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Entire Report (.pdf file, 200 kB)
Police Traffic Radar ISSUE PAPER
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway and Safety Administration
February 1980, DOT HS-805 254
Seven radar units (six different models) from four different manufacturers were tested for problems. The study listed several recommendations to address problems encountered with some of the radars in the test. All the radar units tested operate at X band, two test models were handheld (the CMI radars), five test models were multi-piece radars.
| Manufacturer | Model | Test Radar* |
| CMI (handheld) | Speedgun 6 | D |
| CMI (handheld) | Speedgun 8 | E |
| Decatur Electronics | MV-715 | C |
| Kustom Signals | MR-7 | G |
| Kustom Signals | MR-9 | A |
| M.P.H. Industries | K-55 | B and F |
* From unofficial sources (not NHTSA).
The test data does not identify the exact radar model used but instead categorizes the radar units as A, B, C, D, E, F, and G (7 radars tested, 6 different models from 4 manufacturers). The test revealed several operational (Chapter 5.1) and multiple interference (Chapter 5.4) problems. Below is a summary of the test results.
| Radars Affected | Percent | Problem Type | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | - | - | F | G | 100% | Panning Error (All 2-piece units) |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | 86% | Patrol Speed Shadowing (moving mode) | |
| A | B | D | E | F | G | 86% | Internal 100 watt Mobile Radio | |
| A | B | C | D | F | G | 86% | Internal CB Radio Transmissions | |
| B | C | D | E | F | 71% | Scanning Error | ||
| A | B | E | F | G | 71% | Internal 2 watt Hand-held Radio | ||
| B | C | D | E | 57% | Internal AC and Heater Fan / Motor | |||
| B | D | F | 43% | Speed Bumping or Batching (moving mode) | ||||
| A | B | F | 43% | External Police Radios 20-30 feet distance | ||||
| C | D | 29% | Ignition and Alternator | |||||
| F | 14% | External CB Transmissions | ||||||
| F* | 14% | Transmit out of band (X Band) | ||||||
| 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 42% |
5 of 12 tuning forks mislabeled (mis-calibrated) -- 4 were low by 1 mph, 1 was high by 1 mph. |
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* Radar F out of band (high) by 900 kHz
Test radar F had the most problems (10), test radar B had the second most problems (9), both are believed to be the same model -- M.P.H. Industries K-55.
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Table 5.6-4 -- Variations Between Radars
| Beamwidth: | 13.3° - 24.6° |
| Effective Radiated Power (ERP): | 26.3 - 134 milliwatts (14 - 21 dBm) |
| Low Voltage Condition: | 6 - 11.9 Vdc |
| Max Detection Range*: | 105 feet - 1.1 miles (32 m to 1770 km) varied with radar and target |
* MAX DETECTION RANGE TEST: Two stationary radar detection range test (1 radar against Ford Pinto on 2 runs) conducted, and 86 moving mode radar test runs (radar and target approaching each other). Moving mode tested each radar against 3 different targets -- 2 door Ford Thunderbird, Augmented Winnabego Mobile Home, and 2 door Ford Pinto.
Table 5.6-5 -- Beamwidth, ERP, and Low Voltage Summary
| Radar | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | medium | average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beamwidth | 13.3° | 20.4° | 17.5° | 18.8° | 18.6° | 24.6° | 14.3° | 18.6° | 18.2° |
| ERP (milliwatts) | 85 | 134 | 120 | 34.25 | 39.2 | 26.3 | 56 | 56 | 71 |
| Low Voltage (volts) | 11.9 | 6.0 | 7.6 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 6.6 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 9.2 |
TEST DATA
The below list relating radar Make / Model to test Radar
A - G is from UNOFFICIAL sources (not NHTSA report).
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Radar A -- Kustom MR-9 Radar B -- MPH K-55 Radar C -- Decatur MV-715 Radar D -- CMI Speedgun 6 (handheld) Radar E -- CMI Speedgun 8 (handheld) Radar F -- MPH K-55 Radar G -- Kustom MR-7 |
The NHTSA report indicates test radars D and E were handheld units (panning error NA). Test Radars B and F are believed to both be MPH K-55 radars; however two discrepancies should be noted. Radar B measured beamwidth was 20.4 degrees, Radar F measured beamwidth was 24.6 degrees. Also the report indicates Radar B does not have a kill switch while Radar F does.
Based on the test results the report suggested several recommendations as summarized below;
- Adopt radar standards and require police agencies to follow standards,
- Develop policy guidelines for radar maintenance, testing, and calibration,
- Keep adequate maintenance and calibration records,
- Establish minimum training standards,
- Develop State-level certification (renew every 1 to 3 years),
- Develop radar workshops and seminars for traffic adjudication personnel,
- Establish State-level policy/procedural guidelines to ensure proper use.
NHTSA recommended standards, based on the 1980 test, may be found under the title: Performance Standards for Speed Measuring Devices, United States Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Register, Volume 46, Number 5, January 8, 1981. Below is a list of some of the recommended specifications.
Performance
Characteristics Minimum Requirement
Frequency X Band 10.525 GHz +/- 25 MHz
K Band 24.150 GHz +/- 100 MHz
Beamwidth X Band 18 degrees
K Band 15 degrees
Minimum Detection Range 500 feet (150 meters)
Accuracy Stationary +/- 1 mph
Moving Mode +/- 2 mph
+/- 1 mph (patrol car)
Tuning Fork Tolerance +/- 1/2 percent
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