Seven radar units, six different models, from four different manufacturers were tested for problems. The study listed several recommendations based on problems encountered with some of the radars in the test. All the radar units tested operate at X band, two test models were handheld, five test models were multi-piece radars.
The test data does not identify the exact radar model but instead categorizes the radar units as A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The test revealed several operational and multiple interference problems.
| 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 |
| Radars Affected | Total | Problem | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D* | E* | F | 6 (86%) | Patrol Speed Shadowing (moving mode) | |
| A | B | D* | E* | F | G | 6 (86%) | Internal 100 watt Mobile Radio | |
| A | B | C | D* | F | G | 6 (86%) | Internal CB Radio Transmissions | |
| A | B | C | - | - | F | G | 5 (71%) | Panning Error (All 2-piece units) |
| B | C | D* | E* | F | 5 (71%) | Scanning Error | ||
| A | B | E* | F | G | 5 (71%) | Internal 2 watt Hand-held Radio | ||
| B | C | D* | E* | 4 (33%) | Internal AC and Heater Fan / Motor | |||
| B | D* | F | 3 (43%) | Speed Bumping or Batching (moving mode) | ||||
| A | B | F | 3 (43%) | External Police Radios 20-30 feet distance | ||||
| C | D* | 2 (29%) | Ignition and Alternator | |||||
| F | 1 (14%) | External CB Transmissions | ||||||
| F | 1 (14%) | Transmit out of band (+900 kHz) | ||||||
| 6 50% |
9 75% |
6 50% |
7 58% |
5 42% |
10 83% |
4 33% |
Test failed out of 12 test. | |
| Radar B traveling 40 mph |
- tracked 37 mph Pinto - lost track several seconds - tracked car well behind Pinto |
| Radar D traveling 41 mph |
- tracked 57 mph truck well behind 35 mph Pinto - eventually picked up Pinto |
| Radar G traveling 41 mph | - tracked 57 mph truck 100 yards behind 33 mph Pinto |
| Beamwidth: | 13.3° - 24.8° |
| Effective Radiated Power (ERP): | 26.3 - 134 milliwatts |
| Low Voltage Condition: | 6 - 11.9 Vdc |
| Maximum Detection Range: | 105 feet - 1.1 miles |
MAXIMUM DETECTION RANGE TEST
86 moving mode test conducted
3 different target vehicles;Two stationary mode test with one radar and one target vehicle, the Pinto.
- 2 door Ford Pinto,
- 2 door Ford Thunderbird,
- Augmented Winnabego Mobile Home.
| 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
Radar A - Kustom MR-9
Radar B - MPH K-55
Radar C - Decatur MV-715
Radar D - CMI Speedgun 6
Radar E - CMI Speedgun 8
Radar F - MPH K-55
Radar G - Kustom MR-7
Based on the test results the report suggested several recommendations as summarized below.
|
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 K Band |
10.525 ± 25 MHz 24.150 ± 100 MHz |
| Beamwidth |
X Band K Band |
≤ 18° ≤ 15° |
| Range | Minimum | ≥ 500 feet |
| Accuracy |
Stationary Mode Moving Mode |
± 1 mph ± 2 mph |
| Tuning Forks | Tolerance | 0.5 % |