FAQs: Classic model

Measuring the speed of a ball in flight is a unique challenge because it will slow down significantly due to air resistance. To get the fastest speed of the ball right at the start of the flight, you need to make the measurement happen at the right time. For example: A baseball pitch that is 80 MPH at release from the pitcher’s hand, will only be about 72 MPH when it crosses the plate. A tennis ball can slow down by over 20 MPH from the strike of the racket to the bounce.

New technology was added to the Ball Coach, specifically designed to track a ball in flight, automatically finding the fastest speed for you. Simply hold the blue button down through the entire flight, or by putting it into constant-on / auto-trigger mode. It will also find a ball in the presence of other objects, like a swinging bat or racket. This feature allows you to use the Ball Coach radar to measure the Exit Velocity as it leaves the bat. This is the only direct measure of the power of a hit. With up to 120 feet of range on a baseball, the Ball Coach radar is a great training and coaching tool for all types of ball sports. This is ample range for use behind the backstop on most high school fields, but it is not intended for use as a long range scouting radar gun for sitting back in the stands.

The Classic model operates with a manual triggering only to make an instantaneous measurement. You need to time the trigger for when you want to make the measurement. The repeating mode will make a new measurement every ¾ of a second, which is great for objects in motion for several seconds or longer, like cars/vehicles and runners. Repeating mode does not work for a pitch because any baseball pitch over 60 MPH will only be in the air for less than ¾ of a second. Using the snapshot mode, tapping the red button like a spacebar on a computer, at the point where you want to make the measurement can be challenging. If the object is slowing down rapidly, like a ball in flight, getting the right trigger timing to always capture the fastest speed of the ball is difficult.

1 Year.  The Classic radar is built to be very rugged. With proper care it will last a very long time.

The Classic model can measure the speed of an averaged sized car from about one-half of a mile away. Some larger cars have more flat surfaces and will remain visible to the radar even further away. Cars with a smaller profile and will have less range. A large truck with a flat metal front will reflect a strong signal and remain visible even more than one-half of a mile away. You may not get a reading if you are too close to a very large moving object.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have developed specific functionality and testing protocols and performance recommendations for speed measuring devices used for judicial law enforcement. Police Radar units that have all of the required functionality and have been tested to meet specific performance standards are included on the NHTSA / IACP Conforming Product List (CPL). CPL approval is intended to insure that a police radar model meets basic standards set by the NHTSA and IACP. Some, not all, jurisdictions and/or agencies require police radar to be CPL approved for use by law enforcement agencies.

There are many applications like traffic engineering and traffic calming programs that need a certified accurate radar gun but do not require CPL approval for law enforcement use. The Pocket Radar Traffic Advisor™ model has been independently tested and certified for accuracy by the exact same test lab that does all of the testing for the CPL list. It does not have all of the functionality recommended by the NHTSA for law enforcement use so it is not on the CPL. However it is certified by the IACP sanctioned test lab to be just as accurate as any other police radar. So it can be used for traffic studies and traffic engineering applications. If you have a law enforcement application for Pocket Radar, please let us know and we can look into how to help solve your need.

We have been working with a partner company who offers a version of a radar similar to Pocket Radar products. The Pulse Mini meets the law enforcement requirements. Use this link for more information: http://pulsemini.com/

The Pocket Radar™ products are all based on much newer technologies than the large radar guns. It is very stable and holds the factory calibration. It does not need any further calibration. You can verify the calibration using a special Pocket Radar Calibrated Tuning Fork. This Tuning Fork is provided with the professional traffic engineering model, the Traffic Advisor™. If you would like to purchase a Calibrated Tuning Fork for use with another model of Pocket Radar™ please contact us at info@PocketRadar.com.

No.  The Traffic Advisor™ model is designed for professional traffic engineering use and comes with a calibrated tuning fork for accuracy verification. It also includes all of the official certificates of accuracy needed to professional use. All of the Pocket Radar™ products have been designed to remain accurate without needing any recalibration. Pocket Radar technology stabilizes the transmit frequency with a high tech dielectric resonator, which acts a lot like the crystal in a quartz watch to deliver stable and accurate operation.

Some older technology radar guns used mechanical tuning screws that needed to be recalibrated on a regular basis a lot like on old mechanical watch.

All speed radar guns are susceptible to picking up interference that can sometimes cause unexplained or random readings that are often referred to as “ghost” readings. There are two main sources of these ghost readings, electrical interference and objects in motion. There are many sources of electrical interference including things like cell phones, computer monitors, fluorescent lights, neon signs, radios, etc. Any objects that vibrate, move or spin can also create a ghost reading. Things like motors, fans, propellers can often be unseen behind covers or other objects but still be picked up by your radar. If you are experiencing these types of random readings change your position to try and aim the radar unit away from the source of interference.

No, the Pocket Radar™ products do not have any interface to transfer data to another device. To view the previous measurements scroll through them by tapping the black “RECALL“ button. If you are interested in extracting data from a Pocket Radar™ device, please contact us to talk more about your application so we can consider it for future versions.

The Pocket Radar™ products have a beam width of about 20 degrees. This means that it is shaped a lot like the beam of a flashlight. The beam spreads out a bit and lets you see things best in the center of where you point the radar lens (the raised plastic square on the back of a Pocket Radar unit).

The Classic model will measure the speed of the object that returns the largest radar reflection.

We are happy to work with educational organizations on a Purchase Order basis and invoicing with N30 day terms.

Create your quotation by starting an order and making a different selection at the end when it requests payment information.
• Begin at the Pocket Radar store https://www.pocketradar.com/collections/frontpage 
• ADD TO CART the items you would like to purchase
• PROCEED TO CHECKOUT
• Complete the CONTACT INFORMATION (email and shipping address)
• CONTINUE TO SHIPPING METHOD – select the option best for your delivery needs
• CONTINUE TO PAYMENT METHOD - select "Purchase Order"
• Verify the BILLING ADDRESS is the same as the shipping or provide a different address
• Once you have completed this, you will receive an email for use as a quotation. 
• Once the PO is issued you can choose your method to send us a copy of the PO:
-  Email a copy to info@PocketRadar.com
-  Fax a copy to 888-381-2672 or 707-775-6040
-  Mail a copy to our address Pocket Radar, Inc, 3535 Industrial Drive, Suite A4, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 
• When the official PO is received, we will ship out your order and mail a hard copy of the invoice to the address on your PO.

This link will provide you with all the details https://www.pocketradar.com/pages/trade-up-program