just trying to beat a ticket, don't bother. Judges
are in love with radar. If it is actually *important* then
you have your work cut out for you.

Have your lawyer use subpoena power to get a copy of the
manual for the radar the cop was using. I'd lay 1000:1
odds the cop has never read it and doesn't know how to
"calibrate" his radar correctly let alone use it correctly.

Check the beamwidth of the radar unit and see what else
was inside that envelope. Remember too that in radar the
published beamwidth is 1/2 the overall because they measure
from the center to one edge.

Most police radars have an effective range of about a mile.
Cops are taught, incorrectly, that the closest vehicle is
the one that radar is reporting. Actually the radar reports
the fastest vehicle it is seeing, and the cop might not
even be aware the other vehicle is in its range.

Also check your state's statutes regarding definition of the
units of measurement. Illinois has no legal definition except
in the cases that the department of agriculture is involved
with and that's limited to measurements used in trade. Miles
per Hour has no legal definition here.

And last but not least, check to see whether the radar unit
the cop used was certified within living memory. Most
jurisdictions are pretty good about getting them certified
HOWEVER!!!!!!! I found that neither the federal government
nor the state of Illinois had any requirements that the
equipment being used to certify police radars ever be certified
itself to any known standards. And BTW, that applies not only
to the police radars but also to the tuning forks the cops
are supposed to use every day at the beginning and the end of
their shifts. What's even more interesting is that there is,
in Illinois, no requirement that the person doing the certification
have any education or ay sort of qualifications. If a three year old
kid can sign his name he can certify police radar units in Illinois.

Wanna take any bets about your state?

Governments can buy police radar units for under $1000. They recover
that cost in the first dozen or so speeding tickets (much quicker in
places like New York and New Jersey.)

Good luck.