POCKET RADAR™
Environment
Speed radars are very sensitive instruments for measuring moving objects of any kind. There
may be times when the speed reading displayed may not make sense, or when there is no
apparent moving object present. False readings of this kind are sometimes referred to as
“ghost readings”. These can result from either a movement of some kind, such as a fan or
hidden moving object, or an electrical source of interference, such as a fluorescent light,
neon sign, computer monitor or cell phone. You will need to use your own judgment to
decide if the speed measurement makes sense. If the speed doesn’t make sense, you may
have a false reading.
Movement
Any objects that rotate, move or vibrate can create a reading on the display. Large
amounts of vibration, such as very loud noises, can result in false readings. Things like
motors, fans, nearby traffic or the motion of a person’s arm can be detected by
the speed radar. In some cases, if you are measuring the speed of a car at a very
close distance, you may pick up the engine, the radiator fan, the heater or A/C fan
inside the car, moving wheels or hubcaps, etc. In this case, try to make the
measurement from a further distance away. This may cause difficulty when you are
trying to measure speeds from inside a car, as you may only measure the speed of the
internal fans and not the external moving objects.
Electrical
Cell phones, wireless devices, radio and TV transmitters, computers, fluorescent lights,
televisions, walkie-talkies, etc., can also possibly create a false reading.
In the event of getting any of these kinds of false readings, try to identify the possible source
and then reposition the speed radar so that you are further away and have the beam
pointed away from the source. Quite often the interfering moving object is not easy to spot.
You may even be observing a reflection (such as a car behind you while you are pointing
at a metal backstop behind home plate). All radars work this way, so remember to use your
best judgment when you have a question about what you see.
For more details, visit: www.PocketRadar.com
Memory
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